Howto:Add procedures to the route manager

2026-02-25T17:53:39Z

I-FABI: Changed Hdg_Crs_Value to Hdg_Crs_value. Changed VorRadialIntc/Intc to VorRadialIntc / Intc

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{{Autoflight Navigation}}

A free way to get more SID and STAR procedures for the FlightGear Route Planner.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=313123#p313123
| title = <nowiki> routeplanner stir sid </nowiki>
| author = <nowiki> Sarith </nowiki>
| date = Jun 24th, 2017
| added = Jun 24th, 2017
| script_version = 0.40
}}</ref>

Make some procedures yourself. Charts are easy to find and a quick search will find you the syntax. This is what FlightGear is all about; doing it yourself and sharing it to others. A quick search would also find existing packages.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=313128#p313128
| title = <nowiki> Re: routeplanner stir sid </nowiki>
| author = <nowiki> Parnikkapore </nowiki>
| date = Jun 24th, 2017
| added = Jun 24th, 2017
| script_version = 0.40
}}</ref>

== Installing procedure files ==
=== Manually ===
SID and STAR procedures are found in the <code>procedures.xml</code> file for an airport. There is at most one procedures file per airport and it is located in the root of the airport directory:

<code>[[$FG_SCENERY]]/Airports/I/C/A/ICAO.procedures.xml</code>

With the ICAO code of your airport replacing <code>ICAO</code>.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=313362#p313362
| title = <nowiki> Re: routeplanner stir sid </nowiki>
| author = <nowiki> Parnikkapore </nowiki>
| date = Jun 28th, 2017
| added = Jun 28th, 2017
| script_version = 0.40
}}</ref>

For example, to import SID or STAR procedures for Phuket International Airport (VTSP), you name the file <code>VTSP.procedures.xml</code> and put it in the directory

<code>[[$FG_SCENERY]]/Airports/V/T/S/</code>

In there you will likely find for example <code>VTSP.twr.xml</code>, but not an existing <code>VTSP.procedures.xml</code> file.

Replace <code>VTSP</code> in the directory and <code>procedures.xml</code> file name with your airport code.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=313409#p313409
| title = <nowiki> Re: routeplanner stir sid </nowiki>
| author = <nowiki> Parnikkapore </nowiki>
| date = Jun 29th, 2017
| added = Jun 29th, 2017
| script_version = 0.40
}}</ref>

=== Bash script for organizing files ===
ZirconiumX wrote a bash script for putting the XML files into the the right directories in the scenery.<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=280561#p280561
| title = <nowiki> Re: Non-Navigraph SID/STAR xml files </nowiki>
| author = <nowiki> ZirconiumX </nowiki>
| date = Mar 26th, 2016
| added = Mar 26th, 2016
| script_version = 0.40
}}</ref>

<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
for file in $(ls *.xml)
do
# First, rename all the files to the correct convention
mv "$file" "${file%.xml}.procedures.xml"

# Then move it to the correct place
icao=${file%.xml}
icao1=$(echo $icao | cut -c 1)
icao2=$(echo $icao | cut -c 2)
icao3=$(echo $icao | cut -c 3)
mkdir -p $icao1/$icao2/$icao3
mv "${icao}.procedures.xml" "$icao1/$icao2/$icao3/${icao}.procedures.xml"
done
</syntaxhighlight>

=== Navigraph procedures for linux users ===

* Create a directory to install procedures, let's say navigraph
* Download the bash script and make it executable
* Download the IFMS data from navigraph down load page [https://navigraph.com/downloads navigraph downloads] (paid subscription)
* Expand the data
* Create an Airports directory
* Start the navigraph.sh script with the directories as parameters : ie ./navigraph.sh navdata_native_2511 Airports

Bash script inspired from the one from ZirconiumX<syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
#!/usr/bin/bash
#
# Organize navigraph procedures
#
#
if (( $# < 2 ))
then
printf "%b" "Error. Not enough arguments.\n" >&2
printf "%b" "usage: navigraph.sh fromdirectory todirectory\n" >&2
printf "use directories without trailing slash" >&2
exit 1
fi

fromDir=$1
toDir=$2

for file in $(ls $fromDir/*.xml)
do
filename=${file##*/}
name=${filename%.*} # delete everything after last dot
upcase=${name^^} # uppercase everything

target="$upcase.procedures.xml"
# Then move it to the correct place
icao=${name^^}
icao1=$(echo $icao | cut -c 1)
icao2=$(echo $icao | cut -c 2)
icao3=$(echo $icao | cut -c 3)

dirToCreate=$toDir/$icao1/$icao2/$icao3
echo "creating dir $dirToCreate"
mkdir -p $dirToCreate
echo "copy $fromDir/$filename to $toDir/$icao1/$icao2/$icao3/$target"
cp $fromDir/$filename $toDir/$icao1/$icao2/$icao3/$target
done
</syntaxhighlight>Now you can start flightgear using this directory as a scenery source <blockquote>...

-- fg-scenery=/home/user/fg/Navigraph

...</blockquote>

== File structure ==
In the explanation below, the name like "ProceduresDB" is the tag - so it's actually <code><ProceduresDB></code> in the XML file.
The subsequent parameters, like "build" are attributes - so it's actually <code><ProceduresDB build=""></code> in the XML file.

<pre>
ProceduresDB [build] (one of these per file)
|
Airport [ICAOcode] (one of these per file)
|
Sid [Name, Runways (comma separated - example: "08L,08R")] (many of these per Airport)
|
Sid_Waypoint [ID (unique sequential integer)] (many of these per Sid)
|
Name
Type
Latitude
Longitude
Speed
Altitude
AltitudeCons
AltitudeRestriction (one of "above" or "below" or "at")
Hdg_Crs (optional. example value = "1")
Hdg_Crs_value (optional. heading degrees)
Sp_Turn (optional. example value = "Auto")
...
Sid_Transition [Name] (just one of these per Sid)
|
SidTr_Waypoint [ID] (many of these per Sid_Transition)

Star [Name] (many of these per Airport)
|
Star_Waypoint [ID] (many of these per Star)
...
Star_Transition [Name] (just one of these per Star)
|
StarTr_Waypoint [ID] (many of these per Star_Transition)

Approach [Name] (e.g., ILS08L - uses IL, if appropriate, and the runway name by convention)
|
App_Waypoint [ID]
App_Transition [Name] (just one of these per Approach)
|
AppTr_Waypoint [ID] (many of these per App_Transition)
</pre>

== Waypoints ==
As of FlightGear 24.1.4, the following types of waypoints are supported<ref>{{flightgear source|path=src/Navaids/LevelDXML.cxx}}</ref>,
<table>
<tr> <th> Waypoint type </th> <th> Description <th> Required Waypoint Tags </th> </tr>
<tr> <td> Normal </td> <td> Waypoint for proceeding directly to the next one, after a flyby or a flyover, as set by flytype </td> <td>Name, latitude, longitude</td> </tr>
<tr> <td> Runway </td> <td> Same as a Normal Waypoint, Except with added integrity check to confirm that the runway exists in the airport</td> <td>Name, latitude, longitude</td> </tr>
<tr> <td> Hold </td> <td> Enter a holding </td> <td>Name, latitude, longitude, Hld_Turn, Hld_Time_or_Dist, Hld_td_value, Hld_rad_value</td> </tr>
<tr> <td> Vectors </td> <td> Expect Vectors by ATC </td> <td> Airport (supertag) </td> </tr>
<tr> <td> VorRadialIntc / Intc (both are the same) </td> <td> Fly Hdg_Crs_value until a VOR radial is intercepted, then fly radial to next waypoint </td> <td>Name, latitude, longitude, Hdg_Crs_value, RadialtoIntercept</td> </tr>
<tr> <td> DmeIntc </td> <td> Fly Hdg_Crs_value until DMEtoIntercept away from required DME, then fly an arc until the next waypoint. </td> <td>Name, latitude, longitude, Hdg_Crs_value, DMEtoIntercept</td> </tr>
<tr> <td> ConstHdgtoAlt </td> <td> Fly Hdg_Crs_value until Altitude is reached, then proceed to next waypoint. </td> <td> Name, Hdg_Crs_value, Altitude </td> </tr>
<tr> <td> PBD </td> <td> </td> <td>Name, latitude, longitude, Hdg_Crs_value, DMEtoIntercept</td> </tr>
</table>
== Sample procedures.xml files ==
Here are some links to example XML files which follows the format specified above:
* {{github source
| proj = jojo2357
| repo = flightgear-star-sid-manager
| path = 2020.4/Airports/K/A/T/KATL.procedures.xml
}}<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?p=313583#p313583
| title = <nowiki> Re: routeplanner stir sid </nowiki>
| author = <nowiki> eric </nowiki>
| date = Jul 2nd, 2017
| added = Jul 2nd, 2017
| script_version = 0.40
}}</ref>
* {{github source
| proj = terrasync
| repo = main
| path = Airports/L/F/R/LFRB.procedures.xml
}}

== Sources for procedure files ==
=== Installing free community procedures ===
The FAA provides the [https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/cifp/ CIFP] which provides procedure data for airports under the purview of the FAA, namely the US.

There is a free project on {{github source
| user = jojo2357
| repo = flightgear-star-sid-manager
| text = GitHub
}} that aims to take FAA data and format it into the Level-D required by FlightGear. For instructions on how to install, see {{github source
| user = jojo2357
| repo = flightgear-star-sid-manager
| path = README.MD#installation
| text = this section
}} of the README.

This project uses GitHub Actions in order to automatically update the procedures at the start of a new AIRAC cycle.

=== Commercial sources ===
A process to import SID/STARs from Navigraph Level D (obtaining this data requires paid subscription to Navigraph) was described on the forum.

Quoting here for reference:{{cite web
| url=https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=37975&start=15#p416078
| title = <nowiki> Re: How to get SIDs and STARs in Airbus A320 mcdu </nowiki>
| author = <nowiki> mpotra </nowiki>
| quote = :
# Download Level-D navdata from Navigraph (On the Downloads -> Manual Download page)
# This is ZIP file with a Windows Installer executable inside. If you're on Windows already, run the installer, select a version (Prepar3D/PD3) and then skip to step 4.
# The executable is a Inno Setup executable. In Linux you can extract the contents with `innoextractor -e leveld_2311.exe` for example, which will output a "code$AppName" directory.
# In the extracted directory you'll find a "navdata" folder containing XML files with procedures for all airports for the AIRAC cycle with filenames as "<ICAO>.xml".
# You can either rename in bulk or single file from "<ICAO>.xml" to "<ICAO>.procedures.xml" for desired airports.
# Create a new directory somewhere (anywhere you want) say "AIRAC/2311", and inside it create the "Airports" directory. (camel-case formatted - "airports" with small letter A didn't work for me)
# Inside this "Airports" directory, create new subdirectories for each airport you want to bring in, using the [I]/[C]/[A] format. For example, if you want to add Vienna airport LOWW, create the subdirectories "Airports/L/O/W" - do not create the fourth subdirectory [W] (it won't work)
# Copy the renamed file from step 5 into this last subdirectory. For example, copy "LOWW.procedures.xml" into "AIRAC/2311/Airports/L/O/W" directory, resulting in "AIRAC/2311/Airports/L/O/W/LOWW.procedures.xml". Example 2: for Budapest airport copy "LHBP.procedures.xml" into "AIRAC/2311/Airports/L/H/B", resulting in "AIRAC/2311/Airports/L/H/B/LHBP.procedures.xml"
# In FlightGear, add the "AIRAC/2311" directory to your sceneries paths.
# Reload FlightGear and enjoy SID/STARs in your MCDU
}}

== References ==
{{Appendix}}

== Related content ==
=== Wiki articles ===
* [[Route manager]]
* [[Flightplan XML formats]]

=== Mailing list threads ===
* [https://sourceforge.net/p/flightgear/mailman/flightgear-devel/thread/222DD5B1-B7F1-421B-84AE-A60353203085@flightgear.org/ <nowiki>[Flightgear-devel<nowiki>]</nowiki> Procedures SID/STAR/Approach]

=== Source code ===
* {{flightgear source|path=src/Navaids/LevelDXML.hxx}}
* {{flightgear source|path=src/Navaids/LevelDXML.cxx}}

FlightGear wiki - User contributions [en]

Howto:Add procedures to the route manager