OpenRadarGuide: Difference between revisions

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You can zoom in and out using your mouse wheel, but you can also use the four zoom levels '''''GROUND, TOWER, APP and SECTOR.''''' You can drag the map-center by dragging it with your mouse (click-hold and drag). You can change the zoom levels anytime by setting up the range with your mouse wheel and then middle click on one of the zoom levels to assign the new value. This also stores the current center as preset for this zoom level.
You can zoom in and out using your mouse wheel, but you can also use the four zoom levels '''''GROUND, TOWER, APP and SECTOR.''''' You can drag the map-center by dragging it with your mouse (click-hold and drag). You can change the zoom levels anytime by setting up the range with your mouse wheel and then middle click on one of the zoom levels to assign the new value. This also stores the current center as preset for this zoom level.


[[File:OpenRadar-Approach.png|thumb|right|250px|An example for an Approach]]
The Radar-targets  
The Radar-targets  
*do have a label attached with the following informations
*do have a label attached with the following informations
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|}
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[[File:OpenRadar-GND.png|thumb|right|250px|A GND layout - not (yet) available for all airports]]
The radar map has so many details to display, that it is impossible to display all at once. Because of that we display details depending on the zoom level. For instance we hide Fixes or runway numbers at a certain level of zoom out. So OpenRadar features an adaptive detail level. In addition you can hide types of data by the buttons '''''FIX, NDB, VOR, CIRC, APT, PPN.''''' <small>''(PPN's are Gate-, Terminal-, Parkinglot-numbers. They may not be available on all airports! If you never saw them yet, have a look at EDDF and zoom into a closeup of the GND-view!)''</small>
The radar map has so many details to display, that it is impossible to display all at once. Because of that we display details depending on the zoom level. For instance we hide Fixes or runway numbers at a certain level of zoom out. So OpenRadar features an adaptive detail level. In addition you can hide types of data by the buttons '''''FIX, NDB, VOR, CIRC, APT, PPN.''''' <small>''(PPN's are Gate-, Terminal-, Parkinglot-numbers. They may not be available on all airports! If you never saw them yet, have a look at EDDF and zoom into a closeup of the GND-view!)''</small>


The runway panel on the right side, allows you to define which runway(s) should be used for landing and/or starting. This status is shown with little green/red dots at the runway end. If the runway is active for landing, its center line is drawn out for 100mi, helping you to align the airplane with the runway. In addition there is shown some kind of a funnel in a definable distance that may help you to align the planes for landing.
The runway panel on the right side, allows you to define which runway(s) should be used for landing and/or starting. This status is shown with little green/red dots at the runway end. If the runway is active for landing, its center line is drawn out for 100mi, helping you to align the airplane with the runway. In addition there is shown some kind of a funnel in a definable distance that may help you to align the planes for landing.


==== MPchat area ====
==== MPchat area ====
[[File:OpenRadar-MPchat.png|thumb|right|270px|The MPchat area]]
This area allows you to enter chat messages, view the chat history and filter it.
This area allows you to enter chat messages, view the chat history and filter it.
In the entry-line atop you define your message to any radar-target by:
In the entry-line atop you define your message to any radar-target by:
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==== Service Area ====
==== Service Area ====
'''Status Informations'''
[[File:OpenRadar-Status.png|thumb|right|200px|The general Status Informations]]
This area shows a text box that allows you to see and change your MP callsign. So you can quickly change it, if a second ATC takes another role at the same airport (TW/APP/GND).
This area shows a text box that allows you to see and change your MP callsign. So you can quickly change it, if a second ATC takes another role at the same airport (TW/APP/GND).
Below you see code and name of your airport and, on the right side, the currently selected radar contact.
Below you see code and name of your airport and, on the right side, the currently selected radar contact.
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====='''COM-Radios'''=====
====='''COM-Radios'''=====
[[File:OpenRadar-COM.png|thumb|right|200px|The COM-Setting (that can be up to 4)]]
Every FGCom instance running in the background got its own radio. Every radio has a list of frequencies showing the frequencies for this airport. Behind is the Push to talk button for this radio. Additional there are PTT keys prepared: With NUM Pad off, Num0 controls radio COM0, Num1 COM1 and so on.
Every FGCom instance running in the background got its own radio. Every radio has a list of frequencies showing the frequencies for this airport. Behind is the Push to talk button for this radio. Additional there are PTT keys prepared: With NUM Pad off, Num0 controls radio COM0, Num1 COM1 and so on.
Please watch the color change of the PTT buttons to know, when you can speak. If the radio label turns to red, FgCom does not establish a connection on this frequency. OpenRadar has more frequencies available as FgCom knows of...
Please watch the color change of the PTT buttons to know, when you can speak. If the radio label turns to red, FgCom does not establish a connection on this frequency. OpenRadar has more frequencies available as FgCom knows of...


====='''Runway Settings'''=====
====='''Runway Settings'''=====
[[File:OpenRadar-Runways.png|thumb|right|200px|The Setting area runways]]
The runway area shows you information about the runways.  
The runway area shows you information about the runways.  
The display shows the runway number followed by the length x width of the runway. Below, you see a graphical display of the cross winds, green from 0-5kn, orange 5-10kn and red above. Gusts are additional highlighted.
The display shows the runway number followed by the length x width of the runway. Below, you see a graphical display of the cross winds, green from 0-5kn, orange 5-10kn and red above. Gusts are additional highlighted.
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====='''Flight Strip Manager'''=====
====='''Flight Strip Manager'''=====
[[File:OpenRadar-Stripes.png|thumb|right|200px|Handling the Flight-Stripes]]
Paper Flight Strips are the ATCs help to coordinate his traffic. In reality those strips contain many details about the flight, that we do not have (yet). So we have selected a view: CallSign, the flight mode, flight level, true coarse, aircraft, true air speed(estimated, out of ground speed and METAR winds), ground speed and optionally existing notes out of the note editor.
Paper Flight Strips are the ATCs help to coordinate his traffic. In reality those strips contain many details about the flight, that we do not have (yet). So we have selected a view: CallSign, the flight mode, flight level, true coarse, aircraft, true air speed(estimated, out of ground speed and METAR winds), ground speed and optionally existing notes out of the note editor.



Revision as of 18:24, 25 December 2012

Back to mainpage


Preface

OpenRadar is a prototype to support flight sim ATCs in their work on our airports.

Please note There are some major changes in the upcoming prototype release. The changes improve the usability and make working as an ATC effective. This guide will be updated soon.

Some words to our project targets in advance:

  • Realism means we show the data that we have/can calculate and that a real live ATC would have. For instance, we do not update the positions as soon as they are coming in, instead we simulate a radar antenna and perform one position update per antenna rotation. On the other hand, we don't have professional ATCs, neither we have professional pilots contacting our ATC. So we have to make some compromises...
  • Useability: The application should simply work. It should be handy, behave consistently and require almost no training. The ATC has other things to do than to fight with the application

We hope that we met your needs and are happy to get feedback!

Important The tooltip texts that appear when you hover with your mouse over an active area, is there to remind you, if should you have forgotten how to trigger a feature. Try pointing your mouse everywhere! Maybe there is something you missed until now...

Prerequisites

Internet

Of course you need an uninterrupted Internet access to exchange data between You and your clients. The requirements for that connection are not very high -- but they must be uninterrupted!

Communication / FGCOM

We urge you to always offer your services as well in typing (MPchat) as also in speaking (FGcom). You will soon discover, that FGcom makes it much easier to communicate, as well for you (who hopefully will control many pilots at the same time) as also for the pilots (who need both hands to control their plane). So very often there will be not enough time for typing!

If FGCOM is not yet installed, see:

  • For Windows and Linux: http://code.google.com/p/fgcomgui/
  • For OSX: We do not know of a standalone installation source - but we do know that starting with version 2.0.0 the FGFS-OSX-version does contain the FGCom. That fits and works for OSX >= 10.5.

In addition you may inform yourself about FGCOM on:

for general infos http://wiki.flightgear.org/FGCom
for more detailed informations http://wiki.flightgear.org/FGCOM_for_Windows
if you have problems with FGCOM http://wiki.flightgear.org/FGCOM_Testing

Java V7

Make sure you have installed at least Version 7 of Java. Verify and or Download the installation packages from: http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp

OpenRadar

For the currently available Prototype of OpenRadar see http://wagnerw.de/OpenRadar.zip. Extract the content of this ZIP to a place where it is easy to find. Make sure you have read and write permissions for that directory.

Startup

Inside the downloaded OpenRadar base-directory you will find start-scripts. See

  • for Windows: OpenRadar.bat
  • for Linux: OpenRadar.sh
  • for OSX: We do not know yet – pls help us with a FGFS-PersonalMessage to “wagnerw” or “jomo”


At Startup you will always be welcommed with a the window “OpenRadar – Welcome” that presents 2 TABs to define your preferences:

Add caption here
Add caption here

For all data there are standard values given as defaults. If you do change any values, they will be saved and presentet to you during the next start.
If this is the very first time you start OpenRader you first have to verify your “Settings”, thus click onto that “Settings”-tab:

OpenRadar-Welcome - Settings

These settings are grouped into 3 parts:

1) FGcom

OpenRadar can support up to 4 instances of FGcom in 2 ways:
  1. It can start and controll FGcom instances that operate in the background as sub-tasks of OpenRadar
  2. or just control manually started FGcOM-session.
You select these modes of operation by the “FGcomMode” selection:
a) Internal: FGcom(s) are started and controlled by OpenRadar
For this mode you have to define all available fields to tell OpenRader where your FGcom resides and what options shall be used:
Path: Here you define where your FGcom is installed.
In the following some examples:

type Windows Linux OSX
a standard installation C:\Programs\FGcom /home/YourName/fgcom *)
on another disk D:\FlighGear_2.6\FGcom /media/DiskName/FGFS/fgcom *)
on a LAN-server \\ServerName\Central\FGFS /home/YourName//.gvfs/fgfs on nas-server/fgcom *)
*) for OSX we do not know – pls help us by definig it here or send a PersonalMessage to “Wagnerw” or “jomo”

Executable: Here you define the Programname that shall be started

  • For Windows: "fgcom.exe" or "anyName.bat"
  • for Linux: "fgcom" or "anyName.sh"
  • OSX: We do not know – pls help us by definig it here or send a PersonalMessage to “Wagnerw” or “jomo”

Server: There are 2 FGcom-servers available:
  • delta384.server4you.de (we do suggest this one)
  • fgcom.flightgear.org.uk
Client: will always be “localhost” - unless you want to run FGcom on a different PC than OpenRadar.
FGcom Ports: The here defined values are crucial for the operation because:
  • They are the only connection between the OpenRadar and FGcom. So you must define those the same in OpenRadar as well as in FGcom !!
  • They also define how many “Radio Units” (COM0, COM!, etc.) are generated within OpenRadar
Simply provide a coma separated list of UDP Ports to be used by FGcom, but be warned, more than two are hard to handle.
e.g. 16661,16662
b) External: Control a manually started external instance of FGcom.
For this one you only need to define where that FGcom is running and what the connecting port is. e.g.:
  • Client: locahost
  • FGcom Ports: 16661,16662 (if e.g. 2 FGcom instances were started)
c) OFF: No FGcom support
That means that You do not want to work with FGcom during your ATC-session – thus you do not need to define any of the fields and there will not be defined any Radio (e.g. COM0) in OpenRadar. This mode is not suggested!


2) FG Multiplayer

Here you find the server and connection port of FlightGears multiplayer server. It delivers the radar contact position informations and is used for chat. You won't have to change the settings, as long as the server won't change.
In case you experience problems with the outside you may check and/or choose any "Server" that is listed in http://mpmap01.flightgear.org/mpstatus/: Look for a server nearest to your location that has a status of "OK" and shows the most "totals".
PLEASE NOTE: The "Client port" is the port used by your computer to talk with that server. If you want to use FlightGears internal chat parallel to OpenRadar, you must use a different port than FlightGear. Because of that, the default port of OpenRadar is 5001 (in order to differentiate it to the 5000 used in FGFS).

3) METAR

OpenRadar retrieves the weather information via METAR messages from a server in the INTERNET. This information is being displayed and used to calculate the usability of runways and the air speed of the radar contacts.
If your airport is too small to be in that worldwide list, you can provide the code of another bigger airport with METAR data nearby in the sector.property file. But be aware that then your customers wether-settings may differ to yours, because they may use the standard FGFS-METAR-Source!

Please click on the verify button to have your settings checked!

Select Airport

This is always the first window that you will see after starting OpenRadar. But at first it will not have those (e.g. EDDF, KOAK) data in the center. In order to define your future work-locations simply enter the airport code (ICAO) or a part of the name into the search field and hit “search”: The list below then shows the results found in the airport database delivered with OpenRadar. If an airport does already exist, it will be shown in the big center-field.

When you start OpenRadar later on, you will see this list of already downloaded airports. Double click onto one of them (or select one with one click and then click onto start) and you are in the ATC seat.

Main Screen

Oakland international used in new OpenRadar

The main screen is divided into three regions:

  1. Top left you see the Radar Map screen showing the airport, its surrounding, the navaids and the radar contacts.
  2. Below it, bottom left, you see the MPchat Area for the multiplayer chat feature.
  3. On the right side you see the Service Area with 4 subparts. From top to bottom those are
    1. Status Informations
    2. COM-Radios (only if you have defined 1 or more)
    3. Runway Settings
    4. the Flight Strip Manager, where you can manage your radar contacts.

Radar Map

The radar map is the most complex part of this application.

You can zoom in and out using your mouse wheel, but you can also use the four zoom levels GROUND, TOWER, APP and SECTOR. You can drag the map-center by dragging it with your mouse (click-hold and drag). You can change the zoom levels anytime by setting up the range with your mouse wheel and then middle click on one of the zoom levels to assign the new value. This also stores the current center as preset for this zoom level.

An example for an Approach

The Radar-targets

  • do have a label attached with the following informations
UID heading direction
Flight Level Airspeed
  • and are displayed in 5 different colors:
(See also the chapter "Flight Strip Manager")
white always the currently selected target, it's UID is also shown in the MPchat inputline
green targets who's Flight-Stripe is placed to the right
yellow targets who's Flight-Stripe is placed in the middle
blue targets who's Flight-Stripe is placed to the left
gray a neglected target or one for which there were no refresh data received for some time
A GND layout - not (yet) available for all airports

The radar map has so many details to display, that it is impossible to display all at once. Because of that we display details depending on the zoom level. For instance we hide Fixes or runway numbers at a certain level of zoom out. So OpenRadar features an adaptive detail level. In addition you can hide types of data by the buttons FIX, NDB, VOR, CIRC, APT, PPN. (PPN's are Gate-, Terminal-, Parkinglot-numbers. They may not be available on all airports! If you never saw them yet, have a look at EDDF and zoom into a closeup of the GND-view!)

The runway panel on the right side, allows you to define which runway(s) should be used for landing and/or starting. This status is shown with little green/red dots at the runway end. If the runway is active for landing, its center line is drawn out for 100mi, helping you to align the airplane with the runway. In addition there is shown some kind of a funnel in a definable distance that may help you to align the planes for landing.


MPchat area

The MPchat area

This area allows you to enter chat messages, view the chat history and filter it. In the entry-line atop you define your message to any radar-target by:

  • Manually typing a message:
    • A left mouse-click onto the Flight-Stripe or onto the Radar-Target will place the Target-UID at the beginning of the entry-line
    • Then you may type or copy/past anything behind that - and send it out by ENTER
  • Generate a standard message:
    • A right mouse-click will open a list with the available messages - select one with a left mouse-click
    • Then that message will be placed into the entry-line - you may edit it and then send out by ENTER

Below that entry-line is the scrollable list of sent messages. In that list the messages of the selected user are colored cyan. With the button "VIS" you may filter to see only the messages of the selected user - with "ALL" you see again all listings.

You may enlarge that area by grabbing the upper edge with the left mouse-button - of course that will reduce the size of the radar-screen -- so use with care!

Service Area

The general Status Informations

This area shows a text box that allows you to see and change your MP callsign. So you can quickly change it, if a second ATC takes another role at the same airport (TW/APP/GND). Below you see code and name of your airport and, on the right side, the currently selected radar contact. The third line features the 'Selection to Pointer feature. For all of us, who have problems to tell a bearing to and from out of thin air, this feature shows the direction from selected radar contact to the mouse pointer and back. It also shows the distance and the time the contact needs to reach the mouse pointer, if it flies to it. Below you see the most important weather information Wind, Pressure and Visibility. If you hover your mouse over it, you can see the active METAR.

COM-Radios
The COM-Setting (that can be up to 4)

Every FGCom instance running in the background got its own radio. Every radio has a list of frequencies showing the frequencies for this airport. Behind is the Push to talk button for this radio. Additional there are PTT keys prepared: With NUM Pad off, Num0 controls radio COM0, Num1 COM1 and so on. Please watch the color change of the PTT buttons to know, when you can speak. If the radio label turns to red, FgCom does not establish a connection on this frequency. OpenRadar has more frequencies available as FgCom knows of...

Runway Settings
The Setting area runways

The runway area shows you information about the runways. The display shows the runway number followed by the length x width of the runway. Below, you see a graphical display of the cross winds, green from 0-5kn, orange 5-10kn and red above. Gusts are additional highlighted. In next column you can see the fractions of the wind strength from in front and in cross wind direction and below the relative wind direction (relative to runway heading). The last column lists possibly existing ILS information.

With the check boxes in second column you can define if a runway is open for starts or landings. The map will reflect these settings by showing hints and helping symbols (the ILS cone). If you have at least one runway selected, you can collapse the others with a double click on the background. This is a toggle feature.

Flight Strip Manager
Handling the Flight-Stripes

Paper Flight Strips are the ATCs help to coordinate his traffic. In reality those strips contain many details about the flight, that we do not have (yet). So we have selected a view: CallSign, the flight mode, flight level, true coarse, aircraft, true air speed(estimated, out of ground speed and METAR winds), ground speed and optionally existing notes out of the note editor.

You can sort the flight strips in order by drag and drop and you can put them in three columns (left, middle and right column). New contacts appear at the end of the list on the right side. Every column has a meaning: The right side means uncontrolled or unknown, middle mean controlled and left means important contacts. This definition is used when the radar contact information is being painted into the radar map: The most important are painted above the other (the selected contact is painted on the very top).

The selected contact is used to display the SelectionToPointer information above and is preselected in chat input and its last messages are highlighted in chat history.

Single click on a strip selects it, double click selects it exclusively, that means, chat messages are filtered to show only messages of this user.

Note editor The white field below the editor is the note editor, provided for your need to write down details about an radar contact. The first three lines are displayed below on the flight strips. The complete text stays stored and appears as soon as the contact is selected again. The flight strip display is updated when you leave the editor to somewhere else. (focus lost) You can drag MP chat messages to this area.

Useful Features

Radar Map

  • On contact
  • left click selects and sets cursor into the chat input field
  • middle click opens the radar contact settings (ATC note and native language)
  • right click opens the ATC messages selection box
  • left double click on map to center it on airport (return to airport)
  • middle click on zoom level defines the current view as new center and zoom setting (stored in a file)
  • a click on the texts, on the lower left, toggle display of FIX, NDB, VOR,...

Flight Strip Area

  • On flight strip
  • left click selects the contact and sets cursor into the chat input field
  • middle click opens the radar contact settings (ATC note and native language)
  • right click opens the ATC messages selection box
  • left double click centers radar map on the contact (to find contact)
  • CTRL+left click sets the contact to be neglected
  • a click beside the flight strips moves the flight strips between the three columns (right, middle, left)

Runway area

  • right click on runway number opens the runway settings dialog to define the centerline and vectoring settings
  • If at least one runway is active you may double click the runway panel background to hide the inactive runways (frees space for flight strips)

Radios

  • a right click on the frequency list changes the input to be editable, so you can define the frequencies by yourself


Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
ESC Close all open dialogs and cancel the text input (reset chat input field)
ALT + L Toggle FGCom Log Window (only if you run FgCom started by OpenRadar)
Left CTRL PTT Radio COM0 (if it has been activated via Port in Settings)
NUM off: Num0 PTT Radio COM0 (if it has been activated via Port in Settings)
Left SHIFT PTT Radio COM1 (if it has been activated via Port in Settings)
NUM off: Num1 PTT Radio COM1 (if it has been activated via Port in Settings)
NUM off: Num2 PTT Radio COM2 (if it has been activated via Port in Settings)
NUM off: Num3 PTT Radio COM3 (if it has been activated via Port in Settings)

Acknowledgments

This project was founded and driven by Ralf Gerlich. Still today he is supporting it as a mentor.

And not to be forgotten: This project links different efforts of many people together. Thank you for your great work!