Are you running windows? (it can be made to run on anything, but I've got it set up for windows.)
Using it to observe traffic (without running FlightGear) is simple enough. There's a batch file "
blackBox-observe.bat" (or just "
blackBox-observe" depending on how windows is set up) which will start the server (you'll have to click your way through some "do you really want to run this program" crap that windows does that never protected anyone from malware anywhere ever.) You should see a console window containing a bunch of stuff like this:
- Code: Select all
loading module: sigma:/load.js
loading module: sigma:/contentType.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/rpc.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/math.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/units.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/data.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/dbf.data.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/geo.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/coord.geo.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/projection.geo.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/shp.geo.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/naturalEarth.geo.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/fg.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/property.fg.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/protocol.fg.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/xdr.protocol.fg.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/mp.protocol.fg.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/mp.fg.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/mpInfo.fg.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/vectorFont.sigma.js
loading module: sigma:/httpd.sigma.js
httpd: created server on port 1392
MPServerConnect: mpserver01.flightgear.org:5000
entity connected: XH
entity connected: KSMFtwD
entity connected: MZ-D91
entity connected: N388PV
entity connected: s5020
The line "
httpd: created server on port 1392" indicates that the web server started successfully. Point your browser at
http://127.0.0.1:1392/ to see the interface. You'll see an empty desktop (with the
blackbox logo in the center) - click on the desktop to bring up a menu to open the map or pilot list.
Oh yeah, it won't work in Internet explorer (would you believe it lacks a couple of trigonometry functions, of all things, otherwise it would work!) Use Google Chrome or FireFox - Opera works but is broken a bit for, umm, reasons...
The next version will (hopefully) be a little simpler to use (at least on windows) and I may make it run from FlightGear's internal web server (mongoose.)
Running
BlackBox as a map while you are flying is a bit more complex, you need to specify particular command line parameters to FlightGear, it's all in the "readme.txt" file
* edit - I forgot to add, that running
BlackBox in observe mode won't work if FlightGear is connected to the MP network in the usual fashion - both programs will try to use port 5000, whichever program gets there first will prevent the other from working.
XH.
* Remember, keep the blue side up and avoid the cumulo-granitus!