Layouts with MSFS

[Will]

Here are my current thoughts on Layouts with PSX and MSFS.

First, I have three monitors that are all the same size, 32". Plenty of real estate. The left monitor (not pictured) is for Navigraph Charts and the moving map. The right monitor (also not pictured) is for the PSX instructor station and other utilities. The center monitor is pictured here.

Design philosophy: The monitors are nice and large, but I don't want to be squinting at the cockpit instruments. Thus the PSX Layouts are generously sized. MSFS is for atmosphere, rather than for views that take your breath away. Many other user Layouts seem to reverse the proportion of PSX to MSFS; I wanted it to feel more like you were sitting in the cockpit. This is my personal preference, of course; there is no best way to do it.



Above is the basic flight Layout, with just one PSX window pane that starts at the captain's clock (on the left) and includes both NDs, so you can see both terrain and radar. The MCP is on the top. This would be for most normal flying situations. My Layout "home" button brings this view up; the same "home" button resets the MSFS view after zooming and panning around.



This is for takeoff and landing, or other precision flying scenarios. The captain's PFD is in the center of the screen and zoomed to just about actual size. This view is brought up with the button I have assigned to "hand flying."



This is the overhead, and note that for the overhead (and similarly, for the center pedestal view--not pictured), the PSX screen completely takes up the full 32" of the monitor. This means the buttons and switches are all generously sized, about life-size. Note also that MSFS is hidden. Hiding MSFS may be an unusual choice, but not only is it easier to see the switches when PSX gets all the real estate, but it also seems like a good choice because when your eyes are on the aircraft ceiling you can't be looking out the window anyway.

The other Layouts are for P6, trim, and parking brake; the far overhead with circuit breakers, ground test switch, etc.; full left seat view, full right seat view, and center console. That leaves me with one Layout still unused...

[cagarini]

I would love to get those layouts, even more if they're 1920 x 1080 ready :-)

[Will]

Hello Cagarini,

Here is the layout file, but unfortunately the resolution is higher than 1920 x 1080; it's actually 2560 x 1440. Feel free to adjust as needed, maybe they will be a good starting point for you. Just select and paste into a text file with the extension .9pack.

Code Select Expand

[Aerowinx Precision Simulator - Layouts]
[Version 10.171]

[Layout 1]
title=P6
screenX=-3840
screenY=14
screenW=2560
screenH=1440
dividerUpperX=3.90625E-4
dividerLowerX=3.90625E-4
dividerLeftY=0.60694444
dividerRightY=0.99904215
zoomUpperL=0.92335474
xScrollUprL=728.01526
yScrollUprL=-1437.2896
zoomUpperR=0.68739575
xScrollUprR=-1359.8406
yScrollUprR=-1614.4513
zoomLowerL=0.46084285
xScrollLwrL=245.76767
yScrollLwrL=-583.4597
zoomLowerR=1.2001562
xScrollLwrR=3583.075
yScrollLwrR=27.266146

[Layout 2]
title=Far Overhead
screenX=-3840
screenY=14
screenW=2560
screenH=1440
dividerUpperX=0.3382812
dividerLowerX=0.3382812
dividerLeftY=0.36275434
dividerRightY=0.99930555
zoomUpperL=0.6823687
xScrollUprL=959.6413
yScrollUprL=5395.238
zoomUpperR=0.62233484
xScrollUprR=845.7804
yScrollUprR=4149.9575
zoomLowerL=0.67757666
xScrollLwrL=-94.53541
yScrollLwrL=5364.362
zoomLowerR=0.70648104
xScrollLwrR=949.47504
yScrollLwrR=-2115.003

[Layout 3]
title=Overhead / Engine Start
screenX=-3840
screenY=14
screenW=2560
screenH=1440
dividerUpperX=0.6626302
dividerLowerX=0.6626302
dividerLeftY=6.9444446E-4
dividerRightY=0.12859878
zoomUpperL=0.8146237
xScrollUprL=846.08765
yScrollUprL=-1975.252
zoomUpperR=0.6548627
xScrollUprR=-148.01912
yScrollUprR=597.7636
zoomLowerL=0.60119987
xScrollLwrL=847.5945
yScrollLwrL=2606.96
zoomLowerR=0.68826324
xScrollLwrR=261.80096
yScrollLwrR=390.99768

[Layout 4]
title=Cruise
screenX=-3840
screenY=523
screenW=2560
screenH=930
dividerUpperX=3.90625E-4
dividerLowerX=3.90625E-4
dividerLeftY=0.18802817
dividerRightY=0.0010741139
zoomUpperL=0.7705989
xScrollUprL=1628.5618
yScrollUprL=33.473938
zoomUpperR=0.5597955
xScrollUprR=1265.4222
yScrollUprR=1005.18787
zoomLowerL=0.59902537
xScrollLwrL=6.6342278
yScrollLwrL=574.2823
zoomLowerR=0.59877086
xScrollLwrR=1623.0675
yScrollLwrR=573.5652

[Layout 5]
title=Center Console
screenX=-3840
screenY=14
screenW=2560
screenH=1440
dividerUpperX=0.5296885
dividerLowerX=0.5296885
dividerLeftY=0.13541667
dividerRightY=0.06527778
zoomUpperL=0.64844126
xScrollUprL=738.7881
yScrollUprL=599.3055
zoomUpperR=0.42654443
xScrollUprR=603.2941
yScrollUprR=1945.8756
zoomLowerL=0.65448594
xScrollLwrL=1112.0891
yScrollLwrL=411.33905
zoomLowerR=0.6968434
xScrollLwrR=601.8327
yScrollLwrR=-1748.8083

[Layout 6]
title=Left Seat Panorama
screenX=-3840
screenY=523
screenW=2560
screenH=930
dividerUpperX=0.05
dividerLowerX=0.05
dividerLeftY=0.6182796
dividerRightY=0.0010752688
zoomUpperL=0.7015449
xScrollUprL=622.72015
yScrollUprL=-1153.4879
zoomUpperR=0.28328565
xScrollUprR=494.82913
yScrollUprR=630.3295
zoomLowerL=0.3987755
xScrollLwrL=275.61493
yScrollLwrL=-568.84283
zoomLowerR=0.59796464
xScrollLwrR=1804.0741
yScrollLwrR=569.2913

[Layout 7]
title=Right Seat Panorama
screenX=-3840
screenY=523
screenW=2560
screenH=930
dividerUpperX=2.6041668E-4
dividerLowerX=0.9997396
dividerLeftY=4.6728973E-4
dividerRightY=4.6728973E-4
zoomUpperL=0.28328565
xScrollUprL=-102.05211
yScrollUprL=-583.45734
zoomUpperR=0.63076866
xScrollUprR=558.4958
yScrollUprR=630.0468
zoomLowerL=0.59831315
xScrollLwrL=752.9215
yScrollLwrL=570.8616
zoomLowerR=1.2001562
xScrollLwrR=-3335.9062
yScrollLwrR=866.88385

[Layout 8]
title=Taxi
screenX=-3840
screenY=14
screenW=2560
screenH=1440
dividerUpperX=0.059783787
dividerLowerX=0.059783787
dividerLeftY=0.1128228
dividerRightY=0.73087835
zoomUpperL=1.9476697
xScrollUprL=2961.7446
yScrollUprL=744.83167
zoomUpperR=0.6032692
xScrollUprR=1437.5406
yScrollUprR=1600.2347
zoomLowerL=0.664205
xScrollLwrL=568.6005
yScrollLwrL=2552.2983
zoomLowerR=0.67274916
xScrollLwrR=1439.1667
yScrollLwrR=-2123.5388

[Layout 9]
title=Hand Flying
screenX=-3840
screenY=523
screenW=2560
screenH=930
dividerUpperX=0.99960935
dividerLowerX=0.25195312
dividerLeftY=0.23700012
dividerRightY=0.23700012
zoomUpperL=0.6725609
xScrollUprL=1814.0354
yScrollUprL=642.1364
zoomUpperR=0.63242173
xScrollUprR=-663.9407
yScrollUprR=195.65945
zoomLowerL=0.70916504
xScrollLwrL=255.8234
yScrollLwrL=403.19333
zoomLowerR=0.9450848
xScrollLwrR=2556.7966
yScrollLwrR=372.38193

[End of file]

[cagarini]

Thank you very much Will !

They'll surely make it easier for me to build my 1920x1080, and they're very well chosen in terms of covering the most important aspects of the interaction between the two sims !

[Will]

Sure. Let me know if you have any questions.

[cagarini]

I did my first tests an indeed it's both the smoothest and the most nice looking combination of a scenery generator with PSX.

I didn't have "always on top" installed so I had to run MFS on windowed mode and reduce the window height, buy I think you're using MFS full screen? Do you use always on top for the PSX window?

I went ahead and turned off the general sound in MFS to stay only with PSX sounds...

[Will]

No, I don't have MSFS in full screen; the MSFS window is just as big as it looks above. It's only about 12cm high, and then as wide as the monitor.

My PSX layouts in which you can see out the windshield (pics 1 and 2 above) do not include the top 12cm of the monitor, so there is no overlap. Neither one is on top of the other.

But my PSX layout in which you can't see out the windshield (pic 3 above) takes up the entire monitor, and is supposed to be on top of MSFS.

[cagarini]

Ok, then I'll fine tune my layouts based on that, saving the need for yet another app to manage persistent on top windows...

But I don't know if reducing the height of the MFS windows isn't going to introduce some "cinema-scope distortion"

[Will]

Addition to the above: I fine-tuned the camera view angle in the MSFS cameras.cfg file, with pitch, roll, and yaw of -1.8, 0, 0. Zoom should be at 100%.

The result is just about perfect, I believe. On rotation, the horizon disappears under the nose at 13 degrees pitch up; and on final, the "piano keys" (runway threshold) disappears under the nose at 50' radar.

I think those numbers are correct... someone can tell me if they're off.

[Wardie]

Hi Cagarini, when you have your 1920X1080 layout version ready please could I ask you to post the text file - I would love to be able to run these layouts. A big thank you too to Will for making them available to us!

[cagarini]

Hi Cagarini, when you have your 1920X1080 layout version ready please could I ask you to post the text file - I would love to be able to run these layouts. A big thank you too to Will for making them available to us!

Hi Wardie,

unfortunately I am very away from my sim PC right now, so I can't find it for you, anyway I never went into much detail... I simply made the first view an half-screen one showing only the PFD, ND and upper EICAS as well as a short TQ inset, and the remaining views are the same as in the default 1920x1048 layout that comes with the sim.

Now, being honest, and while by far that was the best experience I ever had with external visuals for PSX, I think I'll use it only for ground operations :-(  I can never feel the correct blend between the smooth animations of the World even if minimalistic, provided by PSX and whatever external visuals platform is used. Probably different when using multi monitor setups (?)

OTOH I returned to P3D, now on v6, for my main general purpose flight simulation platform because I can't really appreciate the "feel of flight" provided by even the "best" aircraft so far developed for it, so, my next incursion into a visuals platform for PSX will probably be a P3D one...

[Wardie]

Thanks for your reply Cagarini, I've done pretty much the same as you. Unfortunately I can't get my MSFS2020 window small enough to allow me to have two thirds of the screen with PSX (probably a resolution thing) so I think I'll stay with two monitors, one just for externals and the other dedicated PSX. Thanks for your input!

[cagarini]

Wardie, I was running MFS full screen.

I first tried to use a resized MFS window to run above the PSX also resized one, but I felt the effect of running MFS in such a small and stretched display was not good, so I opted for running full screen, and then superimpose the PSX resized window on top of it.

I used Windows Power Toys ( for Win 11 in my case ) to be able to get the "window on top" functionality and not lose focus whenever I clicked out of it, for instance to set the view direction and zoom level in MFS.

Later, I even made it even simpler, quitted using Power Toys and simply avoided clicking outside of the PSX window because I mapped the view commands to buttons and rocker switch in my T16000.