Live Moving Maps Overview #
Live Moving Maps with Offline Tile Server is an optional module for the geoDVR offering airborne, vehicle and marine vessel camera operators a dynamic moving map system synchronized with live video feeds and serves as a basis for enhanced situational awareness, mission planning and execution.
Live Moving Maps offers the following capabilities:
- See the geoDVR platform’s current location and track in real-time on top of a moving map available in the geoDVR interface.
- Load, save and view mission-specific KML asset data files on top of the moving map.
- If the geoDVR is paired with a compatible gyro-stabilized gimbal video camera, and includes the Camera Target Footprint module or the MISB FMV Metadata module, then Live Moving Maps will also display a dynamic “4-corner polygon” with the camera frame center and field-of-view represented on the map showing where the camera is pointing on the ground in addition the aircraft platform location.
This functionality provides airborne, vehicle & marine camera operators a simple and reliable way to monitor current position in relation to where they are supposed to be for any given mission. This can be used to assist in locating mission-specific assets and places such as pipelines, power line structures, cell towers, wildfire boundaries, wildlife habitats and more.
Prior to taking flight, operators simply select relevant KML files and directly load them to the geoDVR Map Window panel. Now with the map data loaded to the geoDVR Map Window, camera operators can geospatially reference their data collection target on the map interface while also observing their current aircraft, vehicle or vessel position as it moves along the selected KML data in real-time.
Referring to the screenshot below, if your geoDVR is equipped with the optional Live Moving Maps module your screen may look similar to the following screenshot upon booting up the geoDVR.
Screenshot of geoDVR interface configured with the optional Live Moving Maps with Offline Tile Server
Formatting KML Data for Live Moving Maps #
It’s important to remember the primary purpose of the Live Moving Maps module is tracking your current position in relation to a live map and/or asset location data files. With this is mind it is important to understand some best practices and parameters for exporting data in the proper format for use in Live Moving Maps as well as working with multiple data files loaded to the Map Layer Control panel.
It is important to keep your KML files small in size to in order optimize the geoDVR’s video recording, GPS and real-time mapping capabilities. For this reason, it is recommended that you only export KML with the most critical information needed for the inspection, observation or patrol missions.
For example, if you are conducting a power line inspections, we advise exporting individual files for each line (substation to substation) to be inspected with only a few pieces of critical attributes such as; line name, tower/pylon locations and Field ID or structure number for each tower/pylon. Similarly if you are doing shoreline or trail mapping, only export lakes or trails for a small area of your region, such as a small county.
By default the geoDVR is set-up to only accept KML files with 1000 “elements” or less. You can load more than one KML files to your Map Layer Control panel and use the checkbox to “toggle” them on and off as needed, but each checked individual data file should have no more than 1000 elements each – or if multiple KML files are selected, there should be no more than a sum of 1000 elements in total.
If you believe you need more elements in a single file for your mission, please contact your Remote GeoSystems representative to discuss the feasibility of increasing that limit based on your geoDVR configuration and mission requirements.
Once you feel you have exported a properly-formatted KML or shapefile save the files to a USB thumb drive or external hard drive so they can be moved over to the geoDVR hardware.
Example File
Attached at the bottom of this article is a zip file containing an example KML file with details on how to properly format KML for the geoDVR Live Moving Maps Module.
PRO TIP: Once downloaded, extract the KML from the zip file and and open with Notepad to best see how to format the KML using <Placemark> and <LineString> tags.
Moving KML Data to the Live Moving Maps Interface #
NOTE: It is recommended to have a wired mouse and keyboard connected to the geoDVR when copying your KML data to the unit.
- With the geoDVR booted up and geoDVR interface running, close the main geoDVR interface by selecting “File > Exit geoDVR Screen“
- Once the geoDVR interface is closed, and you see the Windows desktop, insert the thumb drive and copy over KML data to a folder on the geoDVR desktop. Most geoDVRs shipped with the Live Moving maps Module enabled will already include a folder on the Windows Desktop named “MovingMapsLayers”.
Now that you have loaded the data to a folder on your geoDVR Windows Desktop, you will need to add it to the Live Moving Maps interface.
- Double click the geoDVR icon on the Windows Desktop to relaunch the geoDVR interface.
- In the main geoDVR interface, click on the Map Layer Control panel (by factory default located as a “tab” underneath the Map window panel) and click the Add New Layer button.
- Select the Layer Type depending on the map data file you wish to load. (.KML, .GPX and .GeoJSON are supported at this time.)
- Click Browse to select a map data file previously added to the MovingMapsLayers folder.
- Give the new layer a name.
- Referring to the image below, you will see the loaded data elements on the map as a new layer. If you wish, you can adjust the transparency by clicking on the new layer and moving the slider.
Screenshot of Live Moving Maps Map Window and Map Layer Control Panels
Once all the needed map data layers have been loaded for a mission, it is recommended to save the layout so it is readily available even after the geoDVR interface is closed and/or the unit is completely shut down. This can be done in 2 ways:
– Click the Save Configuration… button in the Map Layer Control panel. This saves the specific layers and order for reloading later using in Open Saved Configuration… button.
PRO TIP: This is a best practice if there is are related sets of map data layers assets are commonly and routinely inspected or patrolled together, such as geographic region of a utility company’s grid.
– Go to the File menu > Save Current Layout and save the current map data layers under one of the custom geoDVR interface “Layouts”.
NOTE: Both of the above methods can be used independently or together.
