FSX Planner release 15 now available (June 7)

[rf360m]

Hi all,

Release 15 of FSX Planner is now available. We relased this one sooner than expected to fix a bug with the creation of aprons which had occured as a result of a change made in release 14. Therefore not everything that we wanted to have in this release is actually in it. But so goes the development process. And we wanted the ability to create aprons to work again, as that is pretty important if you are creating an airport.

So here's what is included in this version:
* Fixed a bug that had crept in which prevented aprons from being able to be created.

* Fixed a bug that made the recording of a taxiway point orientation inaccurate.

* Fixed a bug in the undo/redo/history functionality that caused undo events to be generated when certain models were being initialized.

* Runway Markers can now be displayed, edited, and added to an airport. By default these are not shown. To display them select the Show Markers option on the Display menu. To add a new Runway Marker click on the Runway Marker icon on the Navigation toolbar, which can be displayed by selecting View -> Navigation Toolbar.

* VOR beacons and their associated DMEs can now be displayed edited and added to the airport. By default these are not shown. To display them select the Show VORs option on the Display menu. To add a new VOR click on the VOR icon on the Navigation toolbar, which can be displayed by selecting View -> Navigation Toolbar.

* Updated the xml written during a save so that the taxiway points and parking locations are now written in numerical order.

* The Prepare Options dialog has been enhanced to allow for specific runway, start location and frequency deletions. To use these you must not check the Delete All Runways (or Start Points or Frequencies) but rather check the rows within the table that you are interested in delting. The table is populated based on the currently selected airport.


The download is available here: http://www.zbluesoftware.com/clients/FSXPlanner.zip

-Russell

 

[KaelO]

Thanks Russell,

Must be getting close to a final release now?

Can I ask another favour? Are you able to add an option to the preferences menu which sets default T offsets that are placed with each new Parking Spot?

That would save going back to each new parking spot and adding 2 or 3 values?

There was also talk some time ago about doing what AFCAD did with parking spot codes & colours. Ie, each code had its one colour. Is this possable? Makes editing easier.

Cheers mate,
Kael

 

[rf360m]

Thanks Russell,

Must be getting close to a final release now?

I always think so, until I come up with more ideas or get more good suggestions from everyone here!

Can I ask another favour? Are you able to add an option to the preferences menu which sets default T offsets that are placed with each new Parking Spot?

That would save going back to each new parking spot and adding 2 or 3 values?

See, more good ideas!

There was also talk some time ago about doing what AFCAD did with parking spot codes & colours. Ie, each code had its one colour. Is this possable? Makes editing easier.

Yes, I remember this one, but it obviously hasn't been implemented yet. We need to think more about it to see the best way to implement it.

-Russell

 

[hcornea]

Fantastic Program Russell!

When editing a field (in my case ATC parking codes) it would be good if the same field on the side-panel remained highlighted (as long as I hop from parking spot to parking spot)

I have finally been able to edit the parking codes and scrambled traffic at my local airport !

 

[rf360m]

Fantastic Program Russell!

When editing a field (in my case ATC parking codes) it would be good if the same field on the side-panel remained highlighted (as long as I hop from parking spot to parking spot)

I have finally been able to edit the parking codes and scrambled traffic at my local airport !

So you mean that the ATC Code field has the cursor in it, then you'd want that to remain the focused field for the next parking spot you click on? Then you could just quickly go from one parking spot to another and adjust that property more quickly?

 

[Paavo]

Are you planning to add an option to set background image?
I'd love to use airport diagrams as a reference when creating AFD files. : )

 

[Mace]

Are you planning to add an option to set background image?
I'd love to use airport diagrams as a reference when creating AFD files. : )

Whoa, nice idea. That could be great, but we would have to make SURE that the photo or drawing was exactly oriented to latitude and longitude scalewise.

Otherwise we could potentially make an airport too big or too small in all aspects.

 

[rf360m]

Are you planning to add an option to set background image?
I'd love to use airport diagrams as a reference when creating AFD files. : )

We are looking into this.

 

[KaelO]

Am I missing something or is there no option to deletetaxiwaysigns? If I move taxiway signs in one of my airports I get duplicates, so I'm guessing thats because the default signs are there, as well as my new ones.

However I don't see an option to delete taxiway signs?

Any ideas?

 

[scruffyduck]

Am I missing something or is there no option to deletetaxiwaysigns? If I move taxiway signs in one of my airports I get duplicates, so I'm guessing thats because the default signs are there, as well as my new ones.

However I don't see an option to delete taxiway signs?

Any ideas?

Yes you cannot delete signs via the airport record. You are getting duplicates because the original signs are still there. Whether your XML is coming from a SDE based tool (such as Bgl2Xml) or BglAnalyzeX getting signs into the airport code is done via and algorithm. There is no physical connection made in the Bgl file between signs and the airport they belong to. To stop stuff showing up from the stock airport you use the delete record flags. you will see there is no delete flag for taxiway signs. That is because they are scenery objects.

 

[KaelO]

so your saying it can't be done without editing the scenery?

 

[scruffyduck]

Not exactly but you will need an exclusion rectangle around the airport that excludes taxiwaysigns. That needs to be in the same Bgl as the airport and first above the airport record. It also need to refer the the stock airport and not one that you have modified since your modification may have changed the shape and left stock signs outside the airport perimeter.

 

[rf360m]

We have noticed this as well, and are looking into the best way to implement taxiway deletion. Hopefully we'll have a solution in place for the next release.

 

[José]

Some remarks on version 15

Hi, Russell

I want to suggest some points to your review:

Mag Var - could be (+) = E or (-) = W; Please, display 22ºW or -22º;

FSX Planner display airport altitude with only one decimal places. I think you could follow the original FSX values, with three decimal places, both for meter or feet. I open an airport whose altitude is 2.438 m or 7.999 ft, but the tool rounds to 2.4m.

When displaying headings, it would be better to remember that is true heading;

Waiting for FSX conection and also a way to close some windows...

Thanks ,

José

 

[rf360m]

Hi, Russell

I want to suggest some points to your review:

Mag Var - could be (+) = E or (-) = W; Please, display 22ºW or -22º;

FSX Planner display airport altitude with only one decimal places. I think you could follow the original FSX values, with three decimal places, both for meter or feet. I open an airport whose altitude is 2.438 m or 7.999 ft, but the tool rounds to 2.4m.

Both good suggestions.

When displaying headings, it would be better to remember that is true heading;

That's true - is there something you are thinking of to remind you of this?

Waiting for FSX conection and also a way to close some windows...

In progress. It'll happen.

-Russell

 

[KaelO]

We have noticed this as well, and are looking into the best way to implement taxiway deletion. Hopefully we'll have a solution in place for the next release.

Thats the CAN DO answer I like to hear!

Now make an EASY way to activate crossing runways

 

[José]

Heading value

Hi, Russell

Both good suggestions.
That's true - is there something you are thinking of to remind you of this?
In progress. It'll happen.
-Russell

Sometimes, to adjust runway direction with GE image we need to change values in the second and even in the third decimal place. So, please, display Mag Var and runway heading with three decimal places, also.

Thanks a lot,

José

 

[rf360m]

Thats the CAN DO answer I like to hear!

Now make an EASY way to activate crossing runways

What do you mean by 'activate crossing runways'?

 

[KaelO]

You know at many airports their are crossing (crosswind) runways? By default while they are both open, they arn't in use simulatniously. Jim Vile formulated a method with AFCAD to allow FSX and FS9 to use both runways, getting rid of much AI traffic go arounds and delays. He's pointed me in the right direction with regards to setting this up, but its still a painful process, particuarly for somebody like me with not a great deal of background in this sort of thing.

While I said it in jest, if you could make an easy way to do it then I'll name my first born son Russell...

Kael

 

[José]

crossing (crosswind) runways?

Hi, Kael

You know at many airports their are crossing (crosswind) runways? By default while they are both open, they arn't in use simulatniously. Jim Vile formulated a method with AFCAD to allow FSX and FS9 to use both runways, getting rid of much AI traffic go arounds and delays. He's pointed me in the right direction with regards to setting this up, but its still a painful process, particuarly for somebody like me with not a great deal of background in this sort of thing.

While I said it in jest, if you could make an easy way to do it then I'll name my first born son Russell...

Kael

I've never read or heard about that!

Think how hard is to create a tool to follow the rules and imagine how impossible is to the author to play with exceptions.

José