XCPAS
X-Country Planning and Analysing Software
Copyright: ir K.P. Termaat
kpt9Xwxs.nl
Welcome
A Software Package named XCPAS, has been designed for planning and analysing
of individual cross-country flights but clearly also for use with multi-days
soaring competitions. The package can be obtained by clicking on the following
link. Download the compressed xcpas.exe file without adding any extension into a temp-directory like
c:\download.
XCPAS
(
After you completed the
downloading (about 3.0 Mb), previous versions of XCPAS should better be renamed
or deleted from your computer. Now run xcpas.exe from your
temp-directory. The software package will unpack and become available for your
use in the directory of your choice, e.g. c:\xcpas (default). Do not use a
subdirectory to install XCPAS into. A suitable Icon is available in the package
for your use at the Desktop. Copy the Icon from directory .\xcpas onto the
desktop. Change the Icon if required (default setting is c:\xcpas\welcome.exe).
Double click on the Icon
to activate the program.You may delete now the compressed file
xcpas.exe. The package is free of charge though I spent a lot of time to design
and maintain it. A short article on XCPAS is available. Regularly
new updates are available at my site. Notice the date.
The XCPAS software package has been developed in QB 4.5 and operates from
Windows 95/98/ME/XP and probably from other versions of Windows. The package
contains flight planning and flight evaluation software. Data bases for Terlet,
St-Auban, Issoudun
etc. are provided within the package. Additional files may be added at your
convenience. Take care of the proper formats and never use commas in your
files. Some sample tasks and flights for e.g. Terlet are included.
A short form manual is available in the package. A publication in Ductch and
English is available at my site.
The QB 4.5 XCPAS Soaring
Software Package is free of charge and since its last update quick and
convenient to the user. A software package designed in VB 6 is in preparation
and will become available on CD later in time. This software package will be
offered at a reasonable charge to be fair to friends who are already providing
this kind of software to the market.
The opening page of the VB 6 version of XCPAS can be seen here.
If you
have any questions or remarks do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail or
otherwise.
Here is a short elucidation
of the programs contained in the 'X-Country Planning and Analysing Software'
and some examples. A more detailed description is given in the short form
manual.
"Welcome.exe"
provides the opening screen (menue). Always start with this Welcome
program.
"PC-Tasks.exe"
is a X-Country Task Setter. This Task Setter requires
only a waypoint data file (like terlet.wpm) and will generate a list of
possible tasks according to your specification of task length, number of
waypoints, general direction and other items. Controlled areas are avoided. The
list of tasks may be stored on your hard disk for later inspection or printout
(see 'triangle.250', example 1).
Also the list can comfortably be accessed using the "Planning.exe"
program. This is a very strong feature when preparing cross-country flights in
the hectics of early morning hours.
"Planning.exe"
and Analysing.exe is new X-Country Software. At its GNSS page the IGC
specifically refers to this program as XCPAS. The Planner and Analyser routines
require a specific data file called "database.asc".
This database is generated using "Database.exe". This latter
program needs a waypoint data file (like terlet.wpm), a geography file (like
terlet.geo) and other matters like the type of departure point etc. In this way
a personal "database.asc", applicable to your own area is generated
and will be read by "PC-Tasks.exe", "Planning.exe",
"Plotting.exe" and "Analysing.exe" at startup of each of
these programs.
IGC-format flight path files can easily be examined for correct departure,
going around waypoints and finishing. Departure time and finish times can be
obtained manually to avoid errors in complicated cases. However
usually the automatic evaluation routine of the XCPAS package is used for that.
In case of 'outlandings', valid distances are calculated automatically either
from the actual landing position, from the nearest recorder position to the
next waypoint or from the End of Time (EOT) position in case of Area Assigned
Task (AAT) flights. Some .igc files are provided in the download package for
testing.
Try "Planning.exe" with the terlet.wpm and terlet.geo files
(available as defaults) and use waypoints of your own choice on the flight
definition page to learn the input phase of the program. An example task is
loaded when "p" and then "rob" is specified after program
startup. Press F4 later to go to the graphics page and see the actual
trajectory. Now start the "Analysing.exe" routine, load the
"rob" task and load the "rob" flight path to view the GNSS
trace. Use the F8 key, the cursor keys in the num-pad, the F11 and F12
keys and the < and > keys for a detailed analysis of the flightpath along
the task lines. Try the 'eot' option. Observe the controlled areas; the
military zones can be switched on and off with "database.exe". This
flight is shown as example
2. Also try the
AAT case for the "rob" task with the "aex" flight path.
Plotting.exe" is a reduced version of
planning.exe with black and white screens. Special text can be added to the
flightplan description. Printouts (flightplans and graphics presentations) are
suitable as handouts to participants of a competition or for personal usage. The
MS-Paint.exe program is used for this purpose and clear instructions are
given (see example 3a
and example 3b,
a 320 km task setting for the 18 m class).
"Airpnts.exe"
is a Waypoints Selector. Using a large waypoint data file (like bga.wpt) as
input, you can with this Selector create a waypoint database of a more limited
size centered around your home airfield. The output
file must have a name different from the name of the input file. For uploading
into the SR940, the .wpm file can be converted to the .wpz format using the
"Convert.exe" routine given. Example 4
shows the "bicester.wpz" file derived from the large
"bga.wpt" waypoint file. For use with XCPAS, airfields and airspace
can be selected as well and combined with the .wpm waypoints file. "Pntsnby.exe"
and "Combine.exe" are related programs. These programs can not
be accessed by F-keys, but are available via Norton Commander. The same applies
to Ssmmm.exe to convert a .wpz database to the .wpm format and to "Attrib.exe"
to remove the "read-only option" from all files.
"Barogram.exe"
is a program to display barograms and the ENL traces of your flights. A typical
example is given in example 5,
for a flight in
Read the
short form manual before executing the programs or
changing the data bases.
Waypoint Data Bases:
Global Waypoint Data
Base Files are
available at the home page of:
Some European Waypoint
Files, suitable for
use with XCPAS (.wpm files) and Zander equipment (.wpz files) are:
Terlet.wpm;
database for The Netherlands; refs: author, cw&s99.kp1 and other sources.
Terlet.wpz;
database for The Netherlands; refs: author, cw&s99.kp1 and other sources.
Auban.wpm;
database for WGC-97 competition area; ref: Denis Flament 1997;
converted/modified by author.
Auban.wpz; database with landing fields;
alphabetical order; ref. WC 1997 (updated march/2000).
England.wpm;
database for Great Brittain; ref: Ian Strachan 1995; converted by author.
England.wpz;
database for Great Brittain; ref: Ian Strachan 1995; converted by author.
Bailleau.wpm; database for the Bailleau area (FR); ref:
Bailleau.wpz; database for the Bailleau area (FR); ref:
NK2003.wpm; database
for the Issoudun area (FR); ref: Etienne Cendron 2003; converted by author.
NK2003.wpz; database
for the Issoudun area (FR); ref: Etienne Cendron 2003; converted by author.
Geographical Data Bases:
The magnificent Alpes of France
To the home page of kpt9