Does LNMap need to have MSFS running to load data

[CanukUK 2]

I'm a new user to MSFS and LittleNavMap. I'm having problems getting LNM to recognize the MSFS data installed on my system.  I've looked through the manual and other help files but I can't see if MSFS has to be running in the background to access its data, particularly the installed aircraft.  I click on 'connect' both manually and auto for MSFS but nothing happens.

Even after running MSFS, I only see a few aircraft listed.  Can anybody help answer this?

[albar965 1,047]

Not sure what you mean by MSFS data but the simulator is automatically detected when loading the scenery library database (menu "Scenery Library" -> "Load Scenery Library"). But you have to start this process manually. This gives your airports and navaids in LNM. There is not need to run the sim for this process. Once loaded airports and navdata are stored in the LNM database, simulator running or not.

And you have to connect LNM to the sim to see your aircraft and AI/multiplayer (menu Tools -> "Flight Simulator Connection").

Alex

 

 

 

[CanukUK 2]

Many thanks for responding, Alex.

'MSFS data' means the MSFS information stored offline on my PC.  I have no problems with that so it must mean that LNM can read the MSFS datafile without the sim having to be running. However, I was a bit confused by the wording in your second para.

Your comment 'you have to connect LNM to the sim to see your aircraft and AI/multiplayer ' clarified that the sim MUST be running to read the required information. However, when I do this, as I said before, I only have a few A/C showing (I think this is because I dowloaded some of the A/C performance data from your website that others had prepared).

Three questions:

1. How do I change this so that I'm able to see ALL the MS and community A/C I have?

2. Is there anyway to make this data available to and useable by LNM without having the sim running?

3. On another matter,  is there a way of adjusting individual waypoint elevations in a VFR flight plan (i.e, to avoid airspace incursions)?

Many thanks for your help.

 

[albar965 1,047]

3 hours ago, CanukUK said:

1. How do I change this so that I'm able to see ALL the MS and community A/C I have?

You'll definitely see the user aircraft with simulator running and LNM connected (provided it's not hidden on the LNM map). It does not matter if you're flying a stock or community aircraft.

Generic AI will also show up. Realtime AI is very sparse and multiplayer aircraft do not show up at all. The latter case is because the MSFS SimConnect interface does not deliver them.

3 hours ago, CanukUK said:

2. Is there anyway to make this data available to and useable by LNM without having the sim running?

No. Only the airports and navaids are available for flight planning without running simulator.

3 hours ago, CanukUK said:

3. On another matter,  is there a way of adjusting individual waypoint elevations in a VFR flight plan (i.e, to avoid airspace incursions)?

Sorry, no.

Have a look at the tutorials which are linked in the LNM help menu. These should help a bit.

Alex

[ConstVoid 111]

I think CanukUK might be referring to the performance data for all of the aircraft installed in his simulator, in which case I think the answer is that LNM only displays the performance data which has been downloaded, or if user has created his own. It does not automatically grab performance data from the simulator, although the LNM manual describes how you can create your own performance data file and in that respect LNM does gather data from the simulator about the current flight. Once you have created your own performance data file that information is saved and is available in LNM whether or not the simulator is running.

Edited August 10, 2021 by ConstVoid

[albar965 1,047]

@ConstVoid Right. Sometimes I have a long line.🙃

[CanukUK 2]

Hi Alex,

As Constvoid stated, it looks as if I'll have to prepare my own A/C performance files for my preferred A/C in MSFS.

As a side issue on this, I'm having a problem showing TOC's and TOD's from departing and destination airports.  As you'll see from the appended screenshot of a short flight, my flight plan just shows a level flight line at the selected cruising height.  This happens whether I'm connected to the sim or not. Having read your tutorials, I believe that take-offs and landings in LNM should initially show a default with a TOC and a TOD even before an A/C performance is loaded.  I've looked through all the on screen menu's and help files but can't find any means of correcting this.  Can you help?

Regarding the adjustment of WP elevations in LNM flight plans, I believe that this would be a very valuable addition to your program, especially in the very crowded controlled airspaces in Europe! (As exemplified by the map an the appended screenshot.)  Can this be added to your 'to do' list?

(Apologies for not appending the screenshot as referred above - AvSim doesn't seem to have any means of appending them except via a URL! Stupid!!)

 

[albar965 1,047]

2 hours ago, CanukUK said:

As a side issue on this, I'm having a problem showing TOC's and TOD's from departing and destination airports.  As you'll see from the appended screenshot of a short flight, my flight plan just shows a level flight line at the selected cruising height.  This happens whether I'm connected to the sim or not. Having read your tutorials, I believe that take-offs and landings in LNM should initially show a default with a TOC and a TOD even before an A/C performance is loaded.  I've looked through all the on screen menu's and help files but can't find any means of correcting this.  Can you help?

Got your screenshot. Unfortunately Avsim does not allow to directly paste screenshots like most other forums.

 

No idea what your performance profile looks like but EGHA EGLK should work with the default performance profile (menu "Aircraft" -> "New performance profile" and hit Ok in the dialog) if you stay below 9000 ft cruise altitude. TOC and TOD will overlap if the cruise altitude is too high for the given performance profile or the profile has too shallow climb and descent. LNM bails out of profile calculation if these overlap.

 

You can paste you aircraft profile here (just plain XML text) or try the default.

 

2 hours ago, CanukUK said:

Regarding the adjustment of WP elevations in LNM flight plans, I believe that this would be a very valuable addition to your program, especially in the very crowded controlled airspaces in Europe! (As exemplified by the map an the appended screenshot.)  Can this be added to your 'to do' list?

It is already on the to do list. No idea when or even if this will happen at all since it is a lot of effort to combine the calculation through the procedure limitations with arbitrary user input.

 

Alex