FSNavigator SID/STARS - They're coming

[Guest Outer Marker]

Fellow simmers,As many of you are aware, our beloved FSNavigator project went offline over 18 months ago, leaving us with no way to update our SID/STARS (terminal procedures.) Sure, the splendid minds at Navigraph provide us with airac cycles, but terminal procedures for FSNavigator are not included.Well, I'm here to announce that I will be shortly releasing a large update compilation in the AVSIM file library. Toni Paulsen and others have made great strides in creating utilities that assist in updating the FSNav SID/STARS, but the documentation is in German, and there is still some manual Tom-foolery to be done. To this end, I will be uploading what I call a "stress-free" release. As the end user, all you will do is unzip to the specified folder and fly!So far I have compiled much of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Tunisia, and Morocco, and many other airports around Europe. These files are current to within about 6 months. A heck of a lot better than 18 months + wouldn't you agree?I'll then be embarking on an update of major US airports with the hope that I can encourage you, my fellow simmers, to save SID/STAR files for completed airports for inclusion in my regular compilation releases. More information about that will be forthcoming.In the meantime, look for my first release in time for Thanksgiving. You should be able to find the file at this link (along with all my AVSIM work) here in a few days: http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID...&Go=Change+ViewSincerely,-- Outer Marker (Bryan)P.S. My Overland FDE updates are also on track. For those of you wondering, I have the 737-800 on short final, and the 737-900 right behind.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,903]

Hi Bryan,That's excellent news and thank you for all your hard work.One thing concerns me. Obviously the upload / download system within FSNav won't work as Helge probably hard-coded the server details. So how will we be able to add modified SIDs to our database without any other airports being affected?Is there a separate utility that will be used to update the FSNav database?Cheers,

[555_HH 1]

Hi Bryan!great news and thank you so much!and looking forward to the overland updates as well!cheersharald

[David Vega 348]

Bryan,Thank you for this effort. Looking very much forward to the rest.Best regards,Dave Vega

[Guest Outer Marker]

>Hi Bryan,>>That's excellent news and thank you for all your hard work.>>One thing concerns me. Obviously the upload / download system>within FSNav won't work as Helge probably hard-coded the>server details. So how will we be able to add modified SIDs to>our database without any other airports being affected?>>Is there a separate utility that will be used to update the>FSNav database?>>Cheers,Hi Ray,That's a good question. The first release is intended to be a "basis" package if you will. If we can get that shared amongst us, we'll have a consistent starting point from which to build on.At first I thought I'd just release the whole lot each time, overwriting the previous files, so we're all always on the same page. Of course the problem with this is that some of us may have custom SID/STARS that are more up to date than the ones I release. I was hoping that people could send me via E-mail (as documented in the readme) their SID/STARS files for inclusion in the next update. I'll do some basic quality control, and then if they pass, compile it into one release.However, for those that want total control, there are a couple freeware utilities that I am using to compile. Basically they check the date of the SID/STARS you're updating and overwrite only if newer. You can find more information on these utilities and see how I put everything together here: http://tonipaulsen.to.funpic.de/html/misc.htmlAlthough the site is in German, the documentation in the tools is in English as well.Hope that helps,-- Bryan

[Chuck_B 2]

Thank you, Bryan!(I'd wondered where you'd gone to.)

[W2DR 1,859]

Really good news Brian. Thanks. - Doug

[Ray Proudfoot 8,903]

Hi Bryan,Thanks for pointing me to the readme. The instructions are very clear and there is the option to overwrite my entire database or just to add individual airport SIDs.As I haven't made any changes myself I'll probably just update the entire database.One question. Because of magnetic variation some runways now have different designations. EGCC is one case where 06/24 L & R is now 05/23.Can you check your data and advise if the old or new runway designators are used for the SIDs? EGCC won't be alone of course so I hope the new SIDs will reflect the latest situation.Cheers,

[Guest Outer Marker]

Another excellent question Ray. For now, the runway designations are based on the older, default FS2004 designations. This issue is in need of a really creative solution, and here's why:As you might be aware, a new AFCAD file will take care of changing the runway designations and runway start points, but then the default FS2004 approaches will break, and AI will only use the new runways under VFR rules. For IFR, with no approaches to follow, it's so long AI. With visibility under 3 miles, you might not care to see any AI, but we won't be able to please everybody :(There is a utility by Martin Gleeson that allows developers to completely recompile the xml files controlling AI approaches into BGL files. It is located here: http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID...&Go=Change+ViewSo, for an airport to be modified properly, we need a new AFCAD file, and a new BGL file using the above utility. FSNav users would need to install both the BGL and the AFCAD, restart FS2004 to re-index scenery files, and then run DB-Build for FSNav. Then, and only then will FSNav be able to display the SID/STARS to the proper (new) runway designators. The issue is compounded by simmers that may have payware scenery installed for airports with the older runway numberings. It would be hard to cater to their needs.I suppose if the new airports were modified both in AFCAD and BGL, then I'd be happy to write the SID/STARS files myself. Here is what happens when you update only the AFCAD file. Note that the author indicates "not recommended for AI use" http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID...&Go=Change+ViewSince all that may well be beyond the average simmer, one might propose that we just keep the defaults and mentally make the changes when designing our flight plans. I don't like that proposition much, but as a developer, I have found this to be true:The more I fly FS2004, the more I love it. The more I develop for FS2004, the more I hate it. The more I hate it, the more I want to fly with FS2004. It's a nasty spiral!My favorite airport - Washington Dulles is in the same boat as your EGCC. New runways and/or designations galore. I hope there is a creative way around all this!-- Bryan

[Ray Proudfoot 8,903]

Thanks for all that info Bryan. It's beginning to sound like a real can of worms.I don't appear to have lost Ai aircraft at EGCC after changing the runway designators. Maybe I was just lucky!I'll dip my toe carefully in this pond and certainly backup my existing database files before making any changes.Ultimately if this project is going to be sucessful it requires minimal effort from the user. The more people have to do the less likely they are to do it.

[Gavin 99]

Thank you for your efforts Bryan. It's people like you that make the world a better place.

[Guest Outer Marker]

Ray,Out of curiousity, what hapens at EGCC when you take visibility below 3 miles or otherwise take the airport to IFR? Does AI still land/takeoff, or does it taxi to runway and disappear? I'd be interested to see what options we have.Thanks!-- Bryan

Thank you for your efforts Bryan. It's people like you that make the world a better place.

Thanks for the kudos Gavin! :(Excuse the reply formats... this new forum system is taking some getting used to!

[catmar 0]

Many thanks Bryan, I downloaded your file, backed up the original and so far no problems.Catmar

[Ray Proudfoot 8,903]

Ray,Out of curiousity, what hapens at EGCC when you take visibility below 3 miles or otherwise take the airport to IFR? Does AI still land/takeoff, or does it taxi to runway and disappear? I'd be interested to see what options we have.Thanks!-- Bryan

I'll try to test this during the next few days Bryan. Having flown overnight from EGLL-FAJS the computer (and me) needs a rest. :( Funny enough, EGCC had fog for most of yesterday so it will be easy to check.