AirPanel

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Air Panel is a software for creating 2D aircraft panels for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020/2024

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# AirPanel

**AirPanel** lets you design interactive 2D aircraft cockpit panels (overhead, pedestal, glareshield, MCDU, etc.) and connect them to Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020/2024) via SimConnect. Define your panel in an XML file, use Lua for logic, and AirPanel draws the window and handles every switch, knob, button, and light – no coding of graphics or input handling required. Includes XML Schema validation for error-free development.

![A320 Screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hal971/AirPanel/master/screenshots/A320_glareshield_reduced.png)  
*Screenshot of the Airbus A320 glareshield panel available in the /Samples/A320 directory*

![SixPack Screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hal971/AirPanel/master/screenshots/SixPack_reduced.png)  
*Screenshot of the classic six pack panel available in the /Samples/SixPack directory*

##  Features

-  **Rich control set** – Buttons, knobs, multi-position switches and rotary selectors, potentiometers (rotary & linear), wheels, and more.
-  **Vector & texture based** – Use pure vector graphics or textured animations (e.g., switch levers, rotating knobs).
-  **Dynamic properties** – Color, position, text, visibility driven by Lua expressions – update in real time.
-  **Flexible layout** – Absolute/relative positioning, polar offsets, alignment, plus series containers (`RectangularSeries`, `CircularArray`).
-  **Templates** – Reuse common components (annunciators, switches, buttons) with custom parameters.
-  **SimConnect integration** – Read simulator variables, trigger events, set input events (B: vars), and even execute calculator code via MobiFlight WASM.
-  **Touch & mouse** – Fully supports mouse (click, drag, wheel) and touch (tap, long press, drag).
-  **Multiple panels** – Combine several panels in one project; each has its own resizable, movable window.
-  **Developer tools** – Live reload, bounding boxes, grid overlay, output console, input event inspector.

##  Getting Started

### Installation

1. Download the latest `AirPanelSetup.exe` from the [Releases](https://github.com/hal971/AirPanel/releases) page.
2. Run the installer – it creates the program folder and subfolders:
   - `Manuals/` – full tutorial and reference guide
   - `Samples/` – example projects (Basic, A320, G1000, SixPack)
   - `XSD/` – XML schemas for validation

### Running AirPanel

- **Via welcome window** – Double‑click `AirPanel.exe`. Use the file browser or recent projects list to open a `.pnl` file.
- **Direct open** – Double‑click any `.pnl` file, or pass it as command line argument:  
  `AirPanel.exe MyPanel.pnl`

Once open, right‑click a panel to access the context menu (connect to MSFS, zoom, saved views, developer options, etc.).

### Your First Panel

Start from one of the samples in the `Samples/Basic` folder, e.g., `Simple_Switch.pnl`. It shows a 3‑position switch controlling two annunciators – entirely defined in XML + Lua, no textures required.

##  Project File Structure

A `.pnl` file is XML with a root `<AirPanel>` element containing:

- `<Import>` – include other panel files
- `<Resources>` – global textures, fonts, colors, animations
- `<Communication>` – register SimVars and events
- `<Panel>` – one or more panels, each with:
  - `<LuaOnce>` – initialization code
  - `<LuaLoop>` – periodic scripts (with `<Delay>`)
  - `<Layout>` – window and scene (grid, background)
  - `<Entities>` – all visual elements (controls, shapes, text)

## Panel Example: Airbus A320 Map Mode Selector
This project defines a 5-position rotary selector for the EFIS map mode control on an Airbus A320 / A330 aircraft; works with IniBuilds Airbus family.

```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

 

<AirPanel xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
	xsi:schemaLocation="https://github.com/hal971/AirPanel ../../XSD/AirPanel.xsd"
	xmlns="https://github.com/hal971/AirPanel" >
  
  
  
  
  <Resources>
    
    <Texture Name="TexEfisKnob" Path="images/EFIS_knob.png" />
    
    <Font Name="Gordon" Path="fonts/URW Gordon W01 Medium.ttf" />
  </Resources>

<Communication>
    
    <SimVar Name="L:INI_MAP_MODE_CAPT_SWITCH" Alias="map_mode_cpt_sel" Units="number" Type="double" />
  </Communication>

<Panel Name="A320 EFIS mode ">
    
    <Resources>
      
      <Style Name="PanelText" Font="Gordon" Size="14" FillColor="White" Bold="True" LetterSpacing="1" />
      
      <Color Name="EngravingColor" R="255" G="190" B="0" />  
      <Color Name="PanelColor" R="80" G="120" B="145" />  
    </Resources>

<Layout>
      
      <Window Width="200" Height="180" Left="200" Top="100" Antialiasing="8" Resize="true" />
      
      <Scene Width="0" Height="0" BackgroundColor="PanelColor" GridX="10" GridY="10" />
    </Layout>

<Entities>
      
      <Default GridMode="Relative" Layer="11" Text.Layer="20"
        UpdateInterval="100" Text.Style="PanelText">

<Selector Texture="TexEfisKnob" Positions="5" RotationStart="-90" RotationStep="45" RotationTime="200" GridX="10" GridY="10" GridMode="Absolute">

<Position Index="0"
            Action="{setSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel', 0)}"
            Trigger="{value = (getSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel') == 0)}" />

<Position Index="1"
            Action="{setSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel', 1)}"
            Trigger="{value = (getSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel') == 1)}" />

<Position Index="2"
            Action="{setSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel', 2)}"
            Trigger="{value = (getSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel') == 2)}" />

<Position Index="3"
            Action="{setSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel', 3)}"
            Trigger="{value = (getSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel') == 3)}" />

<Position Index="4"
            Action="{setSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel', 4)}"
            Trigger="{value = (getSimVar('map_mode_cpt_sel') == 4)}" />

<Arc Color="EngravingColor" Radius="45" Angle="180" Thickness="2" Rotation="180" Fixed="True" Layer="20" />

<CircularArray Radius="47" Space="45" StartAngle="180" ElementsCount="5" RotateElements="true">
            <Rectangle FillColor="EngravingColor" Width="6" Height="2" OutlineThickness="0" Layer="20" Fixed="True" />
          </CircularArray>
        </Selector>

<CircularSeries Radius="60" Space="45" StartAngle="180" RotateElements="False">         
          <Text FillColor="EngravingColor" String="LS" />                         
          <Text FillColor="EngravingColor" String="VOR" DeltaX="-5" DeltaY="5" /> 
          <Text FillColor="EngravingColor" String="NAV" />                        
          <Text FillColor="EngravingColor" String="ARC" DeltaX="7" DeltaY="5" />  
          <Text FillColor="EngravingColor" String="PLAN" DeltaX="8" />            
        </CircularSeries>
      </Default>
    </Entities>
  </Panel>
</AirPanel>

```
![EFIS knob Screenshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/hal971/AirPanel/master/screenshots/A320_EFIS_map.png)  
*Screenshot of the rendered selector*

##  Documentation

- **Full Tutorial & Reference** – Installed with AirPanel (`Manuals/` folder) or available on the [GitHub repo](https://github.com/hal971/AirPanel/tree/master/Manuals).
- **XML Schema** – Use `XSD/AirPanel.xsd` in your editor for auto‑completion and validation.

## Examples 
Check out sample panels in the `/Samples` directory:
- `Basic Samples` - basic panels ranging from a simple 3-position switch to a more complex panel with multiple switches and annunciators 
- `A320_Glareshield.pnl` - Airbus A320 FCU, EFIS and warning lights in a single panel
- `A320_MCDU.pnl` - Airbus A320 MCDU with transparent background to overlay the panel onto the MCDU screen detached from the virtual cockpit 
- `G1000_PFD.pnl and G1000_MFD.pnl` - Garmin G1000 PFD and MFD units with transparent background 
- `SixPack.pnl` - Panel with the classic six primary instruments of an aircraft
  
##  Acknowledgements

AirPanel would not exist without these great open‑source projects:

- **[SFML](https://www.sfml-dev.org/)** – Graphics, windowing, input
- **[pugixml](https://pugixml.org/)** – Fast XML parsing
- **[Dear ImGui](https://github.com/ocornut/imgui)** – Menus & dialogs
- **[Lua](https://www.lua.org/)** – Embedded scripting

##  License

AirPanel is released under the GPLv3 License. See [LICENSE](LICENSE.txt) for details.

---

*Have questions or ideas? Open an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/hal971/AirPanel).*

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