We (Parallel 42) are creating an add-on that offers curated flight experiences
to MSFS users and we would love to tailor their experiences around
airports they have installed. Having the ability to access info like
runway data, parking, taxiway and other common airport data would be
greatly useful for us to achieve that goal. I’m sure many other add-ons devs
would love to use that data to get creative and integrate new functionalities
into the simulator.
Hey! Isnt this ability already there, in the way for example LittleNavmap is
reading the Airport data and parking spots?
If I could add to this, it would be optimal for this data to also be available
in JavaScript. @HXArdito, this is possible by reading navdata files, which
isn’t doable inside the sim + doesn’t work with payware airports, if you were
to somehow transform that data into JSON for your WASM/HTML gauges. -
holland, FlyByWire Simulations
LittleNavMap indeed works, except with payware airports, the BGL file is
encrypted, meaning the data cannot be read.
Yea and it also requires a complete scan every time something changes. LNM’s
scanning tool is fantastic to get a sense of what’s in the sim by default but
not something we can reliably use to detect what the user has installed. The
simulator already has that data and an API exposing that data would make
everybody’s life much easier. I’m sure PMDG,Aerosoft and other insiders have
already expressed their desires for this API but we also want to push for this
to get implemented sooner rather than later.
The ability is not there, that’s why so many utilities that require that data
must all do the same thing, that is:
- Opening .BGL files directly, which are not documented, the information has been obtained by reverse engineering, and might become obsolete at any time
- Maintaining their own data cache and refreshing it when a scenery is removed/added. If the user has several of such utilities, adding/removing a scenery would then trigger a “chain reaction” of all these utilities all triggering their own version of the airport cache.
That’s why an official API will be useful.
Definitely, an API would be the best solution in this case.
On the other side would it not be actual better to “exludude” the actual
airport data from the FSArchive file? This would allow more customiziation
like we had in previous Simulators where for almost every 3rd party airport an
upgraded AFD/AFCAD file has been created that includes improved parking spots,
taxi nodes, … As long as they are “locked” behind the fsarchive this will
not be possible. Example: The default premium Dubai Airport is currently not
able to handle any A380 AI traffic (gates are to small), but I can not even
fix this in my own Sim since the file is portected. So as long the file are
“locked” the 3rd party developers need to make sure their airport is actual up
to the standards and can no longer rely on the community to improve this. If
this is not wanted I am 100% supporting this request here so we can at least
“read” the data and make the best out of it.
4 months later, any insights from the SDK team about if this could become a
thing or not? Thank you!
Hello, We’re discussing about an API that could allow you to read data
(detailed runway, taxiway, apron/stand data for example). It’s just not 100%
designed and implemented yet.
Bumping This. Any status on scenery editor updates for Airports (parking ,
airline codes, sizing issues) API to read airport data.
And don’t forget about Jetway/Bridges positions…
Hi, How did this work out? Any progress? Or is this the GPSVars at
https://docs.flightsimulator.com/html/Programming_Tools/GPSVars/Airports.htm
? How you retrieve Taxi-Parking from an ICAO via simvar.js?
https://docs.flightsimulator.com/html/Programming_Tools/SimConnect/API_Reference/Facilities/SimConnect_AddToFacilityDefinition.htm#taxi_parking