What is it?

GndMaker (ground maker) was originally written in 1998 as a utility to automate the arduous task of creating sector files for ProController. In a nutshell, ProController is a client-server program that simulates the job of an Air Traffic Controller (remember the TRACON game way back?).  The difference is that you are actually controlling REAL (virtual) pilots flying with Microsoft Flight Simulator connected over the Internet

When I started writing sector files, I would slew around with Microsoft Flight Simulator 95, watching the co-ordinates change in the cockpit view.  I would record the co-ordinates and convert them (with a calculator) to the numerical format that ProController required (man, it would have been nice if they were the same...).

As you could imagine, this would take FOREVER to do a moderately complex airport with all the taxiway co-ordinate fiddling, etc. As I got into it more and more, I though it would be great if there was an automatic way to record Flight Simulator aircraft co-ordinates into sector file format directly.  I looked at how programs like Squawkbox, etc., retrieve state data from FS and this was with the FSUIPC module by Peter Dowson. So I use the same thing.

And it would also be nice if I can read through BGL scenery files and import airports, runways, low/high airways, waypoints, navaids, etc. sector files as well.  Hence GndMaker was born!

Latest News

04-Dec-2011: (NEW) I will be removing the timeout expiry from Gndmaker and posting a completely open version this month.

04-Dec-2011: I am coming up with a plan to release the source code to Gndmaker to a qualified person or entity. Nothing definate yet, but it you have any ideas how this can be accomplished, drop me a note.

Miscellaneous Info

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