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pre-announce: IGC logger and Netto vario with arrival-height calculato


B21

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FYI... pre-announcement of new developments for FSX only (any version)

(1) sim_probe has been updated to include an automatic IGC file logging facility (i.e. the standard format flight trace), currently in final testing. Software so far has been tested successfully on both XP and Vista, and there are no issues I'm aware of. Installation is the same as for the prior version of sim_probe plus an additional parameter to specify the log directory. The software automatically saves a log file at the appropriate point (free-flight exit, mission completion/fail, landing, user menu item) and there are no run-time actions needed by the user, i.e. every flight is automatically logged (an hour's flight is ~50Kb). Log files are saved in the folder chosen as "<aircraft-id><date><time>.igc", e.g. "B21_2008-06-15_1721.igc"

(2) I have further extended the default FSX DG808S Cambridge vario to add a final glide calculator:

I already have it reading NETTO, i.e. the vertical movement of the air outside the glider, having factored out climb/dive of the aircraft and the sink due to the glider speed polar. The recent development was to add a numeric display giving the calculated arrival height at the next GPS waypoint, or mission point of interest. The gauge takes into account the polar of the glider, the wind speed and direction, distance and bearing to waypoint, current altitude, and a settable 'maccready value' where the pilot chooses how rapidly he/she want to fly.

I'll finish testing and ship the 'prod' versions in a couple of weeks.

Ian

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Hello Ian, will the logger have some kind of graphical interface or program to somehow verify info like the FSZweverView2 program can do for FSX? I'm wondering for future reference, if it will be a useful tool for contest scoring. FSZweverView2 is the only program I've used, and have grown accustomed to it in both FS2004 and FSX. Would there be a huge learning curve, or will it be along the same features?

Scott

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Hi Ian,

this is great news!

ad. 1):

should be a good feature for us, helping to improve training of flight tracks (e.g. answering the question "would it have been better to head over for the ridge, even with the longer way to fly or is it better direct with thermals" ... just fly it twice and compare). I'm really looking forward to it.

ad. 2):

Impressive. That's truely gonna help with inflight decisions.

Keep up your good work Ian and... take your time, we can wait if that improves the product :thanks: :respect:

:cheers2: Dirk.

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Thanks guys - regarding the flight *viewer* it's important to note I've written the flight *recorder*, and that creates an output 'IGC' file which is compatible with existing viewers out there, including FSZweverView2. E.g. here is the log file created by sim_probe when I flew the Mifflin - Day 1 mission:

FSZweverView2:

post-14373-1214307139_thumb.jpg

IGCview ( http://carrier.csi.cam.ac.uk/forsterlewis/...ew/igcview.html clunky, but web based and can display/race multiple logs)

post-9999-1214308725_thumb.jpg

Google Earth (trace converted by http://www.gpsvisualizer.com ):

AIRPORT_FLATTENS.zip

In addition there are free sites that host GPS logs that you can get the IGC file into:

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=24425

And there is a 'beta' development of an animated Google Earth tool that 'flies' your trace within Google Earth (thanks Bert):

http://ywtw.de/igcsimen.html

So given the fact that sim_probe creates a kosher IGC file, you have access to a variety of tools including FSZweverView2 to *view* it with. The one part that is missing, I think, is to display and replay one (preferably multiple) IGC files within FSX.

Ian

post-16-1213617597.jpg

post-16-1213617638.jpg

post-16-1213617675.jpg

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...The one part that is missing, I think, is to display and replay one (preferably multiple) IGC files within FSX.

Ian

Now that would be awsome, and better yet, a great tool for newbies. A person could maybe get a better idea of what they were doing wrong, and actually learn from an experienced persons IGC file. Which would be the second best thing to actually flying along side or even with someone if there is the option to be in the second seat in multiplayer.

sf4JC

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The it should be also compatible with other freely usable software like Seeyou and GPS_LOG flight viewer.

regards,

Peter

absolutely - the ones I listed were just freebie examples. I think SeeYou is the best IGC file analysis/display program but it is around 130 euro ($150 maybe). SeeYou was one of the first programs that could display the flight over a 3D terrain, but Google Earth can do that now - SeeYou can 3D animate multiple gliders in flight though, and I don't know of any other software that can do that (FSX really should be able to...)

Ian

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For sim-purposes you should be able to use SeeYou/Desktop in unregistered mode. It's not possible then to file your flight in one of the contests.

best regards,

Peter

I have the unregistered version of SeeYou. It works great the first 20 times you load an IGC-file, but after those 20 IGC-loads the program limits some of it's functionalities randomly every time you start it, and you have to pay to get a registered full functioning version.

Bert

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hey guys, THANKS for the link to the IGC Flight Replay program. I've been loading up actual contest IGC files from various contests from around the world, and it's awsome to follow along in Google Earth. I even loaded up my flight from the Albert Lea contest, and to my enjoyment, I even got the visual of landing on the actual runway. GREAT tool, very enjoyable, I would definitely encourage others to get it (AND it's FREE!).

Scott

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Great job on the further developing! Sounds really nice, thats the stuff that makes them contests just that more fun, to lay down everybody's flights next to eachother and compare / discuss it. Keep it up!

wich of the programs was so accurate sf4jc?

I even loaded up my flight from the Albert Lea contest, and to my enjoyment, I even got the visual of landing on the actual runway. GREAT tool, very enjoyable, I would definitely encourage others to get it (AND it's FREE!).
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