# Single POV visibility analysis for control towers (airport planning)

**URL:** <https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/single-pov-visibility-analysis-for-control-towers-airport-planning/94995>\
**Category:** Grasshopper\
**Tags:** visibility\
**Created:** [January 18, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/single-pov-visibility-analysis-for-control-towers-airport-planning/94995 "2020-01-18T19:45:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a.mercado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/a.mercado/32/197248_2.png) [@a.mercado](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/a.mercado)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2020, 7:45pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/single-pov-visibility-analysis-for-control-towers-airport-planning/94995/1 "2020-01-18T19:45:26Z")

</div>

Hi,

I’m currently developing a thesis on the use of Generative design tools for the early stages of airport planning .

One particular tool I’m trying to develop is a Point of view analysis and checker for the Control Tower.

Air controllers need to have a clear sight of specific parts of the airport (such as runways, taxiways, final approachs)

The control tower also needs to avoid specific sections of the airspace (aeronautical easements)

The problems I have:  
I’m relatively new to grasshopper (but I learn fast, I have used dynamo and I used to code in basic, vbasic and c++)

All the tutorials and tools I’ve found are not suited for this specific use as most visibility analysis tools are developed for urban planning and I cannot get any where the routine checks for direct visibility of any particular object.

* * *

I have reduced the inputs to the following :

The point of view(PPOV) XYZ values must be variables so I can feed them to Galapagos.

XY are confined to a perimeter

Category A objects must be fully visible (no obstructions)  
Category B objects can be partially obstructed

The runways have to be seen at an angle greater than a certain value in order to avoid mirages

A sphere is associated to the POV, as to simulate the tower and its equipment atop it

The sphere cannot clash with aeronautical easements virtual volumes.

* * *

I’m currently trying to find any ray tracing solutions, as isovists proved a dead end.

Needless to say, an acknowledgement of significant contributions will be made in the document of the research.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fred\_C](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/fred_c/32/146394_2.png) [@Fred\_C](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Fred_C)\
**Post date:** [January 18, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/single-pov-visibility-analysis-for-control-towers-airport-planning/94995/2 "2020-01-18T20:04:01Z")

</div>

[https://www.hf.faa.gov/visibility/](https://www.hf.faa.gov/visibility/)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![alexis.mercadocordov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/alexis.mercadocordov/32/197102_2.png) [@alexis.mercadocordov](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/alexis.mercadocordov)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2020, 11:33am UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/single-pov-visibility-analysis-for-control-towers-airport-planning/94995/3 "2020-01-19T11:33:55Z")

</div>

Hi Fred,

Thank you for your feedback, however this is not in the field of my research. I’m trying to asses the ideal position of a Control Tower in early stages of airport planning.

This tool gives a information on Detection, recognition and identification of a single target from the tower but really nothing more and works better as a validation for later stages of the design process.

As i said before i need to make sure that ATC controllers can see a number of objects at all times (which are represented in the 3D model). A purely geometrical exercice with specific inputs.

AM

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Joseph\_Oster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/user_avatar/discourse.mcneel.com/joseph_oster/32/549124_2.png) [@Joseph\_Oster](https://discourse.mcneel.com/u/Joseph_Oster)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2020, 2:08pm UTC](https://discourse.mcneel.com/t/single-pov-visibility-analysis-for-control-towers-airport-planning/94995/4 "2020-01-19T14:08:24Z")

</div>

GH component IsoVist Ray - This old thread has multple examples of how to use it:

> **[Isolating unobstructed objects from a point](https://www.grasshopper3d.com/forum/topics/isolating-unobstructed-objects-from-a-point?commentId=2985220:Comment:1561894)**
>
> Hi
> I am trying to isolate any unobstructed surfaces within a certain distance from a given point. This is to represent a 500m visible radius from a standing vi…

 ![flashlight_2016_Jul7a](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/9/9/9976d5bbe1da734d34166c0b5a99781b7835b3b7.png)  
 ![flashlight_2016_Jul7b](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/7/2/728df49e9b9c2265919a9154eb2869c951c19808.png)  
 ![500mvisibleradius1_2016_Jan12a](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/mcneel/uploads/default/original/3X/9/c/9c16befa96207b96f9b3289740e123174614f65e.png)