FStarToFS2K Version 1.0.8 21. June 2003
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) 2000/2002 Flight Plans, thereafter called MS FS Flight plans. It provides an intuitive interface and an extensive help system.
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/WTL/COM, MFC or OOP, it is a plain WIN32 API Application, 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 8.5, FliteStar Version 8.4, FliteStar Version 8.2 and 8.3 exported Flight plans work also well with FStarToFS2K, this has been verified. 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, Super Flight Planner from Alessandro Antonini and Nav3.1 from Ted Wright. 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, Super Flight Planner and Nav3.1 addresses more the Flight Simulator Community. So for a good Flight Planning Software look at those products:
Real World Flying:
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FliteStar: http://www.jeppesen.com
FlightPlanner: http://www.flightplanner.de
Flitesoft Professional: http://www.rmstek.com
NavBox ProPlan: http://www.navbox.com
Simulator Flying:
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FSNavigator: http://www.fsnavigator.com
FSBuild: http://www.fsbuild.com
FlightManager: http://www.fsflightmanager.com
Nav3.1 http://nav.consequential.org
Super Flight Planner: by Alessandro Antonini
Contents
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Readme.txt This document
EULA.rtf End User License Agreement
FStarToFS2K.exe The Executable
FStarToFS2K.jpg A Picture of the Application Window
FStarToFS2K.gif 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)
File.id.diz Informational ZIP-File description as required by some FTP sites.
System Requirements
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Windows 95 or Windows 98 or Windows ME or
Windows NT 4.0 or higher (Winddows 2000 or Windows XP).
Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher (just because of the Common Controlls used) in the Program.
Installation
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The Installation Procedure depends on the Package you have downloaded, either the Microsoft Installer Version (FStarToFS2K.msi) or the zipped Version (FStarToFS2K.zip).
The zipped Version:
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1. Create an folder of your choice or specify one in the following Unzip step.
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.
The Microsoft Installer Version:
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1. Doubleclick on FStarToFS2K.msi, the Installation Wizard will guide You through the Installation Process.
2. 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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The Installation Procedure depends on the Package you have downloaded, either the Microsoft Installer Version (FStarToFS2K.msi) or the zipped Version (FStarToFS2K.zip).
The zipped Version:
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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.
The Microsoft Installer Version:
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1. Run System Controll Panel
2. Select Software
3. Search for FStarToFS2K
4. Click on Remove
5. Delete FStarToFS2K.cfg in the Windows Home directory.
Importat Note:
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If you used the Microsoft Installer Version to install FStarToFS2K, use please also the above mentioned De-installtion Procedure as desribed for the Microsoft Installer Version for de-installing FStarToFS2K. If you use mistakingly the Procedure as described for the zipped Version in that case, some entries in the Registry will be left hanging for ever. Not harmful but not so nice!
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.
Version 1.0.5:
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- Search-Button for the Flightplan-Source renamed to Open
- Search-Button for the Flightplan-Destination renamed to Save as
- Save as is now used to save a single Flight plan file, the type to be created can be selected by the user.
- Default settings dialog:
With an Option in the Default settings dialog the user can define the source from where the Airport- and Runway coordinates should be retrieved to build the MS FS Flight plan.
The Autogen Flight plan filename Option None added, so allowing that no MS FS Flight plan filename will automatically be created.
- Additional Flight plans can be created for the following products:
- Ted Wrights Nav3.x Flight Planning Software.
- SquawkBox.
- Radar Contact.
- Alessandro Antonini Super Flight Planner Flight Planning Software.
- Alain Captains ACS-GPS.
- The user can specify the Location and Name of the Airport-/Runway Data file in the Default settings dialog.
- Airport Id. renamed to ICAO ID.
- The Flightplan Source and Flightplan Destination fields now accept input from the user.
- Display of Cruising Altitude added.
- Some small bugs fixed.
- Additions and changes to the Help file.
Version 1.0.6:
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- The appearance of the Route Details display improved.
- The Default Settings dialog changed to Property Sheet style.
- Some minor bugs fixed.
- Very small changes to the Help.
Version 1.0.7:
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- The appearance of the Route Details display even more improved.
- Very small changes to the Help.
Version 1.0.8:
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- The appearance of the Route Details display even more improved.
- Some minor bugs fixed.
- View Menu Item added.
- Toolbar and Statusbar added.
- Tooltips added.
- Changes to the Help.
- Windows Installer Version available.
Beware: The handling has changed now in Version 1.0.5. "Save as..." creates just one Flight plan, where "Save" will create a bulk of Flightplans, in fact for all the Add-On Products which have received a check in the Default-Settings dialog.
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 21. June 2003 conrad.staeheli@bluewin.ch
with thanks to all FS Developers, mainly
Adam Szofran, Peter Dowson, Enrico Schiratti, Ernie Alston, Helge Schroeder, Arne Bartels, Chris Brett,
Dai Griffiths, Ike H Slack, Pelle F. S. Liljendal, Manfred Moldenhauer, Alessandro Antonini, Takuya Murakami, Winfried Orthmann, Lee Swordy, Ted Wright and all those who contributed a lot to the FS Community, but have not been named in the list here.
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