[OpenKneeBoard] WDP Converter Tool
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Hi fellow Viper pilots. I have created an app to convert WDP data cards to a format that can be imported into OpenKneeBoard. If you haven’t tried OpenKneeBoard already, you really should as it offers many more features than the inbuilt kneeboards of Falcon BMS, especially for VR users.
Download the tool from here: WDP Converter V1.0.2
The previous version is available here: WDP Converter V1.0.1
Copy the zip file to a place of your choosing and extract it. It’s best to place it in a folder of its own, e.g. c:\wdpconverter.
Generate your data cards with WDP.
Run the WDP Converter app and you will be presented with a window with four folder boxes to fill out.
WDP Datacard Root Folder:
- Point this at your Weapon Delivery Planner\Datacards folder.
WDP Datacard Folder:
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When you select Browse, the app will open the WDP Datacard root folder that you selected above.
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Now navigate to your mission data card folder for your flight, e.g. TR_BMS_01_GroundOPS\2065\Goblin 2
BMS Charts Folder:
- Using the Browse button, navigate to the charts folder for your mission, e.g. D:\Falcon\Falcon BMS 4.37\Docs\03 KTO Charts\01 South Korea
Kneeboard Folder:
- This will be the folder in which wdpconverter will compile a set of kneeboard files and folders that you can point OpenKneeBoard tabs to, e.g. D:\Falcon\Kneeboard
WDP Converter will generate the following folders if they do not already exist:
- Alternate Charts
- Arrival Charts
- Briefing
- Coordination Card
- Datacard
- Departure Charts
- Friendly Station List
- Map
Alternatively, for v1.0.2 onwards, you can specify your own folder names or send the output to a combined folder by modifying the CUSTOM_OUTPUT_FOLDERS section of the wdpconverter.ini file. The custom folder names will be appended to the “Kneeboard Folder” that can be configured on the main window. An example ini file is provided with the zip file. The app will use the default folder names if none are provided in the ini file.
Note that it is best to close OpenKneeBoard whilst running the app as OpenKneeBoard may crash when the kneeboard files are updated.
Your WDP settings must have Knee Updater Format “enabled”, Helios File Naming “disabled” and picture size to “A4”.
If the app crashes, it should generate a log file in the same folder where the application is stored. Please send it to me and I will investigate the fault.
Let me know if there are any features that you think would be useful and I will do what I can to incorporate them.
**** Various virus checkers are getting upset with this tool. It’s a known problem when converting a python script to an executable. I can assure you that there isn’t a virus in this app. I will try to find a method to generate an executable that doesn’t trigger the alerts but until then, you will need to instruct your virus software to ignore this app.
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Thanks for this! I keep getting an error though in with the briefing .jpg, it looks like your app expects the briefing .jpg in certain name format, the actual name of the file output by WDP in this case is “Mudhen 3_A_Briefing.jpg”:
.Log Contents
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “wdpconverter.py”, line 466, in main
File “wdpconverter.py”, line 281, in ConvertBriefing
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: ‘J:\Falcon BMS 4.36 Setup\Weapon_Delivery_Planner_3.7.24.232\Datacards\Save-Day 1 01 12 02\4021\Mudhen 3\Mudhen 3_Briefing.jpg’ -
@Snake122 Hi. The script works out the name of the briefing file from the callsign in the .bdc file and appends _Briefing.jpg to it to make up the filename.
Can you send me your .dbc file from your mission data card folder please so I can try to see what is going on?
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Updated original post:
WDP settings must have Knee Updater format “enabled” and Helios File Naming “disabled” - thanks Snake122.
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@scubapics said in WDP Converter Tool:
WDP settings must have Knee Updater format “enabled” and Helios File Naming “disabled”
Additional I also had to change from WDP Saved Picture Size “A5 size” to “A4 size”
know its working, Thanks for the great tool
Cheers Elmo -
@flyelmo Thanks I’ll update the OP. Glad you like it and I hope it adds value to your VR experience!
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Very nice. Will check it out.
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This is a fantastic tool and I’ve been looking for something like this ever since 4.37 came and introduced VR!! Thank you for making this!
One suggestion, if possible: can you make it such that the user can control where the converted output files are stored in terms of their folders? For example, I want the datacard, map, and briefing all to be output to one folder. I want to do this to avoid having separate tabs in openkneeboard for those items. Currently each of those converted files gets their own folder and subsequently their own tab in openkneeboard.
Hope that makes sense but let me know it doesn’t!
Thanks again!
Edit: as an aside, it would be AWESOME if this functionality was embedded inside of WDP, so you didn’t have to run both apps prior to mission start in order to get the latest files into openkneeboard.
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@lethal I will give it some thought. Thanks for the feedback. Regarding integrating with WDP… you will need to ask the author of the WDP about that.
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New feature: custom output folders.
For v1.0.2 onwards, you can specify your own folder names or send the output to a combined folder by modifying the CUSTOM_OUTPUT_FOLDERS section of the wdpconverter.ini file. The custom folder names will be appended to the “Kneeboard Folder” that can be configured on the main window. An example ini file is provided with the zip file. The app will use the default folder names if none are provided in the ini file.
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@scubapics awesome thank you!
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Hello scubapics,
I was exactly looking for something like this. Very much appreciated and many thanks for your work.
Have a great weekend.
Greetz,
Tweety -
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@scubapics said in [OpenKneeBoard] WDP Converter Tool:
Hi fellow Viper pilots. I have created an app to convert WDP data cards to a format that can be imported into OpenKneeBoard. If you haven’t tried OpenKneeBoard already, you really should as it offers many more features than the inbuilt kneeboards of Falcon BMS, especially for VR users.
Download the tool from here: WDP Converter V1.0.2
The previous version is available here: WDP Converter V1.0.1
Copy the zip file to a place of your choosing and extract it. It’s best to place it in a folder of its own, e.g. c:\wdpconverter.
Generate your data cards with WDP.
Run the WDP Converter app and you will be presented with a window with four folder boxes to fill out.
WDP Datacard Root Folder:
- Point this at your Weapon Delivery Planner\Datacards folder.
WDP Datacard Folder:
-
When you select Browse, the app will open the WDP Datacard root folder that you selected above.
-
Now navigate to your mission data card folder for your flight, e.g. TR_BMS_01_GroundOPS\2065\Goblin 2
BMS Charts Folder:
- Using the Browse button, navigate to the charts folder for your mission, e.g. D:\Falcon\Falcon BMS 4.37\Docs\03 KTO Charts\01 South Korea
Kneeboard Folder:
- This will be the folder in which wdpconverter will compile a set of kneeboard files and folders that you can point OpenKneeBoard tabs to, e.g. D:\Falcon\Kneeboard
WDP Converter will generate the following folders if they do not already exist:
- Alternate Charts
- Arrival Charts
- Briefing
- Coordination Card
- Datacard
- Departure Charts
- Friendly Station List
- Map
Alternatively, for v1.0.2 onwards, you can specify your own folder names or send the output to a combined folder by modifying the CUSTOM_OUTPUT_FOLDERS section of the wdpconverter.ini file. The custom folder names will be appended to the “Kneeboard Folder” that can be configured on the main window. An example ini file is provided with the zip file. The app will use the default folder names if none are provided in the ini file.
Note that it is best to close OpenKneeBoard whilst running the app as OpenKneeBoard may crash when the kneeboard files are updated.
Your WDP settings must have Knee Updater Format “enabled”, Helios File Naming “disabled” and picture size to “A4”.
If the app crashes, it should generate a log file in the same folder where the application is stored. Please send it to me and I will investigate the fault.
Let me know if there are any features that you think would be useful and I will do what I can to incorporate them.
**** Various virus checkers are getting upset with this tool. It’s a known problem when converting a python script to an executable. I can assure you that there isn’t a virus in this app. I will try to find a method to generate an executable that doesn’t trigger the alerts but until then, you will need to instruct your virus software to ignore this app.
Hi…I just discovered your app…very useful.
Only one thing…do you know if it is possible to generate the comms ladder kneeboard from WDP?It is the only thing missing, and I am using ezboards or autokneepad for generating the kneeboards from the briefing. -
Are you asking if WDP can generate the coms ladder or are you asking if the converter tool can get it from WDP?
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@scubapics I meant to ask the first one (if wdp can in some way generate the comms ladder) as I know this app is just a converter on top of wdp…
But I am open to other solutions -
@Virus I supposse comms ladder is the left kneeboard generated by ezboards, right?
In that case, in wdp go to kneeboards, below datacards button and select left briefing in first left slot and then press “update kneeboard”.
I’m asking you from memory, later I’ll confirm you the steps
Regards
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@Skorp afaik, wdp doesn’t ever list the comm presets, only the frequencies.
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@Skorp
EZBoards creates the DDS (7992 I think), this represents the first position in the kneeboard and the first left and right slots in WDP. If you select “Don’t Change” in the WDP kneeboard updater tool, then WDP wont overwrite it. -
@rubbra Ahhh okay, okay.
No, I´dont see the presets, only freqs and TACAN channels of the flights (these not in EZBoards)
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@CriticalMass yes, I was using WDP kneeboards until Openkneeboard.
Then I´m using one OpenKneeBoard over right knee, and EZBoards for “real” kneeboards.
Cheers and