Is there a way to utilize MSFS NAV database?

[Bobsk8 12,761]

I subscribe to the navigraph airac only, it is $30 per year. For charts and everything else I have used Avlasoft EFB for years, gives me all the charts, frequencies, airports, etc that are in MSFS.    https://www.aivlasoft.com/index.html

[martinboehme 494]

3 minutes ago, Bobsk8 said:

I subscribe to the navigraph airac only, it is $30 per year. For charts and everything else I have used Avlasoft EFB for years, gives me all the charts, frequencies, airports, etc that are in MSFS.    https://www.aivlasoft.com/index.html

Right on cue! 😉

[polosim 852]

10 minutes ago, Fiorentoni said:

No it's all in one

Yes, you’re right, this is the entire package, but there is still the package mentioned by @Bobsk8, which includes only the database at a more affordable price

[Fiorentoni 4,256]

2 minutes ago, polosim said:

Yes, you’re right, this is the entire package, but there is still the package mentioned by @Bobsk8, which includes only the database at a more affordable price

I see, didn't actually know that there was.

[polosim 852]

22 minutes ago, martinboehme said:

why do many addons use their own navdata format" (

Trying again to answer your question, quoting a comment from the PMDG forums.
 

“ The "free" stock navdata is insufficient for use by a FMS. It's a minimum at best for use in stock GPS. Not even Fenix is going to use that stuff. This is why a standalone navdata has been used by almost every aircraft developer since FS9.”

https://forum.pmdg.com/forum/main-forum/general-discussion-news-and-announcements/196099-how-to-update-nav-data

[martinboehme 494]

12 minutes ago, polosim said:

Trying again to answer your question, quoting a comment from the PMDG forums.

Thanks. If that's their explanation, I won't doubt it. Just a bit surprised this is still true after all the good things WT have done.

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

Nobody has mentioned that you can always continue to use the older NavData.  You will always get the message that the NavData is out of date, but you can still use it.  Unless you fly on VATSIM or IVAO, you don't HAVE to have updated NavData.

 

[Ricardo41 5,956]

I don't get it: 

7 hours ago, penta_a said:

many thanks for your reply, however I mentioned that I don't have a navigraph subscription and looking to utilize MSFS free nav data AIRAC.

A Navigraph ultimate subscription is an indispensable tool for keeping your navdata up to date and for charts. It's a must have addon. 

Edited March 9 by Ricardo41

[JYW 2,984]

1 hour ago, Ricardo41 said:

It's a must have addon. 

That's 100% subjective opinion.

It's not a must have to all simmers.  I've been simming for 20 years, operating airliners as realistically as I can (in a technical operating sense).  But I have just never been drawn to updating nav data and have never been tempted to buy a Navigraph subscription.   I can't ever remember being held back by this.  Older nav data just works, in my experience (clearly my outlook is similar to @DaveCT2003's).   I can get almost every chart I've ever needed from either public AIPs or else Chartfox.org (free).   I would estimate the frequency that I attempt to enter a waypoint, approach etc that is 'not in the box' is about once per month.   I just leave that WP out of my FP.   Of course, updated nav data and charts would be more realistic - no doubt of that whatsoever.

But I diagree that Navigraph is a must have.  Especially not as a subscription service.

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

I'd like to say something else regarding this topic, which I should have included in my post above (wife's foot was tapping, so I was rushed for time when posting)...

I've known the Navigraph guys for quite some time, and that bunch are amazingly devoted to flight sim and Navigraph customers like few developers are (and I know many developers personally). I could get the subscription for free, but I chose to pay for it - it's THAT darned good, and I'm happy to support Navigraph. Put other way, if we didn't support such developers, we would not have the incredible products like Navigraph Charts (which includes a terrific moving map over the route and all types of charts when are added or moved from the map via a single click.  The cost for both Charts and the NavData is almost like getting the NavData updates for free.

There is one feature that Navigraph has never implemented, whereas every other moving map related product has.  They've not included VATSIM and IVAO traffic overlay on their map, and when I find the guy on their team which has (quite obviously) convinced Magnus not to implement this, I'm going to have my team abduct him, tie him to a chair in some deep, dark, musty basement, hold his eye lips open with Corn Flakes, and force him to watch Gilligan's Island and Hogan Hero's re-runs while we have kittens play with his bare feet!  The nerve of that guy!  The swine!  You here me man?  We're coming for you, whoever you are!  LMAO!

Anyhow... please think about what I said regarding supporting these types of developers. You not only get an incredible product, but you help ensure the future of the hobby - no exaggeration my friends. I've been around since the very beginning and I've seen great developers leave and I also remember the flight sim doldrums when I had every reason to believe (a few times) to think the hobby would stagnate and die out.

Best wishes to you all!

 

Dave

 

Edited March 10 by DaveCT2003
Spelling

[brucewtb 249]

10 hours ago, JYW said:

That's 100% subjective opinion.

It's not a must have to all simmers.  I've been simming for 20 years, operating airliners as realistically as I can (in a technical operating sense).  But I have just never been drawn to updating nav data and have never been tempted to buy a Navigraph subscription.   I can't ever remember being held back by this.  Older nav data just works, in my experience (clearly my outlook is similar to @DaveCT2003's).   I can get almost every chart I've ever needed from either public AIPs or else Chartfox.org (free).   I would estimate the frequency that I attempt to enter a waypoint, approach etc that is 'not in the box' is about once per month.   I just leave that WP out of my FP.   Of course, updated nav data and charts would be more realistic - no doubt of that whatsoever.

But I diagree that Navigraph is a must have.  Especially not as a subscription service.

Well said!

Bruce

[EC-JEP 0]

 

PMDG's forum explanation may have been true in previous simulators, but MSFS updates the database every month and it´s not true that it´s insufficient for an FMC, the FBW A320 FMS works perfectly with the MSFS database.

[Farlis 2,289]

@EC-JEP

First: No need to type in such abnormally large font.

 

Second: I assume it's not a matter of how up to date the data is, it is more a matter of format. The format is what keeps many add-on developers from using it for their FMC databases.

[JRBarrett 3,094]

47 minutes ago, EC-JEP said:

 

PMDG's forum explanation may have been true in previous simulators, but MSFS updates the database every month and it´s not true that it´s insufficient for an FMC, the FBW A320 FMS works perfectly with the MSFS database.

Yes, the native database in MSFS is updated - but not always on time. Sometimes it is not updated until a week or two after a new cycle starts. They have even skipped some cycle revisions entirely.

The MSFS database (based on NavBlue nav data) is better now than it was on initial release, but that is because they started sourcing data for US airports from the FAA rather than from NavBlue. That change was implemented by the Working Title developers when they became an official part of the MSFS team and was done because NavBlue data for US airports (especially smaller ones) was (and still is) severely lacking in coverage and accuracy. No major US airline uses NavBlue data for their FMS systems for good reason. They all use Jeppesen or Lufthansa (LIDO) data.

But even if NavBlue data was “perfect” changing the database for an existing product is not an easy or trivial task. PMDG used the same database format they had used in their P3D and FSX products in order to get their products into the MSFS market quickly. The same holds true for Leonardo with their MD-80, Aerosoft with their CRJ, and Fenix (which is based on ProSim).

If these developers had tried to use the MSFS database format from the beginning it would have required completely scrapping their existing and well-tested FMS code and starting over from scratch. That would have probably meant that the introduction of the PMDG 737 or the Leonardo Maddog into MSFS would have been delayed by many, many months.

The MSFS default aircraft like the FBW or 787 were designed from the very beginning to use native MSFS nav data. They did not have to change from a previous format.

In any case, PMDG is moving to an entirely new database format, which is based on the same ARINC 424 database coding used by real FMS systems. They have probably been working on that for at least the past year or two, and it will require changing their internal FMS coding completely. Once that is complete and thoroughly tested, I assume they will “cut over” to the new format and FMS code in a product update.

After all the effort they have expended on developing their new format, they are certainly not going to abandon that to try to adopt their products to the MSFS native database at this late date.

One advantage (for those on XBox) is that Navigraph will probably allow PMDG to distribute a free copy of whatever cycle is current at the time they implement the new format, which means that those who use PMDG on XBox will get a newer nav database than the current one which is very out of date.

[Farlis 2,289]

58 minutes ago, JRBarrett said:

In any case, PMDG is moving to an entirely new database format, which is based on the same ARINC 424 database coding used by real FMS systems.

They have been claiming to plan that for almost a decade now. I wouldn't hold my breath for them ever to actually do it.