| Disclaimer
The methods mentioned in this tutorial are for research and learning purposes only. I am not responsible for any legal liabilities and losses caused by using or expanding this tutorial and method.
You can find old versions here: https://github.com/derekhe/msfs2020-map-enhancement/releases
README
- Download and you will get a zip file
- Extract it and you will see an exe file name: MSFS2020 Map Enhancement Installer 6.x.x
- Double click it to trigger installation, please keep the default installation path.
- You will see a "MSFS2020 Map Enhancement" icon appear on your desktop
- Before starting MSFS2020, open the mod and allow it runs in administrator mode
- Choose the map and click "Start"
- You will see the status is "Started" show and it will refresh automatically when you are in-game
- Start your MFSF2020 and enjoy.
- Close MSFS2020 and close this mod (It should automatically return to bing map for the next run)
- If you like this mod, please help me improve it by donating
- If you have a problem, please see FAQ first
- If FAQ can't solve the problem, please raise an issue
- Please also click the "Subscribe" button on this page to get latest update
There are good comparison videos:
Microsoft Flight Simulator Google MAPS ADDON | Bing Vs Google!
Google Flight Simulator? Google Map Enhancement Mod in Microsoft FS2020 (Demo, Review, and Install)
More videos:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=msfs2020+google+map
Preview
The whole journey from Chengdu to Xian: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1nQ4y1S7vy/
Side by side comparison: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1kq4y1r711/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WRj8yhi0tc&t=138s
Donate
I will keep this mod up to date for every MSFS update as much as I can. If you like this plugin and want to offer me a coffee, please click the "DONATE ME A COFFEE" button, or here is the link: https://paypal.me/siconghe?country.x=C2&locale.x=en_US
Thanks for your support!
About the licensing
The app is completely free and same features as before, no license is needed for previous features. All maps it currently contains are free. Free features are always kept updated.
Some advanced features (e.g. custom map provider and future features) need a pro license.
derekhe
6.1.8 After the upgrade
* If it works fine, you don't need to do anything.
* If an error is reported with the word Sql in it, it is caused by the previous cache.
You can try
* Uninstall the old version and empty the installation directory. Reinstall 6.1.8. If it works fine, it's fine.
* In the Setting screen, if you turn on Cache Enabled and specify another cache.db path, please find this file and just delete it manually.
derekhe
6.1.8 After the upgrade
* If it works fine, you don't need to do anything.
* If an error is reported with the word Sql in it, it is caused by the previous cache.
You can try
* Uninstall the old version and empty the installation directory. Reinstall 6.1.8. If it works fine, it's fine.
* In the Setting screen, if you turn on Cache Enabled and specify another cache.db path, please find this file and just delete it manually.
MOTOSATO1115
With Ver_6.1.8, I was able to start normally. Thank you.
I just pray that I can continue to use it as it is.
20 minutes later...
Even though I didn't do anything in particular, it stopped starting on the 4th time.
The message is "Patch hosts file failed".
Herry1021
6.1.8 will crash when cache enabled
derekhe 5 hour(s) ago
Please manually delete the old cache file.
DF31
Thanks, Derek. Bao chi jian kang.
Wijek
For me it looks like with apple maps everything loads correct, but there is a issue with the color correction. The area around/beneath the aircraft is much darker than anything else up to the horizon.
derekhe 1 day(s) ago
That is because of the photogrammetry data has darker images. I will try to fix it later.
Wijek 24 hour(s) ago
Okay, but this is even happens flying über 30k feet high. And when i deactivate photogrammetry, the issue persists. Or do i misunderstand the meaning of photogrammetry in the simulator?
derekhe 16 hour(s) ago
for satellite image itself, it may have different color in different areas because the images are from different time or different camera. For these issue it is extremely hard to fix them.
Wijek 9 hour(s) ago
Ah, ok, understand. But i mean the following: around the aircraft is a region, which is darker, but the textures are exactly the same quality, like the rest. When the aircraft moves along, the tiles in front gets simply darker, but they stay identical in all other cases.
derekhe 8 hour(s) ago
Ok, that's layer's color difference. You can try to adjust the LOD to 400.
Wijek 8 hour(s) ago
And this does not happen with mapbox, because of different layer-structure?
derekhe 7 hour(s) ago
Yes, mapbox has same color for different layers.
caraspi
No funciona. ¿Por qué?
SoloDog
5.1 was working fine for me, sad it's been disabled. Can't get 6.x to show in sim for love nor money .. tried everything. I'm sick of restarting the sim to retry. So until it gets back to just working like 5.x did, it's an uninstall from me and I'll be back when the kinks are ironed out
jin
How can i buy pro license ??
6e66o
Brilliant mod. 6.1.7 works great. Apple map looks amazing.
pazzini256
I just downloaded and installed 6.1.7 today.
Everything works like a charm. Amazing!!
I choose Google Map Server 1 and enable mod internal cache (I disabled MSFS rolling cache for this purpose)
ALEXJJRUSSELL92 24 hour(s) ago
how do enable internal map tool cache ? is that manual cache ?
AK47R
So if all these old versions are defunct and useless, why have them available to DL as if we can keep the ones that worked for us in the past? I see even version 0.0.1 is available to DL. Maybe you can shed some light on what makes them obsolete? If they do what they were intended to do which is replace the default BING maps, why do they need to be intentionally shut down and users railroaded to the newest version. I guess the meat of the question is, what maintenance are you refering to when you say you cant build it forever? Not trying to be hard on you or nothing, just trying to understand the logic behind the process is all.
FredFamso
For anyone having tile loading issue, disable MSFS in game rolling cache and enable the internal map tool cache. Version 6.1.7 works flawlessly for me after doing that, as well as the now defunct 5.1 version
Great tool and the apple maps in pro version look great in some areas
goggless 1 day(s) ago
Unfortunately this is not a very effective band-aid, as the Rolling Cache serves a very important function in storing photogrammetry, significantly reducing the load of LOD tile transitions. Without it, many computers become either unable to meet the performance requirements to use the high LOD option, or even to be able to use the mod at all when they'd otherwise handle it perfectly! To say nothing of it being a bandwidth hog. They both need to function. They both functioned quite well in 5.1 🤷
derekhe
V5.x version has out of date for a long time since V6 is there. Now it has some issue and I can't build it forever. So please upgrade to V6 version. The V6 is still free if you don't want to use pro features.
If you have any problem using V6 version, please raise an issue here: https://github.com/derekhe/msfs2020-map-enhancement/issues
malone13 2 day(s) ago
The problem is the 5 was working. I have a lot of disconnect message from MSFS with v6. It stop downloading tiles few minutes and restart, and stop again etc...
MOTOSATO1115 2 day(s) ago
V6. can't even start because an error message appears even if it starts. It doesn't matter.
V5.1.0 was working very well until September 30th. But on October 1st, it suddenly stopped working. Is V5.1.0 no longer available?
boredbernard 2 day(s) ago
I'm not sure what you meant by "it has some issue" for v5.1. We're having more issues with v6 than with v5.1. It was working till you disabled it yesterday. Might as well stop v6 and stay with v5.1 since v6 has A LOT of issues.
socialflight77
I'm sorry but i have the feeling that everything has deteriorated.. The experience is no longer the same and above all the feeling that it doesn't work anymore..
AK47R 2 day(s) ago
Agreed. Ive taken numerous flights with all the servers and back in the days, everything was good. Nowadays something is off. Unfortunately this mod ruined my appetite for the default Bing maps and with all the little issues, I'm having to use default again and its like dropping back to FS98 from FSX.
boredbernard
Yep. He INTENTIONALLY disabled it so people will start using v6. Confirmed on the comments below.
v5.1 was working flawlessly, no issue, works as the mod is intended, but he decided to stop the mod from accessing it to the image server because v6 now has a "Pro" feature that makes people PAY for the addon. But the Pro version basically is an access to Apple Maps. I don't care about Apple Maps. I'm okay with Google and a 100% working mod. So dont FORCE us to use v6!
derekhe 3 day(s) ago
v5 version is out of date and has issues and I can't maintain it forever. For v6 it is still free if you are using google.
littleferrhis
I can't uninstall this to save my life, I hit uninstall, went into the hosts file and got rid of the lines I saw there, but still the sim still doesn't load the scenery, what am I doing wrong?
fstlaneukraine
Is there an update in the works for the low res tiles that appear randomly now?
Also, can you make an ignore update available button or something? Right now, when you click the prompt or hit escape it FORCES you to the update screen.
6.1.7 is a buggy version per the comments below so I'm still on 6.1.6 and it's annoying to have to keep cancelling that.
FredFamso 3 day(s) ago
Try disabling MSFS rolling cache. Does not see tile loading after that with 6.1.7
bozflyer
dioboja
goggless
Has *anyone* been able to connect to the image server today? Doesn't seem like Google clapped us because the other image servers are broken too... but how, why would they all break at once??
salamagaber 3 day(s) ago
Nope...no luck
MOTOSATO1115
Today, it's Ver5.1.0, but [Image Server] is [failed], so I can't connect.
I wonder if everyone has the same symptoms?
malone13 3 day(s) ago
same problem for me even with last version
boredbernard 3 day(s) ago
Mine works with v6 but Google Server 2
NorthJay 3 day(s) ago
Same problem here. Tried deleting and reloading, firewall, everything. not working!
MOTOSATO1115 2 day(s) ago
I also tried V6 as a trial, but when I click the start button, an error message appears and it does not start.
It is very disappointing and unbearable to think that it will not be possible to use it as it is because it is a MOD that I really liked.