FlightSimBuilder G1000TNXi – Mac Quick Start & Fixes

Mac Apple Silicon · X‑Plane 12 Stable · Stock Laminar G1000 only

1. Before you touch anything

• In X‑Plane: Settings → General → About X‑Plane → note version/build (must be non‑beta).

• Back up: X‑Plane 12/Output/preferences/ (copy the whole folder somewhere safe).

• Change one thing at a time, then test.

Never resize the right or bottom edge of a G1000 pop‑out after you fix its width; move it only by the title bar.

2. Basic install sanity checks

.joy files installed

• Copy FlightSimBuilder .joy files into:
X‑Plane 12/Resources/joystick configurations/

• Launch X‑Plane and assign the profiles when prompted.

PFD vs MFD roles correct

• In Settings → Joystick you should see two FSB devices: one PFD, one MFD.

• If both act like PFDs:

• Power both units via USB.

• On the unit that should be MFD, hold the “mode” double‑arrow softkey ~10 seconds until lights blink.

• Unplug/re‑plug its USB power.

• Recheck Joystick: one PFD, one MFD.

No‑bezel patch applied

• Symptom: Pop‑outs show a drawn bezel/knobs on the FSB screen.

Fix:

• Quit X‑Plane.

• Go to X‑Plane 12/Resources/bitmaps/cockpit/EFIS/G1000/.

• Copy in FSB’s “no_bezel” PNGs from their Mac instructions and overwrite existing files.

• Relaunch and confirm the pop‑out shows only screen content.

3. Pop‑outs on Mac – standard workflow

macOS display layout (with X‑Plane closed)

• System Settings → Displays.

• Place FSB screens directly under your main display, edges touching, no gaps.

• Confirm you can move the mouse freely onto each G1000 screen on the desktop.

Create & place pop‑outs (in X‑Plane)

• Load a stock Laminar G1000 aircraft (e.g. C172 G1000).

• Click the middle of the PFD in the 3‑D cockpit to open the 2‑D pop‑out.

• Click the small undock/pop‑out button so it becomes a floating window.

• Shrink it ~1/3 using a corner to avoid macOS snapping.

• Resize so it exactly fills the FSB screen vertically.

• Drag it by the title bar to the PFD unit; repeat for the MFD.

Fix “only ~2/3 width” on FSB 1920‑wide screens

• Symptom: Correct height, but too narrow horizontally.

• Prereq: No‑bezel patch applied and height already correct on FSB monitors.

Steps:

• Quit X‑Plane.

• Open X‑Plane 12/Output/preferences/Miscellaneous.prf in a plain text editor.

• Find lines like:

• P pilot-1000 gps_popped_out_loc LEFT||TOP||RIGHT||BOTTOM

• P center-1000 gps_popped_out_loc LEFT||TOP||RIGHT||BOTTOM

• For each, leave LEFT alone and set: RIGHT = LEFT + 1920.

• Save the file and relaunch X‑Plane.

• If needed, re‑center by dragging the window only by the title bar.

If you ever resize by the right/bottom edges after this, the width will break and you’ll need to redo the steps above.

4. When a monitor or G1000 goes “ghost”

Symptom

• macOS: All monitors show and work in System Settings → Displays.

• X‑Plane: In Settings → Graphics, a monitor shows as Full Screen Simulator but is black or shows Finder/static content.

Quick fix (least disruptive)

• Quit X‑Plane.

• Back up X‑Plane 12/Output/preferences/.

• Delete X‑Plane 12/Output/preferences/X-Plane Screen Res.prf.

• Relaunch X‑Plane, re‑assign monitor roles/FOV/offsets in Settings → Graphics.

• Re‑position G1000 pop‑outs if needed.

If monitor mapping is unstable after sleep/restarts, try toggling macOS “Displays have separate Spaces” and log out/in, then keep whichever setting is more stable for X‑Plane.

5. Safe update workflow (Mac + FSB)

Minimum:

• Before updating X‑Plane:

• Copy X‑Plane 12/Output/preferences/ to a dated backup folder.

• Back up X‑Plane 12/Resources/bitmaps/cockpit/EFIS/G1000/ (no‑bezel PNGs).

• After update & first launch, verify:

• All monitors render.

• PFD/MFD devices are separate in Settings → Joystick.

• No‑bezel still applied.

• Pop‑outs still fit correctly.

• If bezels reappear, restore/re‑apply the no‑bezel PNGs.

“Belt and suspenders” (if you have disk space): duplicate the entire X‑Plane 12 folder as a “Stable backup dated ____”, update only the original, and revert to the backup if the update misbehaves.

6. Ultra‑short checklist (for your desk)

• Mac sees all monitors (System Settings → Displays).

• X‑Plane sees all monitors (Settings → Graphics).

• FSB devices: one PFD, one MFD; .joy files installed.

• No‑bezel PNGs in place.

• Pop‑outs: height set in X‑Plane; width fixed in Miscellaneous.prf with RIGHT = LEFT + 1920.

• Recent backup of Output/preferences and G1000 PNG folder exists.