Learn something every day, I think…
Had good but short flight today in the Grand Caravan, I downloaded my missing world updates, rebooted, deleted my rolling cache and turned it off for a change.
Programmed a short flight into the G1000 NXi with a visual approach, flew most of the trip manually for fun but added GPS/AP for the last section so i could catch the sunrise 
Now, two things impressed me today - one was the way the sim behaved - it was perfect, just one small stutter!! The other was that on approach, a visual/straight, i used VNAV for the descent but at the end i pressed APPR mode and was pleasantly surprised to see the AP continue the slope down to the runway - is that a correct feature or did i just press the button at an odd time? There was no GS diamond as it was a visual.
It was a good day today
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As you saw. the APR button will enable a glide path all the way to the runway. On a visual approach, it can be pressed as soon as you enter the DIRECT to the FINAL leg of the approach. Using it that way will replace the green VPTH in the PFD with a green GP right after pressing it.
If you ever activate an approach (cause a DIRECT TO the first waypoint in an approach sequence), APR can be pressed immediately afterward, and a white GP (pending glide path armed) will appear in the PFD and later at the appropriate location the NXI will automatically switch from green VPTH to green GP in the PFD without further interaction.
The rule is pressing APR will work only when in the approach sequence or on a DIRECT TO a waypoint in an approach sequence.
Note: I do see a magenta diamond when on the glide path, the same diamond I see earlier when green VPTH is active. VPTH is armed after reaching cruise altitude, ALT is set below the minimum altitude shown on the FINAL leg of the flight plan, and VNV is pressed.
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Very nice, thanks for the detailed reply.
So APPR sets a descent rate/angle that will take you to the runway threshold depending on where you are in the final leg - nearer will set a steeper descent and so on?
I’ll do some more playing with this feature for certain, the G1000 is an amazing bit of kit.
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I tried another today, sadly the sim was a stutter-fest and very uncomfortable to fly in today 
I tried EGWE to EGSC - a short trip and went for en-route of 2000’ with VNAV and a visual approach.
The planner messed it up though and put a hard hairpin turn at the final which neither the plane nor the AP could maintain so it sailed on by, I just disengaged AP, flew a few miles past, turned round and went again after taking the AP out of “susp” mode.
This time it worked perfectly, gotta love the G1000
Another thing to look out for is what happens when you select an approach after takeoff. In that case, you will notice that the NXI adds the destination airport as an en-route waypoint. I always have to manually delete that waypoint to get rid of the obviously crazy loopy route to the runway that is shown in the MFD with that extra waypoint.
The Working Title team, the developers of the NXI, have stated that adding that extra waypoint happens in the real NXI and they are just copying the behavior of the real unit.
If you set up the approach while on the ground at the departure airport, the NXI does not add that extra waypoint, also like the real unit.
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Thanks,
not seen that one yet as i do generally set it all up on the ramp.