For ages now, I have wished for a waypoint editor that would allow me to manually enter waypoints into the default GPS. I could do it by hand into an existing PLN file - but here now is an automatic editor that takes most of the hardwork out of it. Get file routeeditor.zip from AVSIM.I just did a test flight from Kempsey airport (in NSW Australia) to Tony's Place via the mouth of the Kempsey River . I got the lat/long co-ordinates of the river mouth from Google Earth ( which is great because you can see the real world waypoints that you might want to navigate by) and entered everything into this little programme, which then generated a PLN file. Placing that into the correct FS9 folder allowed me to then load it into the GPS and navigate by GPS . It worked great.Try it - you will like it!!!Barry

I just saw that in the list of new uploads. Can't wait to give it a try! Sadly, they won't let me go home from work early for that :DThanks to the Jim Cooper for what should be a great utility for FS.KP

That looks very interesting :) Thanks for the link!I've always wished that FS would take a leaf out of the military sims...where you can look at a map and right-click on it to "Create waypoint here", that would be wicked and I hope FSX has that function!

You can do that with FSNavigator, Nev, which is just SO far ahead of FS default planning in that respect. It ought to be part of FS, it's so good. Maybe one day, as you say ...MarkMark "Dark Moment" BeaumontVP Fleet, DC-3 AirwaysTeam Member, MAAM-SIM[a href=http://www.swiremariners.com/cathayhk.html" target="_blank]http://www.paxship.com/maamlogo2.jpg[/a]

>You can do that with FSNavigator, Nev, which is just SO far>ahead of FS default planning in that respect. It ought to be>part of FS, it's so good. Maybe one day, as you say ...I gather that many of you folks haven't been following the FSX forum closely (or at all). FSX will feature a completely new system that will allow you to insert custom waypoints via a mouse click on the map after the basic route has been autogenerated.

I tried this over the weekend. Many thanks to the author. I use FSnavigator for real flight planning but for teaking an existing flight plan (e.g., to make a quick change in the FL or starting position) this is promising. In the spirit of feedback, in case the author reads this, a couple of quick items for the next version: 1. I was surprised that seemingly the only parameter left off for editing was the Type=VFR or IFR. (i.e., you can't use this utility to change a flight plan from VFR to IFR or vice versa). This is one of the most common reasons I have to open an existing flight plan outside FS or FSNavigator in an editor. After getting Radar Contact, for example, I frequently change my previous VFR flight plans to IFR before loading them in ActiveSky and Radar Contact for processing. I can change the flight level to IFR levels with this utility but not the IFR/VFR flag. So using it is pointless for this purpose. 2. The "save" dialogue does not default to the opened file name. Thus if you open a flight plan to make a quick edit of a flight level, for example, you have to re-type the entire file name to save it under the same name.All and all, a big thank you to the author. As for FSX, I will be pleasantly surprised if they address the flight planner in the next version. From what I've read here and elsewhere the focus for FSX is on arcade play and portability to XBOX, so i wasn't expecting much in the way of improvements to things that excite simmers, like weather, ATC, flight planning, aircraft dynamics, etc. Would be nice to be wrong about that. In the meantime, I'm not holding my breath about the next version anymore. I'll wait and see.

>From what I've read here and>elsewhere the focus for FSX is on arcade play and portability>to XBOX, so i wasn't expecting much in the way of improvements>to things that excite simmers, like weather, ATC, flight>planning, aircraft dynamics, etc. Would be nice to be wrong>about that. In the meantime, I'm not holding my breath about>the next version anymore. I'll wait and see.I have no idea how you could have gained such an impression. AFAIK, there are absolutely no plans whatsoever to ever port FSX to X-Box... nor is there any concious effort to make it into an "arcade play[er]..."The "Mission System" is nothing more than a complete rewrite of the previous "Adventure" system, so that it is more extensible, and easier to access/program. As before, it is an option that one can either use... or ignore. ;)

Thanks for that Mark! I will check out that program :) I've always wished for that function...specially handy when you want to weave your twin Otter safetly through some valleys to arrive at some dirt strip hee hee.------------------------------------------------- FSX will feature a completely new system that will allow you to insert custom waypoints via a mouse click on the map after the basic route has been autogenerated.-------------------------------------------------Scwheet! I guess I should check out the FSX forums http://www.nextgenerationrecords.co.uk/boa...con_redface.gif

>1. I was surprised that seemingly the only parameter left off>for editing was the Type=VFR or IFR. (i.e., you can't use>this utility to change a flight plan from VFR to IFR or vice>versa). This is one of the most common reasons I have to open>an existing flight plan outside FS or FSNavigator in an>editor. After getting Radar Contact, for example, I frequently>change my previous VFR flight plans to IFR before loading them>in ActiveSky and Radar Contact for processing. I can change>the flight level to IFR levels with this utility but not the>IFR/VFR flag. So using it is pointless for this purpose. >>2. The "save" dialogue does not default to the opened file>name. Thus if you open a flight plan to make a quick edit of>a flight level, for example, you have to re-type the entire>file name to save it under the same name.1. I originally wrote this editor so that I could fly fast and low through valleys. So it was only ever set up for VFR and GPS Direct. When someone on a forum posted that they wished they could create a GPS route using Lat/Long I uploaded my Route Editor without remembering its limitations. 2. I didn't put in a default save name because I didn't want to accidentally over-write existing routes. It's only a simple click to select the previous route - you don't have to type it in. If I put in a default route I will need to write a "Are You Sure" routine to prevent accidental over-writing.1. I will re-write to cover all possible VFR and IFR combinations.2. I will consider adding a Default Save if enough people message this board requesting it!!!! Personally I prefer it without, but I like to give people what they find most useful.RegardsJim

Thanks again for this little gem, Jim, and your responsiveness. Meets a small but important niche. Folks like yourself who put time into these things really don't get sufficient thanks. Thanks for the input Bill. Hope you're correct about FSX. Besides some things I've read here and in blogs, my impression was based on the 3-4 preview videos I've seen in which in all cases the pilot is chasing little green targets in the sky to earn points or doing air loops and fantasy obstacles courses against the clock. Nothing showing new ATC, weather, etc. indicating improvements in serious matters for us simmers. Nothing definative about my information for sure and you may have better information. But what I've seen so far is too gimmicky or console-like for my taste. Graphics and scenery improvements look good tho. In the meantime I'll purr along with FS9 and nifty little utilities like Jim's.

This isn't the FSX forum so I guess not the place to air thoughts on FSX but yes I agree all the publicity for FSX seems aimed at attracting the general gamer with eye candy, arcade game like features etc etc and precious little on improved flight dynamics, weather, ATC, auto pilot and all those other little things that 3rd part developers keep referring to as FS9 limitations that can't be fixed.Bruceb

Version 2 has been out for a couple of days. It incorporates CowlFlapsOpen suggestions on IFR/VFR and Routing. Save is automated to prefix the filename with eithe IFR or VFR.I've also had several request for Version3: People want to insert/delete Waypoints in the middle , rather than just at the end. I'm going to wait a couple of weeks just in case there are any more requests for additional features. If there are post them here or e-mail me [email protected]

>Version 2 has been out for a couple of days. It incorporates>CowlFlapsOpen suggestions on IFR/VFR and Routing. Save is>automated to prefix the filename with eithe IFR or VFR.>I've also had several request for Version3: People want to>insert/delete Waypoints in the middle , rather than just at>the end. >I'm going to wait a couple of weeks just in case there are any>more requests for additional features. If there are post them>here or e-mail me >[email protected]>>regards>>Jim>>Jim, please drop us an alert in this this thread when version 3 comes out.Thanks.Dirk.

Cool. I'm going to check it out.Rob

Hey Jim. I'll bet you're tired of me! Cheers! Gave the v2 a couple of tests and noticed something minor. Open a flight plan, change the VFR to IFR and adjust the altitude (say from 11500 VFR to 11000 IFR) and save the plan under one name. Open the same original flight plan in Notepad and do the same. Save it with another. Load them one by one in Radar Contact. The one using your cool utility "clips" the first letter off the name of each waypoint. The notepad version doesn't. I wonder if their is a hidden CR LF or some other formatting thing that gets saved with yours. I promise I am just trying to be helpful! (And your wife keeps sending me emails telling me to keep you busy, what's up with that?!)