A 3D tower cab view application for VATSIM air traffic controllers. View real-time aircraft positions on a 3D globe with satellite imagery and terrain.
- Features
- Requirements
- Quick Start
- Controls
- Building for Production
- Project Structure
- Technology Stack
- Data Sources
- Settings Reference
- Performance Tips
- Troubleshooting
- CI/CD
- License
- Acknowledgments
- Access TowerCab from any device on your local network (iPad, tablets, other PCs)
- Desktop app runs an HTTP server on port 8765 when launched
- Unified data streaming: all aircraft data (VATSIM, vNAS, RealTraffic) streamed via WebSocket
- Automatic vNAS 1Hz updates when host has active CRC session (no configuration needed)
- All mods, models, and settings served from host PC
- Touch controls optimized for iPad Safari and mobile browsers:
- Single-finger drag to rotate camera or pan map
- Two-finger pinch to zoom
- Two-finger rotate to adjust heading
- Virtual joystick for camera movement
- Responsive mobile-friendly UI adapts to screen size with flyout menus
- Remote client presence indicator shows device count on desktop
- Connection status indicator shows Live/Stale/Disconnected state on remote clients
- Camera bookmarks and datablock positions shared across all connected devices
- Device optimization presets automatically offered on first remote connection
- VATSIM Network: Real-time virtual ATC traffic (polled every 1 second, VATSIM updates ~15 seconds)
- vNAS Integration: 1Hz real-time updates when using CRC (reduces display delay from 17s to 1.5s)
- RealTraffic: Optional real-world ADS-B traffic with ~2-3s updates (requires license key)
- Smooth 60 Hz interpolation for fluid aircraft movement between updates
- Global aircraft search (Ctrl+K) to find and follow any aircraft (sorted by distance when airport selected)
- Connection status indicator with pilot/aircraft count
- Compass direction indicator showing camera heading
- High-fidelity 3D globe with Cesium Ion satellite imagery
- Configurable terrain quality (5 levels from Low to Ultra)
- Terrain flattening for runways, taxiways, and aprons (15,000+ airports)
- Optional 3D OpenStreetMap buildings with configurable quality
- Dynamic time-of-day lighting (real-time or fixed hour)
- Aircraft rendered as 3D models with realistic type-based sizing (39 aircraft types)
- Aircraft physics emulation: pitch during climbs/descents, banking in turns, landing flare
- METAR-based weather effects: fog domes and cloud layers at real ceiling altitudes
- Create multiple inset viewports for simultaneous views
- Each viewport has independent camera controls and can follow different aircraft
- Drag and resize inset viewports, positions saved per airport
- Click to activate a viewport for keyboard/mouse control
- Continuous recording of all VATSIM traffic (snapshots every 15 seconds)
- Scrub back up to 25 minutes to review past events
- Playback at 0.5x, 1x, 2x, or 4x speed
- Export/import replays to share or archive sessions
- Switch airports during replay to view traffic at any location
- 3D Tower View: Look around from tower perspective with smooth controls
- Top-Down View: Bird's-eye view with pan and zoom (press T to toggle)
- Aircraft Following: Two modes - Tower (camera stays at tower) or Orbit (camera circles aircraft)
- WASD Movement: Move camera position relative to tower
- Bookmark System: Save up to 100 camera positions per airport with custom names
- Quick Bookmarks: Ctrl+0-9 for instant recall of first 10 bookmarks
- Bookmark Manager: Ctrl+B opens full bookmark management modal
- Nearby aircraft list with real-time updates
- Filter by callsign, aircraft type, or route
- Sort by distance (from tower or camera), callsign, altitude, speed, or smart sort
- Smart sort categorizes by flight phase (Short Final, Rolling, Taxi, etc.) with runway detection
- Datablock repositioning with numpad-style directions (1-9)
- Auto-rearrange to prevent label overlaps (optional)
- Adjustable leader line length (1-5)
- One-click following with mode selection
- Click-to-look: click any aircraft to pan camera to center on it
- Tabbed selector: Favorites, Recent, Popular, and vNAS-enabled airports
- Search 28,000+ airports by ICAO, IATA, name, or city
- Mark airports as favorites for quick access
- Recent airports history (last 10 visited)
- Popular airports ranked by current VATSIM traffic
- vNAS tab shows airports with 1Hz update availability
- Smooth camera animation when changing airports
- Click-to-measure distances on terrain
- Live preview as you move the cursor
- Multiple measurements can be active simultaneously
- Right-click to remove individual measurements
- WebXR integration for VR headsets (Quest Link, SteamVR, etc.)
- Stereo rendering with configurable IPD
- Immersive tower cab experience
- Custom aircraft 3D models (glTF/GLB format)
- Custom tower models for specific airports
- FSLTL and AIG model support with airline-specific liveries (on-demand conversion)
- Custom VMR rules for advanced model matching
- See MODDING.md for details
- Desktop App: Windows 10/11 (64-bit), macOS 10.13+, or Linux
- Remote Access: Any device with a modern web browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox)
- Cesium Ion account (free tier) for terrain and imagery
- Node.js 18+ and Rust toolchain (only for development)
- Download the latest Windows installer from GitHub Releases
- Run the installer and follow the prompts
- Launch TowerCab 3D from the Start Menu or desktop shortcut
- The app will automatically check for updates on startup and notify you when new versions are available
- Continue to Get a Cesium Ion Token below
npm installnpm run dev # Starts desktop app with HTTP server on port 8765The desktop app will start an HTTP server accessible at http://[your-pc-ip]:8765 from other devices on your network.
- Create a free account at cesium.com/ion
- Go to Access Tokens and create a new token with default permissions
- Copy the token
- Click the Settings button (gear icon) in the bottom-right corner
- Paste your Cesium Ion token in the token field
- Adjust terrain quality and other settings as desired
- Close the settings modal
- Click the airport button in the top-left (shows "Select Airport" initially)
- Search for an airport by ICAO code (e.g., "KJFK"), IATA code (e.g., "JFK"), name, or city
- Click an airport to fly there
- With the desktop app running, find your PC's local IP address:
- Windows: Run
ipconfigand look for "IPv4 Address" - macOS/Linux: Run
ifconfigorip addrand look for your network interface
- Windows: Run
- On your iPad or other device, open a web browser and navigate to
http://[your-pc-ip]:8765 - The app will load with the same settings, bookmarks, and mods as the desktop app
- On first connection from a touch device, you'll be prompted to apply optimized graphics settings
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| W/A/S/D | Move camera position (forward/left/back/right) |
| Q/E | Move camera down/up |
| Shift | Sprint (3x movement speed with WASD) |
| Arrow Keys | Rotate camera (heading/pitch) |
| +/- | Zoom in/out |
| T | Toggle 3D / top-down view |
| R or Home | Reset camera view |
| Shift+R | Full reset (position and orientation) |
| O | Toggle follow mode (Tower/Orbit) when following |
| Escape | Stop following / close modals |
| Ctrl+K | Open global aircraft search |
| Ctrl+B | Open bookmark manager |
| Ctrl+0-9 | Load bookmarks 0-9 instantly |
| Ctrl+M | Toggle METAR overlay display |
| M | Toggle measuring tool |
| F1 | Toggle performance HUD |
| F3 | Open model matching debug modal |
| F4 | Open aircraft timeline debug modal |
| Space | Play/Pause replay (in Replay mode) |
| Left/Right Arrow | Step backward/forward 15s (in Replay mode) |
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Right-click + Drag | Look around (rotate camera) |
| Left-click + Drag | Pan camera (top-down mode only) |
| Scroll Wheel | Zoom in/out |
| Click Aircraft Label | Follow that aircraft |
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Single-finger Drag | Rotate camera (3D) or pan map (top-down) |
| Two-finger Pinch | Zoom in/out |
| Two-finger Rotate | Adjust heading |
| Virtual Joystick | Move camera position (WASD equivalent) |
| Tap Aircraft Label | Follow that aircraft |
Save and restore camera positions quickly:
- Type
.XX.to save to slot XX (e.g.,.00.,.15.) - Type
.XX.NAME.to save with a custom name (e.g.,.00.RWY 27.,.15.TOWER.) - Type
.XXand press Enter to load from a slot - Press Ctrl+0-9 for instant recall of bookmarks 0-9
- Press Ctrl+B to open the Bookmark Manager with full keyboard navigation
- Bookmarks are saved per-airport
npm run vite:buildnpm run buildThe installer will be created in the src-tauri/target/release/bundle/ folder. This is the same installer distributed via GitHub Releases.
towercab-3d/
├── src/
│ └── renderer/ # React frontend
│ ├── components/ # React UI components
│ ├── hooks/ # Custom React hooks
│ ├── services/ # API services (VATSIM, airports)
│ ├── stores/ # Zustand state stores
│ ├── types/ # TypeScript type definitions
│ └── utils/ # Utility functions
├── src-tauri/ # Tauri Rust backend
│ ├── src/ # Rust source code
│ ├── icons/ # Application icons
│ └── tauri.conf.json # Tauri configuration
├── resources/ # Static assets (icons, etc.)
└── mods/ # Custom models directory
├── aircraft/ # Aircraft model mods
└── towers/ # Tower model mods
| Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Tauri 2 | Desktop application framework (Rust backend, WebView2 frontend) |
| React 19 | UI framework |
| TypeScript 5 | Type-safe development |
| CesiumJS 1.136 | 3D globe rendering |
| Babylon.js 8 | Screen-space labels, leader lines, weather effects, VR rendering |
| Zustand 5 | State management |
| Vite 7 | Build tool |
- VATSIM: Virtual ATC traffic from data.vatsim.net
- RealTraffic: Optional real-world ADS-B traffic (requires license key subscription)
- Airports: Database from github.com/mwgg/Airports
- Terrain/Imagery: Cesium Ion World Terrain and Bing Maps Aerial
- Aircraft Dimensions: Wingspan and length data from FAA Aircraft Characteristics Database
- Aircraft 3D Models: 39 aircraft models from Flightradar24/fr24-3d-models (GPL-2.0, originally from FlightGear) - includes A320 family, B737/747/757/767/777/787, CRJ, E-Jets, Q400, and more
The aircraft dimensions data (used for realistic model sizing) is bundled with the app. To update it with the latest FAA data:
# Requires Python 3 with pandas and openpyxl
pip install pandas openpyxl
python scripts/shipping/data-generation/convert-aircraft-data.pyThis downloads the latest FAA Excel file and converts it to src/renderer/public/aircraft-dimensions.json.
Settings are organized into six tabs: Configuration, Aircraft & Labels, Graphics & Weather, Controls & Camera, Performance, and Advanced.
| Setting | Description | Range/Options |
|---|---|---|
| Cesium Ion Token | API key for terrain/imagery (shared across devices) | Required |
| Data Source | Choose VATSIM or RealTraffic | VATSIM/RealTraffic |
| RealTraffic License Key | Required for RealTraffic data | Optional |
| HTTP Server | Enable remote browser access on port 8765 | On/Off |
| MSFS Community Path | Path to MSFS Community folder for model conversion | Directory path |
| Enable FSLTL Models | Use converted FSLTL aircraft models | On/Off |
| Enable AIG Models | Use converted AIG aircraft models | On/Off |
| Model Priority | Which model source to prefer | FSLTL First/AIG First |
| Texture Scale | Resolution for converted model textures | Full/2K/1K/512 |
| Cache Directory | Where to store converted models | Directory path |
| Cache Size Limit | Max disk space for model cache | 500 MB - 20 GB |
| Setting | Description | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility Range | How far to show aircraft labels | 5-100 nm |
| Show Ground Traffic | Display aircraft on ground | On/Off |
| Show Airborne Traffic | Display flying aircraft | On/Off |
| Datablock Display | Label detail level | Full/Airline Codes Only/None |
| Datablock Font Size | Size of label text | 8-20 px |
| Leader Line Length | Distance from aircraft to label | 0.5-5.0 |
| Default Datablock Direction | Default label position (numpad-style) | 1-9 |
| Auto-Rearrange Datablocks | Prevent label overlaps | On/Off |
| Ground Traffic Labels | Filter labels for ground aircraft | All/Moving/Active Only/None |
| Built-in Model Tint | Color tint for generic models | White/Light Blue/Tan/Yellow/Orange/Gray |
| Aircraft Silhouettes | Black outlines on built-in models (high GPU cost) | On/Off |
| Orientation Emulation | Aircraft pitch/roll physics simulation | On/Off |
| Emulation Intensity | Strength of pitch/roll effects | 25%-150% |
| Show Aircraft Panel | Toggle nearby aircraft list | On/Off |
| Setting | Description | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Max Framerate | Limit rendering framerate | 30/60/120/144/Unlimited |
| MSAA Samples | Anti-aliasing quality | 1x/2x/4x/8x |
| Terrain Quality | Level of terrain detail | Low to Ultra (5 levels) |
| Terrain Flattening | Flatten runways/taxiways for smooth ground movement | On/Off |
| Terrain Blend Distance | Transition zone between flat and natural terrain | 25-100 m |
| Show 3D Buildings | OpenStreetMap 3D buildings | On/Off |
| Building Quality | LOD for 3D buildings | Low/Medium/High |
| Time of Day | Real-time or fixed local hour | Real/0-24h |
| Enable Shadows | Render terrain and aircraft shadows | On/Off |
| Shadow Mode | Which objects cast shadows | All/Aircraft Only |
| Enable Fog | METAR-based fog effects | On/Off |
| Fog Intensity | Fog opacity multiplier | 0.5x-2x |
| Visibility Scale | Fog distance multiplier | 0.5x-2x |
| Enable Clouds | Cloud layers at METAR ceilings | On/Off |
| Enable Precipitation | Rain/snow particle effects | On/Off |
| Enable Lightning | Lightning flashes during storms | On/Off |
| Setting | Description | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Default FOV | Starting field of view | 10-120° |
| Camera Speed | WASD movement speed | 1-10 |
| Mouse Sensitivity | Right-click drag rotation speed | 0.1x-2x |
| Joystick Sensitivity | Virtual joystick movement speed (touch devices) | 1-10 |
| Auto-Switch Airport | Automatically switch to nearest airport when moving | On/Off |
| Setting | Description | Range |
|---|---|---|
| In-Memory Tile Cache | Cached terrain tiles in memory | 50-5000 tiles |
| Disk Cache Size | Persistent tile cache on disk | 0.1-10 GB |
| Aircraft Data Radius | Data fetch radius (VATSIM/RealTraffic) | 10-500 nm |
| Max Aircraft Count | Limit displayed aircraft | 10-1000 |
| Max Replay Duration | How far back replay can go | 1-60 min |
| Max Parked Aircraft | Max stationary aircraft (RealTraffic only) | 0-200 |
| Setting | Description | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Theme | Light or dark interface | Light/Dark |
| Interpolation Debug Logs | Log aircraft position calculations | On/Off |
| Debug Coordinate Overlay | Show camera coordinates on screen | On/Off |
- Lower terrain quality for smoother performance on older hardware
- Disable 3D buildings if experiencing frame drops
- Reduce label visibility distance to decrease rendered aircraft
- The application uses Service Worker caching for tile persistence
- Verify your Cesium Ion token is correct and has default permissions
- Check your internet connection
- Ensure you've selected an airport
- Check the connection status in the top bar
- Verify VATSIM network is online
- Reduce terrain quality in settings
- Disable 3D buildings
- Close other GPU-intensive applications
- On touch devices: apply the suggested device optimization preset when prompted
- Ensure the desktop app is running on your PC
- Verify both devices are on the same local network
- Check firewall settings aren't blocking port 8765
- Try accessing using your PC's IP address instead of hostname
- On Windows, run
ipconfigto find your IPv4 address
This project uses GitHub Actions for continuous integration and releases:
- Build workflow: Runs on every push and PR to
main- builds the app and runs ESLint - Release workflow: Triggered by version tags (e.g.,
v0.0.6) - creates GitHub releases with installers
To create a new release:
git tag v0.0.6
git push origin v0.0.6GPL-2.0 License - See LICENSE file for details.
- VATSIM - Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network
- Cesium - 3D geospatial platform
- mwgg/Airports - Airport database
- Babylon.js - 3D rendering engine
- FlightGear / FGMEMBERS - Aircraft 3D model (via Flightradar24)