Briefing pack setup
As I've said elsewhere, I love the new Briefing Pack feature (and the enhancements to the layouts including the rich colours which really help with identifying things quickly) but I would find it even more useful if it was possible to set different page layout settings for different sections.
For example, I like to have:
- PLOG printed 2-up on A4 (ie 2xA5 portrait side by side on a landscape A4) with the main PLOG on the left and space on the right for notes (also see below)
- Virtual Radar / Vertical nav view printed landscape A4
- En Route chart printed portrait A4
- Airfield info same as PLOG
- WX A4 portrait
- NOTAMS A4 portrait.
Obviously that wouldn't be everyone's choice, but a global config option for all pages in the briefing pack means that I compromise on some sections. In the old print center I could print each section separately, changing the layout as needed, but that was less convenient than the briefing pack approach.
While I would have thought that the above would be relatively simple to achieve, my next suggestion is more complex.
PLOG layouts
PLOG layout can be a very personal thing. I've been using a PLOG that I designed in Excel for years and it has evolved into something I a very comfortable with in the air. It is, in fact, very similar in general layout to that generated by SkyDemon - especially with the option in SD to include and exclude certain columns - but with some subtle differences.
It would be brilliant if the PLOG layout were more customisable (and maybe people could even share layouts via the forum community?) but relatively simple things like the following would allow users to tailor the plog to more like they are used to.
- On a 2-up layout being able to start the radio and NavAids section on the top of the right hand page - leaving space on the bottom of the left hand page where available - would allow for scribbled departure and arrival notes to be kept separate from en route notes.
Essentially this could be nothing more than allowing the current plog sections to be included/exluded from the generated plog and re-ordered/re-positioned (and resized?) on the page, with the ability to attach sections to the top or bottom of particular pages.
I'm dumping ideas here, so these PLOG comments are not fully thought out suggestions, more a starting point for discussion.
-FM