Visualising Emitters and Sensors
This article will explain how to setup the visualisation of emitter and sensor volumes.
Table of Contents
Emitters and Sensors
Emitters and sensors are different, and their visualisation takes separate pathways. Emitter systems are for radars and jammers etc, sensor systems are for visual sensors such as gimbaled camera pods.
Turning on emitter visualisation for pre configured entities
In VR-Forces, create a MQ-9 Reaper UAV
Select the emitter visualisation tool bar icon highlighted in green below
A pink volume for the emitter should be rendered
Turning on sensor visualisation for pre configured entities
In VR-Forces, create a MQ-9 Reaper UAV
Right-click the “UAV” in the object list panel on the left
Select “Create Window” → “Create Sensor View” → “Gimbaled Sensor”
A window should be created for the UAVs sensor camera
Start the scenario by select the Run Scenario Icon
Select the sensor visualisation tool bar icon highlighted in green below
An orange volume should be rendered for the sensors field of view
Configuring Visualisation for custom entities
Required VR-Forces configuration
VR-Forces requires that emitter and visual sensor systems are configured in the entity’s *.entity file. These are generally located in Simulation Model Set (SMS) folder. These entity files contain component systems that will allow the VR Sim Engine to publish emitter and sensor systems over a simulation network connection.
To add an emitter and visual sensor system to a custom entity, the configuration from the MQ-9 can be copied.
The MQ-9s entity configuration file can be found at:
\vrforces5.2\data\simulationModelSets\EntityLevel\vrfSim\MQ-9_Reaper_UAV.entityThe emitter system component is added to the entity using the following:
<componentSystem systemName="sensor" platform="@(system-dir)\sensors\airborne-targeting-radar.sysdef">
<DtRwEntityTypeList paramName="additional-detection-types"/>
<bodyPosition paramName="sensor-position" forward="0" right="0" down="0"/>
<bool paramName="can-show-radar-coverage">False</bool>
<int paramName="system-number">0</int>
<real paramName="max-range">27000</real>
<real paramName="sensor-sensitivity-start">1</real>
</componentSystem>The visual sensor system component is added using:
<componentSystem systemName="sensor-3" platform="@(system-dir)\sensors\gimbaled-visual-sensor.sysdef">
<DtRwEntityTypeList paramName="additional-detection-types"/>
<bodyPosition paramName="gimbal-elevation-position" forward="0" right="0" down="0"/>
<bodyPosition paramName="sensor-position" forward="4.65" right="0" down="0.7"/>
<bool paramName="fixed-az">False</bool>
<bool paramName="has-laser-designator">True</bool>
<int paramName="gimbaled-sensor-art-part-type">15424</int>
<int paramName="gimbaled-sensor-azimuth-art-part-type">15424</int>
<int paramName="gimbaled-sensor-elevation-art-part-type">15744</int>
<real paramName="max-azimuth-angle">3.12413936107</real>
<real paramName="max-elevation-angle">0</real>
<real paramName="max-range">4000</real>
<real paramName="max-zoom-level">100</real>
<real paramName="min-azimuth-angle">-3.12413936107</real>
<real paramName="min-elevation-angle">-1.57079633</real>
<real paramName="scan-elevation-angle">-1.3962634</real>
<real paramName="sensor-sensitivity-start">1</real>
<string paramName="sensor-id">Gimbaled Sensor</string>
<vector paramName="gimbal-elevation-position" x="0" y="0" z="0"/>
</componentSystem>
To check that system component have been correctly added to the entity, eight clicking on the entity in the VR-Forces object list, and select “Information”. There should be a section under detailed information for emitters and sensors. The MQ-9s information is shown below:
In previous versions of VR-Forces there will also be a section on the left hand side for emitter systems
Required configuration for VR-Vantage
This section can also be done in VR-Forces.
Once the *.entity files have been configured, the VR-Forces sim engine should be publishing the emitter and sensor systems on a simulation network connection (the sim engine must be restarted). These can then be picked up and visualised by VR-Vantage.
In order for the system to be visualised, “Visualiser” definitions must be added to the entity element definition.
Using the MQ-9 as an example, the element and visualiser definitions can be found under “Settings” → “Visual Model Editors” in both VR-Vantage and VR-Forces.
Navigate to the Entity Definition Editor on the left hand side, highlighted in green on the image below. Then using the drop downs, select:
“Entity” → “Air” → “Fixed Wing” → “Medium Fixed Wing” → “MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Air Vehicle”
This is highlighted in purple in the image below.
On the left hand side are all the listed “Element” definitions, encompassing an entire entity. On the right are visualisers which visualise specific attributes of an entity.
The emitter and sensor visualisers are selected below:
In the above image, the “Add Visualiser” icon is highlighted in green, this can be used to add a “3D Emitter Volume” visualiser and a “Sensor Field of View” visualiser to the required entity element definition.
Attributes for each visualiser can be added by selecting the icon highlighted in purple above.
After the definitions have been added and the parameters copied from the MQ-9 entries, the definitions can be saved via the icon highlighted in orange.
This example only adds definitions to the 3D Model Set. Use the model set drop down to add to 2D and XR. For detailed information on editing visualisers please see MAKs “Adding Content Guide”
Once the definitions have been saved, connect VR-Vantage to the network connection that the VRF sim is publishing on. VR-Vantage should visualise the emitter and sensor volumes for any of the correctly configured custom entities. Make sure the settings are enabled from the beginning of the article.
In VR-Forces reload the visuals via “Settings” → “Reload Visuals”.