Aircraft Load Editor Version 0.1 -- May 04, 2003

Please read this document entirely. You won't need more than 5 minutes. There are important issues you are likely to miss otherwise.

Why ?

Because I got tired of changing the load of an aircraft by hand-editing the aircraft.cfg file. There are similar very good tools I know of, but they were built specifically for a certain aircraft (Scott Macmillan's LoadOtter and the tool for the DC-4 to name just two). I felt there is need for a more general one.

How do I install it ?

Simply unpack this archive in a directory of your choice. You can create a link to your desktop or start menu to this program (acload.exe) for easier use. You won't need no additional dlls to run it, this ain't no Visual Basic software. Long live C++ !

How does it work ?

This program goes through an aircraft.cfg file searching for some specific entries under the [WEIGHT_AND_BALANCE] section:

• max_gross_weight
  
  
• empty_weight
  
  
• station_load.*
  
  

A window containing this data is then displayed and the user is allowed to change the weight in each station_load point.

Can you be more specific ?

This is the main window, just after the file "c:\fs2002\aircraft\b737-200\aircraft.cfg" was loaded:

You will notice the following fields (left to right and up to down):

• MTOW = maximum takeoff weight (the max_gross_weight from the aircraft.cfg)
  
  
• ZFW = zero fuel weight (the empty_weight from the aircraft.cfg + the payload)
  
  
• Payload = the sum of all the weights of all the station loads
  
  
• Max Fuel = the maximum quantity of fuel one can have on board in this configuration. Please note that this is simply the differece MTOW - ZFW and that by loading this much fuel may not be appropriate (or even possible) -- use this as a reference only and read your aircraft manual for further information.
  
  
• Station loads = the station_load.* entries in the aircraft.cfg. They look like this:

  station_load.100 = 164.500, -26.246, 1.975, 4.340

  This can be found in the list:

  # = 100
  Load Weight = 164.500
  X Position = -26.246
  Y Position = 1.975
  Z Position = 4.340
  

• Currently editing = the aircraft.cfg file you're working on [duh:)]

The buttons:

• Open, Save, Save As, About, Exit = self - explanatory (please note that there is no "Are you sure?" dialogue before saving a file)
  
  
• Empty = a quick way to set all weights in all the station loads to 0

By clicking on the # of the station load you want to edit (any number in the first column of the list and only on this) you get a window that looks like the one below:

The weight was changed from 1000 to 500. After clicking OK, we can see the results:

As you probably noticed, the Payload and the Max Fuel fields were updated too, to reflect the new config (the first one was decreased with 500, the last one was increased with 500).

This is what happens when you click the Empty button:

Payload is now 0 and Max Fuel is simply the difference MTOW - ZFW.

Please note that you need to reload the aircraft after modifying the weight (thank MS for this).

Any bugs or other issues I should know about ?

• When entering data in the fields, please make sure to use the locale settings of your computer for real numbers (if you use a comma --,-- to separate the integer from the fractionary part, then do so in these fields). You will get a crash otherwise.
  
  
• If there are comments on the station_load lines, they will not be copied when saving the file. I'm working on a way to fix this.
  
  
• Although I tested it with a modified "aircraft.cfg" that contained more than 30000 station_loads (and it worked just fine, but it took a _long_ time to show the items in the list), I can't promise it will work with any aircraft.cfg. If you run into trouble, send me an e-mail with the aircraft.cfg you tried to use (as an attachment, please, this is important) and mention this utility's version you were using and what were you trying to do. More details do help.
  
  
• Please note that more bugs I am not aware of may exist.
  
  
• Please also note that this is the first release, so you may find some weird or "twisted" things here and there. Suggestions for enhancements are very welcomed (see below).
  
  

What's with the penguin ?

I'm a Linux programmer :D. I use Windoze just for FS2002 (and for some other time-wasting amusements).

Copyright

This is free software. As such, do whatever you want to do with it, just don't make money out of this. You are free to distriute this file as long as the archive is kept intact -- that is, it contains the files listed below:

acload.exe
acload.gif
fileid.txt
readme.html
img/empty.gif
img/mainw.gif
img/tux_hat_trans.gif
img/wchanged.gif
img/wchanging.gif

TODO

• [URGENT] Fix comment loss when comment placed on the same line as the data.
  
  
• [OPTIONAL] Show this comment as a "dirty" reference maybe ?
  
  
• [OPTIONAL] "Add load point" feature (do you need it ?)
  
  

Disclaimer

Although I can't think about what sort of harm this program could do to you or to your computer, cat, mouse, penguin or whatever, I don't assume responsibility in any such an event.

Contact & Update

email: avrincianu@gmx.net

My home page (latest version here): http://www.avrincianu.as.ro

Any comments/suggestions/bug reports are very welcomed.