Settings - Basics

The "Basics" tab of the Settings dialog

Settings are available from X-Plane's menu: Plugin > LiveTraffic > Settings.... On the "Basics" tab you define if LiveTraffic is to show aircraft and from where to request tracking data.

Settings - Basics

Setting	Default	Description
Show Live Aircraft	(depends on Auto Start)	Same as via menu Plugin > LiveTraffic > Aircraft displayed: If enabled LiveTraffic starts querying the channels for live flight data and will soon begin showing aircraft.
Auto Start	Enabled	Shall LiveTraffic enable Live Aircraft after startup? Disable this if you want to control yourself when live aircraft are displayed.

Flight Data Channels

The next set of options enable / disable flight data channels, which LiveTraffic queries for live flight data. By default all channels are enabled in parallel.

Please support these channels! We depend on their data, the more receivers the better coverage and quality!

While LiveTraffic can use multiple channels in parallel and combine data from all of them, this can at times result in unrealistic behaviour.

Different data channels are simply not in synch, that's a fact. This is why Live Traffic will feed any particular aircraft only from one channel...the channel who saw the aircraft first. If multiple channels "see" an aircraft before its creation then OpenSky takes priority as its data is better consolidated before being sent out. Live Traffic allows, however, that the feeding channel for an aircraft switches over to another channel if the original channel stopped feeding and if the new flight data has the aircraft continue its flight in about the same direction. Still, as channels aren't time-synched, Live Traffic needs to make up for the difference in timing by having the aircraft slow down / speed up from the last data point of the old channel to the first data point of the new channel.

Setting	Default	Description
OpenSky Network	Enabled	Enables usage of OpenSky Network as a live flight data channel. As this channel provides positional information only, OpenSky Master Data (see next row) is forced to be enabled, too, as long as OpenSky Network is enabled. If interested find API documentation here.
OpenSky Network Master Data	Enabled	For fetching master data on the involved aircraft (aircraft type, registration, operator, ...) OpenSky requires this additional channel, but it is also queried for flights read from other channels. So generally, it is a good idea to keep it on.
ADS-B Exchange	Disabled, inactive	Enables usage of ADS-B Exchange as a live flight data channel. You need a key to ccess ADSBEx. Please see the separate documentation page for details. This setting is only available if you filled in an API key in the next field.
API Key	<empty>	Enter you API Key into this edit field (see here for details). Once you entered your key (sorry, you need to type it, there is no copying from clipboard) and pressed [Enter] or [Tab] the key will be validated immediately and you'll see a success/failure note in the message area, either "API Key tested SUCCESSFULLY" or "API Key INVALID". Once a key is entered, the above checkbox for enabling ADS-B Exchange becomes active and you can enable ADSBEx.
Remaining Quota	<empty>	If ADSBEx is running with a RapidAPI key, then LiveTraffic shows the remaining quota as reported by RapidAPI in the line under the key. By default, this is empty, but see the ADSBEx Configuration page for an example screenshot.
RealTraffic	Disabled	Enables usage of RealTraffic as a live flight data channel. As a courtesy, also OpenSky Master is enabled when you enable RealTraffic. RealTraffic requires you to buy a license for continued usage. See here for further configuration instructions.

Misc Options

Setting	Default	Description
Keep landing lights on during taxi	Disabled	Without external lights it can be hard to see aircraft at night while taxiing. Some CSL models don't provide taxi lights (which is beyond the control of LiveTraffic). With this option LiveTraffic keeps landing lights on during taxi to be able to see these aircraft.
No a/c below	0	[ft AGL] Aircraft flying below this height above ground are made invisible. 0 means: Don't hide anything, show all. This shall allow integration with other plugins, which generate airport, taxi, and gate traffic while LiveTraffic takes care of the upper sky. Note that hidden aircraft are just that: hidden. They are still tracked and computed and could be manually made visible.
Hide a/c while taxiing	Disabled	If activated hides aircraft in phase "Taxi". Makes only sense if No a/c below is 0 because otherwise taxiing planes are hidden anyway. This settings shall also ease integration with plugins for generating airport traffic.
AI/TCAS on request only	Disabled	If this is enabled then LiveTraffic will not try to control AI planes for TCAS simulation when starting to display aircraft. Then, if you want LiveTraffic to control AI/TCAS, you need to command so via menu item TCAS controlled. This again shall help integrating with other multiplayer plugins, which, if this is enabled, have the chance to control AI/TCAS on startup.

Output Channels

LiveTraffic can broadcast the current positions of all planes shown into the local network for other apps to pick up the data:

Setting	Default	Description
ForeFlight	Disabled	Sends data in ForeFlight format to feed the ForeFlight EFB app. See here for ForeFlight configuration info.
...every	3	seconds (repeat interval for traffic broadcasts)
...User' plane	Enabled	Broadcasts user's plane position (GPS) and attitude (ATT) data in ForeFlight format (if ForeFlight output channel is enabled, too).
...Traffic	Enabled	Broadcasts traffic data (TRAFFIC), i.e. position information for all the live traffic planes shown (if ForeFlight output channel is enabled, too).

RealTraffic also feeds into ForeFlight! If also RealTraffic is enabled you will likely see two sets of traffic, one from a device "LiveTraffic" and one from a device "PSX" (which is RealTraffic's data). Ideally, you disable the "PSX" device within ForeFlight. However, as the "PSX" device might appear sporadically only this is simpler written than done.

Version Information

LiveTraffic's version number is shown in the last line of the Basic Settings.