12. Map Display

Little Navmap uses two layers to display the map:

  1. Background which is defined by offline or online maps like the OpenStreetMap. You can change the background by selecting another Theme. The background maps cannot be modified or configured since they are fetched from third party online services. Little Navmap downloads pre-rendered image tiles from these services to draw the background map.
  2. The foreground layer which is drawn by Little Navmap and can be customized in the options dialog on the map pages. It consists of airports, navaids, airways, airspaces, measurement lines, range rings, holds, traffic patterns and all moving objects like AI and the user aircraft.

See Legend for details about the various symbols shown by the map.

12.1. Moving

Use click and drag to move the map and the mouse wheel to zoom in or out. Use Shift+Wheel to zoom in small steps and Ctrl+Wheel to increase or decrease map details.

You can also use the overlay buttons on the right side of the map to move around.

Alternatively use the keyboard to move around the map:

  • Cursor keys: Scroll the map
  • + and -: Zoom in and out
  • * and /: Zoom in and out in small steps
  • Alt+Left and Alt+Right: Go forward or backward in the map position history
  • Ctrl++ and Ctrl+-: Increase or decrease details
  • Ctrl+Home: Go to home position
  • Ctrl+End: Go to center for distance search

Note

Do not forget to activate the map window by clicking into it or pressing F2 before using keys for movement.

12.2. Mouse Clicks

A single click shows details about all map objects nearby the clicked position in the Information dock window. Windows and tabs are raised depending on clicked objects.

The procedure search window can be raised optionally if clicking an airport. This can be enabled in the options dialog on page Map. Check Show procedures on airport click to enable this function.

A single click on an user aircraft, AI aircraft or multiplayer aircraft shows details in the Simulator Aircraft dock window.

A double-click zooms in showing either the airport diagram or the navaid closely and also shows details in the Information dock window. The same applies for all AI or multiplayer aircraft or ships.

The double-click and single-click functionality does not work for flight plan waypoints or airports if the flight plan edit mode is enabled. The edit mode can be disabled using the toolbar or Flight Plan -> Edit Flight Plan on Map in the main menu. See also Map Flight Plan Editing.

The mouse click sensitivity can be adjusted in the Options dialog on the page Map Navigation.

Note

The center of the airport symbol is the hotspot for right or left click actions as well as for tooltip display. This is also the case if the whole airport diagram is visible.

The same applies to all navaids as well as airport parking spots where the center is the hotspot for clicks.

12.3. Mouse Click Hotspots

Map marks like range rings or measurement lines have hotspots to indicate that a modifier-click like Ctrl+Click can remove them or an action is available in the context menu. The same applies to the flight plan drag and drop editing mode.

The mouse cursor changes into a hand Hand Cursor to indicate a click spot.

Click spots are:

  • Center of range rings (small circle).
  • End of a measurement line (cross).
  • Runway threshold point (small circle) for airport traffic patterns.
  • Holding fix (small triangle) of a holding.

12.4. Mouse Clicks and Modifiers

You can use the keyboard and mouse click to get quick access to the following functions:

  • Shift+Click: Adds or removes range rings or navaid range rings.
  • Ctrl+Click and Alt+Click: Starts great circle line measurement or deletes a measurement line.
  • Ctrl+Shift+Click: Add or edit an userpoint.
  • Ctrl+Alt+Click: Inserts an airport, a navaid, an userpoint or a position into the nearest flight plan leg.
  • Shift+Alt+Click: Appends an airport, a navaid, an userpoint or a position to the flight plan.

Clicking again on the hotspot removes the marks, measurement lines or flight plan waypoints.

12.5. Aircraft

The user aircraft and AI or multiplayer aircraft or ships will be shown on the map if the program is connected to a flight simulator. Color indicates user or AI or multiplayer vehicle and the symbol shape indicates if the aircraft is an piston/turboprop, jet, helicopter or a ship. The symbol outline changes to gray if an aircraft is on ground.

Little Navmap limits the display of AI vehicles depending on size. Zoom close to see small aircraft or boats

AI and multiplayer aircraft on ground are shown only on small zoom distances to avoid cluttered airports. This means that an AI aircraft can disappear from the map when landing on an airport.

Tip

On the lowest zoom distance all aircraft are drawn to scale as are the parking spots which means you can easily check if your aircraft fits on an apron, parking spot or taxiway.

A yellow wind arrow and labels for the situation around the user aircraft can be displayed on the top center of the map. The displayed labels for aircraft can be configured in the dialog Options on Map Display 2. No labels are shown for ship traffic.

See Aircraft and Ships for details about the aircraft type.

12.6. Tooltips

Hovering the mouse over the map will show tooltips for all map objects including airports, VOR, NDB, airways, parking, fuel box, towers, aircraft and ships. The tooltip is truncated and shows a message More ... if it gets too long. In that case reduce details or zoom in closer.

The sensitivity for the tooltip display can be adjusted in the Options dialog on Map Navigation.

_images/tooltip.jpg

Tooltip with information for an airport and a VOR.

_images/tooltipairspace.jpg

Tooltip with information about airspaces.

12.7. Highlights

Airports, navaids or other features that are selected in the flight plan table or in a search result table are highlighted on the map with a green/black or a yellow/black ring respectively.

Waypoints that are selected in the procedure preview are highlighted with a blue/black ring.

These highlight circles provide all functionality of visible map objects, even if the objects are not shown at the current zoom distance (ring is empty). This allows double-click for zoom in, single-click for information dock window and all context menu entries.

You can use Map -> Remove all Highlights and Selections to remove all highlights from the map.

12.8. Flight Plan

You can enable or disable the display of the flight plan as well as missed approaches in the menu and toolbar.

All features which are part of the flight plan are forced to be shown even if they are disabled in the menu. This means that destination, departure and alternate airport symbols as well as diagrams are shown even if airport display is disabled. The same applies to all navaids and approach ILS.

Tip

Hide all map features to get a clean view on flight plan related airports and navaids only.

12.9. Airport Diagram

The display will change from a single icon to an airport diagram if you zoom in deep enough to an airport. The diagram shows all taxiways, parking positions, gates, runways and more.

The airport diagram provides more information through tooltips for parking and tower positions. A right-click on a parking position opens the context menu and allows to select the start position for flight plan departure.

See Airport Diagram for details about the airport diagram.

Note

Airspaces are hidden if the airport diagram is shown.

Tip

You can adjust the visibility of airport elements like runways or aprons for diagram in the options dialog on page Map Display 2 in the tree on the right side.

Use this is you’d like to rely on the airport diagrams of the OpenStreetMap background map, for example.

_images/airportdiagram1.jpg

High level view of the airport diagram of EDDH.

_images/airportdiagram2.jpg

Detailed view of the airport diagram. Shows blue gates on the right and green general aviation ramp parking spots on the left. Long displaced threshold of runway 33 is visible. Dashed yellow lines indicate taxi paths.

12.10. Context Menu Map

The map context menu can be activated using right-click or the menu key. Menu items are enabled or disabled depending on selected object and some menu items contain the name of the selected map object for clarification.

Mouse click modifiers like Ctrl+Click are shown as a hint on the right side of the context menu.

Little Navmap automatically inserts a sub-menu replacing the menu item if more than one appropriate map object was found below the cursor. This helps to select the right airport from a dense map which displays many airports in one spot, for example.

Some menus add an additional item Position to the sub-menu which inserts a plain position instead of a navaid or an airport.

Menu items are disabled if their function does not apply to the clicked map object. Hints showing the reason are appended to the menu text like (has not procedure) for an airport.

_images/mapmenus.jpg

The various sub-menus of the map context menu.

12.10.1. Show Information Show Information

Show detailed information in the Information dock window for the nearest airport, airway, airspace, navaid or aircraft which name is shown in the menu item.

If you like to see information on all objects nearby a click position do a single left click into the map.

See Information for details.

12.10.2. Show Procedures Show Procedures

Open the procedure search tab of the search dock window and display all procedures for the airport.

The menu item text varies depending if the airport is a part of the flight plan.

See Search Procedures for more information.

12.10.3. Create Approach Create Approach

Opens a dialog which allows to create a simple user defined final approach.

The text of this menu item varies depending if the airport is already the destination in the flight plan or not.

See User Defined Approach for more information.

12.10.4. Measure Distance from here Measure Distance from here

Display distances from the selected origin as you move the mouse over the map. Left-click on the map to end measuring and keep the measurement line. All measurement lines are saved and will be restored on next start up.

You can use the keyboard, mouse wheel or the map overlays to scroll and zoom while dragging a line.

Right-click, press the escape key or click outside of the map window to cancel the measurement line editing.

Measurement lines use nautical miles, kilometers or statue miles as unit. Feet or meter will be added as unit if the lines are short enough. This allows to measure e.g. takeoff distance for crossing takeoffs.

A great circle gives the shortest distance from point to point on earth but does not use a constant course. For that reason the measurement line will show two course values. One for the start and one for the end position.

Course is always indicated in degrees true which is indicated by the suffix °T. Additional information like ident or frequency will be added to the line if the measurement starts at a navaid or an airport.

The width of distance measurement lines can be changed in the dialog Options on page Map Display. The labels can be changed in the tree view on the right side of the page Map Display 2.

See Highlights and User Features for details on measurement lines.

Note that the menu item is disabled if measurement lines are hidden on the map (menu View -> User Features). The menu item is suffixed with the text hidden on map if this is the case.

12.10.5. Remove Distance measurement Remove Distance measurement

Remove the selected line. This menu item is active if you right-click on the end point of a distance measurement line (small cross).

12.10.6. Add Range Rings Add Range Rings

Show multiple red range rings around the clicked position. The number and distance of the range rings can be changed in the Options dialog on page Map. A label indicates the radius of each ring.

The width of all range ring lines can be changed in the dialog Options on Map Display 2.

Note that the menu item is disabled if range rings are hidden on the map (menu View -> User Features). The menu item is suffixed with the text hidden on map if this is the case.

12.10.7. Add Navaid Range Ring Add Navaid Range Ring

Show a ring around the clicked radio navaid (VOR or NDB) indicating the navaid’s range. A label shows ident and frequency and the ring color indicates the navaid type.

Note that the menu item is disabled if range rings are hidden on the map (menu View -> User Features). The menu item is suffixed with the text hidden on map if this is the case.

12.10.8. Remove Range Ring Remove Range Ring

Remove the selected rings from the map. This menu item is active if you right-click on the center point of a range ring (small circle).

12.10.9. Add Traffic Pattern Add Traffic Pattern

This menu item is enabled if clicked on an airport. Shows a dialog that allows to customize and display an airport traffic pattern on the map.

See Traffic Patterns.

Note that the menu item is disabled if traffic patterns are hidden on the map (menu View -> User Features). The menu item is suffixed with the text hidden on map if this is the case.

12.10.10. Remove Traffic Pattern Remove Traffic Pattern

Enabled if clicked on the airport traffic pattern hotspot (white filled circle at runway threshold) which is indicated by a hand cursor. Removes the traffic pattern from the map.

See Traffic Patterns.

12.10.11. Add Holding Add Holding

Display a holding pattern at any position on the map. The hold may also be attached to navaids. Opens a dialog for customization if selected.

See chapter Holdings for more information.

Note that the menu item is disabled if holdings are hidden on the map (menu View -> User Features). The menu item is suffixed with the text hidden on map if this is the case.

12.10.12. Remove Holding Remove Holding

Enabled if clicked on the hotspot (holding fix, white filled triangle) which is indicated by a hand cursor. Removes the holding from the map.

See chapter Holdings for more information.

12.10.13. Set as Departure Set as Departure

This is active if the click is at an airport, an airport parking position or a fuel box. It will either replace the current flight plan departure or add a new departure if the flight plan is empty.

The default runway will be used as starting position if the clicked object is an airport. The airport and parking position will replace both the current departure and start position if a parking position is clicked within an airport diagram.

12.10.14. Set as Destination Set as Destination

This menu item is active if the click is at an airport. It will either replace the flight plan destination or add the airport if the flight plan is empty.

12.10.15. Set as Alternate Set as Alternate

This menu item is active clicked at an airport. Selecting this item adds the airport as an alternate to the current flight plan.

More than one alternate can be added to the flight plan. Legs to the alternate airports originate all from the destination.

Disabled if airport is already departure, destination or alternate.

Note that you have to activate an alternate leg manually if you would like to fly it (see Activate Flight Plan Leg).

12.10.16. Add Position to Flight Plan Add Position to Flight Plan

Insert the clicked object into the nearest flight plan leg. The object will be added before departure or after destination if the clicked position is near the flight plan end points.

The text Position in the menu is replaced with an object name if an airport, navaid or userpoint is at the clicked position.

An user-defined flight plan position is added to the plan if no airport or navaid is near the clicked point.

An userpoint is converted to an user-defined flight plan position if added to the plan.

You cannot edit flight plan legs that are a part of a procedure or between procedures.

Tip

All information from a userpoint like remarks, ident, region and name are copied to the flight plan position if you right click on a userpoint and select Add Position to Flight Plan or Append Position to Flight Plan.

12.10.17. Append Position to Flight Plan Append Position to Flight Plan

Same as Add Position to Flight Plan but will always append the selected object or position after the destination or last waypoint of the flight plan.

This will remove STAR and approach procedures from the current flight plan, if any.

12.10.18. Delete from Flight Plan Delete from Flight Plan

Delete the selected airport, navaid or user flight plan position from the plan. This can be departure, destination, alternate airport or an intermediate waypoint.

Deleting a waypoint of a procedure removes the whole procedure.

12.10.19. Edit Flight Plan Position Edit Flight Plan Position or Edit Flight Plan Position Remarks

Change the ident, name, remarks or position of an user-defined flight plan waypoint. See Edit Flight Plan Position.

Also allows to add a remark to any flight plan waypoint which is not an alternate and not a part of a procedure. See Edit Flight Plan Remarks.

You can edit the coordinates directly instead of dragging the flight plan position (Map Flight Plan Editing).

See Coordinate Formats for a list of formats that are recognized by the edit dialog.

12.10.20. Userpoints Userpoint

12.10.20.1. Add Userpoint Add Userpoint

Add an user-defined waypoint to the userpoints. Some fields of the userpoint dialog are populated automatically depending on the selected map object.

Coordinates are always filled-in. If the selected object is an airport or navaid, an userpoint of type Airport or Waypoint respectively is created and the fields Ident, Region, Name and Altitude are filled-in.

If the selected position is empty map space, an userpoint of type Bookmark is created at this position. Altitude is filled-in if GLOBE offline elevation data is installed. See Install GLOBE elevation data.

See Add Userpoints for more information.

12.10.20.2. Edit Userpoint Edit Userpoint

Open the edit dialog for an userpoint. Only enabled if the selected object is an userpoint. See Edit Userpoints.

12.10.20.3. Move Userpoint Move Userpoint

Move the userpoint to a new position on the map. Only enabled if the selected object is an userpoint.

Left-click to place the userpoint at the new position. Right-click or press the escape key to cancel the operation and return the userpoint to its former position.

12.10.20.4. Delete Userpoint Delete Userpoint

Remove the user-defined waypoint from the userdata after confirmation. Only enabled if the selected object is an userpoint.

12.10.21. Edit Log Entry Edit Log Entry

Active when clicked on the blue great circle line, the blue flight plan preview or an airport of a logbook entry highlight.

Allows to edit the respective logbook entry. See Edit Logbook Entry.

12.10.22. Fullscreen Map Fullscreen Map

Same as Fullscreen Map. Only visible in fullscreen mode.

12.10.23. More

12.10.23.2. Copy to Clipboard Copy to Clipboard

Copies the coordinates at the clicked position into the clipboard.

The coordinate format depends on the selection in Options on page Units.

12.10.23.4. Set Home Set Home View

Set the currently visible map view as your home view. The center of the home area is highlighted by a Home Symbol symbol.

You can jump to the home view by using main menu Map -> Goto Home.

The symbol cannot be hidden. Set it at a remote position if you like to hide it.

Note that the symbol is only an indicator for the home view center position and does not have a context menu or a mouse action attached.