mmmm tricky. I tested on Windows 8 and it finished correctly.

 

Can you tale a screenshot of the error window or the log in the event viewer if there is a log there?

I did a fresh install and it seems to be working now. It did hang after about 3 minutes when it tried to begin a new airport (some airport in Bangladesh I think). I assume if that occurs to just remove that airport from the PMDG SID STARS list temporarily and re run it?

 

 

It did hang after about 3 minutes when it tried to begin a new airport

The text at the bottom of the windows is to have an idea of how many countries there are left to process.

For example, if you don't click to have the folders separated by country and state, you will see that the text wont change for a long period.

What you are seeing with Bangladesh it could be that there is a lot of airports with a lot of procedures to convert.

You will see that this is much more noticeable with the United Sates.

 

I'm glad that is working now.

Is it possible to make a single .ini file out of these to cover the worlds airports instead of having to change the files in AiController all the time?

 

DISREGARD THIS I READ THE README 

Hi Mathias, I think I may have caused a bug.

 

I got cycle 1501 which was released last night and ran through SID/STAR Converter.  All was well and good, except LFKJ and I can post the details to you if needed.

 

However as I was new to all this and interested in all the airports I often fly in to I opened up the original, Australia/Queensland/Original/YBBN.txt file as well as others from different regions of the world.

 

By that time it was about 5am and I headed to bed.  When I woke up I noticed that because I had those files still open SID/STAR Converter had an error on screen saying the files couldn't be deleted because they were open in another process.  I clicked okay but SID/STAR Converter appeared to have stopped all file processes and no further original files were deleted.

 

This means I am having to run the entire process again which will take a couple of hours, as due to the hang the SampleCFG button didn't get highlighted.

 

One suggestion I'd like to make.  Is there a possibility to run the SampleCFG script on it's own separate from the AiConv.exe process.  i.e. skip step 1 (aiconv.exe) and just run SampleCFG manually at a users whim.

 

This would also have the benefit of allowing me to move any countries/region folders out of the main converted folder that I don't plan to use and only generate the sample.cfg based on the remaining folders I do want to use.  This would be a lot easier than sifting through the SampleCFG fiie manually to grab only the regions I might want.

 

Oh one more question, I'm wondering if it would be possible to have SID/STAR Converter convert the files to and from a KML/KMZ file format.  This way we could easily edit our SID/STARs in Google Earth and add in our difficult or dangerous approach tweaks.

 

Kindest Regards, and thanks so much for this amazing tool.

 

Dean.

Oh I think I just found another bug with windows 8 64 bit.

 

 

I'll try re-installing the program to a different folder than the "Program FIles (x86)" folder

 

Here goes another 2 hour recompile

 

 

This means I am having to run the entire process again which will take a couple of hours, as due to the hang the SampleCFG button didn't get highlighted.

 

Hi Dean

 

Thanks for your kind words.

 

Not sure I follow with your issue. Also, please make sure to read the readme, just in case.

 

First, the SampleCFG button doesnt do anything, just open up the SampleCFG file that gets populated at the en of the convert process.

 

What I understand that happened is that you had this file opened up, when you started another convert run, and when it wanted to delete the sample file to create the new one it crashed?

 

Remember that during the entire process you should not have opened any file from the Input folder or the output folder until it finish. Then if you want to work with the sample file while you run the conversion process again, you can copy the sample file to another place.

 

I was planing to let the user choose the countries and states that wants to convert, but real life work got in the way, and the update its on hold.

 

You can always copy some of the sid and star files from the pmdg folder to another folder and set that folder as the input folder. Then you will be able to work in regions, although you may miss some of the procedures for a specific region.

 

As for the Windows 8 issue, the fact that it is installed in the program files folder could be the problem, but I honestly didn't test it under windows 8. Sorry

 

Let me know if you need anything.

Hi Dean

 

Thanks for your kind words.

 

Not sure I follow with your issue. Also, please make sure to read the readme, just in case.

 

First, the SampleCFG button doesnt do anything, just open up the SampleCFG file that gets populated at the en of the convert process.

 

What I understand that happened is that you had this file opened up, when you started another convert run, and when it wanted to delete the sample file to create the new one it crashed?

 

 

What happened was that I caused a problem by having several of the input files inadvertently open.  This caused SIDSTAR converter to hang, not delete anything from the original files and caused it to not generate a SampleCFG.txt file.

 

The issue is, if that happens and you need the SampleCFG.txt, you have to run the entire conversion process again just for it to generate the SampleCFG.txt file.

 

Could you not separate the process to generate SampleCFG.txt to be able to run by itself?  This would save hours of time and processing (and associated electricity costs) just to generate SampleCFG.txt without having to regenerate all the SID/STAR*.txt files from scratch again.

 

In short:

 

1 - I ran SIDSTAR converter over my PMDG formatted Navigraph data

 

2 - Along the way I opened a file in the "original" subfolder:  Australia\Queensland\Original\YBBN.txt as well as a few other airports and I forgot to close them as SIDSTAR Converter was doing the conversions

 

3 - All PMDG Airports' SIDSTARS were successfully converted and placed into the various region folders as normal (e.g. G:\AI\SIDsSTARs\Australia\Queensland\YBBN SID RNW 01 COODA2.txt etc etc etc)

 

4 - When SIDSTAR Converter got to the next stage of processing to delete the Australia\Queensland\Original\YBBN.txt file and Australia\Queensland\Original folder, the program threw up an error stating it couldn't delete YBBN.txt as it was currently open in another program and SIDSTAR Converter stopped at that point and did not delete any further subsequent AIRPORT.txt (eg KLAX.txt, RPLL.txt etc etc etc) files in the "original" folders

 

5 - Because of this SampleCFG.txt was not generated

 

6 - I needed to just be able to generate SampleCFG.txt by parsing over the final SIDSTARS data that had been successfully generated at item #3 above

 

7 - Because SIDSTAR Converter can't do that on it's own, I needed to go through the *entire* process from the start again which was a 2 hour process.  I had another issue the 2nd time I processed the data which happened again after successfully finishing item #3 above, which again meant I couldn't just say "Generate SampleCFG.txt" over the final data, I had to go and re-compile the while thing again

 

What this meant was that instead of a 2 hour process that could have been 2 hours + 1 min (to generate the SampleCFG.txt file separately), it took 6 hours just to be able to get the final SampleCFG.txt file. :(

 

Even if you could just extract the code to generate SampleCFG.txt into it's own program separate from the other processes and then called it from within SIDSTAR converter it would be a huge help.

 

i.e.

 

SIDSTAR Converter Current Process (All-in-one-process)

 

1 - Copy PMDG data into folders based on regions/states  (process = "SIDSTAR Converter.exe)

2 - Convert PMDG data into AIController Format  (process = "SIDSTAR Converter.exe")

3 - Delete all PMDG original data that was copied  (process = "SIDSTAR Converter.exe")

4 - Generate SampleCFG.txt   (process = "SIDSTAR Converter.exe")

 

What I'm suggesting means that if the process gets interrupted at Stage 3 (or any stage during stage 2, a user can run stage 4 manually.

 

i.e.

 

SIDSTAR Converter Proposed Process (2 Stage Process)

 

1 - Copy PMDG data into folders based on regions/states  (process = "SIDSTAR Converter.exe)

2 - Convert PMDG data into AIController Format  (process = "SIDSTAR Converter.exe")

3 - Delete all PMDG original data that was copied  (process = "SIDSTAR Converter.exe")

4 - Generate SampleCFG.txt   (process = "SIDSTAR Converter.exe" calls and runs "Generate SampleCFG.exe")

 

End result:

 

If Stage 3 gets interrupted, a user can run stage 4 manually in order to get the SampleCFG.txt file. This saves the user from having to run steps 1, 2 & 3 again before finally getting the file generated by stage 4.

-----------------------

 

One final separate thought, an "if then" statement at stage 3 would also help eliminate a problem with stage 3 if a user inadvertently has an original airport file (such as YBBN.txt or YBCS.txt or KLAX.txt).  If "error message, can't delete YBBN.txt is received by SIDSTAR Converter.exe then once user has closed the YBBN.txt file and clicked on "ok" then continue to delete original data files.

 

 

 

Wow, thanks for that detailed explanation.

I see what are you talking about now.

 

I can implement both suggestions easily.

 

Let you know over here when is done.

 

Thanks again.

Hello guys

 

I have updated the tool and the link to download it.

 

Here it is:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xavvu1ilqnb73lm/SIDSTAR%20Converter.zip?dl=0

Version 1.3 it is up.

 

I've added the option to select the path to the AiConv file. This way you don't have to keep installing the SIDSTAR Converter each time a new version of the AiConv file is released by Roland.

 

PLEASE DO NOT INSTALL ON THE PROGRAM FILES FOLDER

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/sni2r4py36y03a0/SIDSTAR%20Converter.rar?dl=0.

 

 

I've added the option to select the path to the AiConv file. This way you don't have to keep installing the SIDSTAR Converter each time a new version of the AiConv file is released by Roland.

 

Thanks Matias, much appreciated!  I'll package it up with revision B and include instructions that the latest revision of AIConv.exe is included in the AIController main installation directory.

 

-Roland

Matias,

 

When converting the SID/Star from my PMDG nav data (latest version of SID/STAR convertor), I get an error message on several US states, such as California and Texas.  Most states compile fine, but several stop, for example, California only compiles the data to KL71, every airport after that there is no data.  Texas only goes to KDAL.  I have tried twice, same results.  If you click close when the error message comes up, it starts in the next state.  Seems like all other nations were fine. 

 

Thanks

Brian

Matias,

 

When converting the SID/Star from my PMDG nav data (latest version of SID/STAR convertor), I get an error message on several US states, such as California and Texas.  Most states compile fine, but several stop, for example, California only compiles the data to KL71, every airport after that there is no data.  Texas only goes to KDAL.  I have tried twice, same results.  If you click close when the error message comes up, it starts in the next state.  Seems like all other nations were fine. 

 

Thanks

Brian

Hi Brian

 

What the error message?

 

Sometimes AiConv.exe will fail to convert some of the procedures due to something on the procedure itself or something in the AiConv.exe.

To isolate the procedure convert only the state in witch you think it is the problem, see that latest airport converted, and move those in the input folder to another folder and start the conversion again.

Probably is one or two airports only.

The thing is that if AiConv fails because of one airport in one folder it stop converting the rest of the folder. There is nothing we can do about that.

 

As for AiConv crashing, you can ask Roland. Maybe you can send to him the procedure file that is causing the problem for him to test it.

 

Also, you can try to run SIDSTAR Converter with the "Show AiConv Window" option checked to see at what airport it crashed, or even run aiconv manually as a last resort.

 

Let me know if you need anything

Matias,

 

The error box says "SID,STAR and Final Approach Conversion Utility (AIConv.exe) for use with AI Controller. has stopped working."  Then it gives me the option to close the program, at which point the program starts with the next state that is not corrupted.   I ran the conversion with the AI Controller.exe boxed checked.  In the window in AIConv.exe  (which by default does not open all the way so it's difficult to read the full message) stopped in California at airport KL71.  The message within AiConv.exe box says "The user should manually insepct the converted SID files and remove waypoints to......", message cut off on my screen shot so I don't know what the rest says.

 

Anyway, you asked if I can try and only convert the state by itself, but I am not sure how to do that? Can you give me a little run through?  Not sure if that would change anything though.  I have run through the complete conversion process three times.  Every country converts fine except the following U.S. states.  CA, CO, GA, IL, MD, MA, TX and WA.  There are a lot of airport missing in each of those states that received the error message. 

 

Did anyone else experience this?  If not, maybe it's me but I don't understand the issue.

 

Also, is the Runway.xml Path line mandatory to fill in?  I don't believe I have the makerunways utility.

 

Thanks

Brian

Brian

 

Yes, that error is due to the AiConv.exe tool crashing due to something wrong on the procedure txt file.

As you know the AiConv.exe tool is developed by Roland, so there isn't to much i can do to fix it.

As for how to use that tool manually, you should read the help for AIController. There it explains how to use this tool.

 

Also, if you read the readme for SIDSTAR Converter, there is a couple of airport on witch i had problems when developing, but you should know that maybe in the next AIRAC it could start working fine again.

 

The MakeRunways utility is a free tool devolved by Peter Dowson, the developer of FSUIPC. You can download it, place it at the root FSX folder and run it. It will create several files including the Runway.xml file.

AS for completing that line, is totally up to you. You should read the readme to know more about this feature