The purpose of the different saving files in PMDG and FSX

[Jackflyer 1]

Searched through various forums for the answer to this but getting bogged down with side tracking answers.

With the PMDG 777 intelligent  autocruise function I would like to try out more long distance flights, this seems better and safer now (instead of the past default of changing the simulation rate). 

It made me however look into the saving options and files within FSX and PMDG. It was here that I became confused.  

It is all the file (types/ suffixes) which are added to your chosen file name. 

They go on and on  -- flt fmc sav wx  rt  rt2 pln and even (fsx root path).exe files.

On top of that, they seem to get saved twice, once in the PanelState and in the case of PMDG  and in the (User) documents FSX folder.

I presume sav is a saved flight at the point you stop FSX and fmc could be the FMC only save.

pln could be a full saved flight plan or is that a route rte or rt2  (what's the difference?)

Then there's wx? weather for Active Sky Next? maybe? Is it of use to those without ASN?

Saving and loading from within the CDU sends the file to the PanelState folder ie same as FSX save flight option  

Can you help explain the functions of these different saved files? and where the default locations should be?

[downscc 1,327]

FSX itself, with or without PMDG, saves a flight with three files in the FSX Documents directory in your USER area; FLT, FSSAVE and WX.  PMDG saves panel states in the PMDG\<acft>\PANELSTATES directory; and each panel state is captured in FMC and SAV files. If you save a panel state using the FMS PMDG OPTIONS just the two files are used; if you save a flight using the FSX menu then those two files are saved and a RTE file, which is the flightplan, and the three files in the USER area. So each PMDG saved flight is contained in six files, three in FSX Documents and three in PANELSTATES.

 

PMDG flightplans are RTE and FSX flightplans are PLN. Two different formats.  The WX file is just that, a weather state file.  If you double click on a FSSAVE file Windows launches FSX and FSX loads that flight, the file is binary and not readable. The FLT and SAV files are text files that look like ini files, setting up initial conditions for FSX and PMDG respectfully.

 

Are you having a problem that takes you to this level?

[Jackflyer 1]

Thanks for the speedy reply Dan, although I had to read it through several times to fully understand it.  I do not have a problem with saving and loading as such just the understanding of what and where everything is.

My  main aim was to delete lots of saved flights from all their respective directories and therefore clean up and re-organise my saved flights in a more meaningful way.

However, can I try to summarise my understanding so far.

Correct me if I'm wrong

 

To save a flight at any point and resume that flight at a later time or date with all aspects of the flight restored.  I save through FSX flight save.

 

To save/load an aircraft condition or configuration  at any point into the Panelstates directory (excluding route data) irrespective of location. I use the PMDG panelstate save/load  option

 

To save the route only. This is via the route save option in  the fmc and this is saved in Flightplans/777  (or other aircraft)  and this can retrieved at another time as a Company route. To load a Company Route you must know the filename

Request a route, offers a selection  of routes or is filtered by Origin /Destination  if filled in.

Have I got it right?

[downscc 1,327]

Yeah Jack, pretty much.  The only time I load a panel state is when I'm creating a "flight," actually, an aircraft at the gate in a turnaround state ready for fuel and pax loads and preflight.  That's the way I like to start my sessions. For example, I've got a B77W in AAL colors at KDFW D-24 (Intl terminal) on ground air/power/chocks door open and cabin empty and fuel about 5-8%. I created that flight using panel state load and then modified the panel to meet my own desires and saved the flight.  The panels saves with the flight so every time I load that flight it's ready to preflight for my next trip to any one of a dozen locations AAL serves.

 

I create my flight plan externally in PFPX and export it to the PMDG\FLIGHTPLANS\PMDG777 folder, from where the FMS retrieve it after I enter the ORIG and DEST... if there is more than one I pick the one I want then EXEC.

 

It's pretty straight forward once you understand how panel states, aircraft options and different aircraft (liveries) come together, this is discussed in the Introduction as well.