WinTAK Simple Usage Plugin

A simple plugin showing a few of the basic components which can be utilized when you develop a plugin for WinTAK

Old doxygen documentation has been added.

You can also see it on my website here.

A simple starter youtube example video can be found Make Your Own WinTAK Plugin in C#.

Plugin specs:

• Plugin made for WinTAK 4.10.0.170
• .Net Framework 4.8.0
• Visual Studio 2022
• Windows 11
• Nvidea 2060 super
• intel i7
• Nuget Packages
  • Prism.Mef 6.3.1
  • WinTak-Dependencies 4.10.0.170
  • Angle-Dist 2.1.17392
  • CommonServiceLocator 1.3.0
  • libLAS 1.8.2
  • Prism.Core 6.3.1
  • Prism.Wpf 6.3.1
  • TAK.Kernel 4.6.32
  • TTP-Dist 2.11.0

Examples currently added:

• ✅ Increase counter
• ✅ (de)activate mouse lat, lon
• ✅ MessageBox.Show (WinTAK UI)
• ✅ MessageBox.Show (With Caption) (WinTAK UI)
• ✅ Notification.NotifyInfo (WinTAK UI)
• ✅ ICotMessageSender (Interface) (WinTAK UI)
• ✅ FocusMapArea (WinTAK UI)
• ✅ FocusMapAreaRadial (COT with Radial) (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Https request (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Video playback (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Label (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Path (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Progressbar (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ ButtonStyles (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Textbox (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Combobox (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Links (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Picture files (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Checkbox (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Radiobutton (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Tabs (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ System threading threading example
• ⬜️ Tooltip (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Dialogs (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Custom messagebox (WinTAK UI)
• ⬜️ Custom globe icons
• ⬜️ Plugin logging
• ⬜️ Open other programs from inside plugin
• ⬜️ AllowRecomposition import
• ⬜️ Creating queues
• ⬜️ Iteration usage for repetition such as foreach loop
• ⬜️ Exception handling

N.B the application has been created with the microsoft Visual Studio 2022 Community IDE. (https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/vs/)

https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/visual-studio-sdks

Example Guide

Index

0. Sources
1. Coding Style
2. Focus on a Map Area
3. Focus on a MapObject and Showing the Radial Menu
4. Runtime Plugin Loading and Part Recomposition
5. Sending and Recieving CoT Messages
6. UI Design
7. Debugging Plugins
8. System Requirements
9. To do
10. Links

0. Sources

• Places that helped my research for this plugin:
  • Discord
  • TAK.gov website
  • TAK.gov dev documentation
  • WinTAK-SDK-Documentation HTML files
  • WinTAK manual
  • GitHub
  • Youtube

1. Coding Style

• Please read the Naming Guidelines found here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms229042.aspx
• Key Style Guidelines
  • DO NOT use hungarian style notation in C# (m_iSomeInteger fields, bSomeBoolean parameter <= don't want to see that)
  • DO use PascalCasing for class names, method names and public properties
  • DO use camelCasing for parameter names
  • DO use camelCasing with an underscore prefix for private fields (private _someField)
  • DO follow the Microsoft Framework Design Guidelines!

2. Focus on a Map Area

Client code can programmatically request WinTAK to focus on a GeoPoint(s) (pan and zoom to).

This and other actions can be achieved with the WinTak.Framework.Messaging.IMessageHub pub/sub interface.

class MyPluginClass
{
    private WinTak.Framework.Messaging.IMessageHub _messageHub;

    [ImportingConstructor]
    public MyPluginClass(WinTak.Framework.Messaging.IMessageHub messageHub)
    {
        _messageHub= messageHub;
    }

    private void PanToWhiteHouse()
    {
        var message = new WinTak.Common.Messaging.FocusMapMessage(new GeoPoint(38.8977, -77.0365)){ Behavior = MapFocusBehavior.PanOnly };
        _messageHub.Publish(message);
    }
}

3. Focus on a MapObject and Showing the Radial Menu

Client code can programmatically request WinTAK to focus on a MapObject (pan and zoom to), as well as show the radial menu.

This and other actions can be achieved with the WinTak.Framework.Messaging.IMessageHub pub/sub interface.

class MyPluginClass
{
    private WinTak.Framework.Messaging.IMessageHub _messageHub;

    [ImportingConstructor]
    public MyPluginClass(WinTak.Framework.Messaging.IMessageHub messageHub)
    {
        _messageHub= messageHub;
    }

    private void PanToWhiteHouse()
    {
        string uid = ... // UID of existing Map Object
        var message = new WinTak.Common.Messaging.PanToMapObjectMessage(uid){ ShowRadialMenu = true };
        _messageHub.Publish(message);
    }
}

4. Runtime Plugin Loading and Part Recomposition

With WinTAK 4.0 Plugins can now be loaded or unloaded at runtime.

In previous versions of WinTAK a restart was necessary in order to change which plugins were being loaded.

With this feature in mind Plugin developers need to make sure that their plugins can handle runtime loading/unloading by being able to recompose parts.

WinTAK plugins use MEF for dependency injection.

Most core services of WinTAK are brought into a plugin via plugin classes using an [ImportingConstructor].

However, this is not the only way to acquire an exported interface from WinTAK.

In addition to [ImportingConstructor]'s you can make use of an [Import] property. The benefit of [Import] properties is that they can allow for recomposition, and they can be used to ingest interfaces that may not always be available.

class MyPluginClass
{
    private IEnumerable<WinTak.Location.Providers.ILocationProvider> _locationProviders;

    [ImportingConstructor]
    public MyPluginClass(IEnumerable<WinTak.Location.Providers.ILocationProvider> locationProviders)// This could cause an exception if a plugin is loaded/unloaded that exports an ILocationProvider
    {
        _locationProviders = locationProviders;
    }

    [ImportMany(AllowRecomposition = true)]
    IEnumerable<WinTak.Location.Providers.ILocationProvider> LocationProviders// Because this property allows recomposition it will not cause an exception if a plugin is loaded/unloaded
    {
        get { return _locationProviders; }
        set { _locationProviders = value; }
    }
}

As a general rule you should make use of [Import] properties over [ImportingConstructor]'s when Importing a collection of Interfaces.

Plugins can export their own ILocationProvider, IChatService and IAlertProvider interfaces as a few examples, and all of these interfaces must be Imported's as an IEnumerable collection of interfaces.

(because there will most likely be more then 1 of each of these interfaces available) and therefore should be ingested via [Import] properties over an [ImportingConstructor].

5. Sending and Recieving CoT Messages

WinTak.CursorOnTarget.Services.ICotMessageSender and WinTak.CursorOnTarget.Services.ICotMessageReceiver are the CoT message handling interfaces. These interfaces are used to send and recieve CoT messages internally.

ICotMessageReceiver can be used to inspect any incoming messages that have been received from the network, or that are being created and sent by other plugins or core WinTAK via the ICotMessageSender interface.

ICotMessageSender is used to send messages internally so that they can be handled and processed by core WinTAK (and other plugins) as if the message has been received from one of it's network inputs.

These interfaces can be acquired via Dependency Injection by your class's ImportingConstructor or via an Import property.

class MyPluginClass
{
    private WinTak.CursorOnTarget.Services.ICotMessageSender _messageSender;

    [ImportingConstructor]
    public MyPluginClass(WinTak.CursorOnTarget.Services.ICotMessageSender messageSender, WinTak.CursorOnTarget.Services.ICotMessageReceiver messageReceiver)
    {
        _messageSender = messageSender;
        messageReceiver.MessageReceived += OnMessageReceived;
    }

    private void OnMessageReceived(object sender, WinTak.Common.CoT.CoTMessageArgument args)
    {
        // Handle CoT Message
    }
}

Sending a COT example

/// <summary>
/// Sends Cot XML stream to all connected EUDs.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="type">Type to send</param>
/// <param name="callsign">Callsign</param>
/// <param name="lon">Longitude</param>
/// <param name="lat">Latitude</param>
public static string XMLSendCot(string type, string callsign, string lon, string lat)
{
    //XMLSendCot("a-f-G","C.A Torino","0","0");
    //type = a-f-G
    //type = a-h-G-U-C-E
    string timeStart = DateTime.UtcNow.ToString("o");
    string stale = DateTime.UtcNow.AddMinutes(5).ToString("o");
    string g = Guid.NewGuid().ToString();//80992df2-e9af-11eb-a4c3-0025907b8f7d
    string x =
    "<?xml version = \"1.0\" encoding = \"UTF-8\"?>" +
    $"<event version=\"2.0\" uid=\"{g}\" type=\"{type}\" how=\"h-g-i-g-o\" start=\"{timeStart}\" time=\"{timeStart}\" stale=\"{stale}\">" +
    "<detail>" +
    $"<contact callsign=\"{callsign}\" />" +
    "</detail>" +
    $"<point le=\"9999999.0\" ce=\"9999999.0\" hae=\"9999999.0\" lon=\"{lon}\" lat=\"{lat}\" />" +
    "</event>";
    return x;
}

string coTXMLSendCot = CoTxmlClass.XMLSendCot("a-f-G-U-C-I", "C.A Torino", "0", "0");
var cotXml = new XmlDocument();
cotXml.LoadXml(coTXMLSendCot);
_messageSender.Send(cotXml);

To send a CoT message to the network the WinTak.Common.Services.ICommunicationService interface is used.

This interface has BroadcastCot and SendCot methods that can be used to either broadcast a CoT message to every node on the network, or send it to a known Contact on the network.

6. UI Design

WinTAK has a Styles Resource Dictionary that plugin developers are encouraged to use so that they can provide a uniform look and feel within their plugins.

The Resource Dictionary can be included in one of your plugin's XAML views with the following code snippet:

<UserControl.Resources>
    <ResourceDictionary>
        <ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
            <ResourceDictionary Source="/WinTak.UI;component/DefaultTheme.xaml" x:Name="Dict"/>
        </ResourceDictionary.MergedDictionaries>
    </ResourceDictionary>
</UserControl.Resources>

With the WinTAK DefaultTheme.xaml included in your XAML you can make use of the same styles used by WinTAK.

Below is a list of some of the common ones.

DarkButtonStyle - Default Style for buttons, black with a grey border.

ToolBarButtonStyle - Button style similar to DarkButtonStyle, size is intended for buttons placed at the top of a dock pane view.

DarkIconButtonStyle - Similar to DarkButtonStyle but intended for buttons with Image content instead of Text content.

DarkToggleButtonStyle - Default style for ToggleButtons, similar look to DarkButtonStyle.

ToolBarToggleButtonStyle - ToggleButton style similar to DarkToggleButtonStyle, size is intended for buttons placed at the top of a dock pane view.

DarkToggleGreenBorderButtonStyle - Toggle Button Style that's border changes to green when toggled on.

ArrowButtonStyle - Toggle Button style that displays a triangular arrow pointing right when disabled, arrow pointing down when enabled.

HeaderBorderStyle - Style for borders, intended for the top of a dockpane view where tool bar buttons can be placed.

CheckboxStyle - Style for Checkboxes, black with grey square and grey checkmark.

LargeCheckboxStyle - Larger version of CheckboxStyle.

LockSwitchStyle - Style for checkbox that appears as a switch button. Change the Foreground color to customize the color displayed when in the 'locked' position.

7. Debugging Plugins

Visual Studio can be used to debug WinTAK plugins.

When you build your Plugin Project it should have a Post-build event that copies your plugin .dll(s) to %appdata%\WinTAK\Plugins\<YourPluginFolder>.

WinTAK will search for new Plugin dll's in %appdata%\WinTAK\Plugins folder and subfolders and prompt users to load these plugins during startup.

xcopy "$(TargetDir)$(TargetName).dll" "%appdata%\wintak\plugins\" /y
xcopy "$(TargetDir)$(TargetName).pdb" "%appdata%\wintak\plugins\" /y

From within your Project Properties, Click on the Debug tab and set the Start action to Start external program and also set the Working Directory to point to the location where WinTak.exe is located.

For 64-bit installation of WinTak:

Path to executable:

C:\Program Files\WinTak\WinTak.exe

Path to Working Directory:

C:\Program Files\WinTak

Click the Start button or press F5 to launch WinTAK and start debugging your plugin.

If you are launching your plugin for the first time you should see a prompt in WinTAK asking if you want to load your plugin.

Check this checkbox and select OK.

Any breakpoints you have set in your plugins code should be hit.

8. System Requirements

The latest version of WinTAK will run on Win 10 64-bit systems.

Performance of the application is highly dependent on the machine specifications i.e. it will run on a system with 4 GB of ram but is slow.

Performance is much better with 8 GB - 12 or 16 GB is even better.

• Operating System
  • Windows 10 is recommended.
• Graphics
  • WinTAK requires a graphics processor that supports D3D9 or D3D11.
• Storage, Memory and Processor
  • A 64-bit processor is recommended.
    WinTAK does not have any specific requirements for storage, memory or processor speed, however, performance of the application will depend on the configuration.

9. To do

• Reduce code.
• Improve methods
• Add more features.

TAK https://tak.gov

Checkout my tutorials https://tutorials.techrad.co.za/2021/04/13/freetakserver-manager

Video demonstration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II5OTTplQEc (change in future)

Source code https://github.com/Cale-Torino/WinTAK_Simple_Usage_Plugin

10. Links

• WinForms FreeTAKServer_Manager application
• WPF FreeTAKServer_Manager application

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4 fun I created a simple TAK-ZA easter egg from a template in .asm

It's just visual not really doing anything but adds a bit of character.

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Developed by C.A Torino,

November 10th 2023

• Links to IQ-BLUE Integrated Systems ZA.
  • Website
  • TAK-ZA
  • CSMT portal
  • BI portal
  • IOT portal
  • F&Q