Howto:Add procedures to the route manager

2026-05-25T17:10:51Z

RomanK: New procedure installer script

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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>There's a [https://codeberg.org/rkuchma/fg-nav-data-tools new Python script] inspired by the above, which also automagically creates the corresponding <code>*.runway_rename.xml</code> files. The renames make it possible to use fresh navdata procedures with outdated runways from base FG data which were renamed since their inclusion. However, the renamed runways are still displayed using the original names from <code>apt.dat.gz</code> in many places throughout the sim. This is simply a stop gap solution to get the procedures working with the least possible manual effort, and doesn't solve the issue with hopelessly outdated base airport data in FG.

== 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 2024.1.4, the following types of waypoints are supported<ref>{{flightgear source|path=src/Navaids/LevelDXML.cxx}}</ref>,

{| class="wikitable"
! Waypoint type !! Description !! Required Waypoint Tags
|-
| Normal || Waypoint for proceeding directly to the next one, after a flyby or a flyover, as set by <code>Flytype</code>. || <code>Name</code>, <code>Latitude</code>, <code>Longitude</code>
|-
| Runway || Same as a for a normal waypoint, except with added integrity check to confirm that the runway exists in the airport. || <code>Name</code>, <code>Latitude</code>, <code>Longitude</code>
|-
| Hold || Enter a holding. || <code>Name</code>, <code>Latitude</code>, <code>Longitude</code>, <code>Hld_Turn</code>, <code>Hld_Time_or_Dist</code>, <code>Hld_td_value</code>, <code>Hld_rad_value</code>
|-
| Vectors || Expect vectors by ATC. || <code>Airport</code> (supertag)
|-
| VorRadialIntc / Intc (both are the same) || Fly <code>Hdg_Crs_value</code> until a VOR radial is intercepted, then fly radial to next waypoint. || <code>Name</code>, <code>Latitude</code>, <code>Longitude</code>, <code>Hdg_Crs_value</code>, <code>RadialtoIntercept</code>
|-
| DmeIntc || Fly <code>Hdg_Crs_value</code> until <code>DMEtoIntercept</code> away from required DME, then fly an arc until the next waypoint. || <code>Name</code>, <code>Latitude</code>, <code>Longitude</code>, <code>Hdg_Crs_value</code>, <code>DMEtoIntercept</code>
|-
| ConstHdgtoAlt || Fly <code>Hdg_Crs_value</code> until Altitude is reached, then proceed to next waypoint. || <code>Name</code>, <code>Hdg_Crs_value</code>, <code>Altitude</code>
|-
| PBD || || <code>Name</code>, <code>Latitude</code>, <code>Longitude</code>, <code>Hdg_Crs_value</code>, <code>DMEtoIntercept</code>
|}

== 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