THIS changed FSX for me

[Luftwulf 8]

Thanks Steve, great update.... keeps getting better and better. Will give a go tonight.LW

[darem 84]

Steve, thank you. Will try it out as soon as I am home.

[Gazzareth 808]

Steve,"K" does not work for me - crashes out after you click to go to the main screen, complaining it can't open a scenery file. "JS" works fine .. ..G

[Artem Crum 5]

Steve,"K" does not work for me - crashes out after you click to go to the main screen, complaining it can't open a scenery file. "JS" works fine .. ..G

Try "Maintain indexes" from context menu on the start screen. Helped to me.

[Gazzareth 808]

Try "Maintain indexes" from context menu on the start screen. Helped to me.

Thanks Crum that worked a treat !!!G

[SteveW 1,792]

Hi All,Thanks for helping with that issue. I forgot to mention a re-index is required. I found an ANSI sort where it should have been an ASCII sort, which caused a lot of problems. I do have one report of "failed to configure scoreboard" on a system with Finnish date/number formats, possibly after installing over an old version, investigating...Thanks again Guys;Steve

[SteveW 1,792]

It seems I've messed up something, some airports are missing! Back later...

[SteveW 1,792]

Latest Ideal Flight here: http://download.codelegend.com/idealflight/Ideal_Flight_Setup_10_010ka.zip

[Artem Crum 5]

Some airports are there again, confirmed ;-)

[brucewtb 247]

Perhaps someone could explain to me where the added value of IF is. I have loaded the demo and, as far as I can tell, it is an auto flight planner and a weather generator both of which I can do with other addons. It also has a mission type function where you get scores for doing stuff right - not the sort of thing I'm into really. With flight planning I prefer to use a program like PlanG or FSC where I can use the mouse to click on intersections on a map to build up a plan and add custom waypoints (in Australia there aren't all that many radiio navaids and auto flight planners usually come up with some very bizarre routes). Also, with some complex aircraft it is recommended that you first load FSX with a "safe flight" eg as supplied by flight1 before switching to the more complex aircraft such as the F1 Mustang, RealAir Duke etc. Now as I said I only have the demo version so maybe the full version has capabilities that I have missed but so far IF doesn't do it for me.Bruceb

[SteveW 1,792]

Perhaps someone could explain to me where the added value of IF is. I have loaded the demo and, as far as I can tell, it is an auto flight planner and a weather generator both of which I can do with other addons. It also has a mission type function where you get scores for doing stuff right - not the sort of thing I'm into really. With flight planning I prefer to use a program like PlanG or FSC where I can use the mouse to click on intersections on a map to build up a plan and add custom waypoints (in Australia there aren't all that many radiio navaids and auto flight planners usually come up with some very bizarre routes). Also, with some complex aircraft it is recommended that you first load FSX with a "safe flight" eg as supplied by flight1 before switching to the more complex aircraft such as the F1 Mustang, RealAir Duke etc. Now as I said I only have the demo version so maybe the full version has capabilities that I have missed but so far IF doesn't do it for me.Bruceb

Hi Bruce,Please let me try to answer your concerns:Sometimes it’s great to have an auto generated flight, not just knowing where to fly from where, but ideally to know the flight will last just two hours.Set and forget weather is an alternative approach to collecting aerodrome reports from the internet, IF uses a global simulation instead. It brings something to the table, but you don’t need it if you prefer to use another weather “engine”.You can ignore the fact that the flights are assessed, but ideally it’s nice to get a report that shows you took care of your aircraft.Flight plans are great fun to fiddle with, but in the end, for me at least, I prefer to get on with the flight. Ideal Flight sticks to the airways with its flight plans and does not come up with “bizarre routes”. If there are not many waypoints you may just get a direct to destination flight. You can add waypoints in FSX as usual and then get on with your flight.Have no fear, I have yet to find or have any reports indicating that any aircraft need a “safe flight” loaded first. Perhaps this is because IF runs the aircraft as a safe flight. Even if they do need a safe flight loaded first you can do that with IF. On top of that, once you’ve saved your aircraft setup from within FSX you always get started in the same configuration; this may also help.With the in fight save, load, and advance time menu, or plans with top of descent for any aircraft, or perhaps the interactive way in which the aircraft and plan are combined to get routes with accurate ETA and fuel requirements, allowing you to get faster, leaner and sharper with your flying with the minimum of adjustments, or maybe the seamless global thermals and wind deflections engine to make your aircraft feel more alive at all times, at least there may still be something of interest to you.Best regards;Steve

[darem 84]

Perhaps someone could explain to me where the added value of IF is. I have loaded the demo and, as far as I can tell, it is an auto flight planner and a weather generator both of which I can do with other addons. It also has a mission type function where you get scores for doing stuff right - not the sort of thing I'm into really. With flight planning I prefer to use a program like PlanG or FSC where I can use the mouse to click on intersections on a map to build up a plan and add custom waypoints (in Australia there aren't all that many radiio navaids and auto flight planners usually come up with some very bizarre routes). Also, with some complex aircraft it is recommended that you first load FSX with a "safe flight" eg as supplied by flight1 before switching to the more complex aircraft such as the F1 Mustang, RealAir Duke etc. Now as I said I only have the demo version so maybe the full version has capabilities that I have missed but so far IF doesn't do it for me.Bruceb

I can only tell you what makes IF so special for ME: I pick a starting airport (or start where I am), pick a plane (or use the one that was used for the last flight), specify the time I'd like to spend flying (and with the latest version the general direction of the flight), and IF picks the destination for me - or, better said, for the plane I am using. All I do then is press a single button, and fly (can even set if I want to start cold & dark or with engines running or "jump forward" on longer routes if I want to). At the same time, my flight plans are presented in a very nice way, my flights are recorded and rated, IF remembers where I have parked my planes and much much more.It's convenient, it's immersive and it's fun. How valuable is it for me? Consider I haven't flown a SINGLE flight without it since the mid of January, and you know :-)

[brucewtb 247]

I can only tell you what makes IF so special for ME: I pick a starting airport (or start where I am), pick a plane (or use the one that was used for the last flight), specify the time I'd like to spend flying (and with the latest version the general direction of the flight), and IF picks the destination for me - or, better said, for the plane I am using. All I do then is press a single button, and fly (can even set if I want to start cold & dark or with engines running or "jump forward" on longer routes if I want to). At the same time, my flight plans are presented in a very nice way, my flights are recorded and rated, IF remembers where I have parked my planes and much much more.It's convenient, it's immersive and it's fun. How valuable is it for me? Consider I haven't flown a SINGLE flight without it since the mid of January, and you know :-)

Thanks. Well I guess each to his own it would be a boring world if we all used FSX in the same way but I prefer to choose my own destination and with GA plan a flight to pass points of scenic interest which is very easy to do with G-Plan and Google maps. Then, with the heavy iron, I like to fly using the routes the airlines fly (eg North Atlantic Tracks, the southern polar route between Sydney and Buenos Aires) and a dedicated flight planner such as FSC is pretty essential for that so I don't quite see how IF adds anything. I also like to add custom waypoints to flightplans that mimic GPS approaches Further more, as noted in my previous post, some high end aircraft require you to start FSX with a "Safe Flight" but IF (as far as I can see) doesn't allow this.BruceBruceb

[SteveW 1,792]

Thanks. Well I guess each to his own it would be a boring world if we all used FSX in the same way but I prefer to choose my own destination and with GA plan a flight to pass points of scenic interest which is very easy to do with G-Plan and Google maps. Then, with the heavy iron, I like to fly using the routes the airlines fly (eg North Atlantic Tracks, the southern polar route between Sydney and Buenos Aires) and a dedicated flight planner such as FSC is pretty essential for that so I don't quite see how IF adds anything. I also like to add custom waypoints to flightplans that mimic GPS approaches Further more, as noted in my previous post, some high end aircraft require you to start FSX with a "Safe Flight" but IF (as far as I can see) doesn't allow this.BruceBruceb

If you want to run a particular plan, then you can, but one of IF’s strengths is for people that want to just get in and fly new routes, landing at some new airports for a change.For your “safe flight” loading you can load any plane you like first, then run IF’s Fly button, or if IF is already running pull down the FSX Alt menu, and in the IF submenu choose Start Flight. You have then achieved your safe flight preloading, but I’ve never found that to be a requirement.NAT waypoints are to be included in a future update. The current version of IF does however already have in place jet streams and the auto plan generator understands the waypoints to do it on a seasonal basis. Currently fuel and ETA are properly taken into account and jet streams will be used or avoided to benefit the particular plan, all auto.Steve

[ohsirus 241]

Have to concur that I love the ease it provides. I enjoy the randomness of locations it provides. I have landed my lil GA at airports I normally wouldn't even blink twice about and the fact that it remember the state of my plane as I exit makes me chuckle. Forgot to refuel on one trip and had to return. I have all the flight planners also, but being married/working this just saves me alot of time and it presents it in a very nice layout.