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ATC-pie user guide: Difference between revisions
v1.1.1
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=== Starting the program === | === Starting the program === | ||
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-launcherDialog.png|thumbnail|Initial graphical launcher, with AD & CTR game mode choice]] | |||
Depending on your system and preference, you might be double-clicking, typing stuff or pulling your hair out. In any case what you need is to run a Python3 interpreter on the <code>ATC-pie.py</code> file in the top-level directory. A welcome launcher window should open, from which you may start a session in either airport (AD) or centre (CTR) mode, i.e. respectively with or without a base airfield. | Depending on your system and preference, you might be double-clicking, typing stuff or pulling your hair out. In any case what you need is to run a Python3 interpreter on the <code>ATC-pie.py</code> file in the top-level directory. A welcome launcher window should open, from which you may start a session in either airport (AD) or centre (CTR) mode, i.e. respectively with or without a base airfield. | ||
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ATC-pie provides with various placeholders for flight strips, namely ''racks'', ''loose strip bays'' and ''runway boxes''. Depending on your ATC position and local facilities, you should choose and arrange your placeholders for optimal control. Strips can then be moved between all of them using mouse drag and drop. | ATC-pie provides with various placeholders for flight strips, namely ''racks'', ''loose strip bays'' and ''runway boxes''. Depending on your ATC position and local facilities, you should choose and arrange your placeholders for optimal control. Strips can then be moved between all of them using mouse drag and drop. | ||
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-stripRacks.png|thumbnail|Strip rack panel]] | |||
A '''strip rack''' is the preferred way of keeping track of a sequence, e.g. a departure queue at a runway threshold. You can create as many racks as you wish and name them appropriately. Racks can be viewed in the main window and in their own docked or floating panel. The column view shows all racked strips at once; the tabbed view avoids spreading the window horizontally. Received and recovered strips will automatically fall in the permanent "default" rack. | A '''strip rack''' is the preferred way of keeping track of a sequence, e.g. a departure queue at a runway threshold. You can create as many racks as you wish and name them appropriately. Racks can be viewed in the main window and in their own docked or floating panel. The column view shows all racked strips at once; the tabbed view avoids spreading the window horizontally. Received and recovered strips will automatically fall in the permanent "default" rack. | ||
In the same panel, above the racks or in their own tab (resp. column or tabbed view), you can opt to show the '''runway boxes'''. A runway box is a placeholder for a single strip, named after a runway in use and denoting a clearence to use it (enter, cross, land...). Thorough use of runways boxes will help you never clear an aircraft to land over lined up traffic for example. When freed, runway boxes display a timer since last use together with the wake turbulance category of the last contained strip, to help with separation. What is more, if you use radar, a filled runway box marks the runway as reserved on the scope, and if you have runway occupation monitoring enabled, allows for one traffic before the runway incursion warning | [[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-runwayReserved.png|thumbnail|Reserved runway marked in yellow]] | ||
In the same panel, above the racks or in their own tab (resp. column or tabbed view), you can opt to show the '''runway boxes'''. A runway box is a placeholder for a single strip, named after a runway in use and denoting a clearence to use it (enter, cross, land...). Thorough use of runways boxes will help you never clear an aircraft to land over lined up traffic for example. When freed, runway boxes display a timer since last use together with the wake turbulance category of the last contained strip, to help with separation. What is more, if you use radar, a filled runway box marks the runway as ''reserved'' on the scope, and if you have runway occupation monitoring enabled, allows for one traffic before the runway incursion warning can turn on. | |||
The third placeholder type available is the '''loose strip bay''', allowing free-hand positioning of strips in a dedicated window. Such bays can be useful for any kind of unsequenced traffic, or to map out relative positions when controlling without a radar. You may also import background images, e.g. a ground chart to keep visual track of taxiing aircraft and vehicles. See <code>resources/bg-img/Notice</code> to learn how. | The third placeholder type available is the '''loose strip bay''', allowing free-hand positioning of strips in a dedicated window. Such bays can be useful for any kind of unsequenced traffic, or to map out relative positions when controlling without a radar. You may also import background images, e.g. a ground chart to keep visual track of taxiing aircraft and vehicles. See <code>resources/bg-img/Notice</code> to learn how. | ||
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=== Routes and conflict warnings === | === Routes and conflict warnings === | ||
ATC-pie analyses routes and assigned vectors to assist traffic management and anticipate | ATC-pie analyses routes and assigned vectors to assist traffic management and anticipate conflicts between controlled aircraft. This feature is essential in centre mode. | ||
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-routeDetailsView.png|thumbnail|Route details dialog with world path drawn, available when both end airfields are recognised]] | [[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-routeDetailsView.png|thumbnail|Route details dialog with world path drawn, available when both end airfields are recognised]] | ||
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[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-routeDrawing.png|thumbnail|Assigned routes are drawn as dotted lines on the radar scope when linked to contacts]] | [[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-routeDrawing.png|thumbnail|Assigned routes are drawn as dotted lines on the radar scope when linked to contacts]] | ||
Routes on flight plans and strips are viewable in a route dialog, showing leg details and the geodesic paths on a world map. Also, when a specified route is linked to a radar contact, ATC-pie works out its current leg based on distance to destination, and: | |||
* the route to go is drawn as a dotted line on the radar scope (according to scope "show" options); | * the route to go is drawn as a dotted line on the radar scope (according to scope "show" options); | ||
* details of the current leg are displayed in the selection info pane, and the route dialog enabled for full route viewing; | * details of the current leg are displayed in the selection info pane, and the route dialog enabled for full route viewing; | ||
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NB: If no route can be interpreted (missing or unidentified DEP or ARR), info boxes will show the strip destination detail (ARR) if it is filled, possibly with a heading if it is recognised. | NB: If no route can be interpreted (missing or unidentified DEP or ARR), info boxes will show the strip destination detail (ARR) if it is filled, possibly with a heading if it is recognised. | ||
[[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-routeConflictDetection.png|thumbnail|Route conflict depiction]] | [[File:ATC-pie-screenshot-routeConflictDetection.png|thumbnail|Route conflict depiction]] | ||
ATC-pie also features a '''conflict prediction system''', which can be activated or turned off from the ''Options'' menu. It uses route and vector assignments to anticipate and alert you of ''path conflicts'' so you can take action and prevent separation losses. | ATC-pie also features a '''conflict prediction system''', which can be activated or turned off from the ''Options'' menu. It uses route and vector assignments to anticipate and alert you of ''path conflicts'' so you can take action and prevent separation losses. | ||
When looking for conflicts, a horizontal (ground projection) path is considered for every aircraft with a linked strip and | When looking for conflicts, a horizontal (ground projection) path is considered for every aircraft with a linked strip and an assigned route or heading. An aircraft is assumed to follow its route, unless a heading vector is given in which case it is assumed to be flying the assigned straight course. When the projections of two aircraft intersect, a conflict is anticipated if the respective intervals between the current and assigned altitudes overlap. When an aircraft's altitude is unknown, the assigned altitude will be assumed. If an altitude assignment is missing, a ''possible'' conflict is reported. | ||
Another possible alarm is the ''separation incident'', a serious ATC mistake which calls for immediate action. The table below summarises the different levels of conflicts, ranked in decreasing order of emergency. | Another possible alarm is the ''separation incident'', a serious ATC mistake which calls for immediate action. The table below summarises the different levels of conflicts, ranked in decreasing order of emergency. | ||
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! Alarm || Shown on scope (default colours) || Meaning | ! Alarm || Shown on scope (default colours) || Meaning | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Separation incident || | | Separation incident || Thick bright red intersecting circles || Separation loss between aircraft | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Path conflict || Red circles and paths || Anticipated paths and altitudes are intersecting | | Path conflict || Red circles and paths || Anticipated paths and altitudes are intersecting | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Possible path conflict || Yellow circles | | Possible path conflict || Yellow circles and paths || Paths intersecting but some altitudes unknown | ||
|} | |} | ||