Maptitude Help / Surface Analysis Tools / Using Flight Paths

Using Flight Paths

You can move through your 3D view and visit particular viewpoints automatically using a flight path. You can create new flight paths and use existing flight paths. Each flight path is defined by a series of waypoints, each of which is a view of the 3D scene based on the current pan, zoom, and tilt settings. You can specify the desired point of view at each waypoint, how long the flight path should pause at that waypoint, and how long it should take to travel to it from the previous waypoint.

Once you have created one or more flight paths, you can save them in a flight path file so that you can load them again in the future. You can have one or more flight paths in a flight path file, and you can use multiple flight path files.

You create and manage flight paths with the 3D Flight Path toolbar:

3D Flight Path dialog box

The Flight Path Player, opened from the 3D Flight Path toolbar, is a trimmed version of the 3D Flight Path toolbar. It occupies less space, is dockable, and is dedicated primarily to playing flight paths:

Flight Path Player toolbar

The Flight Path Manager is used for creating a new flight path file, opening an existing flight path file, and adding, deleting, and arranging flight paths within a flight path file.

Flight Path Manager dialog box

Blue triangle flight path icon To Create a Flight Path

  1. Choose Tools>3D>3D Flight Path Toolbar to display the 3D Flight Path toolbar.
  2. Click Create Flight Path button, enter a name for the path in the dialog box, and click OK.
  3. Use the pan, zoom, and rotate tools to set the 3D View at the starting location for the flight path and click Add Waypoint button to add the waypoint.
  4. Use the pan, zoom, and rotate tools to set additional waypoints and click Add Waypoint button for each way­point you want to add to the flight path.
  5. Manage the waypoints as follows:
To do this... Do this...
Set the flight time In the Flight Time (seconds) column, enter the amount of time to get to the waypoint.
Set a pause time In the Pause (seconds) column, enter the amount of time to wait at a waypoint before flying to the next.
Rename a waypoint In the Waypoint Name column, type a name for a waypoint.
Delete a waypoint Highlight a cell in one or more rows of the grid and click Delete Waypoint button.
Replace a waypoint Set the 3D View to the position of the new waypoint, highlight a cell in the grid, and click Move Waypoint button.
Reorganize waypoints Highlight a cell in one or more rows of the grid and click Move Waypoint Up button to move the waypoints up or Move Waypoint Down button to move the waypoints down.
  1. Click Play Flight Path button to play the flight path. Stop the flight path by clicking Stop Flight Path button.
  2. Repeat steps 2-6 to create additional flight paths.

Blue triangle flight path icon To Use the Flight Path Player Toolbar   

  1. Choose Tools>3D>3D Flight Path Toolbar to display the 3D Flight Path toolbar.
  2. Click Flight Path Player button to close the 3D Flight Path toolbar and open the Flight Path Player.
  3. Choose the flight path to play and other options as follows:
To do this... Do this...
Choose a flight path Make a choice from the Flight Path drop-down list.
Loop when playing the flight path Click Loop Flight Path button. Maptitude depresses the button. As long as the button is pressed, Maptitude will continuously loop the flight path when you click Play Flight Path button. Click Loop Flight Path button again to stop looping the playback.
Play the flight path as a slide show Click Play Flight Path Slide Show button. Maptitude depresses the button. As long as the button is pressed, Maptitude will show the flight path as a slide show of the waypoints when you click Play Flight Path button. Click V again to stop playing the flight path as a slide show.
Start playing the flight path Click Play Flight Path button. Maptitude plays the flight path with the current loop and slide show settings.
Stop playing the flight path Click Stop Flight Path button.
Switch back to the 3D Flight Path toolbar Click Switch to 3D Flight Path button.
  1. When you are finished, click the Close box in the upper-right corner of the toolbar.

Blue triangle flight path icon To Delete a Flight Path

  1. In the 3D Flight Path toolbar, choose a flight path and click Delete Flight Path button.

— OR —

  1. In the 3D Flight Path toolbar, click Flight Path Manager button to display the Flight Path Manager.
  2. Highlight a flight path in the grid and click Delete Flight Path in Grid button.

Blue triangle flight path icon To Manage Flight Path Files

  1. Choose Tools>3D>3D Flight Path Toolbar to display the 3D Flight Path toolbar.
  2. Click Flight Path Manager button. Maptitude displays the Flight Path Manager dialog box.
  3. Make choices as follows:
To do this... Do this...
Create a new flight path file Click New flight path button to display the Save Flight Path File As dialog box. Choose a folder, type a file name, and click Save. Maptitude creates the new flight path file.
Open an existing flight path file Click Open Flight Path button to display the Load Flight Path File dialog box. Choose a file name and click Open. Maptitude opens the flight path file.
  1. Manage flight paths within the flight path file as follows:
To do this... Do this...
Add a new flight path Click Add Flight Path button. Maptitude adds a new row to the grid.
Change the flight path name Enter a name in the Path Name column of the grid.
Delete one or more flight paths Highlight a cell in one or more rows of the grid and click Delete Flight Path in Grid button. Maptitude deletes the paths.
Reorganize the flight paths Highlight a cell in one or more rows of the grid and click Move Up button to move them up or Move Down button to move them down.
  1. When you are finished, click Done.

Maptitude closes the Flight Path Manager dialog box and returns to the 3D Flight Path toolbar.
 

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