Just a quick heads up to let you know that X3 Sector Planner 1.3 has been released to the VIP's. It will be available for general download soon.
There are several new features, but most importantly it fixes issues with sectors imports and SPP's which had rendered the planner useless.

For those of you who've been questioning why X3: Sector Planner needs .NET v1.1, it just does! Without getting into long and borring discussions, the best option is just to download and install the 1.1 framework. There is a link in the downloads section that will take you to the relevant Microsoft download page.

Where have the last two months gone?

Unusually I have been writting software nearly full time at work and therefore I just haven't been in the mood to write more code when I have finished after 10+ hours of coding at work. As a result Sector Planner has been gathering dust in an unloved corner.

One of these days I will make a release that doesn't require a fix within a day!
This is purely a bug fix release and resolves the following issues.

• X3SP now correctly prompts for a file name when saving a new file for the first time.
• Fixed an error with the import routine that did not set the race ownership correctly on player owned factories causing the error "Failed to enable constraints - one or more rows violating non-null, unique or foreign key constraints." when loading a saved file.
• Corrected error with game import routines that erroneously flagged sectors with mines as containing shipyards / docks.

A new version of Sector Planner has been released today adding the long awaited universe import functionality. Full details of how to use the import functionality can be found in the new online help file that is installed with X3: Sector Planner.
The major issues / functionality addressed in the 1.2 release are:

• Script and import functionality now working
• Number of code changes and additions to support the import functionality
• Speeded up redrawing of the main sector map
• Fixed a bug that caused Sector Planner to hang on startup on Windows 98
• Added simple online help
• Checking the zero price box in the station calculator fixed
• Using the explore functionality doesn't reset the position of the scrollbars
• Started some background work for localization
• Improved plugin handling to avoid potential conflicts
• Improved speed of redrawing the background picture, particularly on window resize.

Sorry to those that have emailed me, or donated over the last week as I have been away and unable to access my email. I am now working through the backlog and you should have a response / your access codes today.
If you have donated and you haven't heard from me by 5th March, please let me know ASAP.

Sector Planner now has the long awaited import functionality (allowing you to import the current state of your game) and has been released to the VIP's today.
If you'd like access to this functionality now, why not head over to the DONATE page and get early access to this and future releases by donating?

I am currently in the testing phase for the import functionality for X3: Sector Planner.
Once this is complete you will be able to import the current state of your save games (via a script) into Sector Planner. This will be released to the VIP's this weekend.

If you'd like access to this functionality as soon as its released, why not head over to the DONATE page and get early access to future releases by donating?

I have finally released a version of X3: Sector Planner that uses the correct values for resources and should have nailed the earlier inaccuracies. This version still does not offer any form of universe import, however I am working on this and I should have something viable within the next few weeks.
Why not hop along to the downloads page and grab yourself a copy. If you like it, why not donate and get early access to future releases?

Just a quick heads up to let you all know that the latest release has been posted to the VIP area and providing there are no show stopping bugs found I will release it for general consumption in time for the weekend.

The good news is that those of you kind enough to donate have met half the price of the new graphics card for my development machine. The new graphics card has arrived which of course means that development of X3: Sector Planner has started again. Watch this space for further information about the development progress.

If you find Sector Planner useful and would like to support further development of Sector Planner, please donate.
As a bonus those people who have contributed (through donations, testing, coding etc) they gain access to the VIP area of the site which contains up to date information of the development progress, early access to new releases and will, in due course, contain some exclusive VIP only items.

Unfortunately about a week ago the graphics card on my development machine died a horrible death which has currently suspended further work on X3: Sector Planner.
I had hopped to be able to afford to replace it this side of Christmas, however this is now looking increasingly unlikely.

I have chosen to release X3: Sector Planner even though it is not finished or entirely bug free. Obviously this is something I would rather not have to do, however I hope that the community can get some use out of it as it stands.
The major issues can be viewed on the Known Issues page, however the most notable are errors in the station resources requirements and the fact that it is still branded as X2: Sector Planner.

On a final note, I have added a donate option to the website, if anyone would like to donate funds, however small, I will use these towards the purchase of a new graphics card and to fund future development of X3: Sector Planner.

X3: Sector Planner was released to a small group of beta testers today. It contains a number of additional features over and above those of X2: Sector Planner. Most notable is the new anti-spoiler feature that allows you to reveal the sector map as you explore.

If the testing goes well over the next week or so I should be able to publically release X3SP.

Thanks to those that are beta testing.