How to read localized aircraft manufacturer and model?

User Support Hub SDK
1

I would like to display the Aircraft Manufacturer and Model for the user’s aircraft on my custom display using the SimConnect API.

I have found that the SimVars “TITLE”, “ATC TYPE” and “ATC MODEL” are insufficient for this. For example, in the aircraft selection UI of the game, I can choose the model “Pitts Special S-1S” with manufacturer “Aviat”. The SimVars read:

  • TITLE: Pitts Special S1 Reno Asobo
  • ATC TYPE: Pitts
  • ATC MODEL: Pitts

If I return to the aircraft selection UI and instead choose model “Pitts Special S-2S” with manufacturer “Aviat”:

  • TITLE: “Pitts Asobo”
  • ATC TYPE: Pitts
  • ATC MODEL: Pitts

The more examples I try, the more I realize these variables do not fit this purpose.

I believe the data I want is “ui_manufacturer” and “ui_type” from the aircraft.cfg file. I did attempt to parse this file by processing the AircraftLoaded event. (The event provides the path to the aircraft.cfg file.) In theory this is OK, but in practice it fails for multiple reasons.

  1. The aircraft.cfg file is sometimes missing due to encryption (ex: Airbus A310-300)
  2. Multiple sections can contain ui_manufacturer/ui_type - which section should be used?
  3. The values are usually localized: (ex: TT:AIRCRAFT.UI_MANUFACTURER)

I have found these localized values are available in the *.locPak files. For example, en-US.locPak will contain “AIRCRAFT.UI_MODEL”: “Pitts Special S-2S”. Reading these files, unfortunately, is even more problematic. How do I find them? Search parent folders? That fails when the aircraft.cfg file uses a “base_container”. When I do find them, how do I know which localization is active?

Ultimately, the simulator has already done this work. The Aircraft Selection menu displays the proper manufacturer and model underneath the picture of the airplane, and it does so using the proper language. Is there any way that I, through the SimConnect API, can read the strings for the manufacturer and model of the user’s aircraft?

Thank you for your time and assistance!

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