Navigraph moving map with Simlink and PSX?

[RRVyper]

I don't know if it affects the entire discussion in general. I was just correcting that little detail :-)

What is the purpose of the data link? Getting PSX position data to show the PSX position on a Navigraph map? That should be legal -- and trivial too. There's no hack required. Just a usual network socket (which probably already exists on the Navigraph side anyway and that just needs to be set to the address of PSX).


|-|ardy

From what I can tell, Simlink is providing aircraft altitude, position (lat/lon), speed (GS, IAS, TAS), squawk code, bank, Mag Hdg, pitch and True Hdg from the sim to the Navigraph servers. It's not all required for a moving map but perhaps the other variables are for future features.

Randy

[Hardy Heinlin]

Recently I added similar stuff to PSX for the Tacview and CloudAhoy flight recording systems. They are file writing systems though.

Is there a public link to the technical description of Simlink? I have no Navigraph account.


|-|ardy

[RRVyper]

Browsing around the Navigraph website, I don't see anything there. There is a Simlink subforum which has a lengthy but basic description (too long to copy/paste here) of the interface. Not technical though. And I think you need an account with Navigraph to register for forum access. Probably a better option for you would be to access them through their developer portal:

https://www.navigraph.com/Developers.aspx

Maybe if they received direct communication from you, to see if there was anything possible from your end that could push the project forward, we might get some movement or you may get a better insight into the effort required. If desired, you could also share the size of the PSX user base to give them an idea whether it is worth it for them.

Perhaps it may even give the larger sim community more exposure to the PSX sim. 

At any rate, we appreciate your interest, Hardy.

Randy

[Hardy Heinlin]

Hmm ... it looks more complicated than I thought :-)

I would've considered doing a short evaluation if there was a clear description on the net (like on the Tacview and CloudAhoy web sites, for example).

By the way, does it require MS Windows? On my table there's just OSX and Java.


Regards,

|-|ardy

[RRVyper]

There is a version of the Charts program with Simlink for OSX when using X-Plane on a Mac. Or, you could run Prepar3D/FSX on a PC using the PC version of Simlink and use a Mac for the Charts (which has a moving map) since the data (your aircraft position) is coming from the Navigraph servers (which is where the Simlink program sends it). As for a future PSX version, if you run PSX on a PC (or a Mac) it would require a PSX Simlink program that runs on a PC (or a Mac).

I realize all the development work is really on the Navigraph side. Too bad they don't just offer an SDK for 3rd-party devs.

Randy

[Gary Oliver]

All,

I had a quick look using fiddler at the Navigraph API, and it looks like we just need to pass some JSON back and forth.  However every time I felt like having a burst of enthusiasm to write a PSX interface, I realized it would take them a lot less effort to just add PSX support to their client rather than try to reverse engineer theirs.  With the added faff of having to ask their permission to use their API from a non navigraph owned app.

I wonder if they do realise how simple it is to interface with PSX rather than Simconnect etc?

Cheers
G

[RRVyper]

I wonder if they do realise how simple it is to interface with PSX rather than Simconnect etc?

It took a while for them to add X-plane support which readily supplies sim variables without a Simconnect interface. Thanks for the look.

Randy

[cavaricooper]

Gary-

I paraphrased your findings over at Navigraph... perhaps it will elicit some exploration of the possibility....

Best- C

[ahaka]

Does the Navigraph simlink work if connected to P3D that is running the ExternalSim plugin with PSX? Any issues?

[jb747]

Yes it works