Msfs EFB
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When I saw that MSFS 2024 would have its own tablet, I considered having a "switch" to toggle between theirs and mine. Then I got caught up in everything else required for MSFS 2024, so I was trying to take my cues from what the community wanted. Surprisingly, I think you're the only one to approach me with this request directly so far. That means I get to ask you about how you think I should implement it
I always like to source this kind of advice from my users, so I don't have to guess at the best way to do it! Anyone else is welcome to chime in too!@Black-Square said in Msfs EFB:
When I saw that MSFS 2024 would have its own tablet, I considered having a "switch" to toggle between theirs and mine. Then I got caught up in everything else required for MSFS 2024, so I was trying to take my cues from what the community wanted. Surprisingly, I think you're the only one to approach me with this request directly so far. That means I get to ask you about how you think I should implement it
I always like to source this kind of advice from my users, so I don't have to guess at the best way to do it! Anyone else is welcome to chime in too!Charts and checklists in your own tablet, then we won't need the MSFS tablet at all
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Could it be added as a 3rd party app inside the EFB, or would that require a lot of work making a new plugin?
@Fishtorch Which way? My tablet inside Asobo's, or Asobo's inside of mine? The latter is what I had in mind originally, such as repurposing the "home button" that many tablets in MSFS feature (from older real world tablet designs circa 2010-2020) to toggle between the two. This would be the easiest for me to implement, but I want to hear if it satisfies your needs before I do it.
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Checklists would elevate the EFB for sure.
But there is one thing that annoys me about the GNS750 Premium MFD's checklist - they force you to tick every box before you can move to the next page. Doh we can read just fine, and sometimes we just want to speed read to ensure we didn't forget one. So avoid that if you go down this path.
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The A2A Aerostar tablet resides within the MS EFB - I like it very much as I have a button on my yoke to toggle the EFB. I’m not sure if there is a way to toggle the Black Square tablet on Xbox by key command. Don’t think you can?
I would very much like my Black Square planes to offer something similar to the Aerostar. The only potential downside I can foresee is perhaps too many icons then being present in the MS EFB. i.e. the Aerostar creates an icon within the MS EFB, so presumably there would be one icon for each plane - where a developer choses to implement their tablets in the same way.
I really like the Black Square tablet, but would like it even more if I could toggle it as I can with the MS EFB.
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@Fishtorch Which way? My tablet inside Asobo's, or Asobo's inside of mine? The latter is what I had in mind originally, such as repurposing the "home button" that many tablets in MSFS feature (from older real world tablet designs circa 2010-2020) to toggle between the two. This would be the easiest for me to implement, but I want to hear if it satisfies your needs before I do it.
@Black-Square Sorry, by the EFB I meant the MS one.
So like you can with Navigraph, it's an addon that shows up under the More apps tab.
What I would say about the Black Square tablet though, its nicer to position and looks like its part of the 3D cockpit, as opposed to the MS EFB, which is just floating on the screen. -
FYI - navigraph has a VR plug in that works MUCH better than the built in EFB for nav. I find that having the built in EFB up interferes with interacting with the panel often - things like adjusting the barometer etc. The Navigraph one doesn't have any of those issues.
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Checklists would elevate the EFB for sure.
But there is one thing that annoys me about the GNS750 Premium MFD's checklist - they force you to tick every box before you can move to the next page. Doh we can read just fine, and sometimes we just want to speed read to ensure we didn't forget one. So avoid that if you go down this path.
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@Fishtorch Which way? My tablet inside Asobo's, or Asobo's inside of mine? The latter is what I had in mind originally, such as repurposing the "home button" that many tablets in MSFS feature (from older real world tablet designs circa 2010-2020) to toggle between the two. This would be the easiest for me to implement, but I want to hear if it satisfies your needs before I do it.
@Black-Square Many third‑party developers like Navigraph, A2A, and Sky4Sim have already chosen to integrate their tools inside Asobo’s tablet, so it feels natural for BlackSquare’s tablet to flow in the same direction. Having it added within Microsoft’s tablet would align with what the broader market is presenting, and it would make the overall experience more seamless for users.
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I'm not sure I like this philosophy of following the 'broader market'. I, for one, much prefer the tablet integrated into the cockpit rather than feeling like some external app that I'm accessing. Being able to access Navigraph charts in the cockpit would be a useful expansion of the current tablet.
On the flip side, I'd have to admit that being able to access the Asobo tablet even when not in the cockpit is an advantage ... at times. -
The MSFS tablet can be integrated as a 3D object and isn’t solely accessible as a 2D pop-up, not sure where this misconception comes from.
Personally I prefer the route A2A has taken, an App on the MSFS tablet that can be mounted to the yoke.
