Flight Visualiser

https://gayatro.github.io/Flight-Visualiser/

Instructions

Overview

The Flight Visualiser is a web-based tool that visualises animal flight data in a 3D environment using CesiumJS and a 2D map using Leaflet. The tool allows you to visualise a flight path based on data from a CSV file containing geographical coordinates (Longitude, Latitude, Altitude).

Prerequisites

Before using the Flight Visualiser, you need to have the following:

• A valid Cesium Ion Access Token. You can create a free account and generate a token if you don’t have one.
• A CSV file containing the flight data. The CSV file must contain the following columns: Longitude, Latitude, Altitude, and Bearing (case sensitive).

Setting Up the Data

1. Ensure your CSV file is properly formatted with the required columns: Longitude, Latitude, Altitude, and Bearing.
2. Run the data-processor.ipynb script in this repository, which calculates the required parameters and formats your data for this simulator.

How to Use

1. Open the Application: Launch the Flight Visualiser website in your web browser: https://gayatro.github.io/Flight-Visualiser/

2. Input Cesium Ion Access Token:

   • Enter your Cesium Ion Access Token in the provided input box.

3. Initialise the Map:

   • Click the Initialise Map button. This will load the CesiumJS viewer and the Leaflet map.

4. Upload Your CSV File:

   • Click the Choose File button in the top left corner and upload your CSV file from your local device. The program will process the file and prepare the data for visualisation. If there is a large file, the browser will display a message. Press "Okay" each time to allow the website to complete processing this data. The processing progress can be tracked by the progress bar.

5. Start the Visualisation:

   • After uploading the CSV file, once the leaflet map on the bottom right corner loads in, click the Play button next to the Flight Progress slider to start the flight visualisation.
   • Use the slider labeled Flight Progress to manually control the flight progress.
   • Adjust the viewing direction with the Viewing Direction slider (to more closely observe a larger fovea) and change the camera pitch using the Pitch slider.

6. Pause or Resume the Visualisation:

   • You can pause the flight at any time by clicking the Pause button. Click it again to resume.
   • When you move the Flight Progress slider, the fly through will automatically pause. Continue the fly through by pressing the Play button once again.

Additional Controls

• Altitude Display: The current altitude of the flight is shown at the top-right corner of the screen.
• Map View: The 2D map on the bottom-right corner shows the flight path and the current position. Use the Flight Progress slider to move your position on the map.

Important Notes

• The visualisation will automatically loop back to the start once it reaches the end of the flight path.
• Ensure your CSV data is correctly formatted. The program will alert you if the required columns are missing or if no valid data is found.
• Please do NOT use extremely large file sizes. This website is currently unable to handle excessive file sizes, especially under the CesiumJS free accounts.

Troubleshooting

If the visualisation does not start:

• Verify that your Cesium Ion Access Token is valid and entered correctly.
• Ensure that your CSV file contains valid numerical data for all required columns.
• Check the console in your browser's developer tools for any error messages.
• Try pressing the play button! The data may load in without making it too apparent. You can also spot this by seeing that the leaflet map in the bottom right corner has loaded in.

Known Limitations

• The terrain data is not completely accurate in some regions, causing rare instances where the camera appears to go 'below ground', however this should quickly resolve itself during the flythrough. This also happens if the bird goes into shrubbery or trees, it appears to "enter the map".

Enjoy the Simulation!

Explore and analyse your flight data in a dynamic 3D environment combined with a 2D map view.

If you have any suggestions on how to improve this, please do not hesitate to reach out!