MobiFlight Cockpit

Working Notes

27 Jan 24 My working notes from using MobiFlight and trying to get the FlyingIron Spitfire MkIX working with it !

Directory structure of the FlyingIron Spitfire FS2020 Airplane

Top level Directories

• ContentInfo

• Data

• Documentation

• Effects

• html_ui

• MaterialLibs

• ModelBehaviourDefs

• SimObjects

• VisualEffectsLibs

Top level files

• manifest.json
  contains AircraftName/Version details/Software levels

• layout.json
  contains link to all files that need to be loaded into FS2020
  the ones we are interested in are probably the json, xml, cfg, flt
  fonts (ttf, SVG, eot, woff, woff2), images/textures (jpegs, bin gltf), (fx,DDS,Flags,spb), web text (html,css, js), audio (PCK)?

Search Tools

To help search the content of the FlyingIron Spitfire directories I used my Mac Mini and two free applications:

1. EasyFind to search for specific file types within the  FlyingIron Spitfire directories 

2. A text search tool SeekFast which can scan the content of text files in a directory for specific strings. Unfortunately it does not recognise json/cfg/xml as text files so I had to create a copy of these files and ".txt" to the filename.

mkix_checklist.xml

The first file that I ran across that showed some Sim Variables was called mkix_checklist.xml and this contained a set of checkpoints/rules for preflight checks  

At the top of the file there was this section which called out the Sim Variable used for the Parking Brake and the Variable Type of Boolean, 5 minutes later I could confirm that my Arduino toggles an LED using this variable name. So I can monitor some variables - but not yet use them as inputs.

<Checkpoint><

<CheckpointDesc SubjectTT="Parking Brake" ExpectationTT="Set"/>

<ForceCamera Name="Instrument Dashboard"/>

<Test>

<TestValue>

<Val SimVarName="BRAKE PARKING POSITION" Units="Boolean"/>

</TestValue>

<Instrument id="HANDLING_WheelBrake"/>

</Test>

</Checkpoint>

However I still need to work out some variables as they use a Code and not a Percent (30) for example the engine Start button cover must be open before you can press the Start button 

<TestValue>

<Operator OpType="EQUAL">

<Val Code="(L:EngineStartCover)"/>

<Val Value="1"/>

</Operator>

</TestValue>

<Instrument id="ELECTRICAL_Push_Starter_Cover"/>

Some Output Variables

The following is a list of Sim Variables extracted from mkix_checklist.xml file,

• BRAKE PARKING POSITION

  • Boolean

• ELECTRICAL MASTER BATTERY

  • Boolean (1)

• GEAR HANDLE POSITION

  • Landing Gear

  • Boolean (1)

• GENERAL ENG PROPELLER LEVER POSITION:1

  • Percent (95)

• GENERAL ENG FUEL PUMP SWITCH:1

  • Fuel Booster Pump

  • Boolean (1)

• GENERAL ENG FUEL VALVE:1

  • Boolean (1)

• GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1

  • Percent (30)

• GENERAL ENG THROTTLE LEVER POSITION:1

  • Percent (5 to 15)

• GENERAL ENG MIXTURE LEVER POSITION:1

  • Percent (95)

• GENERAL ENG STARTER ACTIVE:1

  • Boolean Starter and Boost Engaged

• RECIP ENG LEFT MAGNETO:1

  • Boolean

  • Instrument: ELECTRICAL_Switch_Magneto_1

• RECIP ENG RIGHT MAGNETO:1

  • Boolean

  • Instrument: ELECTRICAL_Switch_Magneto_2

• FLAPS HANDLE PERCENT

  • Percent (0 or 100)

• RUDDER TRIM PCT

  • Percent (-5) Need lots of left trim at takeoff

Some Input Variables

The following is a list of Sim Variables extracted from mkix_checklist.xml file,

• L:PrimerPumps

• L:PrimerPumpsNeeded

  • Integer 

  • Instrument id="ENGINE_LEVER_PRIMER"

• L:EngineStartCover

  • Boolean

  • Instrument id="ELECTRICAL_Push_Starter_Cover

• L:EngineBoostCover

  • Boolean

  • Instrument id="ENGINE_BoostCover"

• L:FuelPressure

  • Integer (10) 

  • Instrument id="FUEL_WobblePump"

  • Instrument id="FUEL_Switch_Pump"

• L:AIRFRAME_CanopySlider

  • Boolean (0,1)

  • Instrument id="AIRFRAME_CanopySlider"