home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Shareware 1 2 the Maxx
/
sw_1.zip
/
sw_1
/
TEXT
/
DOODAD.ZIP
/
DOODAD.TXT
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-02-03
|
22KB
|
727 lines
******************
*** DOODAD.TXT ***
******************
The following is a brief list and review of the major programs
available which are enhancements for MicroSoft's Flight Simulator
(IBM version). They are divided into two sections: I. Commercial
Programs and Accessories, and II. Shareware. The first *always*
cost money, and the second usually!
Section III is a list of and comments on various text files of
help to the FS user; Section IV consists of notes on general
(non-FS specific) utilities; Section V, Miscellaneous. Some of
these sections are subdivided as general FS material and that
specific to the Aircraft and Scenery Designer (ASD).
Jim Ross/Ass't Sysop 70235,143
Flight Simulations Forum (GO FSFORUM) CompuServe
__________________________________________________________________
I. Commercial Programs and Accessories
____________________________
ASD
by MicroSoft and the Bruce Artwick Organization
MicroSoft's Aircraft and Scenery Designer allows the user to make
scenery files (which have the extension .SC1) to overlay the
regular default scenery or scenery on one of the SubLOGIC scenery
disks. The user can create runways, roads, mountains,
navigational aids (VORs, NDBs, and ILS systems), lines, rivers,
polygons, and a great variety of buildings, including towers,
trees, and automobiles. All of these can have different colors,
sizes, and shapes. It is quite possible to create a whole city
with its airport, roads, and buildings.
ASD, as it is usually called, also allows the user to create
dynamic scenery (.DY1): flying airplanes, moving fuel trucks, and
sailboats. These look much like the dynamic scenery on the
default scenery.
ASD comes with an interesting variety of planes, and has a plane
designer which is much more powerful and complex than that
provided with FS itself.
***********************
Note: Even if you don't *design* scenery or planes with ASD, it
is required to *fly* any of the planes provided with ASD, and it
is required to *use* any scenery (.SC1 files) created by it.
***********************
The use of ASD has become a whole separate branch of
simulatordom; designers have so far created over 300 airports,
available on the FSFORUM of CompuServe. It will be quite possible
to establish .fpd files for RMMFP which will allow all of these
to be used in flight planning.
When installed, ASD becomes a part of FS, and is accessed through
a special item on menu 1.
ASD is easily available at most software stores.
______________________________
NFL
by SubLOGIC
The New Facilities Locator (there was an older one: Instant
Facilities Locator) enables the user to proceed immediately to
any airport or VOR on default scenery, the SubLOGIC scenery
disks, and even SubLOGIC's Instrument Pilot's Scenery (which
contains all of the paved public access airports in the
continental US). You can place yourself at any threshold, or, in
the case of VORs, at any distance and bearing from them. One can
also set the ILS frequency. The user can also set up his/her own
database of waypoints frequently visited.
When installed, NFL is accessed through a special item on menu 5
in FS.
NFL and other SubLOGIC products can be obtained from SubLOGIC,
501 Kenyon Road, Champaign, IL 61820. 1-800-637-4983.
______________________________
FSPRO
by Joe Lincoln
FSPRO was the first "Flight Simulator shell." Its primary use is
to start FS with any mode (starting position, plane, etc.)
without having to go through the rather complicated FS mode menu.
One can also make "NOTAMS" on those modes for later reference.
Furthermore it is possible to do some rudimentary flight
planning, and to keep records of aircraft types. One of the most
recent innovations (FSPRO has gone through many modifications) is
the ability to place the user at any position in FS scenery. In
this respect FSPRO can double for SubLOGIC's own New Facilities
Locator (see above).
Although classified here as a commercial program, FSPRO is
available for downloading to registered members of the LINX BBS.
Or call 1-800-TEKMATE.
______________________________
PROSIM
by Simutech
From PROSIM.TXT in lib 2 of the FSFORUM:
ProSim is an AUDIO TAPE/HANDBOOK system. The audio tape has the voices
of the air traffic controllers who talk to you...the pilot of Cessna
51367. The tape leaves time for you to respond, then acknowledges, or
gives clearances, heading, altitude assignments, etc. ProSim takes you
from clearance delivery to ground at your destination in pre-designed
flights. The HANDBOOK has both sides of the conversations, so you follow
along and learn the flight and the procedures. When you don't need the
handbook anymore, you should have gained a confidence in dealing with ATC.
Recorded by real pilots and air traffic controllers, and with authentic
engine/cockpit sounds, ProSim is a realistic duplication of real flying.
There are other pilots on the frequencies also! Listen to their drama, but
pay attention for your call sign, and listen to how the pros, and not-so-
pros talk. Also pay attention to what is happening with other pilots
further along in the same flight plan as yours.
Can be used independently or along with Flight Simulator.
Call 800 226 7820 for information on ProSim.
______________________________
SOUND, GRAPHICS, AND AIRCRAFT UPDATE (SGA)
by BAO/Mallard
SGA gives you airplane sound either through your PC Speaker (as usual) or
through the following sound boards (which must be purchased separately):
AdLib, Soundblaster, Soundblaster Pro, ATI Sound F/X, and Covox Voice
Master.
In addition there are drivers for various graphics cards, such as the
Video7 1024i, two ATI Wonder cards, and any Super VGA card with the Tseng
4000 chip set. With these one gets a 800 x 600 resolution Enhanced
Instrument Panel and a 640 x 480 747 "Glass Cockpit" panel.
With the Soundblaster cards, you also get spoken ATIS and COM messages.
There are four new aircraft: Concorde, P-51D, Spectrum Beaver Ultralight,
and a 1939 Laird-Turner Meteor. The P-51D and the Laird-Turner are
"tail draggers".
For details see BAOIBM.TXT in library 2.
______________________________________________________________
All of the following can be obtained on the FSFORUM on
CompuServe. The specific libraries and library names are noted
with each program/file.
______________________________________________________________
II. Shareware or Free Programs and Accessories
********
NOTE: Several of the programs listed below are shareware; the
author expects that if you download them and find them useful,
you will send him/her a registration fee (quite modest). These
are indicated with a note: SHAREWARE: REGISTRATION FEE. We
certainly encourage the payment of such fees (again, if you find
the program useful); that's what keeps our people writing such
neat things!
********
A. General Flight Simulator Utilities
___________________________
JFL
by Joe Lincoln
The Jiffy Facility Locator places you at airports and presets
radio frequencies, heading, altitude, N&E coordinates, loads
matching ASD scenery, sets ASD memory allocation. Allows
you to add facilities. Free version. Shareware version available.
JFL.ZIP in library 2.
___________________________
DEMITOR
by Laemming Wheeler
This is an editor for FS demos. It allows the addition of
comments, changes of view, zooming, etc. to enhance your original
demos. There is also a utility to attach a startup mode to a
demo.
SHAREWARE: REGISTRATION FEE.
EDITOR.ZIP in lib 2.
___________________________
FS4BFN.ARC (lib 2)
by Ray Cannon
Various fixes for the FS Multi-Player mode.
__________________________
MODCLONE
by Robert Fields
MODCLONE allows you to export the parameters of any FS mode file
to any other or all other mode files. For example, if you
*always* like to have titles appear (COCKPIT, SPOT, TOWER,
TRACK), you can establish a mode which does that, and then export
that (and any other) parameter to any or all modes you have in
your directory. Or full screen external views; sound on/off; size
of windows; etc.
MODC24.ZIP in lib 2.
___________________________
RMMFP
by Robert Mackay
Flight planning program especially designed for FS. RMMFP uses
databases of airport and navaid coordinates, and allows either
the automatic or manual (you punch them in yourself) preparation
of a route from any airport to any other airport (in that
particular database). Text summaries and graphic plots of the
resultant route are available. See below for a more extensive
review (section IIIA, FLTPLN.TXT).
SHAREWARE: REGISTRATION FEE. Upon registration the user will
receive more RMMFP databases.
RMMFP.ZIP in lib 2.
=========================================================
There is now a Windows 3.0 version of RMMFP; see RMMFPW.ZIP in
library 2. The latest versions of both the DOS and Windows
programs are available from Mallard Software, Inc., 550 Edmonds #201,
Lewisville, TX 75067 phone 214-436-0044, as commercial programs.
=========================================================
B. ASD Utilities
__________________________
SEE
by Laemming Wheeler
SEE allows a great many enhancements, changes, and duplications
of ASD scenery. It uses a data file produced by the user (note
however SEEPLUS below); examples are provided with the program.
Among other things you can:
1. Set the range of any scenery element, that is, the distance
from which it will be visible, or, in the case of navaids, from
which they can be tuned.
2. Change the color of certain scenery elements depending upon
whether the time is day, dusk (and dawn), or night. 3. Turn lines
into dots, so that they appear to be lights (such as the borders
of taxiways at airports), visible only at dusk or night.
4. Transform roads into a series of dots (again lights). 5. Add
hazard lights, which will appear at dusk and night only, on
buildings over a specified height.
SEE can also add certain ASD objects outside of the regular
editor of the ASD program. Among these are:
1. Navaids (VORs, NDBs)
2. ATIS (weather information, as in regular FS) and COM
(communications from a tower)
And it can delete selected objects, somewhat more precisely than
can ASD itself. Furthermore SEE can export an ASD element from
one file and then import it into another or the same file (thus
making a duplicate; see also ASDMOVE below for this kind of
operation).
There are also a good many SEE "library objects" which can be
added with SEE itself. Among them are transmission towers,
balloons, whales, docks, road signs, rotating beacons, and skid
marks. All of these can be raised above ground level and even
tilted (pitch and bank): it is quite possible to design a flying
whale. These objects can be custom-colored and, in many cases,
provided with a certain height. Laemming produces new libraries
of these objects from time to time.
The day/dusk/night effects of SEE can be produced quite easily in
any scenery file by using a file called EZC.DAT, supplied with
the program. EZC.DAT does not do anything which could not be
specified by a user-generated data file, but it is somewhat more
convenient.
SEE automatically produces a report when it runs any data file.
This report (which is kept on your disk with an extension of
.rpt) gives the coordinates of each scenery element organized by
type (navaids, buildings, runways, roads, etc.), and certain
other data. This information is necessary when running LEVITILT
(see below).
SEE03.ZIP in lib 6.
See also SEEPRO.ZIP in lib 6 for advanced SEE commands.
The SEE library objects are in SEEL01.ZIP and SEEL02.ZIP in lib
6.
SHAREWARE: REGISTRATION FEE.
==========================================================================
The latest version of SEE is SEE04. It is not, however, available on the
FSFORUM (although there is a demo and an order blank: SEE04.ZIP in
library 6). Rather it must be purchased from TEKMATE, 15307 Parkville,
Houston, TX 77068; phone 1-800-TEKMATE.
In addition to the features outlined above, SEE04 has the capability
of making new SEE library objects and drawing lines and polygons with
user-supplied data, among many other features. There are several new
SEE library objects, as well, and more objects can be "colorized".
==========================================================================
____________________________
SEEPLUS
by Joe Lincoln
SEEPLUS is mainly a program which can write the data files
required by SEE. You specify the scenery file, the changes or
additions you want to make with SEE, and then execute: SEEPLUS
then invokes SEE to make those changes. It can also just produce
a SEE report, and run SEE with EZC.DAT. There is a built-in text
editor to view and change the data file before execution. Not all
possible SEE commands can be produced directly by SEEPLUS-written
data files, but the majority of the popular commands is provided.
You can also run ASDMOVE, LEVITILT, or APTFIX (see below) from
SEEPLUS, and also run Flight Simulator itself. Thus it is often
called a "FS Shell".
SEEPLU.ZIP in lib 6.
=======================================================================
The latest version of SEEPLUS is called SEESHELL, and is also available
from TEKMATE (see above on SEE04 for ordering details). It is especially
designed for use with SEE04.
=======================================================================
____________________________
SCMAN
by Christopher Trent
A selection of tools for scenery file addition and deletion for FS4 ASD
utility, featuring file grouping. All run from the DOS command line.
Allows a small working set of scenery files (.SC1, .DY1, .MOD) in the main
working directory with all others in a set of subdirectories.
SCMAN.ZIP in lib 6.
____________________________
OVERLAP
by Jim Ross
Determining the boundaries of ASD scenery files (.SC1) to ascertain
overlap and "dead space" between files; text and graphics output.
OVELAP.ZIP in lib 6.
____________________________
SA
by Frank Styron
SA is a utility to reduce the size of runways on Sublogic scenery disks SD
1-6 to their correct size and, as necessary, move runways to maintain the
original airport layout. Requires any of the converted scenery disks SD-1
through SD-6. This version allows use with APTFIX.
SA.ZIP in lib 6.
____________________________
LEVITILT
by Jim Ross
LEVITILT will levitate (raise above ground level) any ASD scenery
element specified by the user, and in addition tilt (pitch, bank)
most buildings, as well as thermal generators. It is useful to
levitate lines which run between towers to produce power lines,
make roads which go over the tops of mountains, and things of
that sort. As noted it can be called from SEEPLUS.
LEVTIL.ZIP in lib 6.
___________________________
ASDMOVE
by Steve Wigginton
ASDMOVE allows you to move a whole block of ASD elements from one
part of your scenery file to another. Or it can save out those
elements into another ("cut") file, and that file can in turn be
added to still another scenery file, thus duplicating the block
(this can be done within one file, too). It is also possible to
delete a whole group of objects from a file, and to rearrange the
order in which they will appear. It is thus possible to break up
a large .SC1 file into several smaller files.
A program supplied with ASDMOVE is ASDLIST, which produces a
report on any given ASD file, similar to but sometimes more
informative than the report provided by SEE.
ASDMOV.ZIP in lib 6.
SHAREWARE: REGISTRATION FEE.
A program much like ASDMOVE is Hans van Wyhe's FSMOVE (FSMOVE.ZIP
in lib 6). It does not have all the "bells and whistles" of
ASDMOVE, but some users will find it more convenient to use.
_____________________________
APTFIX
by Chris Manrique
In many cases when designing an airport at the site of an airport
already provided on one of the SubLOGIC scenery disks, the author
wants to eliminate the old runways so that they will not
interfere with the new runways. One way to do this is to draw a
large (usually green) polygon over the old runways, but this
takes file space and run time.
APTFIX will delete any of the normal (black) runways from the
SubLOGIC scenery disk, so that this polygon-drawing is not
necessary. It thus works on the basic SD-#.SCN file, unlike any
of the other programs discussed here. A backup copy of the
original SD-#.SCN is automatically kept.
In the course of eliminating runways, APTFIX also keeps a
separate file of data which can be used by another user to
produce the same results. This file has the extension .PRM, and
is invoked by a program called AUTOFIX.EXE, provided in the same
package.
APTFIX.ZIP in lib 6.
SHAREWARE: REGISTRATION FEE.
______________________________
BIGLIT
by Jim Ross
BIGLIT merely allows the user to expand or reduce any ASD object
(except navaids and runways), and, in the case of expansion,
change the range of visibility as well. Expansion factors are 4,
16, 64, and 256, and reduction 4, 16, and 64.
BIGLIT.ZIP in lib 6.
_____________________________
FSPASD
by Joe Lincoln
Automatic configuration of memory for ASD files. This utility is
included in SEEPLUS.
FSPASD.ZIP in lib 6.
III. Text files
A. General FS
____________________________
VOR.ZIP (lib 2)
by Jeff Horrocks
This is an archive. It includes a help file on VOR Radio navigation, and
a FS4 .MOD file to start you on the adventure/walkthru. The walkthru takes
you on a flight from Chicago Meigs to Champaign Willard. Air time about 1
hour.
____________________________
ILS.TXT (lib 2)
by Jeff Horrocks
How to use the ILS (Instrument Landing System) in FS.
___________________________
DEMOS.TXT (lib 2)
by Jim Ross
How to make demos in FS.
___________________________
FS4B.TXT (lib 2)
Fixes in FS 4.0b to original FS 4.0, and how to get it.
__________________________
EFIS.TXT (lib 15)
by Jim Ross
How to use the EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument Systems)
utility in FS.
_________________________
FLTPLN.TXT (lib 2)
by Jim Ross
Review of several flight planning programs, including RMMFP
summarized above.
_________________________
CONFIG.TXT (lib 13)
by E. J. Peiker
Optimal system configurations in various price ranges for maximum
flight simulator performance.
________________________
TRIM.TXT (lib 2)
by Rick Lee
What "trim" means on aircraft, and how to use it with FS.
________________________
SDREVU.ZIP (lib 6)
Don Simmons, Jeff Horrocks, Jim Ross and others
Reviews of the SubLOGIC scenery disks.
_______________________
LANDIN.ZIP (lib 2)
by Rick Lee
How to make good landings with FS: complete with mode and demo
files.
________________________
CONVER.TXT (lib 6)
by Jim Ross
Converting to/from latitude and longitude to FS coordinates.
________________________
FSCORS.TXT (lib 6)
by Jim Ross
Corrections to FS and SubLOGIC charts, documentation, and
diagrams, for default scenery and disks up to SD-12. See also
12CORS.TXT.
_______________________
12CORS.TXT (lib 6)
by Jim Ross
Corrections to charts and airport directories for SubLOGIC's
Scenery Disk 12 (Montreal, New York, Halifax)
B. ASD files
__________________________
GNDELE.TXT (lib 6)
by Fred Kuhl
Notes on ground elevation in Microsoft FS, what it controls, how to
manipulate it.
__________________________
DISC1S.TXT (lib 6)
by Jim Ross
List of ASD .SC1 files by scenery disk, with alphabetic list of airports on
each, distinguished by new or enhancement to old. Updated October 1, 1991.
__________________________
ASDTIP.TXT (lib 6)
by Jim Ross
How to fly with ASD files.
_________________________
AER101.TXT (lib 5)
by Ben Krauskopf
Designing aircraft in FS4/ASD.
________________________
DESIGN.ZIP (lib 6)
by Mike Barrs
Design tips for ASD.
_______________________
DESGN2.ZIP (lib 6)
Compiled by Nels Anderson
A second series of tips on using ASD.
IV. General Utilities (not specifically FS)
_______________________
PKX110.EXE (lib 1)
The utility to "unzip" files with a .zip extension.
V. Miscellaenous
______________________
AIRPTS.ZIP (lib 6)
by Jim Ross
A Toolbook database of all airports in FS default scenery and on
SubLOGIC scenery disks to date (through SD-12).
You must have Windows 3.0 and Toolbook (runtime or commercial) to
use this material. See AIRPTS.TXT, lib 6, for a further
description. There is an accompanying file in the same library:
VORDAT.ZIP, a Toolbook database for all VORs in the continental
US, including some not in FS or on the SubLOGIC disks (for ASD
design).
_____________________
LVKOAK.DEM (lib 2)
by Charles Gulick
A demo showing a standard flight from tiedown to landing,
Livermore to Oakland. Useful for beginning flying.
______________________
PATERN.ZIP (lib 2)
by Jeff Horrocks
Flying the standard "pattern" around an airport, from takeoff to
landing: a demo file. Also useful for beginners.
______________________
FLIGHT.EXE (lib 2)
by Charles Gulick
This is a "self-extracting" program which will produce several
graphics screens and text files. Running through them with the
command "INTRO" will give you an excellent introduction to flying
with Flight Simulator. The screens are divided into "Airports,"
"Airfoils," and "Instruments." Two demos and some modes are also provided.