Turnpoint conversion SW?

Hi all,
Over time, the members of our club modified the turnpoints they use in their
flight computers. This came to light as we scored our year long contest.
To resolve the problems this created, we've put together a single list for
all to use. Ultimately, we hope to put it on John Liebacher's site. Before
we do that, it looks like we need to convert the files into several
different formats. Anyone know of a good tool for doing this?

If I am not mistaken, send it in the format you have and John,
graciously, does the conversion.

For Example John Smith wrote:
Hi all,
Over time, the members of our club modified the turnpoints they use
in their
flight computers. This came to light as we scored our year long
contest.
To resolve the problems this created, we've put together a single
list for
all to use. Ultimately, we hope to put it on John Liebacher's site.
Before
we do that, it looks like we need to convert the files into several
different formats. Anyone know of a good tool for doing this?

I can't help to answer the question but I can ask a related question.
Are any of the formats on John's site suitable for Glide Navigator ?

A friend needs turnpoints in that format and I'm hoping the format is
on John's site under another name. If not, I know a little bit about
text editing and could probably create what i need if someone simply
has the format string.

Thanks,
Doug


For Example John Smith wrote:
Hi all,
Over time, the members of our club modified the turnpoints they use
in their
flight computers. This came to light as we scored our year long
contest.
To resolve the problems this created, we've put together a single
list for
all to use. Ultimately, we hope to put it on John Liebacher's site.
Before
we do that, it looks like we need to convert the files into several
different formats. Anyone know of a good tool for doing this?

Doug,

He has exactly what you want under:
Soaring Innovations Glide Nav
Mike Green

Doug Snyder wrote:
I can't help to answer the question but I can ask a related question.
Are any of the formats on John's site suitable for Glide Navigator ?

A friend needs turnpoints in that format and I'm hoping the format is
on John's site under another name. If not, I know a little bit about
text editing and could probably create what i need if someone simply
has the format string.

Thanks,
Doug


For Example John Smith wrote:

Hi all,
Over time, the members of our club modified the turnpoints they use

in their

flight computers. This came to light as we scored our year long

contest.

To resolve the problems this created, we've put together a single

list for

all to use. Ultimately, we hope to put it on John Liebacher's site.

Before

we do that, it looks like we need to convert the files into several
different formats. Anyone know of a good tool for doing this?

Unfortunately, I have not found a good tool for maintaining a turnpoint
database. John does have conversion routines that can be run on an
existing database, but periodic updates are problematic. And which
format to use for the master data?

If you keep the database in SeeYou .CUP, there is no field for ICAO
code. So if you want to keep the airport identifiers, you are out of
luck. I have asked about extending the CUP format to add an ICAO field,
but TeamCU does not appreciate the difference between an ICAO code and
an abbreviation.

StrePla does support the ICAO field, and will import .CUP, but will not
export .CUP. Also some data is lost in translation. Airport types in
particular. Also StrePla rounds all lengths and elevations to integer
meters, which is annoying if your base data is in feet.

There also is no standard for waypoint codes. CU has just added a bunch
of new waypoint types, but these do not cross reference between
programs.

You also have to deal with all the different length abbreviations in
the different formats. And some formats restrict the number of points,
like the SN10 can only hold 600 or 900 points.

So I have not found a good way either.

X-no-archive: yes
In article .com,
dhaluza writes
Unfortunately, I have not found a good tool for maintaining a turnpoint
database. John does have conversion routines that can be run on an
existing database, but periodic updates are problematic. And which
format to use for the master data?

If you keep the database in SeeYou .CUP, there is no field for ICAO
code. So if you want to keep the airport identifiers, you are out of
luck. I have asked about extending the CUP format to add an ICAO field,
but TeamCU does not appreciate the difference between an ICAO code and
an abbreviation.

StrePla does support the ICAO field, and will import .CUP, but will not
export .CUP. Also some data is lost in translation. Airport types in
particular. Also StrePla rounds all lengths and elevations to integer
meters, which is annoying if your base data is in feet.

There also is no standard for waypoint codes. CU has just added a bunch
of new waypoint types, but these do not cross reference between
programs.

There is an IGC standard format for Waypoint source files (XML-based),
but unfortunately the link to it on the IGC webpage seems to be broken
:=(


Tim Newport-Peace

"Indecision is the Key to Flexibility."

dhaluza wrote:
Unfortunately, I have not found a good tool for maintaining a turnpoint
database. John does have conversion routines that can be run on an
existing database, but periodic updates are problematic. And which
format to use for the master data?

I have the same problem. I've switched from Glide Navigator to SeeYou
Mobile, but all my airport/landing place databases (mostly the 9 Western
states) are in the "legacy" Cambridge DAT format. SeeYou reads them, but
things like runway descriptions in the comments field don't get put in
the correct cup field. It's good enough I've continued to maintain the
databases (one for each state) in the DAT format.

Here's a potential approach that (mostly) addresses the problem, at
least for my situation:

1) "Charted" airfields would be maintained with a program that inhales
one of the FAA airport databases containing the public and private
airports, then lets you choose the output format (dat, cup, etc). This
would allow routine updating of the major part of the database.

2) A pilot's collection of uncharted airstrips, other landing places,
and things like contest turnpoints would be kept in one or more separate
databases. SeeYou owners would use cup format, for example.

3) The "charted" and "uncharted" databases are then easily read into
SeeYou, which combines all of them for display. Pilots using SeeYou
Mobile would find the integration seamless, since they produce mapsets
for Mobile from SeeYou just by drawing rectangles on the area they want
to use in the glider.

I've used SeeYou in the example, but I assume the other flight display
programs have similar abilities.

John Liebacher (and perhaps some other pilots) has some scripts that can
do at least part of #1, so maybe it wouldn't be much work to go the
final step. I know of a comprehensive database on the FCC site (!) that
is text, so that might be an easy one to do.

Taking care of #2 would be some (one-time) work as pilots converted
their present databases to another format, but in my case (dat to cup)
the current conversion done by SeeYou is good enough so it doesn't
really HAVE to cleaned up. Ideally, a simple conversion program would
extract the runway length and width data I've put in the comments
section. My main problem would be culling out the "charted" airfields to
leave only the "uncharted" landing places and other features.

For me, new entries would go directly into the cup format, of course.
The ICAO identifier isn't something I use, but perhaps those that wanted
it could put in the Code or Description box. If prefaced with a code
like ICAO, it could be easily extracted at a latter date for an
updated cup format or conversion to something else entirely.


--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

Thanks Mike.

I had scanned quickly while at work and didn't see it there.

Doug



Mike I Green wrote:
Doug,

He has exactly what you want under:
Soaring Innovations Glide Nav
Mike Green

Doug Snyder wrote:
Thanks Mike.

I had scanned quickly while at work and didn't see it there.

Got to the page for your site, select "Files formatted for downloading
and importing into your programs", then look for "Soaring Innovations
Glide Nav II", however, I believe the format is identical to Cambridge
format, so you can use either one (the other "Soaring Innovations Glide
Nav" format is for a much earlier program, which incompatible with the
newer Glide Nav II).

Marc

X-no-archive: yes
In article , Tim Newport-Peace
] writes
There is an IGC standard format for Waypoint source files (XML-based),
but unfortunately the link to it on the IGC webpage seems to be broken
:=(


The IGC page describing the Standard Format is now back online at:

http://www.fai.org/gliding/gnss/wpformat.asp

Tim Newport-Peace

"Indecision is the Key to Flexibility."