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AutoOrtho

What is AutoOrtho?

AutoOrtho is a tool for X-Plane that integrates orthophotos into the flight simulator. It enables the use of high-resolution aerial imagery as ground textures, significantly enhancing the visual realism in X-Plane. This guide describes the installation on Debian, both as a pre-built binary and from source code in a pyenv environment using Z Shell (zsh).

Installing the AutoOrtho Binary on Debian

The binary version of AutoOrtho is a pre-compiled executable that doesn't require an additional Python environment. It's ideal for users who want a quick and straightforward installation. Follow these steps:

  1. Download: Get the binary from: AutoOrtho Binary.
  2. Extract: Unpack the ZIP file using a tool like unzip (install with sudo apt install unzip), e.g.:
    unzip autoortho-linux-x64-v1.0.0.zip
  3. Make executable: Ensure the file is executable:
    chmod +x autoortho
  4. Launch: Run the binary directly:
    ./autoortho
  5. Prerequisite: Install libfuse2, as AutoOrtho needs it for filesystem integration:
    sudo apt install libfuse2

A GUI will open, and the configuration file .autoortho will be created in your home directory. Enter the X-Plane directory and load an ortho set through the "Scenery" tab.

Step 7: Verification

Start X-Plane while AutoOrtho is running. Check the scenery_packs.ini in X-Plane's Custom Scenery folder for AutoOrtho entries like z_ao_*.

Installing AutoOrtho from Source on Debian with pyenv and zsh

Installing from source offers more control and flexibility. Using pyenv allows you to isolate Python versions and avoid conflicts with the system Python. The following steps will guide you through the process.

Prerequisites

AutoOrtho requires Python and external libraries. A pyenv environment makes it easier to manage Python versions and dependencies.

Step 1: Prepare the System

Update package sources and install dependencies required for pyenv:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential libssl-dev zlib1g-dev libbz2-dev libreadline-dev libsqlite3-dev curl libncursesw5-dev xz-utils tk-dev libxml2-dev libxmlsec1-dev libffi-dev liblzma-dev git

Also install libfuse2, which AutoOrtho needs for filesystem integration:

sudo apt install libfuse2

Step 2: Set up pyenv

Download pyenv from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/pyenv/pyenv.git ~/.pyenv

Add pyenv to your zsh configuration by adding these lines to ~/.zshrc:

export PYENV_ROOT="$HOME/.pyenv"
export PATH="$PYENV_ROOT/bin:$PATH"
eval "$(pyenv init --path)"
eval "$(pyenv init -)"

Update the shell:

source ~/.zshrc

Step 3: Install Python Version

Install a Python version, e.g., 3.10.16:

pyenv install 3.10.16

Step 4: Download AutoOrtho Source Code

Get the source code and change to its directory:

git clone https://github.com/kubilus1/autoortho.git
cd autoortho

Set the local Python version:

pyenv local 3.10.16

Step 5: Install Dependencies

Install the Python dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

At this point, you might encounter an error as PySimpleGUI cannot be installed. The package is no longer included in Python by default and needs to be installed separately. PySimpleGUI can be downloaded from various sources. Installation takes place in the directory .pyenv/versions/3.10.16/lib/python3.10/site-packages/PySimpleGUI.

(libfuse2 was already installed in Step 1.)

Step 6: Launch AutoOrtho

Start AutoOrtho:

python -i autoortho

A GUI will open, and the configuration file .autoortho will be created in your home directory. Enter the X-Plane directory and load an ortho set through the "Scenery" tab.

Step 7: Verification

Start X-Plane while AutoOrtho is running. Check the scenery_packs.ini in X-Plane's Custom Scenery folder for AutoOrtho entries like z_ao_*.

Additional Notes

  • Troubleshooting: If problems occur, you can delete .autoortho and restart AutoOrtho.
  • Requirements: A stable internet connection is required for streaming orthophotos.
  • FUSE Configuration: When running AutoOrtho as a regular user (which is strongly recommended), the user_allow_other option must be enabled in /etc/fuse.conf. You can either do this with the following command: 
    sudo echo "user_allow_other" >> /etc/fuse.conf
    Alternatively, you can uncomment the option in an editor (Note: sudo rights are also needed for editing): 
    sudo nano /etc/fuse.conf
    Then remove the # character in front of the line #user_allow_other.

Conclusion

Following these steps, you can install AutoOrtho in a pyenv environment on Debian with zsh. The isolated environment cleanly separates dependencies, ensuring AutoOrtho runs smoothly in X-Plane.