Sharing Data with SkyDemon for iPad
If you are not using SkyDemon for iPad, you can jump ahead to the next page by following the link at the bottom of the page.
iTunes File Sharing; The Basics
File sharing is a feature in iTunes which makes it easy to manipulate the documents on your iPad. Follow the steps below to get started.
1. Connect your iPad to your PC with the USB cable provided.
2. Open iTunes on the PC then select your iPad from the list of devices on the left.
3. Select 'Apps' from the categories at the top of the screen, then scroll down to the bottom of the page. You will see a list of apps on the left which support file sharing.
4. Select SkyDemon from the list of apps and you'll see all your current saved documents in the pane on the right.
5. Drag the files you would like to transfer from your desktop into the documents folder in iTunes. Keep on reading for more information on the types of files that can be shared this way.
Transferring Routes
Transferring Routes with iTunes File Sharing
In the list of files within iTunes you will see some ending in .flightplan, those are your saved routes. You can drag these from the list and onto your desktop to take routes off the iPad, and you can drag routes into the list from your desktop to put routes you've saved on your Mac/PC onto the iPad. Next time you open the Route menu and select Open on the iPad, you'll see the new routes you put there.
Transferring Routes by Email
You can easily share routes that you have created on the iPad with your friends by email; you have probably seen the option in the Route menu. You can also use this function to email routes to yourself, then open them from your email client on your PC.
This feature works in reverse, too. On your PC you can email a route to yourself by composing a normal email then attaching one of your saved SkyDemon routes, which you can find in the Routes folder, within the SkyDemon folder, which you'll find in your My Documents folder. Send the email, then in the Mail app on your iPad you should see the email come through. In the list that opens when you touch the attachment you'll be given the option to open the route in SkyDemon. You are then free to save the route into your iPad route library or just continue using it.
Transferring Routes using Cloud Storage
In the Route menu on your iPad you will see buttons labelled 'Save to Cloud' and 'Open from Cloud'. These enable you to easily save a route from your iPad and open it up instantaneously without the need to use iTunes or email for file sharing.
Simply plot a route, then tap 'Save to Cloud' and give your route a name in the New File field, or overwrite an existing file if you wish, then hit 'Done' on the keyboard. Your route will be automatically saved to our Cloud Storage facility. Log in to SkyDemon Plan on your PC and click on Route, then 'Open from Cloud', and you will see the route that you've just saved on your iPad is now available to load onto your PC. This, of course, works the other way round too, so you can save a route to the Cloud on your PC, then use the 'Open from Cloud' button on your iPad to view the route. Once the route has been loaded you have the option to save the route directly to your PC or iPad if you wish by using the normal 'Save' button.
Restarting SkyDemon for iPad
Some types of data are only read when SkyDemon for iPad is first started. Did you know that when you press the home button to return to the home screen, then open SkyDemon again, the app isn't actually closed? This is just how the iPad works, and is usually quite beneficial but can be confusing.
To actually close an app, press the iPad home button to return to the home screen. Then quickly double-tap the same button to reveal the list of all the apps currently running in the background. Press and hold your finger for a moment on any one of the apps to make them all start to jiggle, then you can close as many of them as you like by touching the little red minus symbol in the corner of each icon. Next time you open SkyDemon it will be started fresh, and any new data will be loaded (see below).
Sharing Aircraft Profiles
Your aircraft profiles on your PC are located in the Aircraft folder, within the SkyDemon folder, found in My Documents. You can drag profiles across to the SkyDemon documents folder using iTunes file sharing (see above) and they will then be available on your iPad after restarting the SkyDemon software (see above).
You can also use Cloud Storage to save and transfer your aircraft profiles to and from your PC or iPad. Open up your Aircraft library using the Aircraft button on your PC toolbar and you will see the buttons for 'Save to Cloud' and 'Load from Cloud'. On your iPad this can be found by opening your Flight Details window and tapping Aircraft. Then within the Aircraft Library window use the Tools button for your Cloud storage options.
Sharing User Waypoints
You can obtain a file containing user waypoints either from us (we make BGA turnpoints available), from the internet, or by exporting selected waypoints from SkyDemon Plan on your PC. User waypoint files are in GPX format, and the filename needs to end in .waypoints.gpx. SkyDemon for iPad looks for these files on startup and loads them into memory.
For example, to load the British Gliding Association turnpoints into SkyDemon for iPad, first download them from the Downloads page on our website and extract the file onto your desktop. The filename already ends in .waypoints.gpx so you shouldn't need to rename it. Then copy the file into the SkyDemon documents folder using iTunes file sharing (see above) and they will then be available on your iPad after restarting the SkyDemon software (see above).
To share individual waypoints open up the Waypoints window on your PC, highlight your waypoint and click Export. You will be prompted to name the waypoint, but be sure that the file name ends in .waypoints.gpx so that it is recognised when imported to your iPad. This file can then be dragged to the iPad file sharing folder in iTunes and will be available upon restarting the app.
Transferring Waypoints using Cloud Storage
To transfer your user-defined waypoints from the PC to the iPad, or vice versa, quickly and easily you can use the 'Save to Cloud' and 'Load from Cloud' options in the Waypoints window (tap Tools in this window on the iPad). All waypoints will be replaced by the ones loaded from the Cloud to avoid duplication.
Transferring the Postcode Database
The UK postcode database can be shared via iTunes in the same way as routes or user waypoint files. Just extract the zip file to your desktop then drag it into the documents folder in the iTunes file sharing section (see above).
Just remember that you need to enter a full postcode when using the 'Find' button in order for the search to generate a result. For more information on using postcodes see the User Customisations section of the documentation.
