Crappy HomeBrew Navigation Software

[p3tr]

Hello. (this is the LAST time i'm not copying my posts before i submit )

I made somehting which i released under OpenSource agreement (which meens it belongs to everybody), but as at this point i can't fly further than i can jump, i would like you to have a look at it...
It is some navigation software which deals with wind drift, and calculates fuel burn and trip time for multiple stages, with some options as to what changes and what doesn't, with some file output which can be printed or whatever.

I post a link to the download page HERE:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfile ... _id=672121
at this point, it's very ugly, but if the maths is wrong, please tell me (i sort-of hope i tested thatenough already, but sometimes one doesn't see one's own mistakes)
and i would like some criticism on it (if you say it's k@k, nobody would seem e cry, so i don't care )

what would be usefull? At this point, it deals with air as a consistent slab. while i figure this isn't right, i'm not sure what would be.
I have some microlight textbook, and i don't see anything about that in there...

would it be more usefull to store everything in like one database file, or many output files?
would a map interface be usefull? if so, i obviously won't be making my own maps so which map format is available and useful?
where can i get some maps like that to test with?
what would you like to do with it? click on waypoints?

i saw some cool software for Blik aeries. do you guys use that? if so/not, what would you like different?
I'm guessing W/B calculation things don't really chart for weightshifts...

would it be usefull to port it for some PDA-type thing so you can take it with you?

anything else...
the idea is to have something which belongs to everybody, which everybody can use without oweing someone something.
and then maybe when i fly something more than my porriage spoon, i can also use it...

groetnis
p

[Tumbleweed]

How does it differ to Cobra's http://www.vfrplanner.org?

[p3tr]

Well, for one, i didn't know about cobra's
more, i would have to look at cobra's first, but i'm guessing it would probably be a bit further developed (nicer )

maybe one thing, is it's easier to have it changed to suit you, but lemme look atcobra's first.
would have been fun to write one, but would be cool to get one that works nicely anyway. thanks.

[p3tr]

Saw theirs now. i like it

firstly, it's a standalone thing, so you don't have to be online.

at this point, the functionality of cobra's thing is superior. (e.g. because at this point, we aren't reading maps, we don't have option for altitude profiles. and we don't read maps )
however, it would be possible to do that. also if one could agree on a format, or with people with their own format, it would be possible to have the maps containing data which you want (their maps look like they have everything you want already, though)
also, because it is a client-sde application, it would be easier to stream it inputs (or make it read a file with waypoints, and write another file with required bearings and trip-times.). were one to go portable, it may be possible to get it to read instruments (?), which would enable you to know also where you are going to end up the way you're going or where you are now (GPS makes that a bit redundant...)

what i like about theirs is getting the weather dynamically. bcause you're already online that is nicer. nothing that can't be done, but that depends on the guys sharing the weather data (how and with who)
that would also need you to be online when you're using it, which defeats the object a bit...
However, were this to go that way, one could have wind speed/directions at different altitudes ~live, which one could then use to plan optimal altitudes for route segments too (which it looks like cobra's doen't do at this time), don't know if that is something which would be appealing though...

suppose the biggest thing is that you can take ownership of it. you can think what you want it t do and ask for it, and then own the right to it along with everybody else, rather than have only what's available...

I like the one you showed me though.