Experiment: Logging FC2 flights with Google Earth

Recently a new idea popped up in my mind.

Wouldn't it be cool if you could get a track of your flight in Google Earth?

Today I started working on getting the necessary data out of FC2, and converting it to a kml file for Google Earth.

I still need to figure out a lot, but here are some screenshots of my first test-flight:

#1. Take-off from Sochi-Adler. As you can see, the in-game coordinate system is a bit off compared to Google Earth.

#2. Zoomed out a bit to view the entire route

#3. After arriving at Gudauta, I did some simple aerobatics.

#4. Another overview, this time looking back from Gudauta to Sochi. Again you can see the offset in coordinates.

To be continued ... :)

That's pretty cool.

Nate

Nice! Very creative thinking and follow-through. :thumbup:

Fantastic.

The following thread might be useful if you haven't seen it already. It gives code of convertion between LockOn's rectangular coordinates (x,y) from Gnomonic projection into (lat,long) which are useful for Google. The code for the reverse projection is also given.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=44427&highlight=coordinate+conversion&page=4

Very cool! :)

As you can see, the in-game coordinate system is a bit off compared to Google Earth.

Just FYI, the in-game coordinates (LAT/LONG) are off compared to the mission editor in FC2 as well, roughly by an amount close to what your pictures show.

Fantastic.

 

The following thread might be useful if you haven't seen it already. It gives code of convertion between LockOn's rectangular coordinates (x,y) from Gnomonic projection into (lat,long) which are useful for Google. The code for the reverse projection is also given.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=44427&highlight=coordinate+conversion&page=4

Export.lua already provides lat/long coordinates, but they are offset a bit to the southeast it seems.

I hope the offset is uniform for the entire map, otherwise it could get quite difficult to get it right in Google.

You'll have to check that the projections used are the same as well, or find a way to convert.

EtherealN, could you please explain a bit?

I don't quite get what you're saying.

Just FYI, the in-game coordinates (LAT/LONG) are off compared to the mission editor in FC2 as well, roughly by an amount close to what your pictures show.

EtherealN, could you please explain a bit?

I don't quite get what you're saying.

Maps use different "projections" to approximate a curved surface (like the earth) on a flat surface (like a map). This means that the same coordinate might not yield the same result when moving between projections or map datum. Therefore, taking a direct coordinate from FC2 might place you "somewhere else" in Google Earth, as you noticed, if they use different conventions or pojections to plot the coordinates.

Is this Tileproxy technic from FSX?

Is this Tileproxy technic from FSX?

There's no ingame tileproxying happening, 'just' export of flight data into google earth.

Maps use different "projections" to approximate a curved surface (like the earth) on a flat surface (like a map). This means that the same coordinate might not yield the same result when moving between projections or map datum. Therefore, taking a direct coordinate from FC2 might place you "somewhere else" in Google Earth, as you noticed, if they use different conventions or pojections to plot the coordinates.

Thanks, that clears things up a bit :)

I'll try some long flights and see where I end up.

Then I can determine if it's a fixed offset, or if I need to calculate it point for point.

When I have the coordinates match I'll try a live feed, something like the F10 Theatre view, but in 3D.

At first only with own aircraft, later maybe with more data, depending on the size of the generated files.

(the track in my opening post consists of no less than 33228 points)

Id does look nicely! Keep going ;D