Cross-Country Soaring 2004
User Guide 
11. Scripted Mode vs. Unscripted Mode
Cross-Country Soaring (CCS) has two basic soaring modes. These modes were previously known as single-player and multi-player modes. However, many users chose to fly in multi-player mode, even when flying offline and alone, because multi-player mode gave the possibility of designing a flight with scenery clouds atop CCS thermals – something single-player mode couldn’t offer. Therefore, these modes were renamed. Single-player mode was renamed “unscripted” mode. Multi-player mode was renamed “scripted” mode. Read on to understand why.
Uncripted mode was originally designed for flying alone and is not the recommended mode for multi-player flight. This mode could also be called “random” mode, as it contains the greatest ability to randomize the soaring experience. This mode also has the best simulation of thermal leaning in changing wind conditions. In unscripted mode thermals are randomly placed as you fly. This makes unscripted mode inappropriate for multi-player flying, as each pilot would find thermals in different places at different times. The main shortcoming of this mode is its lack of a way to have clouds atop thermals. This mode is nice, though, for its ease of use and its automatic randomization of soaring conditions.
Scripted mode was originally designed for multi-player use. This mode operates using a sort of “script”, a file containing data describing each thermal (location, beginning and ending times, strength, etc.). To use CCS in a multi-player session, each player should have CCS running in scripted mode and should be using the same script file. Scripted mode also offers two ways to have cumulus clouds at the top of CCS thermals. The main shortcoming of scripted mode is its relative difficulty of use compared to unscripted mode.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the two modes, a more detailed explanation will be given. The next page describes how to create a CCS script file. If you’re content to use CCS in its simplest mode, flying alone (i.e., not in a multi-player session) and without clouds atop thermals, then skip ahead. Otherwise, read on…
In unscripted mode, CCS places each thermal randomly based on the aircraft’s position at the time the thermal is created. This is not suitable in a multi-player environment, however, as you couldn’t count on diving into a thermal in which you saw another plane circling. The lift probably wouldn’t exist for you. The primary distinction of scripted mode is that it places thermals based on a fixed data file, or “script” (named script.dat). By sharing this data file with other users, multiple users can fly together and find thermals in the same places at the same times.
House Thermals
House thermals are available only in unscripted mode.
Script-Related Settings
There are two script-related modes: scripted mode and create script file mode. Scripted mode is used for flying. Create script file is used for… you guessed it… creating a script file.
Script Create Option
There are three options for what input is used by CCS (in addition to certain CCS settings) to create the script file. The options are…
· No Thermiek Project File
· Thermiek Project File with 1X Coverage
· Thermiek Project File with 2X Coverage
See the next page for more about creating a script file.
Start/Stop Time
This is the earliest/latest time at which scripted flight will take place. Use 24-hr. clock format (HH:MM). CCS will only create thermals during this period (plus a few minutes before and after this period). Note that any thermals produced outside CCS’ “global” soarable time window (see Auto-Generated Soaring Conditions) will be inactive.
Latitudes/Longitudes
These settings only apply when not using a Thermiek project file. (Otherwise, the project file defines the latitude/longitude bounds.) Enter the latitudes and longitudes that define the bounds of the rectangular area in which you want thermal activity. Use the DD.DDDD format, where North and East are positive.
Flying in Scripted Mode
To fly in scripted mode, simply…
1. Place the script file (script.dat) in your CCS program folder. If you created the script file yourself, CCS already automatically placed it there.
2. Start the CCS Control Panel program, and select Scripted mode.
3. Click Exit and Launch Cross-Country Soaring.
In scripted mode, all parameters of the simulation are controlled by script.dat, so no other changes are required in the CCS Control Panel. Be sure to fly during the time period given at the beginning of script.dat, which you can open with any common text editor (e.g., Notepad). You must also fly in the geographic area for which script.dat was created. An easily readable description of this area is not given in script.dat, but the creator of the file should have distributed with it a “readme” type file describing the area. The creator may have also distributed a saved FS flight file placing you in the correct area ready to fly. If all else fails, you can deduce the area by looking at the records making up script.dat. The second and third fields in each record are the latitude and longitude, respectively, in radians of the thermal. Just sample a few records to find a range, and start flying in the middle of the defined area. You’ll probably find, though, that it’s easier to simply create your own script.dat file for the area in which you want to fly (see the next page).