HighTowers Web – CAP Tower Surveys

Web-based version of the HighTowers iPadOS app for Civil Air Patrol Air Force Route Survey missions.

Requirements

• Node.js 18+ (Vite and modern tooling require Node 18 or newer)
• Mapbox access token (see Setup below)

Setup

1. Install dependencies

   cd HighTowers-Web && npm install

2. Mapbox token
   A .env file with your Mapbox token is already configured (from project setup).
   To change it or set up on a new machine, copy .env.example to .env and add your token:

   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env and set VITE_MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_token

3. Run the dev server

   npm run dev

   Opens at http://localhost:5173

4. Optional: FAA MTR route lookup (flight plans)
   Starts the small Node backend and Vite together (proxies /api to the server):

   npm run dev:all

   Same app URL (typically http://localhost:5173). Requires network for FAA downloads and map tiles.

5. Optional: “Recent imagery overlay” (Survey Location)
   Add Copernicus Data Space OAuth credentials to .env as CDSE_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID and CDSE_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET (create an OAuth client in the CDSE dashboard). Requires npm run dev:all. See server/README.md and docs/IMAGERY_OVERLAY_IMPLEMENTATION.md.

GitHub Pages (live app)

URL: https://gvdurfee.github.io/HighTowers-Web/
Deployed from main via GitHub Actions.

Smoke tests: Run Pages first, then local production-style preview — see docs/SMOKE_TEST.md.

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Training install checklist (one page)

Use this to run the app on a Mac or Windows PC for localhost training before formal deployment. Commands are the same on both; only paths and how you open a terminal differ.

Before class (organizer)

• Put a copy of the HighTowers-Web project folder on a USB drive (or share via zip/cloud). Include package.json and package-lock.json; do not rely on copying node_modules from another computer—reinstall on each machine/OS.
• Ensure trainers have a Mapbox access token (or distribute .env instructions only—never commit real tokens to git).
• Confirm training room has Wi‑Fi if you need maps, FAA MTR downloads, or a first-time npm install.

On each training computer (Mac or Windows)

1. Install Node.js 18+ from https://nodejs.org (LTS). Verify in a terminal:

   node -v

   Should show v18 or newer.

2. Copy HighTowers-Web from USB (or unzip) to a folder you can find, e.g.

   • Mac: ~/Projects/HighTowers-Web
   • Windows: C:\Projects\HighTowers-Web

3. Open a terminal in that folder:

   • Mac: Terminal → cd to the folder.
   • Windows: PowerShell or Command Prompt → cd to the folder.

4. Install dependencies (needs internet the first time on this machine):

   npm install

5. Configure Mapbox: copy the example env file and add your token.

   cp .env.example .env

   On Windows without cp, copy .env.example to .env in File Explorer, then edit .env and set: VITE_MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_token_here

6. Start the app—choose one:

   • Frontend only (simplest):
     npm run dev → open http://localhost:5173
   • Frontend + MTR server (flight plan FAA routes):
     npm run dev:all → same URL

7. Browser: use Chrome, Edge, or Safari. Data is stored in the browser (IndexedDB) on that computer only.

USB-only / offline notes

• First-time setup on a PC almost always needs npm install online unless you’ve prepared an offline npm mirror (advanced).
• Do not copy node_modules from a Mac to Windows (or ARM to Intel) and expect it to work—run npm install on each OS.
• Maps and FAA features need network while training unless you accept limited/offline behavior.

Optional: production-like local build

npm run build
npm run preview

Serves the built dist/ at localhost (still requires Node for vite preview).

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Project Structure

• public/ – Static assets (e.g. Blank Route Survey Form 2.pdf template)
• src/ – React app source
• .env – Local secrets (gitignored, never commit)

V1 Scope (MVP)

Full feature parity with the HighTowers-2025 iPadOS app:

• Flight plan creation, waypoints, G1000 export
• Mission setup and Air Force Report Form
• Tower data analysis (photo selection, height measurement)
• Mission map view (route + towers)
• PDF report generation and export

Local persistence (IndexedDB) for V1; backend scaling planned for later.