Visualizing Airspace

[numegil]

Hey guys,

I'm currently a student pilot in real life in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of the things that's really annoying me is that the airspace is kinda complicated around here, and I'm having trouble visualizing it nicely. I've searched around for some kind of tool to help out, but couldn't really find anything useful.

So I decided to make one

I'm a software developer in my day job, so this is definitely do-able for me, but I have absolutely zilch experience developing anything for flight sims of any kind.

Here's what I want to make:
- In addition to what's already there in the sim, clearly display each restricted airspace. I'm envisioning them as semi-transparent 3D shapes that you can fly into. Ideally they would be different colors depending on the type (B,C, or D), with a clearly visible label too (e.g. "SFO Bravo 6k-10k feet").
- When you're inside a restricted airspace, make it really obvious somehow.

Can someone point me in the right direction on how make this happen within FS9/FSX?

If it's not really feasible, my backup plan is to do it in Google Earth's javascript API instead. I already have a really crappy flight simulator done. (The quality of the sim itself doesn't matter here for me). I just need to import the data for the restricted airspace and display it.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks,
-numegil

 

[kevintampa5]

Airspace visualization is easy. You just need to study the charts more to get the idea. The chart list the boundary of the airspace. There are markings that indicate the floor and ceiling.
40
---
80

For a good, easy, and cheap groundschool course (required completion prior to the knowledge test) visit
http://www.FAA-Ground-school.com

Over Half the courses are free. Its $100 to enroll in the courses to gain the completion certificate.

To practice for the exam, http://www.exams4pilots.com is the best resource. What I did was spend 4 weeks on there taking the test over 400 times; the entire PPC question bank about 500 questions that are randomly picked is available. Just practice it and memorize it, but dont only rely on it. You need the books and stuff too. I aced the exam in well under the allotted time.

Advice for your checkride when you get there, get post it notes and TAB the FAR/AIM, aeronautical knowledge book, the weather books (Aviation Weather (AC00-6A) and Aviation Weather Services (AC00-45G) are recommended, charts, everything. I place about 300 or so in the far/aim alone.

Pilotmall.com is a cheap source of books and material. Its usually cheaper than places like pilotshop and sportys.
ASA and Gleim are the cheaper books available. Jeppesen is good but gets pricey.

 

[numegil]

Um, yeah. I already knew all of that. You didn't answer my question though - how can I go about implementing my idea in FSX?

 

[kevintampa5]

Um, yeah. I already knew all of that. You didn't answer my question though - how can I go about implementing my idea in FSX?

Dont know but it is a good idea in order to learn it.

 

[kevintampa5]

Airspace visualization is easy. You just need to study the charts more to get the idea. The chart list the boundary of the airspace. There are markings that indicate the floor and ceiling.
40
---
80

the above was just a statement

the below is an avenue for your training to be a private pilot.

For a good, easy, and cheap groundschool course (required completion prior to the knowledge test) visit
http://www.FAA-Ground-school.com

Over Half the courses are free. Its $100 to enroll in the courses to gain the completion certificate.

To practice for the exam, http://www.exams4pilots.com is the best resource. What I did was spend 4 weeks on there taking the test over 400 times; the entire PPC question bank about 500 questions that are randomly picked is available. Just practice it and memorize it, but dont only rely on it. You need the books and stuff too. I aced the exam in well under the allotted time.

Advice for your checkride when you get there, get post it notes and TAB the FAR/AIM, aeronautical knowledge book, the weather books (Aviation Weather (AC00-6A) and Aviation Weather Services (AC00-45G) are recommended, charts, everything. I place about 300 or so in the far/aim alone.

Pilotmall.com is a cheap source of books and material. Its usually cheaper than places like pilotshop and sportys.
ASA and Gleim are the cheaper books available. Jeppesen is good but gets pricey.

 

[LCSims]

I have seen airspace boundaries drawn on top of the terrain and that wouldn't be a major undertaking IMO, but having that take height parameters into account is not something I have seen.

Two possible and highly speculative thoughts are to attempt a 3D model of the airspace boundary or see if something within the Missions portion of the SDKs might work. The model "sounds" easy enough, but the thing would be HUGE and I have no idea if FSX (or FS9) would accept something that big. And I'm not well enough versed in the Missions to know if something like what you're thinking is workable, but some time spent looking at a few hundred threads might yield some insight?

A lot just depends upon how visual you want the visuals to be?

 

[kevintampa5]

I have seen airspace boundaries drawn on top of the terrain and that wouldn't be a major undertaking IMO, but having that take height parameters into account is not something I have seen.

Two possible and highly speculative thoughts are to attempt a 3D model of the airspace boundary or see if something within the Missions portion of the SDKs might work. The model "sounds" easy enough, but the thing would be HUGE and I have no idea if FSX (or FS9) would accept something that big. And I'm not well enough versed in the Missions to know if something like what you're thinking is workable, but some time spent looking at a few hundred threads might yield some insight?

A lot just depends upon how visual you want the visuals to be?

I was thinking models with colored transparent textures, but I dont think it could be done in 1 model.

 

[ibanez737]

This really wouldn't be very hard to do, but it would help if you had a bit of 3d modelling experience in Gmax or Google Sketchup. I actually attempted this a while ago with Seattle's Class B, but at the time my modelling skills weren't up to snuff. I'm sure I could do it now.

You would first need to import a properly scaled sectional or TAC into your modelling program of choice, to use it as your reference image and make sure your model is scaled properly. For the image part, you could probably just take a screenshot of the SFO bravo from vfrmap.com crop it to contain just the airspace you want. The measuring would be a little trickier, but I have a Google earth kml that I found that allows you to view sectionals in GE. You could then use the GE measuring tool to measure out the size of your image with reasonable accuracy.

Once you have your reference image properly sized and centered in either Gmax or sketchup, you would begin modelling each layer of the airspace. Since, as you said, the SFO Class B is pretty complicated, you would need to use some clever Boolean cuts in Gmax to get it right. I don't have enough experience in sketchup to give you advise there. You would then give it a semi-transparent texture and export it. If using gmax, you would use the exporter tools included with the FSX sdk. If using sketchup, you would use Arno's great ModelConverterX program.

Kinda complicated if you're a complete newbie to fs scenery design, but not insurmountable. Heck, discussing this has gotten me a little interested in it now...

Cheers,
Scott

 

[mgh]

A warning. FSX doesn't model all the different types of ATC boundaries listed in the SDK as shown in the attached table.

 

[lionheart]

Here is a 'super simple' way of doing it.


If you just want to 'show' boundries, so you know where they are, etc, try this.

With a model creation tool, like Gmax, create 'shapes' that are colored and transparent. They would be like gigantic, faintly visible rooms/cells. Perhaps show them when you are near them also from the outside (like within 20 miles) and they appear, and when you are in them, the walls appear around you. Perhaps you could make them to disappear with a gauge (code) so that you can turn them on and off.

Then you would have the things in cells.

Perhaps with cells that overlap, they can be checkered with yellow/blue, etc.


This is the simple way. You would export them from Gmax or 3DS Max as simple big shapes and make them so that they do not have collsion boxes on them so you can fly through them. They would basically be scenery objects.

Another neat thing would be to have a message scroll past on a bar along the top of the sim that says 'you are in 'this' airspace', when you enter a cell.

Hope that helps.

PS: I'll bet Prepar3D would be really interested in this as a study guide for pilots in using the sim for learning this also.

Bill

 

[Lane Street]

I am curious about the scale of the object.

A typical Class B airspace is 30nm radius.

Will FS display something that big? How close/far away from it will you have to be to see it?

What will the poly count be on a 30nm radius cylinder?

Can GMAX make something that big or are you you going to have to make it in pieces?

cheers,
Lane

 

[JRobinson]

The sim will display something up to around 18 nm from the reference point from my experience so I think you'd have problems with things disappearing in the distance. Not sure, but I made a fairly large object once to be used as a marker and it was only visible up to about 18 nm. Also you'd have to duplicate your object and flip normals on the dupe or you'd only see it from outside the airspace.

What you need is something like the fuel triggers with "showtriggers on" in the .cfg. Maybe you could define the airspace with offsets in an XML and tag it "ridge lift" with a very low strength or something.

Better yet, since you're a software dev, maybe you can tap whatever makes triggers show up green in the sim and figure out how to make it show what you want. Maybe even something besides green .

 

[kevintampa5]

A typical Class B airspace is 30nm radius.

Not true. Typical class B airspace is totally dependent on the design of the airspace, aiport, flow of traffic, and the FAA. The Mode C veil is typically 30nm. That just means your aircraft must have a transponder with altitude encoding to operate within the mode C limits. Just because you are within the Mode C does not mean you are in the Bravo.

Bravo can be many different shapes and sizes and altitudes. There are many factors that are used to determine airspace shape and size.

As for this project, I would say many pieces of transparent texture models.

As for the P3D comment, it sounds like a good idea, but I dont know if the FAA would like that as P3D is certifiable if I recall. They want the environment to be realistic, not contain false markings to show airspace. Some (and most modern) GPS units show airspace limits and sometimes altitudes. I use a garmin GNS430 and its very detailed. Too bad FS doesnt have the same functionality as the real one.

 

[lionheart]

I modelled the Borg ship once (heh... ) in FS. Its size is hurrendous. It was like the size of a city and went well past the cloud layers above. MASSIVE...

I would think this shouldnt be a problem.

Try and find out. See if you can put in a rectangle or circle about 50 or 100 NM in size.

 

[kevintampa5]

something like this.


Update: Tried at 316800' and MCX cant load it. will try getting X file.

 

[kevintampa5]

here is a test of 30mile radius, 4 tier variable floor alt blue bravo rings around ktpa, single model. Downside is it wont show once 40 miles away from the center.


PS: MCX wont show the model, but will convert it.

What gets interesting is at night, the glow texture you could apply would be pretty cool.


PSS: F airspace is not used, atleast in the USA....yet. ICAO is taking over

 

[mgh]

PSS: F airspace is not used, atleast in the USA....yet. ICAO is taking over

But Class A airspace is is used in the USA but not modelled by FSX. Class B airspace is not used in the UK. ICAO only defines the airspaces classes, not their use. The UK uses Class A differently to the USA. Also it has two non-ICAO classes - Aerodrome Traffic Zones (ATZ) and Military Air Traffic Zones (MATZ)

 

[kevintampa5]

But Class A airspace is is used in the USA but not modelled by FSX. Class B airspace is not used in the UK. ICAO only defines the airspaces classes, not their use. The UK uses Class A differently to the USA. Also it has two non-ICAO classes - Aerodrome Traffic Zones (ATZ) and Military Air Traffic Zones (MATZ)

Class A airspace in the USA is any airspace 18,000ft msl to 60,000ft msl (or FL600, cant remember as Flight Level changes with temperature and pressures, what is 18000ft may be FL170 or so.) within US airspace Above 60000 its either G or E. A airspace is the entire nation, thats why it isnt modeled in FS or real life (Class A at 18,000ft doesnt apply if the ground elevation is 18000. It would be class G or E up to 700ft or 1200ft agl then class A, although a mode S or C transponder at minimum would be required for flights above 18000ft even though you are in G.)

The comment was intended to show the USA is gearing more in the way of ICAO rather than its own system, as is most the aviation world. The ICAO version was mostly based on US and European aviation systems and integrated multiple aspects into one massive confusion.

The US also has ADIZ zones I dont think FS models. TRSA's (pronounced Tersa's) are not modeled in FS either that I have seen, only a few exist in the USA, and not recognized by ICAO to my knowledge.

The ICAO provides definitions for each airspace control type as a standard. Each nations aviation agency decides how to enforce it and what its limits will be.

 

[mgh]

Class A airspace in the USA is any airspace 18,000ft msl to 60,000ft msl ... thats why it isnt modeled in FS or real life

But other countries are different. In the UK for example, the London CTR, which surrounds Heathrow, is Class A airspace from the surface to 2500 ft. Stacked above that is the London TMA, which is also Class A and steps up from 2500 ft to FL195. That's why it should be modelled. EDIT: To the best of my recollection, the London airspace was modelled in FS9.

The ICAO provides definitions for each airspace control type as a standard. Each nations aviation agency decides how to enforce it and what its limits will be.

That was my point. Surely it's a good thing to standardise these definitions internationally - aviation is international. The ICAO Class A definition is

Type of flight: IFR only
Separation provided; All aircraft
Service provided; Air traffic control services
Speed limitation: Not applicable
Radio communication requirement: Continuous two-way
Subject to an ATC clearance: Yes

That's hardly "...integrated multiple aspects into one massive confusion."

 

[WarpD]

That's hardly "...integrated multiple aspects into one massive confusion."

You are arguing someone's personal opinion... why? It serves no purpose.