Direct panel capture for X-Plane 12

This development preview shows Direct Panel Capture working with X-Plane 12. The approach sends selected aircraft panels to SimFly Pad through SimFly Linker, without requiring separate simulator pop-out windows.

The video shows a ToLiss A321 in X-Plane 12. It is intended as a practical demonstration of the current integration, not a complete compatibility list.

Why use direct panel capture?

A traditional window-capture workflow can require each instrument to be opened in a separate pop-out window. Those windows then need to remain available for SimFly Linker to capture them.

That workflow can add setup steps before a flight:

• opening and arranging several pop-out windows;
• keeping those windows visible and available for capture;
• repeating the setup when the aircraft or panel layout changes.

Direct panel capture addresses this particular workflow. The simulator can keep its main cockpit view visible while selected panel output is made available for streaming to SimFly Pad.

X-Plane 12 integration

The X-Plane 12 integration uses the SimFly Linker XPConnector plugin. The plugin provides the connection between X-Plane 12 and SimFly Linker, which then streams the selected panels to SimFly Pad.

The preview includes examples of:

• Primary Flight Display (PFD);
• Navigation Display (ND);
• Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitor (ECAM);
• Multifunction Control and Display Unit (MCDU);
• flight-control and autopilot panels.

The exact panels available depend on the aircraft and its panel implementation.

Current status

X-Plane 12 support is currently in beta. The current SimFly Linker interface identifies the ToLiss A321 as the supported aircraft for this integration.

Compatibility may change as the integration develops. Check the current SimFly Linker and XPConnector information before relying on this workflow for another aircraft.

This X-Plane 12 integration is separate from the DirectX 12 capture path used for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The two paths use different simulator integrations.

Performance and limitations

Direct panel capture still uses system resources for copying, processing and streaming panel output. The impact can vary with the graphics card, the number and resolution of streamed panels, and the configured frame rate.

If performance becomes a concern, start with only the panels needed for the flight and use a lower stream resolution or frame rate. The video demonstrates the workflow; it does not define a performance guarantee for every system.

For installation and current compatibility details, refer to the relevant SimFly Linker and XPConnector documentation.