Currently, FlightGear has several options for real time mapping and
tracking (and I'm probably forgetting at least a few.)
- Atlas (C++, generates it's own tile imagery from FG scenery, runs
locally, talks directly to one copy of flightgear.)
- mpmapXY.flightgear.org (web based, google map api, shows all the
multiplayer traffic, has some nav db features I haven't completely figured
out.)
- FlightGear built in map (flightear has it's own built in map that can
show airports, navaids, other mp traffic, but currently no terrain or land
class features.)
- fgmap (written in ruby, runs locally, talks directly to flightgear,
but fetches and displays OSM tiles which is kind of cool.)
All of these have unique features, unique strengths and unique weaknesses
-- which is the nature of doing things different ways.
One of the neat things about fgmap (ruby based) is that you can point and
click and create a route right on the map, and then upload it to
FlightGear's route manager and have the FlightGear autopilot fly the route.
That's a really neat feature! But it requires you to have a ruby
interpreter installed and getting it to run on some platforms can get dicey
due to the required versions of ruby and qt and some of the other library
dependencies.
mpmapXY is neat because it's web based and can run on literally any device
that has access to the internet (but it is google maps based and somewhat
proprietary.) (Oh, and my recent attempts to contact pigeon, the author of
the mpmap system have been unsuccessful -- so I don't think it's being
actively developed and supported -- which is fine as long as it works.)
I just noticed that an outfit called "foursquare" announced they have
rewritten their google maps system using OSM and OpenLayers (open layers is
a javascript api similar in function to the google map javascript api.)
I went and explored some of the open-layers examples and they have a really
interesting map example designed to run on tablets or phones (mobile
devices.) It allows you to open up an OSM map and scroll and zoom like any
other map, but also allows you to draw a route and even edit it (insert
points, adjust points, delete points.) It is a pretty nifty demo (works
even better with a traditional mouse/computer):
http://openlayers.org/dev/examples/mobile-drawing.html
Thinking about all these things together, a picture has started to form in
my head. I am imagining:
- An open-layers based mapping tool (similar to mpmap, but not based on
proprietary google technology)
- Include the ability to draw and edit a route (a set of connected way
points) and then upload that to FlightGear's route manager
- Include the ability to receive UDP (TCP?) position (and other data?)
updates from FlightGear -- directly or via an mpserver
- Include some additional buttons for commanding and controlling
flightgear.
- This could actually get packaged and installed with flightgear, and
someone would only have to point their browser at a local html file to fire
up the map and start using it.
- I have a personal interest in UAV's and something along this lines
could be adapted to make a slick UAV ground station interface.
Is there anyone out there who might be interested in joining me in pursuit
of this project? If you look at the openlayers example I link to above,
you can see that it provides a big chunk of what we need already, we need
to add some sort of network communication ability (I've never done that in
javascript, but I assume there's a mechanism to do that, probably a 3 or 4
letter acronym I've so far ignored in my life.) :-)
This wouldn't be intended to replace any of our existing map tools, but
would simply be another option to throw into the mix that would have it's
own unique feature set and capabilities.
Any one have thoughts? Open Layers experience? Any one interested in
jumping in and working on something like this together?
Thanks,
Curt.
--
Curtis Olson:
http://www.atiak.com - http://aem.umn.edu/~uav/
http://www.flightgear.org - http://gallinazo.flightgear.org
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