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ATC-pie user guide: Difference between revisions
v0.9.1
Mickybadia (talk | contribs) (r10h) |
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'''Instructions''' are given through different means: | '''Instructions''' are given through different means: | ||
* vectors are issued by way of the vectoring assignment tool: click&drag out of a radar contact for heading, hold SHIFT and drag for altitude/FL vertically and speed horizontally (see [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvA3MRlGJjU video 5] of the tutorial); | * vectors are issued by way of the vectoring assignment tool: click&drag out of a radar contact for heading, hold SHIFT and drag for altitude/FL vertically and speed horizontally (see [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvA3MRlGJjU video 5] of the tutorial); | ||
* taxi instructions are also sent by dragging out of radar contacts, when | * taxi instructions are also sent by dragging out of radar contacts, when they are picked up on the ground (stopped and low enough); | ||
* all other instructions (''line up and wait'', ''clear to land'', etc.) must be sent from the dockable instruction panel. | * all other instructions (''line up and wait'', ''clear to land'', etc.) must be sent from the dockable instruction panel. | ||
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This feature allows you to overlook your airport and the connected (multi-player games) or simulated (solo and teaching sessions) traffic, like a controller from a '''tower viewpoint'''. It uses the tower position specified in the source data if any, otherwise defaults to somewhere over the airport to allow towering all available airports. It is disabled in CTR mode. | This feature allows you to overlook your airport and the connected (multi-player games) or simulated (solo and teaching sessions) traffic, like a controller from a '''tower viewpoint'''. It uses the tower position specified in the source data if any, otherwise defaults to somewhere over the airport to allow towering all available airports. It is disabled in CTR mode. | ||
There are two ways of activating a tower view. You may let ATC-pie start its own suitably configured FlightGear process, or have it connect to an external viewer, manually set up and accepting connections. The latter way takes a little more effort but allows to run FlightGear on a different machine and thereby relieve your session from the CPU load a local instance induces. If you are going for that, start ATC-pie with <code>--tower-view-external</code> and check the <code>--tower-view-ports | There are two ways of activating a tower view. You may let ATC-pie start its own suitably configured FlightGear process, or have it connect to an external viewer, manually set up and accepting connections. The latter way takes a little more effort but allows to run FlightGear on a different machine and thereby relieve your session from the CPU load a local instance induces. If you are going for that, start ATC-pie with <code>--tower-view-external</code> and check the <code>--tower-view-ports</code> command line option in the table above to set it up correctly. | ||
Running internally only requires FlightGear installed on your computer. A basic installation is enough, but: | Running internally only requires FlightGear installed on your computer. A basic installation is enough, but: | ||
* | * aircraft will only be drawn properly if you have the corresponding [[Aircraft|models]] installed—read the notice in <code>resources/acft</code> and check out the <code>icao2fgfs</code> file to understand how ATC-pie chooses models for FlightGear (initially included are a few ugly substitutions like B772 for A320 to avoid the lighter installations to miss out on planes, but you can edit the file and use your own models); | ||
* more importantly, you will need the [[scenery]] for your airport if you want anything exciting to see (and not sea!)—go to [http://www.flightgear.org/download/scenery/ this page] or use [[TerraSync]] to download it to your computer, and add it to your FlightGear root directory or set the right scenery directory in the ''System'' menu (ATC-pie will pass it on to FlightGear and save your setting). | * more importantly, you will need the [[scenery]] for your airport if you want anything exciting to see (and not sea!)—go to [http://www.flightgear.org/download/scenery/ this page] or use [[TerraSync]] to download it to your computer, and add it to your [[$FG_ROOT|FlightGear root directory]] or set the right scenery directory in the ''System'' menu (ATC-pie will pass it on to FlightGear and save your setting). | ||
In either case, once activated from the ''View'' menu, the tower view controller pane is enabled and you can turn to runway points, follow selected aircraft, etc. Additionally, use right click and drag directly on the view to look around, and you may use the <code>x</code>/<code>X</code> keys to change the zoom level from the view window (this is direct FlightGear input). | In either case, once activated from the ''View'' menu, the tower view controller pane is enabled and you can turn to runway points, follow selected aircraft, etc. Additionally, use right click and drag directly on the view to look around, and you may use the <code>x</code>/<code>X</code> keys to change the zoom level from the view window (this is direct FlightGear input). | ||
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You can also connect '''additional viewers''' to your session, for example placed around your airport for exciting camera footage of challenging landings. You will not be able to control those viewers from ATC-pie like the tower viewer, but you will be able to activate/stop the connection with a switch in the application ''View'' menu. | You can also connect '''additional viewers''' to your session, for example placed around your airport for exciting camera footage of challenging landings. You will not be able to control those viewers from ATC-pie like the tower viewer, but you will be able to activate/stop the connection with a switch in the application ''View'' menu. | ||
Every additional FlightGear viewer running on host ''XXX'' should be started with options <code>--multiplay=out,TTT,HHH,PPP</code> and <code>--multiplay=in,TTT,,YYY</code>, and registered in your ATC-pie instance. You can do this from the ''View'' menu (add viewer "''XXX'':''YYY''"), or directly from the command line with | Every additional FlightGear viewer running on host ''XXX'' should be started with options <code>--multiplay=out,TTT,HHH,PPP</code> and <code>--multiplay=in,TTT,,YYY</code>, and registered in your ATC-pie instance. You can do this from the ''View'' menu (add viewer "''XXX'':''YYY''"), or directly from the command line with <code>--add-view=XXX:YYY</code>. In these options: | ||
* ''HHH'' is the host on which ATC-pie is running (same value for all viewers); | * ''HHH'' is the host on which ATC-pie is running (same value for all viewers); | ||
* ''PPP'' is the default 5009, or the chosen port number if ATC-pie is started with <code>--views-send-from</code> (same value for all viewers); | * ''PPP'' is the default 5009, or the chosen port number if ATC-pie is started with <code>--views-send-from</code> (same value for all viewers); | ||
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* ''YYY'' is the port number used by the viewer for FGMS packet reception. | * ''YYY'' is the port number used by the viewer for FGMS packet reception. | ||
=== | === Handovers in FlightGear and OpenRadar interoperability === | ||
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-receivedStrip.png|thumbnail|Example of a strip received from "DEL"]] | [[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-receivedStrip.png|thumbnail|Example of a strip received from "DEL"]] | ||
Strips can be handed over by dropping them on recipients in the list of connected controllers in range. Received strips appear unlinked on the reserved rack, with an identification of the sender which disappears as soon as the strip is clicked on. For a full presentation about the feature, check [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQIud-cAlT4 tutorial video 6]. | Strips can be handed over by dropping them on recipients in the list of connected controllers in range. Received strips appear unlinked on the reserved rack, with an identification of the sender which disappears as soon as the strip is clicked on. For a full presentation about the feature, check [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQIud-cAlT4 tutorial video 6]. | ||
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* ATC-pie users can only hand over strips that are linked to a radar contact (no lone strip can be sent); | * ATC-pie users can only hand over strips that are linked to a radar contact (no lone strip can be sent); | ||
* aircraft under ATC-pie control are not shown as "owned" to OpenRadar users; | * aircraft under ATC-pie control are not shown as "owned" to OpenRadar users; | ||
* handovers from ATC-pie will fail if an OpenRadar user in range is claiming ownership; | * handovers from ATC-pie are restricted to a 180 NM range, and will fail if an OpenRadar user in range is claiming ownership; | ||
* when sending to ATC-pie controllers, OpenRadar users will see their transfers acknowledged straight away, unconditionally. | * when sending to ATC-pie controllers, OpenRadar users will see their transfers acknowledged straight away, unconditionally. | ||
Callsign | Callsign handover policy: | ||
* O-R to ATC-pie: FGMS callsign will appear on the strip, as if the sender had filled the detail properly; | * O-R to ATC-pie: FGMS callsign will appear on the strip, as if the sender had filled the detail properly; | ||
* ATC-pie to O-R: callsign resolved for the receiver, sender's entry will reappear next time ATC-pie handles the strip; | * ATC-pie to O-R: callsign resolved for the receiver, sender's entry will reappear next time ATC-pie handles the strip; | ||
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[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-backgroundPixmapDrawing.png|thumbnail|Pixmap image example with a topographic map shot around LIMW (Aosta, Italy)]] | [[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-backgroundPixmapDrawing.png|thumbnail|Pixmap image example with a topographic map shot around LIMW (Aosta, Italy)]] | ||
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-backgroundHandDrawing.png|thumbnail|Hand drawing example with procedures for LSGG (Geneva, Switzerland)]] | [[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-backgroundHandDrawing.png|thumbnail|Hand drawing example with procedures for LSGG (Geneva, Switzerland)]] | ||
Background images allow to decorate radar scopes with all sorts of maps and useful information about the airspace, terrain or procedures. | Background images allow to decorate: | ||
* radar scopes, with all sorts of maps and useful information about the airspace, terrain or procedures; | |||
* loose strip bays, to move unracked strips over custom backgrounds, e.g. ground charts of the airport. | |||
There are two ways to | There are two ways to create backgrounds in the program. One working for all purposes is to import '''pictures''' (pixmap files like JPEG or PNG, including transparency); the other works only for radar backgrounds and consists in writing '''drawing specification''' files to paint coloured lines and labelled points. This allows to import anything from the most complex coloured height map to the the most schematic airspace outline. The <code>resources/bg-img/Notice</code> file explains how to import and draw background images. All pictures and drawing points are positioned using lat/lon coordinates, navpoints in map range and radial/distance expressions as per the "point specification" syntax explained in the notice. | ||
For example, you can map out procedures (SID, STAR, IAD...), grouping them by associated runways. Drawings are generally appropriate for that because they allow referring to named points as per the published procedures and avoid manual positioning. But if you want more than schematic line plots, you should create the picture yourself. Using an image processing tool like ''GIMP'', superimpose a transparent layer on top of a real map canvas, or over a screenshot of your ATC-pie radar with pinned navaids as landmarks, and freely decorate your picture. | For example, you can map out procedures (SID, STAR, IAD...), grouping them by associated runways. Drawings are generally appropriate for that because they allow referring to named points as per the published procedures and avoid manual positioning. But if you want more than schematic line plots, you should create the picture yourself. Using an image processing tool like ''GIMP'', superimpose a transparent layer on top of a real map canvas, or over a screenshot of your ATC-pie radar with pinned navaids as landmarks, and freely decorate your picture. | ||
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The grouped diamond and tick marks along the '''landing helper lines''' indicate best altitudes AMSL for final approach along the configured flight path angle: diamond marks read 5,000 ft each; every other tick mark is 1,000 ft. | The grouped diamond and tick marks along the '''landing helper lines''' indicate best altitudes AMSL for final approach along the configured flight path angle: diamond marks read 5,000 ft each; every other tick mark is 1,000 ft. | ||
A <code>*</code> symbol in front of a strip callsign means that a comment is | A <code>*</code> symbol in front of a strip callsign means that a '''strip comment''' is present (filled in the details). Open the detail sheet to view, or hover the strip with the mouse to show it as a tool tip. | ||
The '''transition level''' displayed in the weather analysis is the lowest flight level that is still above the transition altitude. This does not mean the lowest to be expected in ATC clearances, which may be higher, for more vertical separation on either side of the transition layer or due to coordination with neighbouring zones and fields. | The '''transition level''' displayed in the weather analysis is the lowest flight level that is still above the transition altitude. This does not mean the lowest to be expected in ATC clearances, which may be higher, for more vertical separation on either side of the transition layer or due to coordination with neighbouring zones and fields. | ||