SW Instrument Display Set Software Update: Instant Projection, Zero Lag, and Live Panel Switching

SW Instrument Display Set Software Update: Instant Projection, Zero Lag, and Live Panel Switching

A real flight deck has more instrument panels than any desktop display setup can physically fit. The SW Instrument Display Set gives you three dedicated displays for your PFD, ND, and EICAS or ECAM — but the software running behind those screens is what actually determines how smooth, fast, and flexible that experience feels. We've just shipped a major update to that software, and it changes a few things that were genuinely frustrating in the old version.

Instant Projection — No More 20-Second Wait

In the previous version, getting your instruments onto the displays meant switching to the software after loading into the sim, clicking Start Mapping, and waiting roughly 20 seconds while the system projected each panel to its screen — during which you had to leave your mouse completely still, or the mapping could fail and you'd have to disconnect and start over. In the new version, projection is instant. There's no waiting period, and you're free to move your mouse throughout the process.

No More Taskbar Workaround

The old software required you to manually enable "Auto-hide the taskbar" in Windows personalization settings before mapping — otherwise the Windows taskbar would get projected onto one of your instrument displays along with your panel. That requirement is gone. You no longer need to touch your taskbar settings at all.

Smoother 3-Screen Output

Projecting to three displays simultaneously puts real load on your GPU, and on less powerful systems — or in visually complex scenes — the old software could stutter. We've optimized how the update handles that output, so you shouldn't see that kind of slowdown anymore, even on more modest hardware.

Live Panel Switching Mid-Flight

A real cockpit has far more instrument panels than three screens can show at once. Previously, you picked which panels to project before mapping, and that was locked in for the rest of the flight — if you wanted to see a different panel, you had to exit and remap. The new software lets you switch panels live, without leaving the sim.

Here's how it works: you assign the panel-switching function to a button on any connected hardware other than your keyboard or mouse — ideally something you rarely use during normal flight. A sidestick trigger button is a good example, since most pilots barely touch it in regular operation. Once that button is mapped to switching, pressing it during flight instantly swaps which panels are being projected to your displays. If you're running a full hardware setup, this means you can dedicate an underused button on any peripheral to cycling through panels on demand — no menus, no remapping, just a single press.

Still Free

Most comparable instrument display software on the market charges for this kind of functionality. Ours doesn't, and that hasn't changed with this update — every improvement above is included at no cost for anyone who owns the SW Instrument Display Set.