MANUAL for XCPAS (short form) Arnhem, February 2000 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A THANKS TO FRIENDS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I would like to thank all those glider pilots who gave me inspiring remarks, especially Ken Sparkes, Peter Zander, Roel Kuil, Freek Sarink, Ruud Holswilder and some members of the CW&S who came up with specific suggestions to improve the performance and user friendliness of XCPAS, the Cross-Country Planning and Analysing Software. I would also like to thank Ian Strachan for suggesting the specific name of the software package to me. B FILES AND CHARACTERISTICS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - WELCOME.EXE A welcome page creater with access to all XCPAS programs I PC-TASKS.EXE X-country task finder for set distances and directions II PLANNING.EXE X-country planner using results of pc-tasks.exe III PLOTTING.EXE Reduced version of 'planning.exe' to make hard copies IV ANALYSNG.EXE Program to analyse personal, race and AAT flights V INCIDENT.EXE Program to display in detail more flights simultaneously VI BAROGRAM.EXE Program to show barograms and to find ENL times VII DATABASE.EXE A local data base generator for the above programs VIII CONVERT.EXE To convert xx.wpm files to xx.wpz files for use with SR940 IX AIRPNTS.EXE Waypoints/airfields/airspace selector around an airfield X NORTON-COMM. File handler to ease downloading and moving of files XI HARD-COPIES Microsft Paint to print task sheets for distribution XII NOTE TO READ Note on the use of some specific keyboard keys C PROCEDURE ~~~~~~~~~ With the XCPAS package installed on your computer in .\xcpas, the procedure to run the programs is as follows (consult the Flow Diagram at the end of this manual): a. The default waypoint file provided is terlet.wpz. The center airfield in this file is Terlet VV. If this default airfield or file does not comply with your situation, then run program database.exe and select the source waypoint file you need from the list indicated. If the source waypoint file you need is not mentioned in the list then contact me, I may have the source file for your area available. A good option is to visit John Leibacher's home page at http://acro.harvard.edu/SSA/JL/TP. John has world wide waypoint data bases available. With John's files you must run airpnts.exe to add ID's (usually 'WP') and numbers (1, 2, 3, etc). Prior to that change the extension .wpz of John's files to .wpt. The XCPAS software needs ID's and numbers. All files are in ascii format, so it is an easy job to change data in these files if you like. With very large source waypoint files (like bga.wpt) it may make sense to use also the program airpnts.exe to create a smaller file thereby excluding waypoints not suitable for your specific task setting aims. Airpnts.exe has the option to generate a waypoint file using the airfields of afld9804.afd. The program airpnts.exe is also used to generate airfield (.afd) files and airspace (.asp) files for your area using the afld9804.afd and aspc9804.asp databases provided (ref. H. Trautenberg). You may combine .wpz, .afd and .asp files for your area using the combine.exe program or a suitable ascii editor (like edit.com). The combined file will have the extension .wpz. For large cross-country tasks it may be usefull to have near airports along side the route and the airspace structure available. The program pntsnby.exe has been designed to obtain the specific .afd and .asp files for the route. b. The default database.asc file used by the programs now is based on the holland.wpz file. If you have made changes to this latter file, or if you have generated your own waypoint file (see a. above), then database.exe must be run again to generate a new database.asc file so that the programs will use the data that apply to your specific area and your specific home airfield. c. With a. and b. performed, you are now encouraged to find suitable cross country tasks using the pc-tasks.exe program. When these are found do not forget to press the F2 key to store them as a group in your machine to make them available to glidplan.exe, the main program for task setting and logger file analysis. The default directory is 'options', however you may use any name you like, e.g. c3003 meaning 300 km tasks with 3 waypoints created with control zones active. d. Now run program planning.exe. By using the stored category and e.g. direc- tory 'options', the tasks found under c. will be displayed on your screen again and you can select either of them by providing the appropriate number. Now you can study these tasks in detail. If you have made a final choice you can save it on the graphics page with a proper name for your personal use with a random name or for use at competitions when storing the task with a structured name like sp01 (meaning task for the speed class at day 1) e. Your selections made at d. can be printed out in reversed colors using the program plotting.exe and the MS-Paint program that comes with every MS-Windows version. Plotting.exe gives you the opportunity to provide proper text to the task page and to print out the task page and the trajectory page. Both these pages are very suitable as hardcopy handouts for your self or for pilots in a competition. Use a copy machine when you like to distribute these handouts in larger numbers. f. IGC logger files can conveniently be analysed with analysng.exe in great detail. Use the F9 key on the graphics page to display the log trace. Read the 'Note to read' on the welcome page first, which gives you important info. In case of incident studies, use incident.exe to display gnss traces simultaneously. g. Barograms can be checked for outlandings, motor vibration and EOT time with program barogram.exe. Select the igc-files from the proper directory or from a disk (like a:). h. For proper running of logger software and downloading of igc files at may be required that your machine runs in MS-DOS. A reduced version of the file handler NC is provided for easy access to this software in directory 'loggers' and to move or copy logfiles to suitable directories available at .\xcpas\igcfiles\ or added by yourself at this place. Comments or suggestions regarding any of the programs would be much appreciated. You may if you like extent (and save) the contents of this short form Manual since it is presented here in editable form. Then back up this file before reinstalling XCPAS. - WELCOME.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~ This program displays the Opening Screen and provides easy access to all programs of the XCPAS package. The function keys are used to start up the programs. The key numbers correspond with the numbers I through XII in list A above. XCPAS stands for X-Country Planning and Analysing Software and is mentioned on the IGC GNNS page as one of the programs to analyse data logger files in IGC format. Always begin with welcome.exe when using the XCPAS software package. The XCPAS package runs in Dos either from Windows 95/98/ME using available Icons or directly in a pure Dos environment using proper commands. Full Dos screens must be used. XCPAS is available on Compact Disc but can also be downloaded from the Internet. Follow the instructions given at my home page. At installation time XCPAS all files will be unpacke, thereby showing that the installation process proceeds succesfully. XCPAS is started up by using one of the Icons given in the package. Copy the applicable Icon to the desk top. XCPAS can also run using the command .\xcpas\welcome at the command line where . stands for c:, d: or e: depending on which drive XCPAS has been installed. I PC-TASKS.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The program pc-tasks.exe is a convenient tool in finding attractive x-country tasks. It is largely self explanatory. Direction is the geographi- cal direction in which suitable tasks are looked for, e.g. 90 degr. Sector angle is the opening angle of the sector in which possible flights are looked for, e.g. 180 degr. is half of the country. The last waypoint of a task and a finishpoint can be defined if required. The tasks found by this program are stored on your disk with a specific naming, like trianfai.300, for later evaluation and for making print outs. The tasks can also be stored in directory xcpas/tasks/stored/directory by pressing the indicated F2 key for use by the planning.exe program. Active control zones are avoided and angles between inbound and outbound legs to waypoints are at least 15 degrees. II PLANNING.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Planning.exe is a flight planning program. A personal default database (database.asc created by database.exe) is used. Planning.exe can read tasks from data bases stored in directory tasks. They have been saved from planning.exe at an earlier occasion, or generated by the pc-tasks.exe program. Generate, expand or reduce your personal waypoint file xx.wpm at your convenience, by using a suitable text editor (read and save as ascii file). Holland.wpm can be used as an example waypoint data base. The format of the files complies with that defined by Peter Zander for use in his SR940/GP940 systems, however waypoint type (like WP, or LF) and waypoint number must be present. Coordinates are now in ddmm.mmm format rather then in the ddmmss format of the xx.wpz files. While running the program, default names or values (e.g. your home field or previous selected waypoints) are shown between ( ) at the top of the screen. These are entered by just hitting the enter key. When you enter a letter as a waypoint, a list of waypoint names beginning with that letter is shown to help you with your choice. The list becomes shorter the more waypoint letters you supply, until your input is unique. You can also enter a waypoint by entering its number instead of its name (leading zero's may be omitted). You can see the whole waypoint list with the F2 key, or by typing 'l' as a waypoint. Typing 'd' as a waypoint lets you return to the departure point. The area assigned task (AAT) is a new type of task that can be designed now with planning.exe. Enter appropriate radii for the selected waypoints (reference points). The programm will conveniently show the course lines of a task in a graphical way by pressing the F4 key. All nearby waypoints, area's, airfields and landing fields and cities in a circle shaded form are shown as well. When data are available, control zones are shown with dots for the "general.geo" file or with straight lines between these dots for a "non-general.geo" file. The indicated scaling factor (1cm=...km) is based on a 17" screen. Use the F5 or F6 keys to find the names of the other waypoints or fields. You can adjust, if you like, the initial course lines of the task by considering alternate waypoints on the graphic page using the F7 key (after F5 or F6). On the task page, you can if you like insert an additional waypoint in a task by typing > [enter], or delete a waypoint by typing < [enter]. With these options, the program gives you ample opportunity of adjusting the first choice of a task. Use the F8 key to zoom in on the starting line, the waypoints of the task and the finish line. III PLOTTING.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Plotting.exe is a reduced version of planning.exe. It has the option of adding text to the task screen (screen 1) and the graphics screen (screen 2). The two black and white screens are quite suitable as task setting sheets to be handed out to pilots in a competition. The task sheet (screen1) can be used by the pilot for flight preparation on his map and in the flight computer. The graphics output screen (screen 2) has details about the waypoints and can be of use during actual flight. Waypoints can be marked with first letters to ease a logger-vache procedure. Screen dumps of these two pages can be made using the MS-Paint program provided with any version of MS-Windows. The procedure is given at point XI. IV ANALYSNG.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Analysng.exe is a GNSS log evaluation program. A personal default database (database.asc created by database.exe) is used. Analysng.exe can read tasks stored in directory tasks. They have been saved using pc-tasks.exe at an earlier occasion, or generated by the planning.exe program. It has a special option of handling outlanding cases comfortably in a 'manual' mode and very accurately in a 'logged' mode, either on end of task time (EOT) or nearest position. A new feature is analysing area assigned tasks (AAT), where best points of a GNSS trace get the status of waypoints. The program analysng.exe runs under MS-DOS preferably from a Windows environment on fast AT-machines or on P-machines. The outlanding mode is activated by entering 'eot' (end of task) as a waypoint. With the GNSS trace available, always provide the callsign of the trace and end of time of an AAT or engine start time (ENL) or flight interruption. The ENL time can be found from the barogram, the 'interruption' time from the log trace on the screen. Outlanding data must be give in the precise ddmm.mmm(N/S) and dddmm.mmm(E/W) format. However when the applicable logtrace is available in the proper directory, the outlanding data are automatically found from the trace and you don't need to enter them manually. After entering the next waypoint of the task the valid distance is calculated. In this updated version it is also possible to use the coordinates of the nearest logged position. For that, confirm that this option is allowed by the rules and move the cursor ring with the < and > keys to the best position relative to the next waypoint or the finish point. Then press '*' and the valid distance will be recalculated based on this nearest position. The programm will conveniently show the course lines of a task in a graphical way by pressing the F4 key. All area's of an AAT and nearby waypoints, airfields and landing fields and cities are shown as well. When data are available, control zones are shown with dots for the "general.geo" file or with straight lines between these dots for a "non-general.geo" file. The indicated scaling factor (1cm=...km) is based on a 17" screen. Use the F8 key to zoom in on the starting line, the waypoints of the task and the finish line (or the outlanding place if applicable). The F9 key gives the option to present your logged igc files on the screen when available in the proper directory. It is also possible now to read these data from a floppy disk or from a CD-Rom or from a special position of your hard disk. This gives you the opportunity to analyse your flights at home. See "note to read" on the welcome page to learn the active keys on your keyboard. In case of an outlanding, your manual outlanding data are automatically replaced with the logged date of this position if the GNSS trace is available. Specific data from a log trace are found using the < and > keys, which lets you run along the log trace on the screen. These keys are active when a trace is shown. For a full task screen presentation the log trace is read in steps of 2 minutes. Steps of usually 4 sec are shown after using the F8 key or after zooming in with the F11 key a couple of times. When zoomed in on the start point using the F8 key, the log trace is read backwards in time with the < key to quickly find the starting time. When zoomed in on waypoints or the finish line with the F8 key, the log trace is read forward in time with the > key and the finish time can quickly be found. The position of the departure line on the screen is based on the outbound heading to the first waypoint using spherical mathematics. The position of task lines and (average) values of course angles are based on rhumbline mathematics. The position of the finish line on the screen is perpendiular to the last task line. Task distances are calculated using spherical mathematics. V INCIDENT.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~~ In case one wants to study to log traces at the same time use this routine. VI BAROGRAM.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The barogram.exe program gives you the opportunity to study altitude as a function of time. The grid is automatically adjusted to the total flight time and to maximum height. Soaring and gliding can be distinguished. Times are local, i.e. logger times are corrected for UTC difference. VII DATABASE.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The program database.exe generates your personal database.asc file. This database is used by the programs glidplan.exe, glidgraf.exe and glidtask.exe as default input database. In this way you can conveniently use this software for your own soaring area where ever you are on the globe. Three different types of departures can be decribed, i.e. a short line with departure and penalty zones (Dp=0), a departure cylinder with a penalty cylinder (02.0). Angular positions of departure lines are based on the outbound heading from the departure point to the first waypoint. VIII CONVERT.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~ The XCPAS package uses data files with co-ordinates in the ddmm.mmm format. The layout of these so called xx.wpm files is identical to the xx.wpz files as defined by Peter Zander. With this converter, xx.wpm files are transformed to xx.wpz for use with PZ's SR940 flightcomputer. IX AIRPNTS.EXE ~~~~~~~~~~~~ With program waypoint.exe it is possible to create a smaller waypoint data base from a large database (like bga.wpz), or afld9804.afd (ref. H. Trautenberg) with your favourite airfield (e.g. your home airfield) in the centre. The new smaller file can be used as waypoint file for e.g. glidplan.exe and becomes available to all the programs after running database.exe. The format of the smaller files is also suitable for uploading into the Zander SR940/GP940 system. The included airspace file aspc9804.asp (ref. H. Trautenberg) lets you select boundary points from airspace zones; for protective reasons however these points are given in random order within a zone. The airspace points included in the holland.wpz file have been sorted out however. FLDSNBY.EXE (not mentioned in the menu, but available in the package) ~~~~~~~~~~~ This program creates a .wpz files of nearby airfields along side a cross country route. Max. distance to the route is about 55 km. Default airfields data base is afld9804.afd having over 3400 fields in Europe (ref. Hans Trautenberg). Very large airfields, like Frankfurt, do not occur in this data base. Also available for use with this program is the airspace file (same ref.). COMBINE.EXE (not mentioned in the menu, but available in the package) ~~~~~~~~~~~ With this program it is possible to combine a waypoint file (a .wpz file) with an airfields file (a .wz file) and a control zone file (also a .wz file). A summation.wpz file (like dutch.wpz) can then be made. When applied in planning.exe or analysing.exe, waypoints will be shown on the graphics screen as well as the nearby airfields and applicable control zones (in small dots). X N-Commander ~~~~~~~~~~~ To download, check and convert data files from logger units, suitable software must be started up. IGC approved versions of the download software of some logger manufactorers is provided with the XCPAS package. Start the Norton Commander file handler (F10) and go to directory "loggers". Then go to one of the subdirectories CAM, FIL, LXN, PES or ZAN. Now start the data-***.exe program (press [enter]) and follow the intsructions to download, validate and convert files from the logger usually connected to Com1 of your PC. When finished with downloading remove the binary files and move the *.igc files to one of the subdirectories of the "igcfiles" directory (like "holland\personal" or "holland\sp\01"). Rename the *.igc files (e.g. 959za550.igc --> xt.igc) for easy access to all of the XCPAS programs (like barogram.exe or glidplan.exe). Occasionally this kind of software will run properly only in the MS-DOS mode without MS-Windows running. When this is the case, your computer must be restarted in the MS-DOS mode using the "F8 catch" during startup. Return to the download program and try again. When finished, restart your PC in the Windows environment and start XCPAS again IX Hard Copies ~~~~~~~~~~~ With the MS-Windows program Paint you can make hard copies of task sheets for distribution to competition pilots. The procedure is as follows: 1 From the menu press F3 to start glidplot.exe. 2 Select one of the tasks you created and saved using glidplan.exe, or create a new task now. 3 At the task page press F3 and add suitable text. 4 Copy and print this page using MS-Paint as follows: a. press the Print Screen key to store the picture b. press the Alt+Space keys and click on the Paint Icon to access MS-Paint c. press the Ctrl+V keys to recollect the picture d. press the Ctrl+I keys to invert all the colors e. press the Ctrl+P keys to activate the printer. 5 Click 'Welcome' to return to the glidplot.exe program. 6 Press F4 to go to the graphics page of this program. 7 Repeat steps a. through d. (at step c. press Ctrl+N first and do not save changes). 8 Rotate the image 180 dgr. Insert the A4 sheet obtained in step e. in the printer again with the blank part first and press Ctrl+P. Make copies of the complete task sheet for distribution if required, using a copying machine. When you have finished using MS-Paint, then close it off. XII NOTE TO READ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This note gives instructions on keyboard use when analysing a log file trace when displayed on the screen with glidplan.exe. Press the F12 key while on the Welcome screen of XCPAS to get the note displayed. The short form manual you are reading now can also be accessed from the 'Welcome' screen. Pressing the F12 key also removes the "read only" option of files present when the XCPAS package has been copied from a CD. FLOW DIAGRAM ~~~~~~~~~~~~ airfield afld9804.afd aspc9804.asp Task | | | | | *-->-----<--* | | | | | ----> AIRPNTS.EXE PNTSNBY.EXE <----- | | *-->-----<--* | | wpzfiles afdfiles aspfiles | | | ------>-----*-----<----- | COMBINE.EXE (or ascii editor) | wpzfiles~ geofiles | | -->---*---<--- | DATABASE.EXE | ----------<----------- database.asc ---------->---------- | | | | | | | selections | selections | ANALYSNG.EXE --<----------- PLANNING.EXE ------->------ PLOTTING.EXE ------------ ------------ ------------ | task sheets | ----------<----------- igcfiles <------Software ------Loggers | NC NC | .----<----*---->----. | | BAROGRAM.EXE WINDCALC.EXE | | Barogram Wind Note: Change border margins to 10 mm before printing. ******************** Directory structure: .\XCPAS\manual.txt (this manual) .\XCPAS\ascii files (like database.asc) .\XCPAS\executables (like glidplan.exe) .\XCPAS\WPZFILES\wpzfiles (like holland.wpz) .\XCPAS\GEOFILES\geofiles (like holland.geo) .\XCPAS\IGCFILES\AREA\PERSONAL\igcfiles (like gilz.igc) .\XCPAS\IGCFILES\AREA\RACE(FREE)\CLASS\igcfiles (like br.igc) .\XCPAS\TASKS\AREA\PERSONAL\taskfiles (like gilz) .\XCPAS\TASKS\AREA\RACE(FREE)\CLASS\taskfiles (like sp01) .\XCPAS\TASKS\AREA\STORED\TYPE\taskfiles (like 03) .\XCPAS\LOGGERS\GNNS-Software (like CAM, FIL, ZAN etc.) .\XCPAS\NC (reduced version of Norton Commander) ******************** Statements to programs PC-TASKS.EXE, PLANNING.EXE, PLOTTING.EXE and ANALYSNG.EXE: 1. Radius of the earth according to FAI 1995 rules is R = 6371.0 km. 2. Distances calculated using great circle mathematics and double precision numbers. 3. Bearings between waypoints calculated using rhumbline mathematics. 4. Position of task lines and finish line based on rhumbline mathematics 5. Position of departure line based on outbound angle mathematics. 6. Scaling factor on graphics screens (1cm = .... km) based on 17" screen. ******************** Copyright: ir. K.P. Termaat tel/fax : 00 31 26 3272 461/462 e-mail : kpt9@wxs.nl h-page : http://home.wxs.nl/~kpt9 date : 01/Feb/00