A friend has generated some strip charts for a planned VFR flight.
The first thing we found is that they are MASSIVE. Using CutePDF, 300dpi generates a 24MB file (for 6 pages). 200dpi generates an 8MB file (which I can only marginally open on a 3GHz machine with 3GB RAM). Looking at the way the PDFs slowly draw themselves on the screen, it looks like each pixel is generated with a lot of data in the PDF.
But they do print eventually (on an inkjet) so the more concerning thing is this
where some of the airspace vertical extent labels are obscured by the halftone.
I don’t have SD myself and wonder if there is a config for this.
Why don’t you try a free-trial for Skydemon?
Peter, this is one of the most annoying of the few annoying things in SkyDemon.
The print output is not always complete, either. Under some circumstances (depending on printer, driver, etc. I suppose) some elements (say, airspace, or roads, etc.) will be omitted. And sending these docs to a printer takes ages.
I’ll post this on the SD forum and see what the feedback is. Should have done that months ago.
I’d suggest using the standard ‘SkyDemon 2’ chart style – the shading on the airspace borders is much lighter.
That said, I don’t know where that screwy dithering has come from – it must be the PDF printer driver.
The SkyDemon charts contain a lot of bitmapped stuff (the whole terrain layer for a start), so those file sizes are not surprising at 300dpi / A4.
It simply won’t work. In order to have all the details and labels show up on the map, it has to zoomed in a lot. Printing that on paper for any serious cross-country would be an uphill struggle and produce heaps of paper. Skydemon is clearly not thought for printing the chart on paper.
Bosco, I guess you mean is NOT thought for printing on paper, right?
Yep, corrected. Thx!
Just a warning to others using SkyDemon. I had a trial period earlier, and found lots of errors in airspaces. I made a post here some months ago complaining about these errors, but since my trial period was over I could not verify them (and didn’t remember exactly what was wrong with SkyDemon in particular, but Easy VFR had wrong class of airspace). Now, after 6 months I can start another trial, and I can verify there are several errors. These errors could be different than last time, but that is irrelevant, an error is an error.
SkyDemon, as mostly all of these apps, are subscription based. What I pay for is the digital maps to be up to date according to the current AIP. How the developers keep the maps up to date, does not really interest me. The only thing that matters is I have a map that is current, that is what I pay for.
Here is how SkyDemon report airspaces enroute from ENVA to ENOP:
There are two (and a half) error here. Cta South 17 does not extend down to the surface (and never has). It extends down to FL95.
Birch 7B does not extend down to the surface (and never has). It extends down to the lower limit of controlled airspace.
Danger Area END357 does not either extend down to the surface. Normally only to the lower limit of controlled airspace, but information is in NOTAM.
Here is how AIP report the airspace:
Birch and Oak etc are military training areas, rather large airspaces placed around the country, but they are high level, in controlled airspace. Low level activity could also be expected, but then information are given in NOTAM and by the ATC. Even so, this does not prohibit private activity in uncontrolled airspace below these airspaces, it ony means ATC wants to know about any such activity when military activity also is active. In Norway, low level military flying is done independent of military training areas, it can be done anywhere at any time (in principle).
Cta South 17 is the obvious error, it is plain wrong. Birch 7B and END357 are also wrong when flying VFR in G. Birch 7B is only relevant for IFR/VFR in controlled airspace, and then the only effect will be re-routing if necessary by the ATC. That is the main purpose of these airspaces, to allow military and civilian operation with a minimum of fuzz. For VFR in G, information is wanted by the ATC, but not required (unless NOTAM say otherwise in END357 and related areas). The error is therefore more a lack of understanding how the airspace work. Low level military flying can be expected anywhere, and independent of training areas. Birch, Oak etc airspaces are high level, and END357 and similar are by NOTAM.
Have you reported the problems on the SkyDemon forum? They might be able to fix it if they are aware.
SkyDemon does not have a monopoly on map errors.
I found an error in Garmin maps – a missing piece of Class A airspace in the UK. I reported it to Garmin years ago. It’s still not fixed.
