Hi Tim,



The Enroute Conditions window seems an ideal compromise. Thanks!



However, the TAS and GS still seem to vary as the waypoint is dragged to different places, even with 000/00 in the winds, so I guess there's a value being remembered somewhere.



--Graeme

G-AHAU, Andreas, Isle of Man

Cheers.

We're treating the issue of a route not being broadly the same when reversed as a bug, and it will definitely be fixed. Today's update will include the first sighting of an Enroute Conditions window that will make it easy to set the wind to 000/00 for all legs.

Firstly, apologies to WLAC FLyer for starting this thread in the wrong section - version 2 was labeled as a preview rather than Beta as per 1.5 so I thought this section was more suitable. I'm happy for the thread to be moved if necessary.



Tim - You said of the new features "This is a consequence of bringing SkyDemon in line with other products that have previously offered features which we didn't."



PFMS has many, many features - Airspace any colour I want - 20 different map zoom levels each with user-selectable objects (Please don't consider this a feature request for SD :-) but no way to tell it not to fly over VRPs at 700ft, 8 miles from the field with 1300ft terrain between!



SkyDemon's simplicity was the very reason for my change, specifically as PFMS Vnav was far more trouble than it was worth. SD did exactly what I needed for VFR planning, nothing more, nothing less. IMCR flight planning (i.e. non-airways IFR) is virtually the same process as for VFR, and airways planning is totally different altogether.



I get the feeling I'm working against the software as I've had to perform extra steps for each flight plan that were not needed in previous versions. Removing winds aloft leg by leg and introducing vnav "control" waypoints on some routes, or just forgetting about the "Enroute Features" window altogether. The TAS/IAS conversion I can live with as at my speeds it's only 5 or 6 knots, but it's not ideal for how I plan either.



If Vnav can be made to work correctly when reversing routes, then I'm sure it will be useful for a lot of people. However if the current implementation is treated as vertical guidance it's not "safe". The issue being the lowering airspace ceiling, No airspace infringement on the outbound route, climbing infringement on the way back, as we discussed on email.



I do feel that the established PPL plogs contribute to airspace infringement risk - Everybody is happy with the Min Safe Altitude, but because of the set altitude+wind forecast+DR navigation mindset, there's no concept of a leg Maximum Altitude or Altitude Ceiling. I was using the "Enroute Features" magenta line for this very task, then copying that information, converted to Flight Levels where required. in to my own format plog (A4 plogs are no good when your aeroplane has a stick!). For each leg my plog shows me how high and how low I can fly, then I go under or over clouds are desired. Essentially planning a safe "box" to fly in, rather than one specific altitude path.



I've found out that putting SkyDemon into Offline Mode prior to working with any flight plans works around my Winds Aloft issue, and hopefully you'll find a solution to the Vnav/reverse route issue from our email conversation.



I hope you don't find my comments unhelpful - SkyDemon is still far and away the best flight planning software I've seen, and hopefully you'll be able to keep the software as easy to use for as many people as possible.



Regards,

--Graeme


G-AHAU, Andreas, Isle of Man

Sounds good to me



-

Chris

cct, we do plan on introducing a new window where weather conditions can be entered for the route, and it will make it very easy to do this for all legs or just a selection. This will initially include just winds but at some point pressure will be catered for too. I believe this will also address the original issue of somebody wishing to specify nil wind for the whole trip easily.

We got rid of the import and export buttons for aircraft because aircraft are now always just files sitting within your SkyDemon folder, in the Aircraft folder, and are therefore easily shareable.

GraemeH, I'm quite keen to learn how the new vertical nav stuff makes you feel you are working against the software. At its current point the feature does little more than draw the climbs and descents required to achieve the levels you already set (and set in the same way). Obviously, the point of these feature additions is to make the product better, not to make anyone feel it has gotten in any way worse.

pink leader, I started writing a response to your various points but then realised that most of them seemed to be because you hadn't discovered the weather window. All I will say is that winds aloft are turned on by default in the beta to make people aware of the new feature; they are easily turned off and we haven't yet decided whether they should be turned on by default in the actual release. I think I have mentioned elsewhere what extra weather you can expect to see in SkyDemon as we move forward. Winds aloft is only the first pick. I believe we present it on the 2D map in a similar manned to Flitestar.

I acknowledge that some features will have more utility to pilots who fly IFR or at least towards that kind of flying. This is a consequence of bringing SkyDemon in line with other products that have previously offered features which we didn't. In every case we have attempted to actually make SkyDemon _easier_ to use when we added something with potential complexity. If we failed to do this with any feature, it'll be corrected; that's the point of a beta.

The clouds shown in Enroute Features come from either TAF or METAR (depending on which is selected). Cloudbase in TAF and METAR is relative to aerodrome level, so of course we add this to the value before drawing relative to MSL. In the future a continuous forecast cloudbase will be optionally shown here too.

In short No. I have looked into what you have asked and i have deduced (only by verifying on couple of TAF and METARS, so not conclusive). TAF and Metars are done on QNH readings SD Enroute window seems to depicts them by height above ground and not from altitude from sea level. If you look at EGLF metar its states 16115Z 20014KT 170V230 BKN190 11/08 Q1016 so broken cloud at 1900ft but the graphical depiction shows the bottom of the cloud at 2100ft. EGLF elevation is 240 (which i would assume would be rounded down to 200), and if that is added on the metar 1900 then we get the depicted view of 2100ft. I have alerted Tim to this and he will look into it.

Have had a play and an apology is due.

Now I see how the weather window works (height and time) and that you can toggle wind stuff on/off, its actually very good indeed.

One question, in the vertical window (en route), does the bottom of the clouds indicate cloudbase?

Cheers

D

Some excellent points here  .. will investigate more closely. Still think it clutters the previously Uncluttered maps but info is v useful. Glad one can scroll through the time .. PFMS uses buttons to be able to do this and see effect on map -- very helpful indeed. There is room to do this on SD rather than have to open a new window.

Understand completely that this is a beta  .. but thats why I posted my views.

D

Guys I think you are missing a few points here.



1) This new release is just a beta so please don't forget that this is by no means the finished article or what the final release will look like. This topic really should have been posted in the correct section of the the forum suggestions/Beta discussions.



2) You can turn the forecast wind off one of two ways. Firstly using leg properties (i know its long winded way but it doesn't take too long). Secondly if you enter a departure day or time, in the flight details window, that is in the past then no wind data will be displayed.



3) Are you aware of the new weather window? This allows you to select the TAF/METAR and Winds aloft Overlays. In addition it also allows you to select the wind info you require i.e selectable level winds and also hour by hour forecast for up to 12 hours (24hrs in the future release) Adjusting these bars changes the depicted barbs in the 2d view.



4) Vnav profile has been implemented to assist in a more accurate fuel calculations i would assume, because the figures i got from SD (old versions) did not reflect true fuel usage because they don't allow for the differences in fuel flow from full power climb to cruise power, cruise climb and descents. I was having to increase the values of fuel flow (in SD) by 40% to get more realistic figures for fuel required.



As i am aware the new features that are included in this latest release are for planning only and are not included in the mobile version so some of the points made above are not valid. I don't use the GPS version so cant be 100% sure.

Have just updated to latest beta. Some comments:

1. I very much like the idea of putting the wind on the map. But its far too intrusive. One of the features of your maps is that they are uncluttered  .. not so now. Take a look at the PFMS incarnation  .. visible but not intrusive. Jeppesen Flitestar also gives them but not intrusive.
2. What height are winds on the 2d Map? Again PFMS allows you to choose 2000, 5000 & 8500ft
3. They can be toggled on and off
4. BUT they can also be scrolled in 1 hr intervals usually for 24 hrs
5. While we are at it, any areas with less than 2000 ft cloudbase are noted on the map with 500, 1000 & 2000 designated. In fact this is one of the main reasons I still keep up my PFMS sub!!
6. I wd like the windspeed/direction box back please and be able to leave it at 0/0 if I want
7. If you turn on TAFS/Metars you also get another set of wind barbs  .. ???
8. Like the roads & rivers  .. clear but in keeping with your style.

My thoughts for what they are worth!

D