Ahhh, I should've got that, I semi-frequently lurk in your streams
I'm going to make a resolution for 2024 - write documentation for EDJP, BioInsights, and maybe the other plugins.
OK, so when you hit Make Route you initially set a filename and then have an option to overwrite or append if the route already exists.
For the actual route creation part, you have 3 options:
- Select systems on Galaxy Map
- Plot routes to systems on Galaxy map
- Import from Clipboard
There are also 2 check boxes:
- Look up missing coordinates on EDSM
- Estimate coordinates if not available
The first option "select systems on galaxy map", after you hit Process you'd go into galaxy map and simply select the systems (using the "Set Target" button down right side after you click the system). This doesn't provide coordinates for the system but does provide the id64 which can be used as a rough guide to coordinates. This method is better suited to maing a route that crosses a lot of the galaxy.
The second option "plot route to systems" is similar but you plot a route to the systems rather than just selecting them. This has the advantage that it provides the exact coordinates of the system but the disadvantage that it's cumbersome over large distances. It's only really useful within same sector or maybe neighbouring ones.
The last option, you can simply copy the data to the clipboard and it'll attempt to import it. There are 4 formats you can use (CSV format is fine, or you can copy onto clipboard straight from Excel / Google sheets):
System Name
System Name, X, Y, Z
System Name, X, Y, Z, ID64
System Name, ID64
If you select "Look up missing coordinates on EDSM", then for any system that gets aded to the route through any of those methods but that doesn't have coordinates available, it'll try and look the system up on EDSM for it's coordinates. If there's a lot of systems, it'll take a while to do lookups so give it a second.
If you select "Estimate coordinates if not available", then it'll attempt to estimate the coordinates based on the ID64 if it's available. This has varying degrees of accuracy. For a d-mass system, it'll be within +/-40 LY on each axis. For an h-mass system it'll be +/-640LY on each axis - and all h-mass systems within that sector would estimate to same place. For a galactic-wide adventure, this is likely good enough. For a localalised sector hunt, not so much.
Once you have your route, you may want to Optimize it. For this, each system has to have coordinates of some form. You simply select your previously generated route and open it, then select your starting waypoint - it can be useful to add your current system to your route for this purpose. You can optionally select an end point - if you want to end up back where you started, or at a specific system use this or if you don't care then leave it. You also have the option of using the distance between system or the estimated number of jumps between them based on your ships jump range. The latter provides slightly better routes if you're not neutron jumping (a 70LY jump and a 90LY jump are both going to be 2 jumps if your jump range is 50LY, for example), but less useful if you plan to neutron boost.
Once optimized, you can then hit Follow Route and load up your optimized route. Once you hit each waypoint it'll automatically copy the next to clipboard ready to be plotted. Alternatively, you can hit Import on the System Clipboard section and load the route into that - this will allow you to then use neutron routes to jump between waypoints, but won't automatically move to next system - once you reach a waypoint you'll have to push the next button to skip to next waypoint (and copy to clipboard). You can hit Neutron Route straight after and it should pre-populate both source and destination system (and remember jump range if you previously set it).
Let me know if any of it is unclear.
