FStarToFS2K Version 1.0.4 September 2002
Jeppesen FliteStar to Microsoft Flight Simulator Flight Plan Conversion Program.
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Introduction
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This Program provides the possibility to convert Jeppesen FliteStar(R) 8.x Version Flight Plans to Microsoft Flight Simulator(R) Flight Plans, thereafter called MS FS Flight plans.
In this current Version of the Utility an intermediate step is required to convert FliteStar 8.x Version Flight Plans to MS FS Flight Plans. This is required because the layout and structure of the FliteStar 8.x Version Flightplan-File (*.fcf) at the present time is not known to me, a deeper study of this structure is momentarily not possible. But it is on my schedule do to this sometime in the near future, so eliminating this additional step from the procedure. Any Information regarding this structure is very much appreciated by the author of this program (conrad.staeheli@bluewin.ch).
This program evolved from the necessity, that almost no Conversion- or Import-Module is available to the FlightSimmers Community, which supports FliteStar/FliteMap Flight plans. Peter Dowson once wrote a program called FStarRC which consists of an DLL- and an EXE-File which had to be put into the FliteStar/FliteMap home directory. But this only worked for none Windows 2000 and Windows XP Systems. Windows 2000 and Windows XP System-Users where left on their own. So my program jumps now into this cap with the limitation that it creates at the present time only Flight plans for the MS Flight Simulator. FStarRC in contrast creates Flight plans for quite a handful of other products, mainly aimed at the Project Magenta product line (see: http://www.projectmagenta.com).
FStarToFS2K was developed as an trivial C-Program with Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 on the Windows XP platform according the KISS principle (Keep it simple and stupid) so it doesnt use any fancy system facilities or high sophisticated techniques like ATL/COM, MFC or OOP, it actually should run on any Window System. It was successfully tested on Windows 95/98/ME/XP, not on NT, but because it runs well on XP, it should do so also on NT.
The Flight plans where created utilizing FliteStar Version 8.4, FliteStar Version 8.2 and 8.3 exported Flight plans work also with FStarToFS2K, this has been verified. The current Version 8.5 of FliteStar I do presently (Sept. 2002) not own, so I dont know if this works with them too, let me know if not. The converted Flight plans where than tested with MS Flight Simulator 2002, but there should be no difference to FS 2000, so they should work there also.
Remarks: FliteStar is also used in this document as an synonym for FliteMap, so therefore it wont anymore be mentioned within this document, except where necessary.
One final note: FStarToFS2K is by no means a Flight Planning Software, it is just a supplement to Jeppesen's FliteStar, Helge Schroeder's FSNavigator, Ernie Alston's FSBuild and Super Flight Planner from Alessandro Antonini. From the mentioned Products above, FliteStar is the most professional kind of software, many hundreds of Private-, Commercial- and Airlinepilots use it Worldwide. Where FSBuild, FSNavigator, FlightManager and Super Flight Planner addresses more the Flight Simulator Community. So for a good Flight Planning Software look at those products:
FliteStar: http://www.jeppesen.com
FSNavigator: http://www.fsnavigator.com
FSBuild: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/alstoer1/fsbuild.htm or
http://www.fsbuild.com
FlightManager: http://www.fsflightmanager.com
Super Flight Planner: by Alessandro Antonini
Contents
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Readme.txt This document
FStarToFS2K.exe The Executable
FStarToFS2K.jpg A Picture of the Application Window
FStarToFS2K.hlp The Helpfile
FStarToFS2K.cnt The Help Contents File
FStarToFS2K.avi An Animation used by the Build process to show the progress
Fsb_apts.txt The Airport/Runway Data File (borrowed from FSBuild 1.3.9 by Ernie Alston)
Installation
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1. Create an folder of your choice.
2. Unzip FStarToFS2K.zip into the in Step 1 created folder.
3. Create an shortcut to FStarToFS2K.exe on the Desktop or on a place of your choice.
4. Start FStarToFS2K, select Options..., Settings Menu and set your preferred defaults.
You might need to specifiy the location of the Help- and/or Airport/Runway Data File the first time you run FStarToFS2K.exe, but FStarToFS2K.exe will ask you for the location if it cant find them.
De-Installation:
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1. Remove folder as created in Step 1 of the Installation Procedure.
2. Delete shortcut as created in Step 3 of the Installation Procedure.
3. Delete FStarToFS2K.cfg in the Windows Home directory.
That's it folks!
Revision History:
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Version 1.0.0:
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- Base Release
Version 1.0.1:
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- Improved File I/O Error Handling.
- Additional Error Messages.
- Improved Validation for File Import from FliteStar.
- Added Route Details Display.
- Some Changes on the Layout of the Window.
- Improved Help File, supported by pictures.
Version 1.0.2:
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- Accelerator keys added.
- Printing of Waypoint List added, to further improve Route verification process, not optimal yet, but it works.
- Option Menu added, which allows the setting of the default Flight plan source and the default Flight plan destination directory.
- Started work in order to implement Unicode for international users outside Western Europe and North America, but not fully implemented and tested yet!
- Some minor Program improvements and bug fixes.
- Some improvements in the handling, selecting an exported FliteStar Flight plan will also assign the same Flight plan name to the MS FS Flight plan in the default Flight plan destination directory.
Version 1.0.3:
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- File Selection Filter now definitely work correct.
- Some minor changes on the dialog fields.
- Some changes and additions to the Help file.
Version 1.0.4:
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- Major changes to the program:
For the possibility to set and use different Menus as preferred by the user.
Let the user choose how to auto generate MS FS Flight plan filenames.
- Major changes and additions to the Help file (this file), in fact a total rework.
Distribution:
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This package and all parts of it are currently freeware and not Public Domain software. It may NOT be included or used in any commercial or shareware package without a written agreement from its author. It may NOT be distributed on any kind of media, such as CDROM, disk or other without a written agreement from its author. It may NOT be uploaded to any online library and may not be published on the Internet without a written agreement from its author. It may be included in a freeware package free of charge, if the copyright information and this distribution rules are included in the documentation of the package.
You may distribute the freeware version of this product only if all of the original files are included without modification and no new files are added. You may distribute only the original unmodified self-extracting EXE or ZIP file. However, you must not represent in any way that you are selling or owing the software.
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Conrad F. Staeheli 26. September 2002 conrad.staeheli@bluewin.ch
with thanks to all FS Developers, mainly
Peter Dowson, Enrico Schiratti, Ernie Alston, Helge Schroeder, Arne Bartels, Chris Brett,
Dai Griffiths, Pelle F. S. Liljendal and all those who contributed a lot to the FS Community, but have not been named in the list here.
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