How to:- User Waypoints

[Voyager!]

XPlane 10 Corenado CT182T . Creating a flight plan for the B1000 using Plan G.

If I make a route with Plan G using w/p's, (airfield's VOR's,etc) other than user defined points, all is well.
However, if I make a route with any User defined W/P's, it scews up the G1000.
The reason is that the user W/P is not generated with the correct format.
This is the note pad view of both types:-
1 XCUR 7500 54.934455 -1.840168    correct and works
28 +55.022_-001.872  4700 55.021671 -1.871833     user way point doesn't work because the name and identifier prefix are missing. The hovering mouse identifies the user W/P's and adds to the flight plan correctly.
Certainly the fault is mine but I can't spot what I'm doing wrong.
I would be grateful for any help to point me in the right direction.
I attach the log.txt.
Voyager!

[tim arnot]

This is a bug; it'll be fixed in the next build (another user has reported the same thing).

[Voyager!]

Hi Tim, thanks for that.
I neglected to say how impressed I am with this superb program, a few bugs to be expected. You've put a huge amount of effort into it and the move into its conversion for the X-plane Platform cannot have been easy.
Thank you.
Voyager!

[Voyager!]

Hi,
I've worked out a crude way to bypass the problem of adding User w/p's to a GPS controlled fms.flight plan for the G1000.

I understand tim is working on this problem for the next update. In the meantime this method, using PLAN-G, converts my Custom user points into Intersection points thereby allowing the route to  uploaded  into the G1000.

Why fly under AP control anyway?

Mountain terrain is superbly detailed (thanks to Andras Fabian at A1PilotX) and offers exciting seat of the pants low flying especially if you inject real weather. Trouble is you can often fly into poor visibility and that can be fatal.
Bring in carefully routed custom waypoints winding through the valleys. Use Plan-G map to position them remembering the limits of the autopilot which can activate a turn within a mile of its next WP or even jump a WP depending on the geometry of the legs. Great stuff. You fly manually following the G1000 route ready to switch to AP the instant poor visibility engulfs, switching back to manual as you emerge.

This is my temporary and rather cumbersome solution.

Purpose is:-
1) Add new points to X Plane's [earth_fix.dat] list.
2) Using PLAN-G, make a flight plan route incorporating the new points.
3) Upload to the G1000 (Corenado CT182T) via X Plane 10.


By default loading PLAN-G has placed a folder in my C Drive [MY DOCUMENTS] [PLAN-G FILES].
Open [EXCEL] and create a dummy file called say [My Custom Waypoints]. Save as a csv file and place in the above folder [MY DOCUMENTS] [PLAN G-FILES]. Close All.
(This file enables you to manipulate the fields of the coordinate table.)

1A) Open [PLAN-G] [MAP]. Position cursor, right click and use [Create new User Point] to make all the new W/p's along the route though the mountain valleys. (I choose the [User 1] category). No need to produce the Flight Plan yet.
Then.

1B) Go to [DATA] [MANAGE] (displays manage user WPs box).
Highlight all the new WP's. Choose [EXPORT]. (The [Plan G-files] folder is Auto opened).
Click on [My Custom Waypoints csv]. [SAVE] (Points now saved as an Excel file).
Close [manage user WPs].
Close [PLAN-G].

1C) Open [XPLANE 10] [RESOURCES] [DEFAULT DATA] [earth_fix.dat].

1D) Open [MY DOCUMENTS] [PLAN G-FILES] [My Custom Waypoints csv]. Modify the Excel table to match the format of the earth_fix table above. Past in the new points to the  [earth_fix] list keeping the ID's running consecutive.
1E) Save [earth_fix.dat]. Close.
Close [EXCEL].
This has converted the Custom user waypoints to earth_fix points (intersection) that will be read by PLAN-G and the G1000 once reloaded.
(Alternatively you could just note the coordinated of the way points and type them into the [earth_fix] list).
Then.

Go to [C drive] [MY DOCUMENTS] [PLAN-G files]
Find [Plan-G_log.txt]  Delete.
Close [C drive.]
Then.

2) Make flight plan route incorporating the new points (now called intersection points) :-
2A Open [PLAN-G] go to [DATA] [Build New Database]. Tick [Build X-Plane Database] [OK]. Wait. (The display on the [MAP] has now been updated and will include the new points).
Then Move to [MAP].
2B Begin your flight plan at the Starting Airport and work through any Nav. points on route including the new ones.
Then.

2C) go to [FILE] [SAVE AS] [Save]
Then.

2D) go to [FILE] [EXPORT] choose [XPlane 9/10 fms] [Save]
Close [PLAN-G]
Then.

3) Move the flight plan to [XPLANE 10] :-
3A) Go to [C drive] navigate to [MY DOCUMENTS] [PLAN G files]. Open. Find the VFR.fms file example [VFR. CYRV to CYGE.fms]
3B) Navigate to [X PLANE 10] [OUTPUT] [FMS Plans] Open.
3C) Drag VFR file [VFR. CYRV to CYGE.fms] across to the location above (3B)
Close [MY DOCUMENTS] [PLAN-G files].
Close [X PLAN 10] [OUTPUT] [FMS Plans].
Then

Open X PLANE 10. The updated database and flight plan will show on the G1000 display.

This is a long winded method but it works for me and will suffice until a proper solution comes out with an update.