Creating and saving CDU plans without CDU running

[Ray Proudfoot]

I hope this doesn't seem a daft question. I would like the ability to create and save flight plans compatible with the CDU but without the CDU running. Of course the PC on which it is located would need to be running but it would save me a lot of time if there was an independent program that could create them and save them to the relevant subfolder under CDU.

Does such a program exist?

[Peter Dowson]

I hope this doesn't seem a daft question. I would like the ability to create and save flight plans compatible with the CDU but without the CDU running. Of course the PC on which it is located would need to be running but it would save me a lot of time if there was an independent program that could create them and save them to the relevant subfolder under CDU.

Does such a program exist?

Hi Ray,

The PM CDU plan format is Squawkbox 2 (.sbp) format. My own "FStarRC" program for Jeppesen fliteStar produces such files, and I would have thought some other programs do too, though maybe quite old ones as it goes back many years. (Squawkbox3 uses a different format, .sfp, and there's a converter to convert .sbp to .sfp).

[LATER]
Just done some Googling:

Aren't you an FSNavigator user still? It seems that could export plans in .sbp format. Also I see that FSBuild can also produce .sbp format, and FSCommander too.

All payware of course, except my FStarRC (but FliteStar isn't free of course, far from it!).

Best Regards
Pete

[Ray Proudfoot]

Thanks very much Pete. I don't have FSBuild or FSCommander but I do have FSNavigator. Ideally I would have liked to have been to create them on my notebook without FS running but it's a start.

[Peter Dowson]

Thanks very much Pete. I don't have FSBuild or FSCommander but I do have FSNavigator. Ideally I would have liked to have been to create them on my notebook without FS running but it's a start.

Well you could use VRoute to download and save a plane in FSNavigator format. Then when you do have FS running, load it into FSNav and save it in .sbp format!

Doesn't PM's CDU have the ability to load FS9 plan formats too? I've never tried, but if it does there must be lots of programs which can provide that format.

Also, with your Access database programming abilities, couldn't you knock up a script to convert one of the simpler formats into .sbp format. Most, like .sbp and .pln are simple Text files.

Best Regards
Pete

[Ray Proudfoot]

Well you could use VRoute to download and save a plane in FSNavigator format. Then when you do have FS running, load it into FSNav and save it in .sbp format!

A bit messy but yes, that would work.

Doesn't PM's CDU have the ability to load FS9 plan formats too? I've never tried, but if it does there must be lots of programs which can provide that format.

Only the last plan saved in FS9. So I would need to load and save it before it could be used by the CDU. Again, a bit of a dog's dinner.

Also, with your Access database programming abilities, couldn't you knock up a script to convert one of the simpler formats into .sbp format. Most, like .sbp and .pln are simple Text files.

Possibly. I've not considered that option.

What I might so is write to the vRoute author and ask if SBP files can be included in the export options. He has quite a few types already. It's worth a bash as it would give me the cleanest solution.

[Ray Proudfoot]

Hi Pete,

I've just navigated to the Routes sub-folder under projectmagenta\cdu and all the files I have there are of type CFP. Opening one with Notepad shows the following:-

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This is clearly not a plain text format. I do have two SBP files but those are dated 1999 and would have been supplied as part of the install as I didn't purchase PM until 2003.

So are all the files in your Routes folder SBP or CFP?

[Peter Dowson]

I've just navigated to the Routes sub-folder under projectmagenta\cdu and all the files I have there are of type CFP.

I think those might be the binary ones it creates when you save them from the CDU? I'm not sure really. I've never dealt with them, though I (we, in fact) have created some via the CDU. Mind you, I moved the CDU to a different PC recently -- the old miin-PCs are all but scrapped now.

This is clearly not a plain text format. I do have two SBP files but those are dated 1999 and would have been supplied as part of the install as I didn't purchase PM until 2003.

SBP files are ones it can load as "Company Routes" (COROUTE). All the ones you've flown are ones that I've generated with FliteMap, are in .SBP format. Do you want me to email you a few more recent ones?

So are all the files in your Routes folder SBP or CFP?

They all all .SBP except for one .CFP file with no name. I think when you create one in the CDU it saves a copy anyway even if you don't give it a name, in which case it's a ".CFP" file. Not sure though.

I've had a thought too -- have you actually tried putting an FS9 .PLN file in that folder to see if the CDU can load it? I'll try here if you like ...

Regards
Pete

[Ray Proudfoot]

I think those might be the binary ones it creates when you save them from the CDU? I'm not sure really. I've never dealt with them, though I (we, in fact) have created some via the CDU. Mind you, I moved the CDU to a different PC recently -- the old miin-PCs are all but scrapped now.


SBP files are ones it can load as "Company Routes" (COROUTE). All the ones you've flown are ones that I've generated with FliteMap, are in .SBP format. Do you want me to email you a few more recent ones?

Yes please. It seems the COROUTE ones can only be generated and read by the CDU.

I've had a thought too -- have you actually tried putting an FS9 .PLN file in that folder to see if the CDU can load it? I'll try here if you like

I haven't. You'll probably beat me to it.

[Peter Dowson]

Yes please. It seems the COROUTE ones can only be generated and read by the CDU.

Yes, but it can also save them in SBP format instead. Double press the Route key -- it's the second option listed on left. The top left one saves the binary CFP files, with name XXXXYYYY.CFP for ICAO dep XXXX and arr YYYY airports. The second does the same but with SBP.

I haven't. You'll probably beat me to it.

I just tried loading a PLN -- it doesn't even list them.

I've sent a batch of SBP files, mostly ones we've flown at one time or another. Note that these usually include the SIDs and STARs, which is why there are usually East/West or North/South departure variants for many.

Best Regards
Pete

[Ray Proudfoot]

Yes, but it can also save them in SBP format instead. Double press the Route key -- it's the second option listed on left. The top left one saves the binary CFP files, with name XXXXYYYY.CFP for ICAO dep XXXX and arr YYYY airports. The second does the same but with SBP.

I noticed the 2 save options but never realised one saved as compiled and the other as plain text. useful info, thanks.

Anyway, I've saved a vRoute plan as FSNav format and then exported it from FSNav in SBP format and successfully loaded it in the CDU. Quite a bit of faffing about but I should be able to load a plain text plan into Access and output a SBP one.

Thanks Pete and also for the bunch of plans you sent.
[/QUOTE]