Beyond Basics
There are a number of ways to use customize Ortho4XP but this section will provide some of the more common customizations. This section assumes the user has already read the Creating Tiles page.
The global configuration file contains "global" tile and application settings which can be viewed and modified in the Ortho4XP Config window. The term "global" in regards to tile settings can be misleading as it's only used as an initial reference for creating tile configurations. When a new tile is built, a tile configuration file is created using the settings based on the global tile configuration.
Each tile has its own configuration file located within its own directory (e.g. "Ortho4XP_+34-112.cfg"). This configuration file contains settings specific to that tile and is also where the custom zones are saved. It is automatically created when tiles are built, specifically during the Build Imagery/DSF step or when manually saved using the "Write Tile Cfg" button is selected on the Tile Configuration tab in the Ortho4XP Config window. If the configuration already exists, then it is overridden. As mentioned above, the default settings the tile configuration file uses comes from the global configuration file. Each time a tile configuration file is "saved", a backup is generated using the same name but with a .bak extension.
If modifications are made to a tile but the actual build process will be accomplished at a later time, make sure to save your work by selecting "Save Tile Cfg" in the Ortho4XP Config window. This is automatically performed when you build tiles during the "Build Imagery/DSF" step.
Additionally, tile configurations are automatically loaded when you start Ortho4XP or change active tiles using the Tiles Collection and Management window.
Note: This behavior is different than the original version of Ortho4XP as it does not automatically load tile configurations.
Lastly, if tiles have been customized, it's important that the tile configuration file is loaded before the tile is rebuilt (specifically, clicking the "Build Imagery/DSF" button). If rebuilding multiple tiles using the Batch build tiles feature in the Tiles Collection and Management window, the "Read per tile cfg" option must be selected. Otherwise, the tile configuration file will be recreated using the settings on the Tiles Configuration tab and all custom zoom levels will be lost.
Since aircraft start off on the surface of an airport or are generally in the lower altitude structure near airports, users may prefer to have higher zoom level orthophotos. This is obviously also applicable to any area where lower altitude flying is anticipated. Ortho4XP provides the option to specify different zoom levels within a tile.
-
Set the active tile to the location of the airport of interest using the Tiles Collection and Management window.
-
Open the Preview custom zoomlevels window which will open to the active tile selected in the previous. Click the "Preview" button in the top left of the window to load a map to find the airport of interest. Move the map around by holding the mouse button 2 (right click) and moving the mouse around.
-
Once the airport is identified, change the "Zoomlevel" under "Preview params" in the top left to "13" and click "Preview". This provides a more zoomed in view as there is currently no way to zoom in on a given map. This will reset the view to the northwest corner of the tile so move the map around to find the airport again. The "Source" under the "Preview params" can also be changed to preview different imagery providers.
Note: Lower ZL imagery is not always representative of higher ZL imagery. Since ZL13 is the highest option for previewing, it may not reflect the actual ZL used for the tile.
- Specify the imagery "Source" and ZL for use at the airport, hold Control and mouse click button 1 (left click) to specify an area to use higher ZL orthophoto which will be indicated by a box that matches the color of the ZL option selected. You can use different ZLs within a tile and overlapping is not an issue (the higher ZL imagery will take priority if parts of it overlap another tile). For any part of the tile that isn't set to a specific ZL, the default source and ZL set in the Main window is used. An example of ZL18 directly at and immediately surrounding the airport and ZL17 nearby the airport might look something like the screenshot below.
- Select "Apply" and repeat the process for other airports/areas as desired. Build the tile as explained in the Creating Tiles page.
Note: As mentioned in the Tile configuration files section above, if the tile build process will be accomplished at a later time, the "Write Tile Cfg" in the Ortho4XP Config window must be selected to save any changes.
The default elevation data used by Ortho4XP is from Viewfinder Panorama which is a dataset maintained by Jonathan de Ferranti. Information on the specific data provided can be found here. Different elevation data can be used with Ortho4XP, two of which can be automatically downloaded using Ortho4XP provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Elevation Dataset (NED).
To use NED 1" or NED 1/3", simply select the preferred option in the Ortho4XP Config window custom_dem dropdown. As mentioned in the global configuration file section above, custom_dem field is empty but Ortho4XP will defaults to "Viewfinderspanorama".