Cannot link Navigraph Charts to XPlane

[shaines]

I am doing a flight in XPlane 11 on a Mac. I have the Navigraph Charts app loaded. When I started XPlane I was asked to log in, which I did. That screen remains active in my browser (Firefox). When I attempt to link the charts app to XPlane to track my flight I get a dialog that says it is unable to connect to the simulator. Please tell me what i need to do to correct this. Note… I have screen shots of both the error dialog and my browser screen indicating that I am logged in however I do not see any way to attach those images to this message.

Steve Haines

[Ian]

Hi Steve,

Welcome to our new forum.

For test, please set Chrome as default browser.

Please uninstall Charts and Simlink, redownload and install latest Charts for macOS (which includes Simlink).

Please post screenshots of Simlink Status using FAQ - Simlink Install and Systray and Posting Guide - Uploading Screenshots

Please let us now how you get on.

Cheers
Ian

[shaines]

Ian, I followed your instructions:

1. Uninstalled Charts and Simlink.
2. Made Chrome my default browser (I prefer Firefox)
3. Downloaded and installed the Charts app for Mac OS

I then launched XPlane11. This time I did not see the usual Simlink load window. After XP loaded and operating I launched the Charts app. I cannot recall if it asked for my password but it launched straight into my last flight window. I clicked the “Link” arrow in the upper right corner of the screen and got the dreaded “could not connect to simulator” dialog. Screenshot of that attached. Please advise where I go from here.

[shaines]

Ian, I restarted XPlane and this time I did see the Simlink login window, which I completed. However once again I got the notice that it was unable to connect to the simulator.
—Steve Haines

[Ian]

Hi Steve,

From FAQ - Simlink Install and Systray

Please post screenshots of Simlink Status and Simlink Plugin Settings:

Cheers
Ian

[shaines]

Ian,

Forgive me for being a bit ignorant here but I have no idea how to find the information you are seeking. Perhaps my being on a Mac makes this different than most users. Please tell me where I can locate “Simlink Status” and Simlink Plugin Settings”. When I look in my Navigraph Charts application I can find nothing of these items. When I look within XPlane11/Plugins I do not even see Simlink listed, although I do see the login dialog when alaunching the XPlane app. I’d love to accommodate you here but I just don’t know where to find these items.

Appologies,

[Ian]

Hi Steve,

The Simlink icon referred to FAQ - Simlink Install and Systray should be available in macOS status bar top right of screen?

Cheers
Ian

[shaines]

Ian,

I don’t think this will help much but I will send it anyway. Attached is a screenshot of my Plugins folder which does contain a file titled “Navigraph Simlink_64.xpl”. I believe this is what triggers the login dialog I am seeing when I launch the XPlane app. However I am still not able to successfully connect the Charts app with XPlane.

Best,

(Attachment PastedGraphic-1.tiff is missing)

[shaines]

Ian, After considerable searching and confusion I was finally able to realize and find what you referred to earlier… the microscopic-sized icon in the menu bar, right side, of my Mac screen. I clicked it and then installed Simlink into my XPlane11 installation. You can see this in the attached screenshot. I then tried the “link” icon within Navigraph Charts and it did not work. I closed both this app and XPlane then relaunched both, being sure to log into Navigraph first. Once again the link did not work. Apologies for my confusion here. One of the issues was my not understanding what you were looking for and where to find it. And I am still not sure I did that. I cannot find anything like the screens you sent earlier (Navigraph Simlink Status) and am wondering if they only pertain to PCs, not Macs.
Appreciate your persistence here in assisting me with this.
—Steve Haines

[Ian]

Hi Steve,

Click on Simlink Icon in Menu Bar and if available, make sure the “Broadcast flight data” is checked.

At the “Plugin Settings” option, use … to select your X-Plane root i.e. where X-Plane app is located.

Cheers
Ian

[shaines]

Good Morning Ian, I’m afraid the only thing that appears when I click the Simlink icon is the screen I sent in my previous post which shows that the plugin has been installed properly (green checkmark). I will attach a small SS of my Mac Menu bar to show you what I see there. As I mentioned, the Simlink icon is very small which caused me to miss it initially. When you refer to the “broadcast flight data” check or the “Plugin Settings” option, I see neither of those in the Simlink Settings window. It would appear here that I have missed an essential part of this installation process.
— Steve Haines

[shaines]

Ian, I see no reply from you yet today. I hope you have not given up my cause. I still cannot connect the Charts app to XPlane even though I have reinstalled both the app and Simlink plugin and the latter indicates that it is properly installed in the sim. Also, I see the Simlink file within my plugins folder and, when I launch XPlane it always first askes me to log into my Navigraphs account, which I do. So it appears I have done all the required steps. The only other logical possibility is a possible plugin conflict. I will test that today and let you know if it results in any change. Please advise if you have any other suggestions. Happy to comply. I’d really like to recover the link capability.

Best regards, Steve Haines

[shaines]

Ian… I did a plugin test, removing all plugins but Simlink and the result was negative. As usual it asked me to login, opened the Charts App and proceeded to load XPlane. Once that was completed I went back to Charts and tried the Connect icon. Once again it popped the dreaded “Cannot connect” message. So I think we can check off conflicting plugins as an issue.

Steve H

[Ian]

Hi Steve,

We certainly haven’t given up on your cause. I shall ask a developer to connect to your system to assist.

Cheers
Ian

[shaines]

Thank you Ian. I’ll look forward to working with him/her to find the key. Probably some silly detail i am just overlooking.

Steve

[shaines]

I am replying to this issue… With the assistance of Ahir Vishal of navigraph technical support I was able to resolve this issue. The solution was to change the Firefox (Mac) preferences to allow Navigraphs Charts and Simlink to communicate with XPlane. Once this was done we tested the link and it worked. Thanks to Vishal for showing me how this is done.

Steve Haines

[Ian]

Hi Steve,

Thank you for the update, which I shall pass on to Vishal.

I shall mark this as solved.

Cheers
Ian