AS FLIGHT ANALYSIS SOFTWARE USER S GUIDE. Revision 1.14

Transcription

1 AS FLIGHT ANALYSIS SOFTWARE USER S GUIDE

2 AS Flight Analysis Software Appareo Systems, LLC. All Rights Reserved. AS Flight Analysis Software User s Guide. All content within is copyrighted by Appareo Systems, LLC, and may not be reprinted without permission. The content of this guide is furnished for information use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Appareo Systems, LLC. Appareo assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in the information content contained in this guide. AS Flight Analysis Software is protected by U.S. Patent No. 11/327,965. Appareo Systems, Appareo, the Appareo Systems Logo and AS Flight Analysis Software are all trademarks or registered trademarks of Appareo Systems LLC. Appareo Systems, LLC, 1810 NDSU Research Circle North, Fargo, North Dakota USA. Visit us on the Web at Questions? us at support@appareo.com. Page 2 of 43

3 Table of Contents GLOSSARY INTRODUCTION USER S GUIDE TIPS MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS GETTING STARTED ALLOWING NETWORK CONFIGURATIONS INSTALLING AS FLIGHT ANALYSIS SOFTWARE STARTING AS FLIGHT ANALYSIS SOFTWARE ACTIVATING AS FLIGHT ANALYSIS SOFTWARE PROXY SETTINGS OPENING A DATA FILE Opening a Zipped File ENTERING FUSION OPTIONS DATA LAUNCHING SYNCHRONIZED PLAYBACK USING AS FLIGHT ANALYSIS SOFTWARE ON-SCREEN CONTROLS ACQUIRING SATELLITE IMAGES AND TERRAIN DATA SWITCHING BETWEEN 3-D AND 2-D PLAYBACK MODES D MODE DROP-DOWN MENUS File Menu View Menu D Options Menu D Options Menu Labeling Discrete Channels Playback Menu Tools Menu Help Menu Viewing Events TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE AN ACCOUNT LOGIN DIALOG BOX APPEARS Working Offline KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS Page 3 of 43

4 Table of Figures Figure 1: AS Flight Analysis software details... 6 Figure 2: Activation Wizard dialog box...11 Figure 3: Proxy Settings dialog box...12 Figure 4: AS Flight Analysis Software splash screen...14 Figure 5: Selecting a data file...14 Figure 6: Selecting a trip file to open from a zipped file...15 Figure 7: the Fusion Options dialog box...16 Figure 8: the Launch Vision 1000 Playback Utility dialog box...17 Figure 9: Screen layout for 3-D playback mode...18 Figure 10: Flight path controls...20 Figure 11: FAA data controls and graphics...21 Figure 12: Screen layout for 2-D graph mode...23 Figure 13: Selecting the window type...25 Figure 14: AS Flight Analysis Software with 2-D Viewer windows...26 Figure 15: AS Flight Analysis Software file menu...27 Figure 16: AS Flight Analysis Software 3-D Options menu...32 Figure 17: AS Flight Analysis Software 2-D options menu...34 Figure 18: Labeling discrete channels...36 Figure 19: AS Flight Analysis Software playback menu...37 Figure 20: Viewing Events with AS Flight Analysis Software...39 Figure 21: Account Login dialog box...40 Page 4 of 43

5 Glossary Term Course FAA GPS Heading Nav-Aids Pitch Roll Trip Definition The course of an aircraft is its actual flight path. This is different from heading (defined below), which describes the direction the aircraft is facing. An aircraft s course can be recorded by periodically collecting GPS or location points along a flight. Federal Aviation Administration. The Agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the country. Global Positioning System. This term refers to a system for determining one s position in 3-D space using a series of geosynchronous satellites orbiting the Earth. A sensor triangulates its position by receiving signals from the satellites which are in known locations in space. Three satellite signals are required to calculate latitude and longitude, and four signals are required to calculate altitude. The direction a moving object is facing, even though its direction of motion may be different. Heading data is provided by a compass, which is mounted in relation to the vehicle, despite that vehicle s direction of movement. Navigational aids, used primarily in aviation and marine applications. A nav-aid is a device that provides information on a plane s location or the location of a destination such as an airport. Nav-aids include radio beacons, light emitting sources, radar, and GPS devices. For the purposes of this document, pitch is defined as the angle away from up, where up is defined as the direction of a vector from the center of the Earth to a point in outer space. An alternate definition is the amount an object is angled up or down from its normal level orientation of flight. For the purposes of this document, roll is defined to be a body s rotation about its forward axis. An object with zero roll is in its normal level orientation of flight. For example, roll for an airplane is defined as its rotation about an axis created by drawing a line from the tail to the nose of the aircraft. In the context of this document, a trip refers to the recorded sequence of movements starting when the aircraft powers on and ending when the aircraft is powered down Page 5 of 43

6 1 Introduction AS Flight Analysis User s Guide Congratulations on purchasing AS Flight Analysis Software! AS Flight Analysis Software takes flight data exported from a handheld GPS unit or Appareo flight data recorder and recreates your flight in a rich, 3-D virtual environment. Simple-to-use media player controls allow you to skip to any point in the flight or to play the entire flight. A realistic model of an aircraft is displayed on a detailed background that incorporates high resolution satellite imagery and real terrain data based on the exact geographic location of the flight. The view recreates the flight on the screen using the exact position of the aircraft with precise 3-D coordinates provided by the GPS handheld or the GAU Flight Data Recorder. You can select from multiple camera angles, or you can navigate the camera to any position on any side of the object for an ideal view. Detailed statistics regarding the position, speed and orientation of the aircraft may be viewed in dialog boxes at the top of the screen or switch to 2-D Mode to view key flight parameters on a 2-D graph. View the flight from any camera angle Digital readouts of important flight parameters A list of Events triggered during the flight Easily toggle display features on and off Graphical representations of airports and heliports 3-D Playback incorporates actual satellite imagery and terrain data Intuitive media player-style controls for easy playback Figure 1: AS Flight Analysis software details Realistic aircraft instruments show attitude information Page 6 of 43

7 1.1 User s Guide Tips Look for these features throughout the user s guide to help you better understand AS Flight Analysis Software Note: The Note feature provides additional information and tips about the instructions Warning: The Warning feature notifies users of steps that may result in a permanent loss of data Example: The Example feature further illustrates a concept described in the user guide by giving real life examples. Keyboard shortcuts for some functions are given in [square brackets and blue text]. In instructions where you are required to click on a button or link or select an option from a list, the name labeled on the button, link, or option will be bold. In instructions where you are required to type into a field, the text you are instructed to type will be in italics. Page 7 of 43

8 2 Minimum System Requirements The AS Flight Analysis Software will run on any computer that meets the specifications in the Minimum column. For best performance, a computer with the specifications given in the Recommended column should be used. System Requirements Minimum Recommended 1 GHZ CPU 2 GHZ Dual Core CPU or better nvidia, ATI or Intel Graphics Chipset Windows XP U.S. English version only nvidia GeForce 6000 series or better, ATI Radeon 9500 or better Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 U.S. English version only 1024 x 768 Monitor Resolution 1280 x 1024 Monitor Resolution 1 GB of Available Disk Space 5 GB preferred for downloadable content 512 MB RAM 1 GB of RAM or more Internet access Broadband internet access Page 8 of 43

9 3 Getting Started AS Flight Analysis User s Guide Allowing Network Configurations Before AS Flight Analysis Software may be used on your computer, you must ensure that your computer network will allow the IP addresses listed below transmit and receive access. If these IP addresses are blocked by your computer network, such as by a company s firewall, AS Flight may not be able to register, download imagery and terrain data, or receive software updates. Please inform your network s information technology (IT) manager that the following IP addresses must be allowed read and write access before you attempt to download and install AS Flight Analysis Software: msrmaps.com port 80 (HTTP) wms.ipl.nasa.gov port 80 (HTTP) server.arcgisonline.com port 80 (HTTP) services1.arcgisonline.com port 80 (HTTP) services2.arcgisonline.com port 80 (HTTP) services3.arcgisonline.com port 80 (HTTP) services4.arcgisonline.com port 80 (HTTP) services5.arcgisonline.com port 80 (HTTP) services6.arcgisonline.com port 80 (HTTP) services7.arcgisonline.com port 80 (HTTP) services8.arcgisonline.com port 80 (HTTP) services.appareosystems.com ( ) port 443 (HTTPS) services.ftp.appareosystems.com ( ) port 21 (FTP) Note: Please refer to Section 3.5 for more information about the proxy settings feature. Page 9 of 43

10 3.2 Installing AS Flight Analysis Software Follow the instructions below to download AS Flight Analysis Software from the Appareo website and install it on your computer. 1. In an internet web browser, type 2. Type your Appareo account user name and password in the appropriate fields and click Submit to sign in. a. If you have forgotten your user name or password, click the Forgot your username or password link. Type either your user name or password n the appropriate fields and click Submit. Your user name or password will be sent to the you provided during account creation by the Appareo support team in less than a minute. b. If you have not yet created a user account, click Click here to create a new account. Enter the appropriate information in the fields provided and click Submit. All fields marked by an asterisk (*) are required. c. If you continue to have problems signing in, click the contact us link and follow the on-screen instructions. 3. Once you have signed in, your account Home page will appear. All of the Appareo products you have previously purchased and downloaded are displayed on this page. If AS Flight Analysis already appears on this list, skip to Step 8. If it does not appear, continue to follow the instructions. 4. Click the Add Product link. 5. Select AS Flight Analysis from the product drop-down menu. 6. Enter the 32 character product key in the appropriate field and click Submit. a. If you have not yet received the product key, please contact support@appareo.com to request one. 7. Click Home under the Manage Your Account column to view your account s Home page. 8. Click the red, underlined ASFlightAnalysis.exe link under the Purchased Products list to start the download process. 9. Click the Click here to download the requested file link in the pop-up dialog box. a. Note: Pop-up windows must be enabled on your web browser in order to view the download link window. b. Note: The AS Flight Analysis installer may take several minutes to download. 10. Once the installer has finished downloading to your computer, navigate to the location the installer has been saved (such as the Desktop or My Documents) and double-click the installer to begin the installation process. a. Note: This step may not be necessary, depending on your Web browser. For example, Google Chrome will display the downloaded file within the browser. 11. The AS Flight Analysis Setup dialog box will appear. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process. For instructions on how to open AS Flight Analysis Software once you have finished the download and installation process, reference Section 3.3. Page 10 of 43

11 3.3 Starting AS Flight Analysis Software The first step toward reviewing a flight is to start the AS Flight Analysis Software program. To open the software program, double-click the AS Flight Analysis System icon on the desktop (pictured at right) or click the Windows Start button located in the lower left corner of the desktop screen, click All Programs, point to AS Flight Analysis Software and click AS Flight Analysis Software. 3.4 Activating AS Flight Analysis Software An Activation Wizard will appear the first time AS Flight Analysis Software is run after installation. The Activation Wizard will walk you through the steps of activating and registering your copy of AS Flight Analysis. The process requires an Appareo website user account and that your computer be connected to the internet. You must also have the AS Flight Analysis Software product key on hand. If you do not have an Appareo website user account, go to to create an account for free. You must go through the activation process whenever AS Flight Analysis Software is reinstalled or installed on a new computer. Figure 2: Activation Wizard dialog box Note: If an Account Login dialog box continually appears after you have activated AS Flight Analysis Software, refer to Section 5.1 for troubleshooting steps. Page 11 of 43

12 3.5 Proxy Settings AS Flight Analysis User s Guide AS Flight Analysis Software users who work on a computer network protected by a proxy server may have to perform additional steps to allow for connection to the Appareo server, as detailed in Section 3.1. If installing AS Flight Analysis Software for the first time, click the proxy settings button on the Activation Wizard (see Section 3.4) to view the proxy settings dialog box (shown in Figure 3). If AS Flight Analysis Software has already been activated, but the proxy setting information has not been entered, an error message will appear stating that AS Flight Analysis Software is unable to communicate with the Appareo server. The error message will be followed by an Account Login dialog box (shown in Figure 21). Click the Proxy Settings button on the Account Login dialog box to access the Proxy Settings dialog box. Note: The AS Flight Analysis Software proxy settings feature currently only supports HTTP proxy servers with basic authentication. Figure 3: Proxy Settings dialog box Page 12 of 43

13 To enter the proxy server information: 1. Click Proxy Settings on the Activation Wizard or Account Login dialog box. 2. Select either the Use system proxy settings or Specify proxy settings button. a. If you select the Use system proxy settings option, AS Flight Analysis Software will automatically use the proxy information saved on your computer. i. To see what proxy information is currently saved on your computer, click the Windows Start button on the lower left corner of your desktop, click Control Panel and click Internet Options. Select the Connections tab and click LAN Settings. The information displayed in the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings dialog box is what would be used by the Proxy Settings feature if Use system proxy settings option is used. b. If you select the Specify proxy settings option: i. Type the proxy server address in the Address field and the proxy server port in the Port field. Note: If you do not know this information, ask your IT manager for assistance. ii. If your proxy server requires authentication, select the Use authentication checkbox, type the username and password you use to log on to a computer on the network. If the proxy server does not require authentication, clear the Use authentication checkbox. If your computer does not run from behind a proxy server, the proxy server is removed, or your computer runs from behind a proxy server type other than HTTP with basic authentication, ensure the No Proxy option is selected. Page 13 of 43

14 3.6 Opening a Data File AS Flight Analysis User s Guide When the program loads, a splash screen similar to the one shown in Figure 4 will appear. Figure 4: AS Flight Analysis Software splash screen When the program finishes loading, the Select Choice dialog, shown below, will appear. Select 1. Open a trip file and click OK. From the Open File dialog box, navigate to the location where the flight file is saved (e.g. desktop folder, memory card). Figure 5: Selecting a data file After selecting a data file, if the data file contains data needs to be fused, the Fusion Options dialog box will appear. If the data within the file has already been fused, the Fusion Options dialog box will not appear. Page 14 of 43

15 3.6.1 Opening a Zipped File AS Flight Analysis Software can open zipped files directly; users do not have to first export files before viewing trip files that are contained within a zipped file. Files exported from AS Web Analyzer will automatically be contained within a zipped file. To open a zipped file, you may either follow the instructions in Section 3.6 or right-click the file from wherever it is stored and click Open with AS Flight Analysis Software. If you have selected to view a zip file that contains multiple trip files, a Select Trip File pop-up box will appear. Select which trip file you want to view and click OK to continue. Figure 6: Selecting a trip file to open from a zipped file Note: If you have selected a zip file that does not contain any files that may be viewed in AS Flight Analysis Software, an error message will appear stating that AS Flight Analysis Software cannot find any data in this file to display. Page 15 of 43

16 3.7 Entering Fusion Options Data Under the Installed Orientation section, enter the Yaw, Pitch and Roll angles at which the flight recorder was mounted. This will correct for any offset and provide accurate orientation of the aircraft in the visualization. In the Installed Inputs section, select which (if any) optional inputs are installed on the aircraft. By selecting one of these inputs, the software will look for and fuse (if available) those parameters for use in AS Flight Analysis Software. Aircraft Specific Inputs require specific conversion equations for parameters that are different between each aircraft type. If you have aircraft specific inputs installed, be especially careful in selecting the correct type. Failing to select the correct aircraft type will result in inaccurate data. In the Other Values section, select which (if any) values are currently measured by the aircraft. Selecting any of the Other Values will result in those parameters being output as part of the fused data file. Figure 7: the Fusion Options dialog box Following completion of the Fusion Options dialog, the software will begin to process data, draw the environment in which the flight occurred, locate supporting visualization data (FAA data, satellite imagery, etc), and load an aircraft model. Depending on the size of the trip file and the specifications for the computer, this process may take several minutes. A progress bar will appear as the software is loading the data file. Note: AS Flight Analysis Software must be installed on the computer before you can use it Page 16 of 43

17 3.8 Launching Synchronized Playback The Launch Vision 1000 Playback Utility dialog box (shown in Figure 8) will display once a data file is loaded, if all of the conditions below are true: The data file was recorded by a Vision 1000 The data file has associated audio and/or image data The computer has the Vision 1000 Playback Utility installed The Synchronized Playback option is selected in the Playback Menu (see Section 4.4.6) Figure 8: the Launch Vision 1000 Playback Utility dialog box Select Yes to launch the data file playback in Vision 1000 Playback Utility. The playback in Vision 1000 Playback Utility will be synchronized with the AS Flight Analysis Software playback. While in synchronization mode, the playback control buttons on the Vision 1000 Playback Utility will be disabled; flight playback must be controlled through AS Flight Analysis Software. Note: For optimal viewing without interference during synchronized playback, Appareo highly recommends using a dual monitor system. Interference during playback will occur if the AS Flight Analysis and Vision 1000 Playback Utility windows overlap. Select No on the Launch Vision 1000 Playback Utility dialog box to load the data file for playback with AS Flight Analysis Software only. Page 17 of 43

18 4 Using AS Flight Analysis Software Once a trip has been downloaded and recorded, you may play it back and analyze it using AS Flight Analysis Software. The following subsections will describe the operation of AS Flight Analysis Software. 4.1 On-Screen Controls AS Flight Analysis Software has two main modes for playback: 3-D Playback (Flight Visualization) and 2-D Playback (Graph Mode). These two modes provide the best analytical tools and controls necessary to review a pilot s aerial performance. Figure 9 below and the text following this figure provide a description of the on-screen controls offered in 3-D Playback Mode. Figure 13 and the text following that figure provide a description of the on-screen controls offered in 2-D Graph Mode. C B A D E L M F J G H K I Figure 9: Screen layout for 3-D playback mode Page 18 of 43

19 On-Screen Controls and Feature Description from Figure 9 (3-D Mode): The paragraphs below correspond to the labels on Figure 9. Title Bar (A): The title bar of the AS Flight Analysis Software program lists the name of the data file that is being played back. Digital Readouts (B): Information on position, speed, and orientation are provided in easy-to-read text box format. At a glance, you can see the exact value of flight parameters at any point in the flight. Note: When the recorded flight data file is missing information required to drive one of the digital readouts, the number field for that readout will appear to be unavailable (Example: pitch and roll are shaded in the figure on the right). Camera Controls (C): You can change the angle from which you view the trip playback in AS Flight Analysis by selecting from a variety of camera angles. Predefined camera angles are provided in a drop-down list, which allows you to go to nearly any viewing angle with the click of a mouse. The defined camera views are Floating, Chase, Cockpit, Top, Left Profile and Right Profile. The Floating camera mode also allows additional manipulation of the view using the cursor keys and the mouse. In Chase, Cockpit and Floating mode, you can also hold the left mouse button down and drag the pointer across the screen to manually adjust the camera angle. Instruments Controls (D): The Instruments Control panel allows you to switch the display of the simulated instrument panel on and off. A slider control allows you to control the degree of transparency of the control panel. Making the instrument panel semi-transparent will allow you to view the 3-D simulation behind the panel. In addition to the instrument panel, these controls allow you to switch the display of the compass rose, a small graphic which appears in the upper right corner of main window indicating direction, on and off. Flight Path Controls (E): The flight path controls allow you to display a representation of the aircraft s flight path in the form of a line (solid or dotted), and with or without a vertical wall that is drawn between the flight path and the ground. This flight wall uses a grid pattern to show your altitude and horizontal distance traveled. The altitude or distance indicated by the squares on the grid pattern can be set from the Options dialog box (found under the View menu). The default size of the smaller squares is 100 feet, and the default size of the larger squares is 1000 feet. The Data Source control allows you to vary the color of the flight wall based on the value of a selected data source. For example, if you: Select Speed as your data source Click the Min button and select the color yellow Click the Max button and select the color red Page 19 of 43

20 In Figure 10, the color of the flight wall will vary from yellow to red, based on events being triggered during the trip. The parts of the wall corresponding to triggered events of high severity will be red, triggered events of medium severity a dark orange, triggered events of low severity a light orange and areas where no events were triggered will be yellow. Displayed colors are customizable and you can choose the information that they represent by using the Data Sources drop-down menu. Figure 10: Flight path controls Allow Underground (F): Select the Allow Underground check box to allow the flight path to be displayed below ground level, and also allow the camera angle to be positioned below ground level. Since the terrain resolution is approximately one elevation point every half mile, inaccuracies of the terrain can result in the aircraft appearing to go underground. The recorded altitude of your flight may be offset due to a low quality GPS signal, causing the flight path to be displayed below the ground. Selecting this check box will allow the flight path to be displayed underground. Clearing this check box will adjust the flight path so that it follows the ground contours rather than dives beneath it. Selecting the Fade Ahead and Fade Behind check boxes clip the length of the flight path to a predefined length; equal portions of the flight path will be displayed ahead and behind the aircraft. To set the length of the flight path click the View menu, Options, Flight Path tab and then choose the desired length. Page 20 of 43

21 Ground Controls (G): Select the Show Aerial Imagery checkbox to display satellite or aerial images corresponding to the geographic area of the flight on the surface of the ground. When the computer running AS Flight Analysis Software is connected to the internet, the software will attempt to download information corresponding to the area of the flight from the Appareo server. If the computer is not connected to the internet, AS Flight Analysis Software will attempt to retrieve images and data from the computer s cache images from a previous download. If the information does not already exist on the computer and if the computer is not connected to the internet, a default grid pattern is displayed. A horizontal bar graph indicates the progress of the download process. If the Show Aerial Imagery check box is not selected, the default grid pattern is displayed in place of satellite or aerial imagery. FAA Data Controls (H): FAA Data controls allow you to display FAA data, including airports, heliports, runways, and runway approach information. In addition to this airportspecific data, you can also display the locations of nav-aids (navigation aids) and obstacles. As shown in Figure 11, airport names and identifiers, highlighted runways, navaid locations and glide slope and localizer data can be switched on or off by selecting the appropriate check box in this section. Airport symbol and label, runways highlighted in yellow Approach information shown as a blue graphic Nav-aids appear in green around airport Flight path of aircraft as it comes in for a landing Figure 11: FAA data controls and graphics Media Player Controls (I): AS Flight Analysis Software provides media player-style controls (like those on a DVD player) so that you can play, pause, fast forward, rewind, and go to the beginning or end of the flight. There is also a horizontal slider control that allows you to quickly go to any point in the playback. Vertical Zoom Control (J): To the right of the main display window is a vertical slider control that is used to zoom in and out on the displayed graphics. When the slider control is at the top of the bar, the view is zoomed in as far as it can go. Page 21 of 43

22 Instrument Panel (K): Realistic aircraft instruments are displayed in the 3-D playback window to complete the realistic experience. Note: When the recorded flight data file is missing information required to drive one of the instruments, a small red x with a circle around it appears on the lower left corner of the effected instrument, indicating that it is disabled, as shown here. 3-D Mode Main Window (L): The main window of AS Flight Analysis Software in 3-D Mode provides a 3-D visualization of your trip on a simulated background which includes an aerial or satellite image of where the flight occurred which is applied over three dimensional terrain data. A realistic 3-D model of the aircraft is shown flying the maneuvers that were recorded by the recording device during the actual flight. Events Window (M ): The Events window of AS Flight Analysis Software provides a list of all of the events that were identified by AS Web Analyzer Software for the current flight. The window shows three separate lists: 1) all events available in this file and their peak values (along with any unavailable events), 2) all event triggers this file was parsed against, 3) all profiles associated with the recorder. The Events window shown here lists seven events that are available in the file. Event is currently being reviewed and the associated event trigger and profile(s) for this event are highlighted. During flight playback, events shown in the list are highlighted in red as the aircraft is moving through the corresponding event. Double-clicking on an event with your mouse will cause the playback to immediately go to that part of the flight. Hovering the mouse over events, peak values, Event Triggers, and profiles will pop-up tool tips that give more detail about that item. Note: Not all event triggers shown will have recorded events associated with them. The severity level that was entered by the aircraft in each event will be called out in the Events Window in the detailed view of that event. If the aircraft entered more than one severity level, all of the severity levels that were entered will be called out separately. You can jump to when to the point in the flight that the aircraft entered each severity by double-clicking them. The time the aircraft spent in each severity level will also be called out separately in the Events Window. Page 22 of 43

23 C A D B Figure 12: Screen layout for 2-D graph mode On-Screen Controls and Feature Description from Figure 12 (2-D Mode): Many of the playback features offered in 2-D Mode are similar to those in 3-D Mode, such as the playback and slider controls and digital readouts. The main differences are highlighted below. 2-D Mode Main Window (A): In 2-D Mode, the main window of AS Flight Analysis Software displays a 2-D graph of the recorded parameters of your flight so you can quickly analyze your performance based on the data collected. Data Lines Controls (B): These check box controls allow you to determine which parameters you want to display on the graph. You can choose any single parameter, or display any combination of parameters, as shown in Figure 13. Parameters that are not present in the data file are grayed out and cannot be selected. Graph Items Controls (C): You can customize the display of the graph by using these check box controls. You can select or clear the display of the following items: Time Lines: The grid lines shown in the background of the 2-D graph. Current Time Line: The black vertical line on the graph which shows your current position in the playback. Value Dots: Square marker dots shown on each colored line on the graph showing the position in the playback for each parameter. Page 23 of 43

24 Value Labels: The text labels displayed next to the value dots showing the current value of each parameter. Vertical Slider Control (D): In 2-D mode, the vertical zoom slider control enables you to zoom into and out from the current position on the graph. If you zoom all the way out, the entire flight will appear on the graph. If you zoom in all the way, only a small portion of the flight (representing 10 seconds of data) will be displayed on the graph. The spacing of the grid lines changes automatically as you zoom in and out. 4.2 Acquiring Satellite Images and Terrain Data When a trip file is opened in AS Flight Analysis Software, the software will attempt to download aerial or satellite images and terrain data corresponding to the geographic location of the flight described in the trip file. The software will automatically download this data if the computer is connected to the internet. The initial image quality will be a lower resolution and increase as additional images are downloaded. Images needed for the plane s current location in the playback will be downloaded first. Two horizontal bar graphs on the left side of the screen (in the Ground area) will indicate the progress of the download. The top bar graph indicates the progress of acquiring the images for the current location, and the bottom bar graph indicates the overall progress. If the computer is not connected to the internet when the software is launched, a warning message will appear allowing the user to connect to the internet before proceeding. If the user decides not to connect to the internet, the download will not occur and the trip file will be opened with the available cached aerial or satellite imagery and terrain data. If the imagery and terrain data is not downloaded, AS Flight Analysis Software will display the playback on a grid. All other playback features will be enabled. Note: Once the satellite images and terrain data are downloaded to your computer for a completed trip, they are stored on the computer s hard drive and will not need to be downloaded again. Page 24 of 43

25 4.3 Switching Between 3-D and 2-D Playback Modes To switch between 3-D trip playback and 2-D graph mode, click the View menu, and clicking 3D/2D Swap, as shown in Figure 13. This action can also be completed using the keyboard shortcut [Ctrl+Tab]. Figure 13: Selecting the window type It is also possible to display one or more separate windows to the playback, so that you can monitor specific parameter in one or more 2-D windows while watching the 3-D performance of the aircraft. You can do this by selecting Add Separate Window [Ctrl+W] from the View menu. Each time you use this command, a new 2-D Viewer window is added on top of the AS Flight Analysis Software main window. You can drag these 2-D viewer windows to any location on the display, and you can select different flight parameters for each displayed 2-D window. The size, position, and contents of each added window is remembered, so if you close a 2-D viewer window and open it up again, it will appear in the same location and will contain the same information. Figure 14 shows AS Flight Analysis Software with two separate 2-D viewer windows displayed. Page 25 of 43

26 Figure 14: AS Flight Analysis Software with 2-D Viewer windows D Mode Drop-down Menus In addition to the controls shown in the figures in the previous section, the playback can be modified using the file pull-down menus offered on the bar across the top of the AS Flight Analysis Software window. These menus are described in detail in the following subsections. In addition to being able to select them from the pull-down menus, most functions also have keyboard shortcuts that will allow you to select the function quickly using the keyboard instead of your mouse. The keyboard shortcuts for each function are given in [square brackets and blue text]. Page 26 of 43

27 4.4.1 File Menu Use the File menu to open recorded trips for playback, as shown in Figure 16. You will be prompted to enter a location for any files you save. You can use Windows Explorer to view, rename and delete these files. The File menu offers the following selections: Figure 15: AS Flight Analysis Software file menu Open [CTRL+O]: Use to load a new trip file into AS Flight Analysis Software. A dialog box will appear that will allow you to browse to the file. Note: The following file formats may be opened and viewed using AS Flight Analysis Software: o Appareo data streaming protocol (.idx,.imu, and.adsp): The data format of files recorded by the Appareo Vision 1000 and later versions of GAU data recorders. o Appareo Visualization File (.avf ): The default format used by AS Flight Analysis Software. Includes trip preferences for that file. o Appareo GAU data file (.dat): The data format created by files recorded by Appareo GAU data recorders. Contains raw, uncalibrated, sensor values along with other calibration data. o Avidyne engine data log (.log): The data format created by Avidyne products. AS Flight Analysis Software supports both 6.0 and 6.1 versions of this format. AS Flight Analysis Software can only read positional data from this format. Page 27 of 43

28 o AvMap (.txt): The data format created by AvMap Satellite Navigation products. o Blue Mountain EFIS (.csv): The data format created by Blue Mountain Avionics Electronic Flight Instrumentation System (EFIS). AS Flight Analysis Software can only read positional and attitude data from this format. o Chelton log (.dat): The log format created by Chelton Flight System products. AS Flight Analysis Software can only read positional and attitude data from this format. o DeLorme GPL (.gpl): Data format that is created by DeLorme s Street Atlas application. AS Flight Analysis Software can only read position data from this format. AS Flight Analysis Software can only read positional data from this format. o Garmin GPS database (.gdb): Data format that is created by retrieving Garin GPS files in Garmin s MapSource application. AS Flight Analysis Software can only read positional data from this format. o Garmin MapSource (.mps): Data format that is created by retrieving Garmin GPS files in Garmin s MapSource application. AS Flight Analysis Software can only read position data from this format. o GPS exchange format (.gpx): An Appareo modified data format created for its GAU data recorders. Includes data fields that are not available on most other commercial GPS units. o Google Earth (.kml): The data format used by the Google Earth utility. AS Flight Analysis Software can only read position data from this format. o Lowrance USR (.usr): The data format that is created by Lowrance GPS products. AS Flight Analysis Software can only read positional data from this format. o Microsoft Flight Sim Recording (.fsr): The data format that is created from Microsoft Flight Sim X and earlier releases. o NMEA (.txt): A text file containing selected data items from the trip file and stored in standard NMEA format. AS Flight Analysis can only read positional data from this format. o Voyager FDX (.fdx): The data format that is created from Seattle Avionics Voyager Flight Software System. AS Flight Analysis Software can only read positional data from this format. o ZIP compressed archive (.zip): A format that allows for multiple files to be combined into one (zipped) file. Data in this format can be created by many archive utilities. AS Flight Analysis Software displays a list of files contained within the zip file during start-up to allow you to choose which file(s) to open. If only one file within the zip file may be opened in AS Flight Analysis Software, that file will automatically be opened. Download From GPS [CTRL+D]: Causes AS Flight Analysis Software to detect a GPS handheld device and begin extracting the GPS data from the device s active memory log. Save [CTRL+S]: Saves a newly downloaded trip data to a file on your computer in the Appareo Visualization File (.avf) format. Page 28 of 43

29 Save As: Saves a trip file to your computer using a name you specify. Can also be used to save the trip file in other formats, which can be used with other programs. These formats include: o Appareo Visualization File (.avf): The default format used by AS Flight Analysis Software. This preferred format not only saves the GPS information downloaded from the handheld device, but also stores the changes the user made during the trip playback, including the camera angles, airplane model, and position in the playback. It is highly recommended that all data files created in other data formats are resaved in the Appareo Visualization File format. o GPS Exchange Format (.gpx): The data format used when downloading standard format data from GPS handheld units. o Comma Separated Value file (.csv): A format which saves the trip data in a format which can be imported in spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel. o Garmin GPS Database format (.gdb): The format created by Garmin handheld devices and used in Garmin s MapSource desktop software package. o Google Earth format (.kml): The format used by the Google Earth utility. o Microsoft Flight Sim Recording (.fsr): Allows you to play back a recording of your flight using Microsoft Flight Simulator. o NMEA format (.txt): A text file containing selected data items from the trip file and stored in standard NMEA format. Screenshot [F12]: Creates an image, or snapshot, of what is currently displayed in the main display window. You will be prompted to enter a location and file name for the stored screenshot. Exit [ALT+F4]: Closes the AS Flight Analysis Software program. Page 29 of 43

30 4.4.2 View Menu The View menu is used to control which items will be displayed in the main window in both 2-D and 3- D mode. The View menu offers the following selections: Events Window [CTRL+E]: Creates and displays an Events Window which lists all of the events recorded for the flight you are viewing. 3-D/2-D Swap [CTRL+Tab]: Switches the main display window between 3-D Playback and 2-D Graph Mode. 3-D Window [CTRL+1]: Immediately displays the 3-D mode window. 2-D Window [CTRL+2]: Immediately displays the 2-D mode window. Add Separate Window [CTRL+W]: Opens a separate 2-D Viewer window in addition to your main flight window. You may have one or more separate 2-D Viewer windows. Toolbars: Allows you to switch the display of the toolbars surrounding the main display window. Full screen [ALT+Enter]: In full screen, AS Flight Analysis Software s main window fills the entire display area, with no controls displayed. The title bar and start menu bar will be hidden. This selection switches between full screen and window display. Works in both 3-D and 2-D modes. Options: Brings up the Options dialog box, which allows you to change the following program features: o Units of Measure: Set the time zone, units of altitude, units of speed and units of latitude and longitude. o Flight Path: Set the fade time of the flight path (used with the Fade Ahead and Fade Behind flight path options) and the size of the small squares on the Flight Wall grid. o Ground: Set the size of the small squares on the ground grid, the number of simultaneous image downloads, the maximum image resolution for satellite images, and allows you to clear the downloaded image cache. Page 30 of 43

31 Additionally, the Ground options allow for you to set your ground imagery preferences. AS Flight Analysis Software will always display color ground imagery when available. If color ground imagery does not exist for the area you are viewing, AS Flight Analysis Software will by default display a default ground graphic (similar to when the Show Aerial Imagery option is not selected, but without the grid lines). However, if you select the Allow download of black and white imagery checkbox in the Ground Options tab, AS Flight Analysis Software will display black and white imagery when color imagery is not available. Note: If you have chosen to allow download of black and white imagery option, it is possible that in a singular flight playback the ground imagery will display in black and white in some areas and color in others. It may appear patchwork like due to the grid system used to display the imagery. Note: If your computer has cached ground imagery, i.e. your computer has saved imagery of the area you are viewing, you must clear the cache on the after you have changed the allow download of black and white imagery setting in order for the setting to take effect in the already downloaded areas. o Defaults: Allows you to load a set of previously saved trip preferences, set the current AS Flight Analysis Software settings as the new default settings or to reset the program settings to their original values (when the software came from the factory). o Discrete: Allows you to name the labels for each discrete input. For more information, reference the Section 4.4.5: Labeling Discrete Channels. o Misc: Allows you to select how you would like AS Flight Analysis Software to behave in the following situations: Loop Playback: Select this checkbox if you would like the playback to run continuously by automatically starting the playback over from the beginning of the flight once the end of the flight is reached Pause Playback: Select this checkbox if you would like AS Flight Analysis Software to automatically pause playback when you are interacting with another application. Save file: Select this checkbox if you would like AS Flight Analysis Software to automatically display a pop-up dialog box inquiring if you would like to save the currently viewed file whenever the AS Flight Analysis window is closed. Page 31 of 43

32 D Options Menu The 3-D Options menu is used to change the display of the flight visualization in 3-D mode. Figure 16: AS Flight Analysis Software 3-D Options menu The 3-D Options menu offers the following selections: Select Airplane [CTRL-A]: Allows you to pick the aircraft model that will be used in the playback of your trip. Several of the models available for display are shown in the screen shots throughout this user s guide. Select Camera: Allows you to pick one of the following camera angles: o Floating Camera [1]: Switches to a camera view floating off to one side of the aircraft, which can be adjusted using the up/down and left/right controls described in the Move Camera section of the document below. In addition to these controls, the camera view can be manipulated using the mouse. If the left mouse button is pressed and held down while over the main window (in Chase, Cockpit, and Floating camera mode), the image can be dragged in any direction by moving the mouse in the direction you want the image to be pulled. o Chase Camera [2]: Switches to the chase camera view, as if the camera were flying right behind the aircraft. o Cockpit Camera [3]: Switches to show the view as it would appear from the cockpit. The aircraft model is no longer visible. o Top Down Camera [4]: Switches to a camera view looking straight down on the aircraft from above. o Right Profile Camera [5]: Switches to a camera view looking straight at the right side of the aircraft. o Left Profile Camera [6]: Switches to a camera view looking straight at the left side of the aircraft. o Next Camera [Page Up]: Switches to the next camera view option. o Previous Camera [Page Down]: Switches to the previous camera view option. Move Camera: Allows you to reposition the camera angle when the default views are not exactly how you would prefer: Page 32 of 43

33 o Reset to Default [Space]: Used in any view, returns the camera angle to the default position and zoom distance for that view. o Rotate Up [Up]: Moves the camera angle up slightly. o Rotate Down [Down]: Moves the camera angle down slightly. o Rotate Left [Left]: Moves the camera angle left slightly. o Rotate Right [Right]: Moves the camera angle right slightly. o Zoom In [Insert]: Zooms in on the aircraft model. o Zoom Out [Delete]: Zooms out from the aircraft model. Instrument Panel: Controls the display of the simulated instrument panel and compass rose. Panel can be switched on or off pressing the [F1]. Can also be used to set the transparency level of the instrument panel. Flight Path: Controls the display of the flight path, including the path mode, data source and fade features described in Section 4.1 E (Flight Path Controls). Also allows the user to select the Min and Max colors for the flight path, as well as the data source on which the color coding of the flight wall is based. Note: Flight parameters that are not available in the recorded data file cannot be selected as the data source for the flight wall coloring, and will be shown as unavailable. Ground: Controls the display of the aerial imagery. Images can be toggled on or off pressing the [F3] key. FAA Data: Controls the display of FAA Data such as airports, runways, approach information, nav-aids, heliports, and obstacles. The FAA Data submenu is shown in the picture on the right. Heading Offset: Sets the magnetic heading offset to be used for flight. Changing this value affects the heading value displayed in the header, used for aircraft module, and used within gauges. If you wish to save this setting, you must save the file in a *.avf format. Page 33 of 43

34 D Options Menu The 2-D Options menu is used in 2-D Mode to control the display of flight parameters on the graph in the main display window. Figure 17: AS Flight Analysis Software 2-D options menu The 2-D Options menu offers the following selections: Camera: Similar to the Camera menu in 3-D mode, but only the Zoom In and Zoom Out features are enabled. Data Lines: Allows you to select or clear the display of the following data parameters on the graph: o Events [Shift+F1]: Switches the display of the aircraft s recorded events on and off of the graph. o Altitude [Shift+F2]: Switches the display of the aircraft s altitude on and off of the graph. o Ground Level [Shift+F3]: Switches the display of the ground level data line on and off of the graph. o Ground Speed [Shift+F4]: Switches the display of the aircraft s ground speed on and off of the graph. o Vertical Speed [Shift+F5]: Switches the display of the aircraft s vertical speed on and off of the graph. Page 34 of 43

35 o Pitch [Shift+F6]: Switches the display of the aircraft s pitch on and off of the graph. o Pitch Rate: Switches the display of the aircraft s rate of pitch on and off the graph. o Roll [Shift+F7]: Switches the display of the aircraft s roll on and off the graph. o Roll Rate: Switches the display of the aircraft s rate of roll on and off the graph. o Yaw Rate: Switches the display of the aircraft s rate of yaw on and off the graph. o Vertical Accuracy: Switches the display of the GPS vertical accuracy rate on and off the graph. Note: Vertical accuracy is a measure of how accurate GPS vertical rate is in terms of distance. The higher the vertical accuracy date line is, the less accurate GPS vertical accuracy is. o Horizontal Accuracy: Switches the display of the GPS horizontal accuracy rate on and off the graph. Note: Horizontal accuracy is a measure of how accurate GPS horizontal rate is in terms of distance. The higher the horizontal accuracy data line is, the less accurate GPS horizontal accuracy is. o Total G s [Shift+F8]: Selects or clears the display of the total gravitational forces (G s) being exerted on the aircraft. o Vertical G s [Shift+F9]: Selects or clears the display of the vertical gravitational forces (G s) being exerted on the aircraft. o Forward Acceleration [Shift+F10]: Switches the display of the forward acceleration data line on and off of the graph. o Side Acceleration [Shift+F11]: Select or clear the display of the side acceleration data line on and off the graph. o Slip: Selects or clears the display of the slip data line on and off of the graph. o Turn Rate: Select or clears the display of the turn rate line on and off of the graph o Equivalent Airspeed (EAS): Selects or clears the display of the aircraft s equivalent airspeed on and off of the graph o Indicated Airspeed (IAS): Selects or clears the display of the aircraft s indicated airspeed on and off of the graph o True Airspeed (TAS): Selects or clears the display of the aircraft s true airspeed on and off of the graph Page 35 of 43

36 AS Flight Analysis User s Guide o Outside Air Temperature (OAT):Selects or clears the display of the outside air temperature on and off of the graph o Torque: Select or clears the display of the torque on and off of the graph o Discrete 1: Select or clears the display of Discrete 1 on and off the graph o Discrete 2: Select or clears the display of Discrete 2 on and off of the graph o Discrete 3: Select or clears the display of Discrete 3 on and off of the graph o Discrete 4: Select or clears the display of Discrete 4 on and off of the graph Note: When flight parameters are not available in the recorded data file, they are not available for display on the graph, and these parameters will be unavailable on the 2-D Options menu, as shown in the graphic on the previous page for Vertical Accuracy. Graph Items: Allows you to turn the display of various graph items on and off, including: o Time Lines [Shift+1]: Switches the display of the time lines (grid lines) on and off from the background of the graph display. o Current Time Line [Shift+2]: Turns the display of the vertical black line showing the current position in the playback on or off. o Value Dots [Shift+3]: Turns the display of the dots on each data line showing the current position in the playback on or off. o Value Labels [Shift+4]: Turns the display of the text labels showing the current values of each of the display parameters on or off Labeling Discrete Channels Discrete channels may be renamed to more accurately represent what is it used for (e.g. Discrete 1 represents if a bay door is open or closed and is hence named Bay Door ). To change the name of a discrete channel, click View and click Options. Click the Discrete Channels tab. Click the field you wish to change an type the desired name of the discrete channel. Click OK when finished. Figure 18: Labeling discrete channels Note: The revised settings will not take effects until AS Flight Analysis is restarted. Note: Discrete channels are only available with the GAU This feature is not available with other Appareo flight data recorders, such as the Vision Page 36 of 43

37 4.4.6 Playback Menu The Playback menu is used in both 2-D and 3-D Modes to control the trip playback. The commands on the Playback menu are equivalent to the functions provided by the media playerstyle controls offered below the main display screen. Figure 19: AS Flight Analysis Software playback menu The Playback menu offers the following selections: Play [Shift+Up]: Starts the playback moving forward at real-time speed from the current point in the playback. Pause [Shift+Down]: Freezes the playback on its current frame. Rewind [Shift+Left]: First click of this button begins running the playback backwards at 2X normal speed. Each successive click of the Rewind button increases the backward speed by a factor of two (4X, 8X, 16X, 32X, and 64X). Fast Forward [Shift+Right]: First click of this button begins running the playback forwards at 2 times normal speed. Each successive use of the Fast Forward function increases the forward speed by a factor of two (4X, 8X, 16X, 32X, and 64X). Start [Shift+Home]: Moves all the way to the beginning of the playback. End [Shift+End]: Moves all the way to the end of the playback. Page 37 of 43

38 Next Frame [Shift+Page Up]: Steps the playback forward to the next data frame (1/100 th of a second forward). If used while the trip is already playing, it will first pause the playback, then steps forward. Previous Frame [Shift+Page Down]: Steps the playback backward to the previous data frame (1/100 th of a second backward). If used while the trip is already playing, it will first pause the playback, and then step backward. Synchronize Playback [Shift+Enter]: Synchronizes playback of data containing video and/or audio streams with Appareo-provided playback utilities. If you select this option, AS Flight Analysis Software will prompt you if you want to synchronize playback of data every time a data set containing video and/or audio streams is opened. No synchronization is performed if this option is not selected Tools Menu The Tools menu allows you to add a heliport to or remove a custom heliport from a client database. The Tools menu offers the following selections: Heliport: Allows you to either add or remove a heliport. o Add: The Add Heliport dialog box will appear. In this dialog box, type a name and unique location identifier for the new heliport. Enter location and altitude data corresponding to the heliport and click OK. Note: The default location and altitude when you display this screen will correspond to the current location and altitude of the aircraft in the playback. You can keep these defaults and create a new heliport in the aircraft s exact location, or can you can change them. When you click OK, a helipad graphic such as that shown below will appear in the specified location. o Remove: The Remove Heliport dialog box will appear. In this dialog box, choose the heliport you wish to delete based on its unique location ID Help Menu The Help menu provides information about the AS Flight Analysis Software program, including software version, copyright information and the Appareo website. The Help menu also provides access to electronic copies of the user, data extraction manuals, and support tools. The File Association support tool helps reclaim the association of Appareo native file formats with AS Flight Analysis Software. File associations determine which application opens when double-clicking a file in windows explorer. Additional help information can be found in this user guide, or online at Page 38 of 43

39 4.4.9 Viewing Events One of the most useful features in AS Flight Analysis Software is the viewing of events that were identified using the AS Web Analyzer software. Events are instances where the aircraft performed outside of a set of predefined conditions. These conditions, or Event Triggers, are defined in the ALERTS system using the AS Web Analyzer software. Additional information on defining event triggers and aircraft profiles can be found in the AS Web Analyzer User s Guide. Figure 20: Viewing Events with AS Flight Analysis Software To display an Events window, as shown in Figure 20, press [CTRL+E] during the flight playback. An Events window shows all events (available and unavailable) for the flight, all event triggers this flight was parsed against and the possible flight profiles that are associated with the flight. As the aircraft moves through the playback, events on the list are highlighted in red, along with the event trigger and profile(s) associated with that event, as the aircraft enters the corresponding event. This allows the user to stop the playback at a crucial point and analyze the flight parameters using the tools described in this document. Users may use the Data Source option in the Flight Path Controls, as described in Section 4.1, to change the color of the flight path whenever an event is encountered. In Figure 20, the helicopter is shown just as it enters a recorded event of low severity. The flight path changes from yellow to light orange where an event of low severity occurred and to a reddish-orange where an event of medium severity occurred. Note: These colors can be changed by the user and may not always be yellow and red. Page 39 of 43

40 5 Troubleshooting Guide AS Flight Analysis User s Guide An Account Login dialog box appears The dialog box shown in Figure 21 may appear for four reasons. These reasons are: 1. You have recently changed your Appareo website user account password 2. Your computer is not connected to the internet 3. A proxy server on your network is preventing your computer from connecting to the Appareo server 4. The Appareo server is down To remedy these problems, follow the instructions in the respective sections below. 1. You have recently changed your Appareo website user account password If you have recently changed your Appareo website user account password, simply type your username and the new password in the Account Login dialog box and click Login. 2. Your computer is not connected to the internet To test if your computer has internet connectivity, attempt to navigate to a website other than the one chosen for your home page in an internet web browser. If you are unable to get an internet connection, you may want to notify your IT manager or internet service provider and choose to work offline (see Section 5.1.1). 3. A proxy server on your network is preventing your computer from connecting to the Appareo server If your computer is on a network ran behind a proxy server, the proxy server may be preventing AS Flight Analysis Software from connecting to the Appareo server. Reference Sections 3.1 and 3.5 for more information. 4. The Appareo server is down Rarely, the Appareo server is down. Typically, the server will not be down for longer than a few minutes. If you suspect that this is the reason why you are receiving the error message, wait a few moments and attempt to start AS Flight Analysis Software again. To confirm if the Appareo server is down, contact Appareo via the contact information listed on page 41. Figure 21: Account Login dialog box Page 40 of 43