>My understanding of what he wanted was the ability to click>on a desired waypoint on a map and have that entered into the>flightplan. FS Nav does allow that which is why I recommended>it.>Does not FSBuild also allow it? If how do you do instead in FSBuild?

>FSNav, gives you an FMS that will fly your airplane for you,>with LVAV and VNAV, you can put in altitude crossing>restrictions, speed restrictions, and you can even put in>holds, and it will enter a holding pattern for you. Perfect>for freeware aircraft that do not have FMCs.I would add perfect for those who want to decrease realism of simulation ;-)Michael J.http://www.reality-xp.com/community/nr/rsc/rxp-higher.jpg

Jfri...I really wasn't trying to pit FSBuild against FSNav. All I was trying to say, was that the two programs, in my extremely HUMBLE opinion, work well together. And FSNav gives you some extras that FSBuild doesn't. I find that your reply to my post was unnecessarily hostile.If you don't want to use, or you don't like FSNav, then don't use it. I'm simply gave you a bit more info on FSNav.By the way, you basically use FSBuild before you start FS. You use FSBuild to build your flight plan, and if it has a profile for your aircraft, you can also use it to do fuel planning and Vspeeds. But once you've exported that flight plan to FS then you close FSBuild and start FS9.Hence the reason why I mentioned the fact that if you wanted to fly to another waypoint, or you wanted to ammend the flightplan, for example, you could simply do that in FSNav.Incidentally, FSBuild also exports the flightplan in FSNav format, so you can see the flightplan in FSNav after you start FS9. FSNavigator has all the airspace boundaries, VORs, High and Low altitude airways, etc, available for viewing while you're flying. I use it sometimes to do my own flightplan if I don't like the one FSBuild did for me.Today, alot of people don't use the FMS function of FSNav because of FMCs etc, that's included with addons. But there's much more to FSNav than just an FMS.Finally, you don't have to believe anything I say here. Simply go over to the FSBuild website and downloade the freeware version. It offers much of the functionality of the payware version.Then go over to the FSNav site and download FSNavigator. It works for 20 or 30 starts with full functionality, after which you will have to purchase a registration key. The program installs a key for itself for every 30th person that downloads it so you may even be lucky. (I was).So, you get to try both programs for free and decide for yourself which is better or if you would want to keep both.

I

Hi all in the forum...why does a simple question always end up getting more involved than it should. Opinions are like backsides.....everybody has one.......The two main flightplanning tools both have advantages and disadvantages.....i use both for their advantages.....what i like best about fsnav is its moving map and the ability to connect it to a online gaming server such as Squawk box relay and have it see the online players within range (not as aircraft but as symbols) with their altitudes and speeds.so you can make amendments to your track if someone is flying a collision course and there is no current ATC. I find this better than having to run aibridge to get online tcas to work in the aircraft that i fly online. So as they say here...you pays your money and you takes your choice.....John Calleja

I don't think any of these "auto generated" applications use the real world "preferred routes". The FAA has some on http://www.fly.faa.gov/Products/Coded_Depa...s_database.htmlOf course most VATSIM Divisions have the preferred routes and even the Squawkbox flight plan. Just visit the respective website for the route your looking for.

FSBUILD 2.1Have fun :-)Andr

ah, why not use a real one? checkout fltplan.com. It is real and free and doesn't fly your aircraft. ;-)Regards,BobSSeems the rage to talk about the "size and speed" of each others computer. Beat this if you can for solving novel/unique problem anywhere in the cosmos. ..Have K&E and know how to use it!

I think there is a consensus here.FSNav, to me, is an indispensible tool in the background when flying ... for the moving map, and just for a sense of awareness of where you are if flying in unfamiliar territory; sometimes just to get an ILS, NDB or VOR freq, or to look at an airport layout for which you might not have plate. FSBuild is indispensible ecause of its completeness ... routes, fuel, vspeeds, etc ... and especially the export features. I may alter the FSBuild flightplan in FS9 (for Radar Contact purposes) and then again in FSNav if I want.For people who like planning, and route following details, and all that the process entails, then FSBuild and FSNav together can't be beat as a winning team.That's not to say that there aren't other planning tools which are very well done and helpful.Cheers and happy flight planning

>Jfri...>>I really wasn't trying to pit FSBuild against FSNav. >I understand that.>All I was trying to say, was that the two programs, in my>extremely HUMBLE opinion, work well together. And FSNav gives>you some extras that FSBuild doesn't. I find that your reply>to my post was unnecessarily hostile.>I never intended to put any hostility whatsoever in my post.I aplogise if it was perceived that way.>Finally, you don't have to believe anything I say here. Simply>go over to the FSBuild website and downloade the freeware>version. It offers much of the functionality of the payware>version.>I believe you. See no reason not to do so, and your (and others)info is helpful for me.>Then go over to the FSNav site and download FSNavigator. It>works for 20 or 30 starts with full functionality, after which>you will have to purchase a registration key. The program>installs a key for itself for every 30th person that downloads>it so you may even be lucky. (I was).>I was not my 20 starts has expired.

>I use both FSNav for flying and FSBuild2 for planning.I read in a german review of FSBuild that the map feature was not good.It was indistinct and it was difficult to read designations at airport NAVAID etc.It was also written that FSNav shoved how good a map could be.So what is your impression of the mapfeature in FSBuild.

I just specified KLEM - KMDT and KLEM is not in the database. http://rfinder.asalink.net/free/Also I specified a flight from KLBB KPIA and it couldn't give me a route.Barry

Well, kinda depends on what you

>FSBuild is less cluttered since you define where you want>different things to be displayed, the drawback is that it can>be difficult to get a good overview. On the other hand you can>always expand the "display" area.The review I mentioned stated that it for example was difficult to read the text designations on the map. Is it so?>Just in case you haven

>I use both FSNav for flying and FSBuild2 for planning.>>I read in a german review of FSBuild that the map feature was not >good. It was indistinct and it was difficult to read designations >at airport NAVAID etc. It was also written that FSNav shoved how >good a map could be.>>So what is your impression of the mapfeature in FSBuild.The idea of the Map feature in Fsbuild2 was to use it as a Flight Planning tool, not a map viewing tool. So the designations are not meant to be read straight off the map as in FSNav. In fact FSBuild's map does not zoom in as close as FSNav's map for this very reason.To demonstrate the difference between FSNav and Fsbuild's map as a flight planning tool Below are screenshots of FSNav and Fsbuild showing the approximate same area (High Airways) between Phoenix (KPHX) and Chicago (KORD).The first shot is FsNav the next 2 are Fsbuild.Notice on the 1st Fsbuild sceenshot there are only a few airways showing. This is because I used the Airways search feature in Fsbuild. That blue rectangle shows the search area. It tells Fsbuild show me only the airways that pass through that blue rectangle. Placing the search area between in a location about midway between KPHX and KORD does a fairly good job of showing the airways that run between KPHX and KORD. Because of this Fsbuild Map display can be far less cluttered than FSNav's.Note also that an airway is highlighted in red. This is done by pressing down the CTRL key and holding the mouse cursor over an airway line on the map, this then highlights the line in red. When highlighted the airway box on the right is selected to show you which airway is that Map line you just selected (J18). Also you can select the individual airway waypoints which will highlight in black (in this screenshot JOT (Joliet) is highlighted).Because of this selecting/highlighting feature, you can select and insert airway segments into your flight plan. For examplein the 1st FSB2 screenshot at the bottom I selected 'FORPE J18 JOT'. When pressing the segment insert button (that white buttonwith the green sorta less than stymbol) that 'FORPE J18 JOT' route segment is inserted into the flight plan, and all the associatedJ18 waypouints between FORPE and JOT ard inserted into the flight plan automatically.Now to do the same thing in FSNav what must be done ?You first must zoom in close enough to be able to determine which Map line belongs to which airway. When doing this for long distanceroutes zoomng in that close means you lose perspective as to where you are in relation to the route. Therefore you'll probably have to zoom in and out several times to properly gauge whether that airway is the proper airway for your route.When you have finally decided on J18, you will have to zoom in again, tediously follow that airway line on the map, and manually insert each individaul airway waypoint into your plan manually. And even when that is finally done, all the waypoint will be in your flight plan, but FSNav will have no idea which airway(s) your flight plan is on.As to whether which Map is better to me really depends on what you plan to use the Map for.For short distances its pretty easy in FsNav to zoom in the map and drag and drop waypoints into your flight Plan. But for longer distance that ease of use loses out to a tedious process of zooming in and zooming out, cluttering and de-cluttering.Does FSNavigator have a better more detailed, more attractive looking map than Fsbuild2 ? There's no question that FSNav does. But seeing the description above if you want to manually plan long distance Flight Plans, which Map is going to be the better Flight Planning tool for you ?http://www.fsbuild.com/dl/fsnavfsb2.jpgI can understand perfectly how the potential of this feature would be lost on some reviewers who might focus on how the Fsbuild2 map looks rather than what the Fsbuild2 map actually does.Regards.Ernie.