External chart viewer (tablet) in the VR cockpit

,

This is very good information for us WMR users. Can you explain how you mapped the WIN+Y function to your mouse? I want to try this out. Thanks !

I do have a Logitech G604. The software that comes along with that device (“Logitech G Hub”) allows me to assign any key/key-combination to every button very easily. Unfortunately, this software works only with Logitech devices (as far as i know).
Don’t know which device you have but check if its manufacturer offers some kind of configuration software. Most of them do so.

This idea made it onto the new VR Feedback Snapshot! Keep up the votes, everyone!

For anyone from Asobo reading this, I note that the release is noted as “charts dependency.” At the lowest level, though, all we really need is a PDF viewer or web browser built directly into the sim that would work well in VR. That should not require much in the way of external chart work or licensing.

A more comprehensive solution would be great, of course, but I would be quite happy with something more basic for the time being.

I can’t wait until being able to read my IFR charts while using VR instead of taking them off everytime.
Any tips on a workaround would be much appreciated.

@ karimbenben brandy0018’s solution above seems like the best bet for WMR users. I think there are slightly better ways out there for Oculus and Steam users.

It has some difficulties. I haven’t been able to bind an alternate to win-y, though I think it could be done with joystick our mouse software. There isn’t a great way to launch edge in the cliff house, and switching in and out of VR removes the window from MSFS.

The sim really just needs its own built-in browser–MS could just call it Edge and use the same core without too much trouble. All the other features would be great, but that would help a ton.

FF use Chrome code to allow the EFB in their A320Ultimate to view web content, including Navigraph Charts Cloud.

However, rather than relying on the devs of each aircraft producing an EFB, as you suggest, it would make sense for Asobo, or a commissioned partner, to produce a virtual tablet/mobile that would appear to be what the pilot of most GA aircraft would take into the cockpit. That would make it far easier for devs of future aircraft to present a relatively standard interface for their and MSFS customers.

Alternatively, just put another icon on the inflight menu, to open a window like ATC or VFR map and allows charts to be viewed and positioned anywhere in the cockpit, in 2d or VR.

1 Like

That’s another good idea–if a third party would develop some sort of uniiversal EFB, that could work too.

Even if it opened up like a “floating” resizable ATC window which could be dragged to the sun visor area (out of the way) for reference, this is a MUCH needed add.

Absolutly agree I hope somebody is working on a mod…

Have you seen this?

2 Likes

That looks very promising. I cannot get it to work, but that would accomplish the goal at the basic level.

Definitely, we want it!

If you haven’t seen, there is now a VR wishlist sub-forum here:
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/c/virtual-reality-vr/vr-wishlist/236
For whatever reason, this thread did not make it over so is not included in the new snapshot. I created a new thread to propose the basic idea that I’m pushing here:

Everyone, please vote up that new thread! Thanks!

2 Likes

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/add-a-way-to-view-charts-in-vr-even-if-just-a-web-browser/386256/3?u=croppingpoem113

2 Likes

So it would be nice to have charts etc in VR so that when you get clearance you don’t have to keep taking off the headset to look at external sources for your charts etc I’m not sure how difficult this would be to implement but it would be nice even if its a simplified version of things like foreflight.

I’ve been using the ebag electronic flight bag tool, and it works greeat in VR. See the link below.

eBag (Electronic Flight Bag) also works in VR - Third Party Addon Discussion / Tools & Utilities - Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums

Try this:

https://www.rafaelsantos.es/web/simulators/flight-simulator/panels/107-ingamepanel-pdf-viewer-for-flight-simulator

Well said. And as you’ve mentioned, for a true hard-core simmer, a chart viewer is not enough, we need a real kneeboard that can be used to take notes for things like clearance (or if doing VFR flight in the traditional way, I need to write down the actual time of arriving a waypoint etc.) as well. My idea is to overlay an external window that could run desktop PDF viewer, Microsoft paint or any app you want. That way you can even easily use a drawing tablet to achieve the goal.
I’ve created a similar topic before: Scratchpad/kneeboard/EFB/windows overlay
Hope one day the votes could be merged as well for better visibility to the developers as this is a crucial yet missing functionality.

2 Likes

I posted a topic for the upcoming Q&A about this basic concept (via my other thread) here:
https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/what-is-the-timeframe-for-vr-updates/401570

Let’s vote for that and get some feedback!

1 Like

Since VR launched, we have discussed adding a mechanism to view IFR charts in VR. The biggest discussion is here, and it currently has 111 votes (and made it onto the old snapshot):

Briefly, To properly fly in IFR, it’s essential to be able to review approach plates and similar materials. The old thread proposed a comprehensive set of tools as a formal chart viewer. All those tools would be great, but might take a lot of time to complete. The old snapshot listed that the release for a chart viewer had “Dependency (Charts).” I think this means that you are looking for something that would interface with a chart provider’s system and require licensing or something like that.

I suggest that there is a simpler approach that could be implemented very easily. These materials are usually widely available online. All that would really be required would be a simple VR web browser built directly into the sim. It could point to webpages or even to stored PDF files on our own machines. You could even brand it as Microsoft Edge. To really work well in VR, it could use some sort of virtual keyboard, but even that is not essential.

A more comprehensive solution as described in the other forum post would be great long term, but I would be very happy to see something more basic that could be rolled out quickly.