Version 1.24 of Flightplan Visualizer released

[pellelil 59]

In a previous post I posted the link to the tutorial-video recorded for version 1.24, and as per usual this video can also be accessed from within the program using the Help-menu. Version 1.24 primarily contains enhancements to the logbook/employment-feature added in version 1.23 (that was released in January). However it also contains new/updated flightplans, bringing the total count to 1823. If you have not yet updated to version 1.23, remember that you need to ensure that .NET Framework 4.8.1 is installed on your system (can be downloaded using the link below, you only need the runtime). The installer for version 1.24 is now available via AVSIM using the following link:
https://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?CatID=msfs20util&DLID=229504

https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet-framework/net481

 

If you have used the logbook/employment feature, I urge you to do a backup of your logbook BEFORE updating to any new version. You can either navigate to the UserData folder (e.g. via the menu-item in the File-menu) and backup the .LBK file, or clone your current logbook via the "Manage logbooks" menu-item found in the Logbook-menu. In version 1.23 when cloning a logbook, it will automatic switch the the cloned logbook, so ensure you acess the "Manage logbooks" menu a 2nd time and switch back to the "correct" logbook (simply double-click it). Once version 1.24 have been installed, when cloning logbooks it will ask whether you want to switch to the cloned logbook or not.

 

Below is the full history of all changes and fixes in this version. One of the new features is the abillity to obtain the UTC-time from the simulator (to update the OUT/OFF/ON/IN-times of your active log-entry) and the amount of loaded payload and fuel. These data are extracted via FSUIPC, so in order to use this feature you must have FSUIPC installed (I have only tested with a paid version of FSUIPC, however it should work with the free version as well).

 

Changes/fixes in version 1.24

• Added a menu item (in the File menu) to manually check if the current/active log contains any entries with levels "WARN", "ERROR", or "FATAL". A new setting has been added to automatically perform this log check at startup (enabled by default, but you can disable it).
• Added a warning at startup if the AIRAC cycle has changed since the program was last used (as a friendly reminder if you need to update nav-data in other programs). This warning can be disabled in settings.
• Added shortcuts to many of the "important" menu items in the main menu (e.g., CTRL+W to "View current flight", CTRL+M to "Commit current flight", CTRL+S for creating "Assignment flight", CTRL+F for creating "Free flight", CTRL+T for creating "Training flight", CTRL+Y for creating "Type-rating flight", and more).
• Moved menu-items "Detect obsolete flightplans" and "Flightplans per Author" from the "Help"-menu to the "Flightplan"-menu.
• Added aircraft-weight fields to Log-Entry (to track fuel/payload changes during flight, along with EOW/MTOW of aircraft). The payload/fuel fields have been added to the bottom of the load sheet and fuel group boxes. Next to these fields, there is a button that lets you update the value with data from the simulator (if connected via FSUIPC).
• Added buttons that can obtain UTC time from the simulator via FSUIPC, hence users can press these buttons while performing the flight to obtain these times. Next to the OUT- and IN-time buttons, there is a checkbox that, when checked, will also update the payload and fuel load.
• It's now possible to include crew (pilot) weight in the load sheet, as the default loader in MSFS for smaller GA aircraft often requires you to specify a weight for each seat (whether that seat is used for crew or passengers).
• Updated load sheet hints (e.g., showing avg. per pax weight for male, female, child, and avg. luggage weight for international and domestic flights). Also, all load sheet label hints show weight both in lb and kg.
• When editing a log entry, the fuel labels now have a hint that shows the fuel value both in lb, kg, US-gal, and liter (with different densities). All values are also shown as "half-values" (what to load in the Left- and Right-tank of smaller aircraft).
• The "increment" value of the log entry's payload and fuel numeric up/down fields is now dynamic. It was previously a fixed increment, so it was "too large" for small aircraft and perhaps "too small" for large aircraft, making it difficult to dial in a value (scrolling the mouse wheel or pressing the up/down buttons).
• Trying to randomize (log entry) load sheet with a zero distance (e.g., without departure/destination airports) or with zero block fuel will now issue a warning.
• You can now specify negative "Extra fuel", e.g., if you want to load less fuel than what has otherwise been specified. However, the value you enter is clamped, so the specified value can't result in negative block fuel.
• If you choose to manually specify block fuel, it will now add to/subtract from extra fuel to ensure the calculated block fuel matches the manually entered block fuel.
• Randomized load sheet for GA aircraft with a max pax count greater than 0 will no longer add a random cargo load. However, you can specifically choose to manually randomize only the cargo load if you so desire.
• If a planned flight exceeds 80% of the aircraft's max range, it's now mentioned in the "Check" message when creating a log entry.
• If possible, when creating an assignment flight, it will now suggest the last used sim aircraft that was used for the same aircraft type of the assigned leg.Log entry airports can now be picked via map (use airport markers or pick an airport near the mouse pointer).
• Log entry status is now shown using different illustrations.
• The planned route for a Log entry is now displayed on a new "Flight-map" tab page when creating/editing a log entry.
• Viewing your log book, there is now a new "Flight-map" tab page visualizing all logged flights (can be filtered by simulator aircraft and/or flight category).
• Added a (right-click) context menu to the 4 buttons in the log entry form for departure, destination, and alternate airports. From this menu, you can access airport info, route info, search airport, pick airport from map, or clear airport (e.g., remove an alternate).
• Airline usage is now available in a new form, which shows both the usage report (from previous versions) along with a map showing all the flights of this airline. The user can toggle on/off the various aircraft types in use by the airline to only see routes for a specific set of aircraft types.
• Various list views showing the flights you have logged in the logbook no longer show the aircraft type, but only the simulator aircraft that was used. Instead, it shows the employer (when performing assigned and chartered flights) and the airport where you actually landed (if not landing at the planned destination).
• The tab page "Logged flights" in the airport-info form now contains columns showing the runway/gate that was used for each flight (if you specified it when creating the log entry). This can assist you, should you desire, in picking the same gate for another flight.
• When using the "Lookup nearby airports" feature, it will now, by default, exclude all "inactive pseudo" airports (airports that do not exist in the sim, nor are used by any of the flight plans). However, a checkbox has been added, which allows you to include them in the list view.
• The context menu for the main map now includes a menu item that allows you to perform a leg search, which will visualize the potential flights your employer might assign to you.
• Changed how the airport-info gate map is auto-centered/zoomed based on active gates (zoomed in for a few gates near each other, and zoomed out for many gates further apart).
• Changed how the main map is centered/zoomed when switching between flight plans and/or after having performed a leg search.
• Dropped support for old airport markers in maps.
• Dropped support for segment-text in gate polygons (now only matrix-text is available).
• If connected to the simulator via FSUIPC and a gate is selected, the gate map can draw a straight line between the aircraft marker and the selected gate (e.g., to assist in navigating from a runway exit to a specific gate).
• If the make-runway generated "f5x.csv" file is found (8.33 kHz frequencies), it is imported; otherwise, "f5.csv" is imported like in the previous versions (25 kHz frequencies). Also, double quotes surrounding frequency names are now removed from list-view.
• For now, the fields for entering paused/skipped time in the log entry have been disabled, along with the ability to manually enter gate/flight time.
• Tweaked the logic for enabling/disabling log-entry fields while performing a flight (e.g., the airport-route fields were previously locked when completing a flight).
• The log level when unable to look up METAR/TAF for a specific station changed from "ERROR" to "INFO" (as it can simply be caused by the METAR/TAF provider not having any data for that station).
• When cloning a logbook, you are now asked if you want to switch to the clone (e.g., your clone might just be a backup, but you want to continue using the same active logbook as before).
• Optimized how previous loaded airline-logo's are cached/de-cached.
• Airline usage tab-page for airport-info now shows associated airline logo's for airlines utilizing airport (both primary-, secondary-hub or if they just service the airport).
• Added "Airline" tab-page to form to show/edit aircraft-info, so its now visible which airlines are operating the displayed aircraft.
• Added simple multiplication (and division) to Unit-conversion form (e.g. to calculate total pax weight as a result of "pax-count * per pax weight").
• Reduced start-up time (by 10-15 seconds on development PC).
• Fixed: When trying to import flightplans without schedules (e.g. FPtype=2), an error is displayed, and it's not possible to save flightplan.
• Fixed: The offset between Real-UTC times and Real-Local times is no longer based on departure/destination airport timezone offsets, but is now only based on the timezone offset of your PC time at the time the flight was created.
• Fixed: In some cases, log-entry flight/gate-time could be calculated as a negative value if the (UTC) flight/gate-time was crossing midnight (will be self-corrected when "old logbooks" are loaded).
• Fixed: If starting a type-rating flight and reloading the logbook (e.g., if the program was closed), it lost information regarding which aircraft you were type-rating for.
• Fixed: If changing departure/destination airport for a log entry where a flight plan was loaded, this flight plan is now removed (as it will no longer be valid if departure/destination airport is changed).
• Fixed: Airport-info would show logged flights where departure/destination was set to the airport, even if the plane landed at another airport (e.g., one of the alternates).
• Fixed: Choosing "landed here" for an airport other than the destination airport (e.g., alternates) was not saved.
• Fixed: Emergency UTC time was not saved. Now it's saved, and it can be obtained from the sim via FSUIPC, and when committing a flight, it will be clamped between the sim OUT time and IN time.
• Fixed: Searching for a non-existent airline, after another airline with a logo was visible, the logo of the previous airline remained visible within the search window.
• Fixed: Implemented new logic regarding the visibility of the menu separators on the main map (in some cases, the first 2 items displayed in the menu were the 2 separators). Also changed how ICAO codes are shown within the menu items.
• Data: Split aircraft type Piper PA-46 into 3, so M500 and M600 are now available as separate/distinct types.
• Flightplans: Some 113 flightplans have been updated (old marked as obsolete), 46 new have been added, and 3 marked as defuct. Bringing the total count of embedded flightplans for this release to 1823.