LockOn ATC Screen Mod

[GGTharos]

Ok, I will do so as soon as I return home :)

[pappavis]

hi! I have a request. When one quit lomac, or exit a missin, yor lotactc-server proggy program responds with a message that no network is available. Now everytime i click FLY in lo-mac i have tomanually restart both the server and the client proggy.

 

My request: Please remove that message and allow the server to allways try to maintain/establish a connnection with lo-mac, even when lo-mac is not running.

 

Hope you can add this.

[jabog32_zillion]

Hi brothers,

 

really nice to see you are still working on it, and found some time to make this update.

I'm really curious how you made your altitude map terrain masking calculations, I'm twisting my brain lately thinking about a nice way to do that. If you have time and patience, i would be happy to learn some from your algo.

 

regards

 

Zillion

[Doug]

Restart server is needed only when you restart Lockon.

[pappavis]

Restart server is needed only when you restart Lockon.

 

sorry my mistake, but i meant to say: the client program must not "Disconnected from server" when one ends a mission. it should always try to stay connected.

[pappavis]

Something REALLY cool will be if one could use Google Earth as AWACS program. Export map data to Google Earth, does it support import of data?

[Brothers31]

Hi brothers,

 

really nice to see you are still working on it, and found some time to make this update.

I'm really curious how you made your altitude map terrain masking calculations, I'm twisting my brain lately thinking about a nice way to do that. If you have time and patience, i would be happy to learn some from your algo.

 

regards

 

Zillion

 

I use a matrix of 1204x3311 point that represent the entire map elevation.

I calculate the position of plane and radar on this map. Then i calculate two function ( y = ax+b) one for X axis and one for y axis. So now i have all the points that the "waves radar " must follow to go from radar to the plane. If more than 5 point of this two function i upper than the plane altitude ( minus the radar altitude)

then i consider than the radar can not see the plane.

 

For awacs radar it's a little bit different because you must take the altitude of the Awacs in the calculation. So if Awacs is 10000M altitude and cover 400KM then

"radar altitude" is 5000M at 200Km of the Awacs etc...

 

Of course, this algo is completely false in real life but it's enough for LOTATC.

 

here a picture white line represent plane to radar.

 

if you want more infos not a pb :p

[jabog32_zillion]

mhh...

is that the graham algo for making the line ?

 

( y = ax+b)

 

wots a and b ?

 

Well... my height data is 23.3 MB in ASCII (3/4 million lines with UTM coordinates and height in meters)

 

I can up and downscale it as much as I want but I thought 500 m x 500 m Grid prescision should be the lowest. Looks like I have to rethink ...

 

Currently I'm trying to get it into a database, unfortunately flash is striking and keeps crashing when trying to do that.

 

I need to learn C++ ... desperatly

 

I use MicroDEM and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission - SRTM data.

 

- http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/SELECTION/inputCoord.asp

- ftp://e0mss21u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/

 

My idea was using the graham scan algo for making the line like a staircase from Radar to plane and then checking if any point on that line is lower than the height in the coresponding position on my DEM data...

 

Same as u I guess. :)

 

I need to contact u on icq or whatever u have. I have a good french speaking informatics student as a translater, if u prefer.

 

Hope it works out...

 

Thanks a lot for your information...

 

regards

 

Zillion

 

edit:

 

Does that mean your map has 3986444 (4Million) covered points with their respective altitude ? Like an array of 4 Million X + 4 Million Y + 4 Million Z floats ? How on earth is that computable ?

[Brit_Radar_Dude]

If you are worried about the efficiency of this calculation, you could use two height maps - a coarse map and a fine map. The coarse map would be a much lesser resolution and thus a much smaller matrix. It is checked first, if it indicates no obstruction, then no need to check the fine resolution height map.

 

An analogy would be real life navigational maps for pilots. They are divided into big squares and printed in each square is the height of the highest terrain obstruction in the entire square.

 

If you are storing heights for the entire area including the sea, then sparse array techniques may save some storage. Even if you are only storing the height of land areas, then since some significantly big areas of the map are pretty much completely flat, a sparse array may still be applicable.

[jabog32_zillion]

lockOn XZ to Real UTM

 

Man my head is smoking... I have always been using the formula I got from Valery...

 

Which converts me my lat/long to whatever LockOn is using as XZ coordinates. It works perfectly and precise for plotting positions on my map. These coordinates are however not UTM.

 

So if i want to compare coordinates from lockon with UTM coordinates from my Height map the results of the following formula are somehow useless.

 

http://forum.lockon.ru/showthread.php?t=7358

 

All i know is that they start (0/0) somewhere near Simferopol which is

@lat: 45°07"18'N long: 34°16"16'E or

@ Northing: 4997282.00 Easting: 599989.70 Zone 36T in REAL UTM.

 

So I thought I might just take (lockonX - Real_Northing) and (lockonZ - Real_Easting) ....

 

lockon 0/0 = N 4997282.00 / E 599989.70 / 36T

-------------------------------------------------------

somwhere 45°00"00'N / 34°00"00'E

 

LockON -13929.3163463846 : -21176.7901243657

 

Real 4983437.0 / 578815.3 / 36T

 

Difference 4997366.32 / 599992.10

-------------------------------------------------------

somwhere2 45.00N/35.99E

 

LockON -10122.7183779962 : 135635.240515669

 

Real 4987300.5N / 735658.0E / 36T

 

Difference 4997423.22 / 600022.76

--------------------------------------------------------

Sochi06= 43°26"22'N / 39°56"13'E

lat/long 43.43944 N / 39.936944 E

 

LockON -165239.545059233 : 460866.59274255

 

Real 4810042.0 / 575822.4 / 37T

 

Difference 48265659.55 / 114955.81

--------------------------------------------------------

Suhumi30= 42°51"22'N / 41°09"18'E

lat/long 42.85611 N / 41.155 E

 

LockON -221111.484403044 : 565510.882752382

 

Real 4747089.0 / 676062.9 / 37T

 

Difference 4968200.48 / 110552.02

------------------------------------------------------

 

As one can see in the varying difference this unfortunately doesn't work either.

 

So what i search for is a way to convert lockon X/Z or lat/long to real UTM coordinates. I know that Brothers31 uses some program called UTM Zone.

 

My Questions:

when crossing two zones for example 36 to 37 the coordinates start again for that respective zone ie:

lat:45,00N/long:35.99 ---> N:4987300.50/E:735658.00 Zone36T

lat:45,00N/long:36.00 ---> N:4987329.50/E:263553.97 Zone37T

 

This means inside one zone the numbers are linear, but when crossing a zone the numbers are reset.

 

And that again means meaningful conversion should be centred in one Zone and extending from there even after passing into another...

 

Is that how you calculate Brothers31 ?

 

Can you supply me with a link for the source code of UTM Zone, or even better a simplified one without all the unimportant reference ellipsoids and exotic grids that i will never use ?

 

What i will need is simply WGS-84 lat/long to UTM

 

thx in advance.

 

Zillion

 

PS: I Should have started with real maps and real UTM coordinates in the first place... :(

[jabog32_zillion]

WGS84 < > UTM

 

sry for flooding and hijacking this thread....

 

finally i found some functions that do the trick for me... :)

WGS842UTM.txt

[GGTharos]

It's cool zillion, we're learning too ;)

[jabog32_zillion]

got it

[EAFAT_Cassa]

Just to say that is a damn good job that you r making here..., cant wait to fly with a human ATC.

 

BTW, where I can fly with a Human ATC?

 

S!

[Tracker]

Good Job Brothers31!

 

I've tested this and it looks very promising for future dynamic campaigns. GGTharos and the others are to be commended for the excellent feed back in developing this tool.

 

I foresee that radio communication skills and SA will dramatically increase in missions where this is utilized and perfected. Additionally it will open up a whole new level of enjoyment for this sim. :)

[33rd_bratpfanne.]

Brothers31 r u still working on this? Is it adapted for 1.11 (implemented LOS and radar range limitations? would be really glad to hear about it

 

S!

 

Brati

[Brothers31]

Brothers31 r u still working on this? Is it adapted for 1.11 (implemented LOS and radar range limitations? would be really glad to hear about it

 

S!

 

Brati

 

New version ....( 0.996).

 

Not big change visible. Network rewrite and add some options.

 

This version is currently in test so use it with care.

 

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/emmanuel.cazaussus/

[Pilotasso]

errm...excuse me for my utterly and atrocious ignorance...but whats ATC screen? Its the tactical map we can consult while in the mission?

 

What are the advantages of this MOD?

[GGTharos]

It's so that someone can play the role of ATC/AWACS.

 

Passwords, I imagine, are typically not given to just anyone ;)

[33rd_bratpfanne.]

I Love the "Glidepath - View" Thats what i mostly use:D Brothers31 do u plan to implement Flight iInformation such as Altitude and Speed /Vectorinformation near an Aircraft icon like Jabogs ATC does? Would make me change to your Produkt completely;)

 

S!

 

Brati

[Brothers31]

I Love the "Glidepath - View" Thats what i mostly use:D Brothers31 do u plan to implement Flight iInformation such as Altitude and Speed /Vectorinformation near an Aircraft icon like Jabogs ATC does? Would make me change to your Produkt completely;)

 

S!

 

Brati

 

Try "Infos" Button :icon_weed

[33rd_bratpfanne.]

UPS! THX!:icon_pidu :icon_weed :icon_weed :icon_weed :beer: :icon_kidr :icon_supe

 

How could i have overseen this?

 

S!

 

Brati

[Brothers31]

youp, new version.

 

New:

 

Adler runway

imperial in ILs view

correct some extra bugs

 

Know bug: sometime ( retab) pilot name apear as 'X'... (i know where is the pb but not why)

 

 

Next to come:

 

More runways

jamming ( chaf and flare)

[misfit]

ATC client Suggestion....... maybe?

 

Would it be possible to give the Client the ability to clear any 'drawings' made on the screen in the AWACS mode, without having to exit the client and restart?

 

From an ex-VATSIM on-line controller, this mod is terrific and adds a whole new dimension to Lockon.

 

Thank you very much for all your time and effort producing this...

 

2nd Lt. Misfit

44th VFW PAO

[Doug]

Would it be possible to give the Client the ability to clear any 'drawings' made on the screen in the AWACS mode, without having to exit the client and restart?

Use Ctrl + Z ;)