6. Settings

6.1. Overview

Clicking on the bar symbol on the top left will open the main settings.

Project: add, remove and open projects GPS: select whether the coordinates are received by an external real GPS sensor (through SensorHandler) or the simulation mode is set Back to flying: go back to the main display for navigation Reset flight lines: color all flight lines shown in red, green or orange on the map (indicating the flight status of the lines) red (not yet flown) again. Stored settings: Different configurations can be defined Image colors on map: set the image center colors for images taken, not yet taken and images with warnings Graphics: change the colors of the user interface Units: choose the unit of values like altitude, speed, etc. Tolerances: change the settings of the navigation limits to different values (e.g. width of the corridor in which the images will be taken). Auto zoom settings: define when to switch from multiple line display to single line display. Selected display windows: set the pilot display to on or off and store its position. Standard rate turn: define the standard right turn (usually 120 seconds for 360°). Licensing: get information on the current software license.

6.2. Selecting GPS

Click the button GPS.

The option GPS through SensorHandler uses the coordinates delivered by SensorHandler from the external GPS.

The option simulation mode does not use real GPS coordinates but rather computes them from flight simulation.

Flying in simulation mode:

1. Set the switch to simulation mode.

2. Set an initial ground speed.

3. Select a line of flight.

4. The left arrow of the keyboard is used to turn the airplane to the left.

5. The right arrow of the keyboard is used to turn the airplane to the right.

6. The up arrow of the keyboard is used to fly higher.

7. The down arrow of the keyboard is used to fly lower.

   

6.3. Back to flying

Click the button Back to flying to leave the settings and go back to the flight navigation.

6.4. Reset flight lines

6.4.1. Overview

The color of the flight lines and dots shown on the map indicates the status of the lines and images.

Example	Line color	Flight line status	Dot color	Image status
	red	not yet flown	red	not taken
	orange	partly flown	red and green	not taken and taken
	green	fully flown	green	taken

It is possible to reset the status of a flight line (indicated by the line color) as well as the status of images on specific flight lines (indicated by the colored dots).

Hint

These adjustments can easily be made during a flight.

6.4.2. Reset flight lines

Reset flight line status:

1. Open the dialog using the Reset flight lines button. The lines are first sorted according to their status: not yet flown, partly flown, and fully flown.

2. To display a line as not yet flown, selected that line in the fully flown list.

3. Click the button set as not flown at the bottom of the column.

4. The line is transferred to the list not yet flown and thus displayed red in the flight plan.

5. Click set all as not flown at the bottom of the partly flown or fully flown column to reset the status of all lines listed in the respective column to not yet flown.

   

Important

Click Reset to real image takings in order to restore the flight lines and images to their original captured status recorded during flight.

6.4.3. Reset images

Reset image status:

1. Open the dialog using the Reset flight lines button. The lines are first sorted according to their status: not yet flown, partly flown, and fully flown.

2. Selected a flight line from one of the lists by clicking on it.

3. In the column on the right, enter the numbers of the first and last images of which the status needs to be adjusted.

4. In the box Set images… select the new status:

   • set as not flown -> red dot

   • set as flown -> green dot

   • set to be reflown -> green cross marker

   • set warning -> orange dot

5. The box underneath describes the action that will be taken.

6. Click Accept to apply the changes.

   

Hint

For changing the status of individual images you can also use the button Mark next image as to be reflown on/off in the operator’s display.

6.4.4. Examples

Example of a flight plan with different flight line statuses

The graphic below shows a plan with fully flown, partially flown, and not flown lines. Images to be retaken are cross marked.

Example of how to manually change the image status

Display changes can be made manually for individual (or all) images of a line.

In the graphic on the left, the green color indicates that all lines were captured. After a closer inspection it was found that the landscape was covered in snow on the first 6 images of line 3. These images will have to be retaken at a later date and, therefore, are to be marked.

Reset status of images 1 to 6 of line 3:

1. Open the dialog using the Reset flight lines button.

2. Select line 3 from the fully flown list by clicking on it.

3. In the column on the far right, set First image to 1.

4. Set Last image to 6.

5. Select the Set images… option set to be reflown.

6. Click the Accept button.

   

Result:

Images 1 to 6 of line 3 are now marked with a cross.

6.5. Stored settings

The default folder for the settings is located in ../ProgramData/TFNavi/ini/. Any adjustments made to the original settings will be stored here.

Hint

It is possible to create individual settings profiles according to different requirements and store the changes separately. For example, you might want to have own settings profiles for the time of flight, the system(s) used or the pilot’s preferences. These individual NAVIGATOR and SensorHandler settings will be stored in a new folder located within the default folder.

Changing the standard settings location:

1. In the main settings, select Stored settings.

2. The standard folder is located in ../ProgramData/TFNavi/ini/.

3. Click on the ellipses to change the standard folder and/or create a new folder.

4. Restart NAVIGATOR and SensorHandler to apply the changes!

Saving new settings:

1. In the main settings, select Stored settings.

2. Click Save settings to….

3. A dialog window opens, prompting you to name the new settings.

4. Check the box Use this folder instead of standard folder and select the newly created profile from the drop-down list.

5. Restart NAVIGATOR and SensorHandler to apply the changes!

6. All current settings and any changes made to them will now be saved in a folder with the new name located in the folder specified for standard settings.

Loading existing settings:

1. In the main settings, select Stored settings.

2. Check the box Use this folder instead of standard folder and select the desired profile from the drop-down list.

3. Restart NAVIGATOR and SensorHandler to apply the changes!

4. Any changes made during the use of the selected profile will be stored in the respective settings.

Important

When NAVIGATOR starts, it automatically applies the most recently used settings.

6.6. Image colors on map

Use the navigation bar to select Image colors on map.

Use the options in the dialog box to define the representation of the image centers on the map. It is possible to choose different color schemes. The default scheme uses the color definition shown in this manual.

6.7. Graphics

6.7.1. Customizing font and colors

Font settings

Choose the optimal font size by right-clicking on the text. The dialog for the font settings appears. Press the OK button to save the new settings.

Graphic settings

Use the navigation bar to select Graphics.

A dialog box will open in which you can set the colors, symbol sizes, and fonts for various user interface elements according to your preferences.

Different options are marked with red numerical identifiers. In the illustrations below, the indicated numbers demonstrate the impact of these settings on user interface elements.

Operator’s display:	Pilot’s display:

6.7.2. Saving settings

Important

This entry is an important renewal in the NAVIGATOR manual version 15 and will have its own section in future versions.

All NAVIGATOR and SensorHandler settings (e.g. colors, tolerances, units, selection of sensors, settings of sensors) are stored in distinct ini-files in the folder C:\ProgramData\TFNavi\ini. A new installation of TOPOFLIGHT Navigator will overwrite the existing ini-files in the folder C:\ProgramData\TFNavi\ini. This means that all user definitions will be overwritten by the default values.

To prevent this issue from occurring it had been required, until now, to make a backup of the ini-file folder before a new installation. Afterwards, the ini-file folder was copied back into the corresponding folder. As of version 15, the settings are now saved separately. This means that the settings are maintained for new installations.

Hint

The possibility to save different settings has an advantage for companies operating different sensor systems. A separate set of ini-files can be saved for each configuration.

Example: If a company has a one system with a Riegl scanner and PhaseOne cameras, a second system with an UltraCam camera and a third system with an ITRES multispectral scanner, then separate settings can be saved and reloaded for each of these three systems.

Saving your configuration:

1. Define all devices in SensorHandler.

2. Define all colors, fonts etc. in NAVIGATOR.

3. Click on the button Save settings to….

   

4. Choose a path and name for these settings.

5. From the list box, select the name of the settings you have just saved.

6. Activate the option Use this folder instead of standard folder.

6.8. Units

Use the navigation bar to select Units.

6.9. Tolerances

Use the navigation bar to select Tolerances.

Horizontal distance from line

Images will be taken when the sensor is within the tolerated horizontal distance.

This value is shown here in the user interface:

line deviation indicator
single line display

Flying altitude tolerance

If the difference between the actual and the planned altitude is within the defined value, the box is colored green and the actual altitude is colored green. Otherwise, everything is colored red. Images will be taken regardless of the difference in color.

Extension of selected line

These values define the length of the extension of the selected line. In this example, the length of the line corresponds to a speed of 120kn during 90 seconds.

Extension of Airplane’s line

This feature will be available in a future release.

Visualization of mount accuracy

The levelling of the mount can be visualized in the icon located on the bar on the top of the main display.

Green, orange and red color shows how accurate the IMU is kept vertical.

6.10. Auto zoom settings

Use the navigation bar to select Auto zoom settings.

Change from north-up to head-up display when entering corridor

With the values shown above the display will change from multiline display to single line display once the following conditions are fulfilled:

• The airplane is less than 60 seconds away from the start of the line.

• The airplane reached an interception angle of less than 10 degrees between the track angle of the airplane and the selected line.

Zoom settings when aircraft is in corridor

Modify the width of the gray-colored corridor displayed in the operator or pilot display window according to your preferences.

By default, the corridor occupies 30% of the display window width.

6.11. Select display windows

Use the navigation bar to select Select display windows.

A detailed explanation is available here.

6.12. Standard rate turn

Use the navigation bar to select Standard rate turn.

Adjust the values in the dialog box to define the display of the standard right turn. The radius of the arc is calculated from the speed and the time to make a full turn.

Important

Use the moustache to quietly approach and intercept the selected flight line!

To see how a flight line can quietly be intercepted, please watch the video of a real flight on the Tutorials page of our website .

6.13. Helicopter specific settings

The default installation of NAVIGATOR includes some predefined settings that are optimized for use in an airplane. However, if the NAVIGATOR is being used in a helicopter, certain adjustments may be necessary to enhance navigation and reduce pilot workload. Below are some suggested settings for helicopter flights:

Auto zoom settings - interception angle

The interception angle is set to 10 or 20 degrees by default. In a helicopter, set the interception angle in the auto zoom settings to 20 degrees. This helps minimize the frequent switching between single line and overall display modes.

Auto zoom settings - aircraft in corridor

The default zoom level is set to 30%. However, you may find 20% to be more convenient in order to have a broader view when the helicopter is within the corridor. It is recommended to test this setting during flight and adjust the level in the auto zoom settings according to your preference.

Standard rate turn

The standard rate turn is shown as “moustache” in the operator and pilot display. For an aircraft it is set to 120 seconds for a full 360° turn. Adjust the standard rate turn to a more convenient value for helicopter turns.

Propagated track

The propagated track is typically displayed as a curved line, calculated based on the last three points within the previous 300 milliseconds. However, in a helicopter, this often results in a jittery line due to the frequent changes in ground track. To improve readability, it recommended replace the curved line with a straight one in the standard rate turn settings.