Map window

Visible Information

map overview

The map gives you an overview over all available and currently selected data sets. Double clicking any visible trajectory will show you the GPS coordinates of all activated (checkboxed) tags having the same timestamp.

Most map features are covered in the respective sections of this manual. The map viewport is directly influenced by:

For acceleration data, it is possible to select consecutive timestamp clusters within the map via shift-<left mouse button>.

In particular, visibility of tracks, covered regions and visible layers are affected by aboves features.

Quick-copy coordinates

Right-click on the map to copy these coordinates.

Working with Trajectories

Trajectories are among the key elements of Firetail providing a visual representation (and linear interpolation) of the sensor location over time. Each individual track can be toggled individually, restricted to time brackets (see time control) and much more.

Double Clicking a trajectory shows the assumed individuals position based on a linear interpolation of two neighboring GPS positions. Keep in mind that, in particular for rough sampling rates, these may not reflect actual positions.

Bookmarking

see Bookmarking

Closest Distance to Location

To determine the closest in-data location to any point on the map

Double click a trajectory
Drag the indivdual

This feature is particularly powerful if acceleration data is present which is then centered around this point:

Zoom level

The zoom level is indicated on the top right of the map. The slider can be used to restrict the observed region further.

Note: use your mouse wheel to zoom in and out of the map directly

Offline Data

Firetail (as of v3) allows for the download of map data. Obviously, an internet connection is required. Navigate to an area that you expect to require during your work in the field. Then use the menu entry Layer > Download Current Map. A resolution slider allows you to select tiles up to a user-defined resolution that must be available locally when no internet connection is available.

Apart from technical information (tile numbers) you see a Start Level and End Level choice. The start level is equivalent to the current tile size as shown on your viewport. The end level is the maximum zoom level that should be made available within the visible area.

Note that map data for large regions can grow quickly even for moderate zoom levels. Therefore, we currently limit the batch download to 1GB per selection (the colors will become red and the OK button will become inactive).

Fullscreen mode

Firetail can be used in a fullscreen mode. Press F11 to toggle it, and repeat to get back to the normal mode.

Video export

Firetail can export the current viewport as mp4 videos at 30fps.

The free edition is limited to 5 videos of 10 seconds length. The aspect ratio and resolution is identical to the map viewport.

For better downstream compatibility the viewport will always record even width times height.

A size hint (top right) can help you to adjust your viewport to an appropriate size.

map-video-recording

Recording a video:

Select a start and end point (bracketing) on your timeline, zoom level and tag selection
Choose replay speed
Click the red recording icon under the map viewport (keyboard shortcut: r)
Select a directory to record your snapshots/videos
Press Play to start recording
Use r or the recording icon to stop and save the session

A popup should tell you where your result is located.

Screenshot export

Firetail can export a screenshot of your viewport as png. Use the camera icon in the main time control panel.

The free edition is limited to 5 screenshots. The resolution is identical to the map viewport.

A size hint (top right) can help you to adjust your viewport to an appropriate size.

map-video-recording

Creating snapshots:

Click the red snapshot icon under the map viewport
Select a directory to save your snapshots/videos
Each time snapshot is clicked, a new snapshot will be saved