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fl2xui#

Overview#

fl2xui is a cross-platform GUI for the flightlog2kml tool that converts (inav) flight logs to beautiful, annotated KML or KMZ files for visualisation in Google Earth.

fl2xui provides a consistent user interface across Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS and Windows.

Linux /FreeBSD (dark theme)#

Linux

Note: This is the latest version. Other images are from older versions without the CLI option.

MacOS#

MacOS

Windows#

Windows

Features#

  • Multiple logs (Blackbox, OTX/ETX CSV, BulletGCCS)
  • Summary information
  • Easy access to common visualisation options.
  • Save current settings as default

User Interface#

Annotated UI

File / index selection area (1)#

  • Log... : Opens a file chooser to select log files. Multiple files may be selected. The files may be a combination of Blackbox logs, OpenTX / EdgeTX CSV or BulletGCSS logs.
  • Output... : Opens a file chooser to select the output directory. The defaults (no selection) are:
    • Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS : Current (working) directory, typically $HOME when launched from a desktop environment.
    • Windows : "Documents" (e.g. C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents).
  • Mission... : Optional mission file (single selection). MW XML format (e.g. from mwp or inav configurator). The mission segments (and optional fwapproach) will be included in the KML.
  • Index : If 0 (default), processes all logs in (each) file; if non zero, processes a single log at the specified index.
  • CLI File : Optional CLI (diff/dump format) file (single selection). If it contains safehome directives (and optionally, associated fwapproach directives), these will be included in the generated KML.

Visualisation Options (2)#

  • DMS : Display positions as degrees / minutes / seconds (DD:MM:SS.sss) vice decimal degrees (DD.dddddd).
  • Extrude : Extrude flight points the ground.
  • RSSI as default : Set the RSSI layer as the default (vice Flight Mode).
  • KML : Generate uncompressed KML (vice compressed KMZ).
  • Efficiency Layer : Include an efficiency layer in the output.
  • Battery Layer : Include a battery (VBAT) layer in the output.
  • Speed Layer : Include a speed layer in the output.
    • Fast is red : Invert the speed colour gradient, so the fastest speed is red
  • Elevation Layer : Include an elevation layer in the output.
    • Low is red : Invert the elevation colour gradient, so the lowest elevation is red
  • Gradient : Select the colour gradient for RSSI / Efficiency layer)
    • Red - shades of red
    • Green / Red - Green (best) to red (worst)
    • Yellow / Orange / Red - Yellow (best) to red (worst) via orange

Output Area (3)#

  • Output Area : Scrolled window showing process or error messages. You can also drag and drop log and mission files into this area.

Progress bar / Save Settings / Run / Earth buttons (4)#

  • Current settings may be saved as defaults
  • "Run" button is enabled when log files have been selected
  • "Earth" button is enabled when a KMZ/L is available and Google Earth was not launched by fl2xui. This button launches Google Earth, with the last generated KML/Zs (on MacOS it appears not possible to load the KML/Z files). This function may also be invoked with CTRL-L.
  • An oscillating progress bar is displayed when a conversion is in process (after clicking "Run").

Defaults#

The defaults for run time options are taken from the flightlog2kml configuration file:

  • All POSIX OS : ~/.config/fl2x/config.json
  • Windows : %LOCALAPPDATA%\fl2x\config.json

See also flight2kml wiki example and Earth definition if Google Earth is not automatically detected for launch.

Dependencies#

fl2xui depends upon the following open source packages:

You also need to install flight2kml and INAV's blackbox_decode from their respective repositories.

Installation#

Debian (and derivatives) have a binary installer in the fl2xui release area.

UI Component#

  • The master branch is based on gtk4. There is a legacy branch based on gtk3, which is no longer actively maintained. The legacy branch is intended for older Linux distros that do not offer gtk4.
  • The master branch requires the blueprint-compiler, if your distro cannot provide this, a local copy will be downloaded when the build is first configured.
  • You will also require gobject-introspection which may not (or may) be installed as a prior dependency. There is no harm in explicitly installing it.

Linux, FreeBSD#

  • Debian package *.deb for Debian / Ubuntu and derivatives in fl2xui release area.
  • Easily built from source
    # Common GTK development packages for gtk4 vala meson ninja json-glib
#                                       gobject-introspection
# Once (setup)
meson build --buildtype=release --strip --prefix=~/.local
# Build and install to ~/.local/bin (add to PATH if necessary)
# or specify some other PATH element (/usr/bin, /usr/local/bin, ~/bin)
meson install -C build

Windows#

  • Can be built from source using Msys2.

    pacman -Syu
pacman -S gtk4 vala meson ninja json-glib gobject-introspection
# export the msys2 expression of /usr/share, such as
export XDG_DATA_DIRS=$XDG_DATA_DIRS:/mingw64/share
# now follow Linux instructions ...

  • It is recommended that blackbox_decode and flightlog2kml are in the fl2xui\bin directory.

  • There may be a Windows installer in the fl2xui release area.
  • If run in a VM, it may be necessary to set the environment variable GSK_RENDERER to the value CAIRO.

Look and Feel#

From fl2xui 0.0.5, the default theme is set to emulate the Windows 10 look and feel. This may be changed by copying the distributed fl2xui\etc\gtk-4.0\settings.ini (or fl2xui\etc\gtk-3.0\settings.ini for gtk3) to %LOCALAPPDATA%\gtk-4.0\settings.ini (%LOCALAPPDATA%\gtk-3.0\settings.ini) and editing some settings as required:

  • gtk-theme-name : sets the theme name
    • Windows10 : Windows 10 theme emulation
    • Adwaita : Default GTK theme
    • win32 : Ugly Windows 7 (more like Windows 95?) theme
  • gtk-application-prefer-dark-theme : set a dark theme
    • 0 light theme
    • 1 dark theme

The Window header bar (may be drawn by either the Windows window manager or the application). This is controlled by the environment variable GTK_CSD, (0=Native, 1=GTK). This may be set as a user environment variable from the Windows Control Panel.

MacOS#

Not supported, reported not working but "works for me" . Using brew may help (or not).

# install requirements *at least* :
brew install meson vala gtk4 json-glib
# Once (setup)
meson setup build --buildtype=release --strip --prefix=~/.local
# Build and install to ~/.local/bin (add to PATH if necessary)
meson install -C build

Google Earth launcher#

fl2xui Attempts to detect the presence of Google Earth. Only if this fails is it necessary to add the name of the Google Earth executable in the configuration file:

  • On (non-macOS) POSIX (Linux, FreeBSD) platforms, where Google Earth is customarily on PATH, just the executable name is required, for example:

    "ge-name" : "google-earth-pro"

  • On Windows, the full path is required, for example (note back-slashes have to be escaped):

    "ge-name" : "C:\\Program Files\\Google\\Google Earth Pro\\client\\googleearth.exe"

  • On macOS, Google Earth is not auto-detected, so needs an entry like:

    "ge-name" :  "/Applications/Google Earth Pro.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Earth"

    It is also unlikely that macOS will actually load your files into Earth. Advice on how to resolve this would be appreciated.

Author and Licence#

(c) Jonathan Hudson

GPL v2 or later.