display .pdf files

[vlittle]

It would be very handy to be able to display the install guide and user's guide pdf files on the SV screens. Would simplify installation and debug... and could even be used for (gasp) checklists.

For the time being, they could be stored on the thumb drive, but internally would be beneficial. That would help when away from home base.

Vern

 

[preid]

I can see a great benefit to viewing .pdf files on the display. like the pilot manual that reminds me the steps to using the autopilot. I have been looking down on a ipad to figure out the "expert" autopilot buttons, but having it on the screen as I am "training" would certainly help.

 

[bbtapb]

Yea, having the OSH NOTAM on screen would be nice.

 

[dynonsupport]

You guys sure dream big!

SkyView is not a general purpose PC, and that's one of it's advantages. It's a stable system that does the specific things it does extraordinarily well. Limiting what it can do is part of what makes it safe, stable, and powerful.

Dealing with PDF files is a pretty complex task and can burn a lot of memory and CPU time. On my PC here, opening the SkyView install guide takes 70 MB of memory and takes a few seconds, and SkyView isn't a PC with tons of memory and a swap drive. It's probably not something SkyView is well suited to.

Then there is the whole UI thing, file selection, where to display it, dealing with fonts in foreign character sets, making sure a corrupt PDF doesn't hang your whole PFD, dealing with customer complaints if it isn't perfect....

If you're wondering, the charts we support are not PDFs for almost all these exact same reasons, so we aren't already doing PDFs in SkyView.

Sometimes it takes us a little longer to implement new features, because we want every feature to be complete and not interfere with any other flight function. We test for that extensively. We think there is a place in the cockpit for a general purpose table/iPad for general purpose reference. But making SkyVIew a general purpose PC would take away from the safety and usability of dedicated flight instruments.

--Ian Jordan
Dynon Avionics

 

[jc2da]

Yes, in complete agreement here. Keep Skyview as simple, stable and fast as possible for the things we NEED, not necessarily for all the things we WANT. PDFs can be easily printed out on paper or viewed on a tablet or phone.

 

[vlittle]

You guys sure dream big!

SkyView is not a general purpose PC, and that's one of it's advantages. It's a stable system that does the specific things it does extraordinarily well. Limiting what it can do is part of what makes it safe, stable, and powerful.

Dealing with PDF files is a pretty complex task and can burn a lot of memory and CPU time. On my PC here, opening the SkyView install guide takes 70 MB of memory and takes a few seconds, and SkyView isn't a PC with tons of memory and a swap drive. It's probably not something SkyView is well suited to.

Then there is the whole UI thing, file selection, where to display it, dealing with fonts in foreign character sets, making sure a corrupt PDF doesn't hang your whole PFD, dealing with customer complaints if it isn't perfect....

If you're wondering, the charts we support are not PDFs for almost all these exact same reasons, so we aren't already doing PDFs in SkyView.

Sometimes it takes us a little longer to implement new features, because we want every feature to be complete and not interfere with any other flight function. We test for that extensively.  We think there is a place in the cockpit for a general purpose table/iPad for general purpose reference. But making SkyVIew a general purpose PC would take away from the safety and usability of dedicated flight instruments.

--Ian Jordan
  Dynon Avionics

So playing MP3 files is out of the question, too? .

Actually, the issue is not really viewing pdf files, it's a convenient way for viewing the manuals. These could be encoded in a much simpler format for this purpose. Just to be clear, they do not have to be stored in internal memory, just on the memory stick.

Not all of us have room in the cockpit for reams of paper manuals or large tablets. I do have room on the panel to mount an iPad mini or Android tablet, however. I was originally going to mount a SV-D700 there, but I think you've convinced me that I need the flexibility of a tablet.

Thanks! (this may be interpreted as somewhat acidic humour)

 

[TRCsmith]

I'd like to watch NETFLIX movies while in cruze.

 

[dynonsupport]

Well of course Netflix is on the list. Just download their whole catalog to a USB stick* and we can play it.

*Not responsible for aircraft unable to depart with the 12,000 lb USB stick required to store all 3.14 petabtes of Netflix.