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IMA

Description​

This page displays imagery provided by the front sector optronics (FSO) or, when installed, the Damocles targeting pod.

The page must be assigned to a lateral display from the LD DAS page.


tip

Microsoft Flight Simulator does not natively allow a live camera view to be rendered directly on an avionics display. By default, the imagery shown on this page is generated using external imagery services and does not reproduce every element of the simulator environment.

However, we have developed a custom imaging system that allows live simulator footage to be displayed on the IMA page. This system requires an additional application and is described in its dedicated section.


IMA page using the realistic imaging system

Display modes​

Two display modes are available:

  • TV provides a color image in the visible spectrum.
  • IR provides an infrared image and is the only mode suitable for night operations.
IMA page displaying the infrared view

Zoom levels​

Six zoom levels are available to adjust the displayed field of view and can be selected on the right side of the page.

At each zoom level, a square with clipped corners represents the field of view at the next zoom level.

Sensor travel​

Scale bars at the top and left sides of the page indicate the imaging sensor's position within its full travel range. They make it easy to see when the target is outside the sensor's field of regard.

The three-digit value at the top of the page shows the sensor's true heading.

Position and target information​

The bottom of the page shows general information about the aircraft, from left to right:

  • True heading.
  • Current date and time.
  • An aircraft symbol indicating the bank angle.
  • Current aircraft altitude expressed as a flight level.

The slant range to the tracked target is displayed below the upper scale bar. If the imaging sensor is not tracking a target, the value is replaced by four asterisks (****).

Operation​

Imagery is available only when A/A, A/S, or UPD is the active primary mode.

The IMA must be selected and available on LD SYS, depending on the active mode.



Select the zoom level directly on the screen. Click the TV or IR label to switch between the two display modes.

IMA page with no imagery available

Tracking​

Once a target has been designated (an air target in A/A mode or a surface target in A/S mode), the available sensors attempt to track it and display the corresponding imagery on the page.

The FSO has a more restricted field of regard than the Damocles targeting pod. When the target is within the field of regard of the active sensor, a central cross is displayed.

View centered on the designated target

If the target moves outside the sensor's field of regard, the image may continue to move as the system attempts to reacquire and track it.

Once an air target has been designated on the radar, the imaging system can continue tracking it even if it moves outside the radar detection cone. However, the radar is required to reacquire the target if tracking is lost.

Manual slew​

If needed, the pilot can slew the view manually to explore the environment.

The following controls should be used:

  • MG3 to slew the view in each direction.
  • PM7 to focus on the current target in the active primary mode.

When a target is designated in the active primary mode (A/A or A/S), the view can be slewed only within a limited angular range to prevent the sensor from losing track of the target. To slew across the sensor's entire field of regard, first deselect the current target.

After slewing the view, the central cross may disappear, indicating that the sensor is no longer centered on the target. Press PM7 to recenter the sensor on the target.

Air target tracked with view slightly slewed to the right

Realistic imaging system (EXPERIMENTAL)​

Because the simulator places strict limitations on rendering camera views on avionics displays, we developed our own imaging solution to work around them. Our custom system can display the entire simulator environment, including weapon explosions.

This system requires a small companion application to run in the background and therefore works only on PC.

warning

This feature relies on low-level interactions with the simulator's rendering system, so we cannot guarantee compatibility with every hardware and software configuration. You use it at your own risk, and AzurPoly cannot be held responsible for any negative impact on your system. You can stop it at any time by closing the application.

The feature has been successfully tested on several NVIDIA configurations using DLSS and AMD configurations using FSR. However, the system is not compatible with frame generation, which must be disabled before starting the camera system application. It is also incompatible with ReShade.

AzurPoly Camera System​

The AzurPoly Camera System must be installed through AzurPoly Hub. Once installed, you can open it from the Hub or create a desktop shortcut.



The application includes:

  • A status area at the top.
  • An imagery resolution setting, which can be changed only when the simulator is not running (High by default).
  • An imagery frame-rate setting, which is unlimited by default. You may need to limit it if the system has a significant impact on performance.
  • A TV exposure control for adjusting image exposure in TV mode.
  • An IR exposure control for adjusting image exposure in IR mode.
  • A Start with MSFS option that automatically launches the camera system with MSFS 2024.
  • A Reset default button that resets all settings to their default values.

A button at the bottom quits the application, whereas clicking the close button in the upper-right corner only minimizes it to the taskbar.

The CAMERA ENABLED toggle turns the system on or off without closing the application.

Operation​

Start a flight and open the IMA page on a lateral display. Ensure that the AzurPoly Camera System is running. It will automatically start generating the live view.

During the initial loading process, which can take up to one minute, the text CAMERA LOADING is displayed. It occurs only once per MSFS session.

Text showing that the system is loading

After the loading time, the status displayed on the background executable should switch to green.



Live camera footage is now displayed on the avionics screen.

All the features described in the previous sections work in the same way with the realistic imaging system.

The only additional control is TERRAIN LOD, located at the bottom of the screen. Select it to cycle through three terrain level-of-detail settings. This setting is particularly useful when flying in dense areas where performance may be affected.



warning

If the IMA page remains stuck on CAMERA LOADING for several minutes, an issue is preventing the system from starting. First, make sure that your graphics drivers are up to date. If frame generation is enabled, disable it and try again. After a failed attempt, fully restart both MSFS 2024 and the AzurPoly Camera System.

note

Realistic imaging can only be displayed on one lateral display at a time. If the IMA page is open on both lateral displays, realistic imaging appears only on the most recently opened page.