Yeah, didn't expected him to include it at all.

This version works great for me!

Guys, there IS a terrain map in v.3. Go to the options/general and choose OpenCycleMap as map provider. I thought he didn't include this based on his previous comments. There are even aerial photos.

 

 

Edit: The ComicSans font is irritating though. :P

 

OK I will check this out - thanks for the HU.

 

Bruceb

I like using v2 in ORBX PNW to find the passes I need to get through a tough VFR challenge in the Rockies.

 

v3 seems stricktly IFR, great for real life but in these sims I need eye candy.

Aerial photography is not a terrain map. Does it have elevation contours marked?

Seems like some nice new features to me. I do miss the Edit button for dragging VFR routes between airports without placing waypoints manually. That would be very nice to get back.

 

And the option to save as an FSX flight plan (.pln) seems to have disappeared. That's a bit of a pain.

1

And the option to save as an FSX flight plan (.pln) seems to have disappeared. That's a bit of a pain.

 

it is still present, under file > export

 

On a general note I must say that I love the OpenCycleMap map option. It provides very nice contours for elevation, more than sufficient for some low-level VFR flying through the mountain passes :-). I think I prefer this to Google maps, especially since we are allowed to cache the map tiles, I think? Anyway, if the map providers are worried about the overuse, let them charge me a few dollars for access and I would be happy.

 

Edit: I also notice that if you right click anywhere on the map that shows you the elevation of the current point :)

 

As for the fonts, it is different than before, but who cares? It is readable, doesn't take up too much space, I am happy :-)

 

I also have a question about airspace markings. Take for instance the area around KSEA. It has a quite complex class B airspace set up, with the different height limits and everything. However, on the charts from skyvector there is a ring around the airport with a radius of 30 nautical miles called "mode C" which is not in the plan-g map. Is this a depiction of class C airspace, or does it refer to transponder mode?

Yeah that should be the mode C (transponder) veil of the class B airspace, I believe. Not sure as I don't have access to a chart at the moment.

 

Thanks for the tip on exporting, but it would be a lot easier just to save as .pln, as we could before.

Seems like some nice new features to me. I do miss the Edit button for dragging VFR routes between airports without placing waypoints manually. That would be very nice to get back.

 

Very odd that this seems to be missing as that feature combined with terrain mapping is what made Plan-G such a useful utility. Maybe the feature is implemented in some other way but I have yet to find it.

 

Bruceb

Very odd that this seems to be missing as that feature combined with terrain mapping is what made Plan-G such a useful utility. Maybe the feature is implemented in some other way but I have yet to find it.

 

Bruceb

 

It is implemented in another way, a strange one. You chose a waypoint from the plan and right click something on the map to add below or above the said waypoint on the plan. Hope that made any sense.

 

Edit: According to dev, it was a googlemaps feature so thats why it's missing. It is also possible to drag the created waypoints but you have to create them like I mentioned above.

 

Aerial photography is not a terrain map. Does it have elevation contours marked?

 

Yes, in the options named OpenCyclemap.

It is implemented in another way, a strange one. You chose a waypoint from the plan and right click something on the map to add below or above the said waypoint on the plan. Hope that made any sense.

 

Er... if I do that I get a window in which I have to choose a waypoint from a list...? You can't simply add a waypoint anywhere you want to...? This way it's impossible to plot a route through valleys, it seems to me. Or am I missing something? You CAN add user waypoints but some of my plans have tons of unique points so that would be real PITA to accomplish this way...

 

The OpenCycleMap does have elevation indeed but Google Maps is a LOT more clear in that regard. All in all I haven't found anything in v3 yet that l like over v2: in fact a lot of things are a step backwards. Let me repeat: I know it is freeware and I am not complaining about or simply bashing this free work of art but I am simply concluding that v2 was better in almost all possible ways for me... :wink:

 

BTW I also can't get airports onscreen when I am zoomed out to a certain level, no matter what I set on the map options...?

Doesn't look like routing is as simple as v2, I think you need to add custom waypoints 1by1 through the valleys and then add them to the plan.

 

For zoom levels, on the maps section, click on the arrow from the bottom right.

 

Edit: Or drag the created waypoints around, it's a bit weird.

 

That said, I like some of the stuff of v3 especially its speed. This is the first version and he has some plans for improvement for maps and other things.

 

 

Btw, I've found a way to change the font from ComicSans to something else. Config is in under

 

C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\TA_Software\Plan-G3.exe_Url_thwpr0ynlpeo4o24m2yeti5a5ezzltmj\3.0.1.47

 

It might be a bit different but there should be a user.config file, open it with a text editor and find Comic Sans, change it to Arial for example. Fonts are much sharper now.

My only problem with Opencyclemap is that there are no contours for most of Norway. Orbx country seems to be pretty well covered, though.

 

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

Doesn't look like routing is as simple as v2, I think you need to add custom waypoints 1by1 through the valleys and then add them to the plan.

 

For zoom levels, on the maps section, click on the arrow from the bottom right.

 

Edit: Or drag the created waypoints around, it's a bit weird.

 

That said, I like some of the stuff of v3 especially its speed. This is the first version and he has some plans for improvement for maps and other things.

 

 

Btw, I've found a way to change the font from ComicSans to something else. Config is in under

 

C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\TA_Software\Plan-G3.exe_Url_thwpr0ynlpeo4o24m2yeti5a5ezzltmj\3.0.1.47

 

It might be a bit different but there should be a user.config file, open it with a text editor and find Comic Sans, change it to Arial for example. Fonts are much sharper now.

 

 

My folder is 3.0.1.46 :unsure:

I had the prerelease for an x-plane problem which is fixed, thats the reason for higher version.