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🛩️Drone Target Simulator

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All rights reserved of this software belong to Tofu Intelligence®. Ongoing development and maintenance are provided.
The program is an EXE package compatible with Windows system. Trial access is available. Please contact sales team for
authorization code.

Tofu Drone Target Simulator

Customer User Guide

Version: 1.0
Document Type: End-User Operating Manual
Language: English

1. Introduction

Tofu Drone Target Simulator is a desktop simulation tool used to place, animate, and observe aerial targets inside customizable 3D environments. It is designed for target simulation, route planning, visual scene composition, recording, data export, and licensed closed-loop integration workflows.

The software supports multiple target categories, including:

  • Drones 6types
  • Fixed-Wing Drones 23types
  • Fighter Jets 17types
  • Birds 2types

It also includes advanced features such as:

  • Model scaling and per-model calibration
  • Background image and 3D scene configuration
  • Route editing and playback
  • Video recording
  • VOC dataset export
  • RTSP streaming
  • Closed-loop PTZ integration
  • English/Chinese interface switching
  • License-based feature control

This guide is written for customers and focuses on practical software operation.

2. System Overview

The software is divided into two main areas:

  • Left Control Panel
    Used for all settings, target selection, calibration, route editing, recording, dataset export, licensing, and integration options.

  • Main 3D Viewport
    Used to preview the current scene, target motion, camera view, route points, and overlays such as field of view and target distance.

3. First Launch

When you start the software:

  1. A startup animation may appear first.
  2. The main application window opens.
  3. The software checks the license state.
  4. If a valid customer license is present, licensed features become available.
  5. If no valid license is present, the software may enter a trial state if applicable.
  6. Some advanced functions remain disabled until a valid license is loaded.

4. Language Switching

The application supports both English and Chinese.

How to change language

At the top of the left panel, use the language switch slider to toggle between:

  • Chinese
  • English

Behavior

  • The UI changes immediately after switching.
  • The selected language is saved automatically.
  • On the next launch, the software restores the last selected language.

5. License and Activation

Licensing controls access to advanced features such as:

  • Closed-loop PTZ integration
  • RTSP streaming
  • Recording export restrictions in unlicensed mode
  • VOC data export restrictions in unlicensed mode

License area

At the top of the control panel, the software shows:

  • License status
  • Machine code
  • License import control
  • Trial status
  • Customer name
  • Expiry date

License states

Possible license states include:

  • Activated
  • Not Activated
  • Trial Active
  • Trial Expired
  • Invalid License
  • License mismatch
  • Permanent License
  • Expiring License

Machine code

If the software is not yet licensed, a machine code is generated automatically.

Use the Copy Machine Code button to copy it and send it to the licensing provider.

Importing a license

To import a license file:

  1. Locate the Import License File field.
  2. Select a valid license.dat, .json, or supported license file.
  3. Wait for verification.
  4. If valid, the application updates the activation state immediately.

License auto-load from folder

The software can also read a license file automatically from the application lic folder on startup.

Important behavior

  • The application only trusts a valid license file.
  • Old cached license state should not be treated as valid authorization by itself.
  • If no valid license file exists, advanced licensed functions remain unavailable.

6. Main Interface Layout

The main interface contains the following functional areas:

  1. License and language section
  2. Target selection
  3. Model calibration
  4. Engine contrail control
  5. Closed-loop PTZ / RTSP panel
  6. Background settings
  7. Global simulation controls
  8. Recording controls
  9. VOC export controls
  10. Route visibility controls
  11. Camera tools
  12. Route editing section
  13. 3D viewport
  14. Overlay information area

7. Target Selection

Target categories

The software organizes targets into categories:

  • Drones
  • Fixed-Wing Drones
  • Fighter Jets
  • Birds

How to select a target

  1. Open the Target Model dropdown.
  2. Choose the desired target.
  3. The selected model loads into the 3D scene.
  4. Any saved model-specific scale or calibration settings are restored automatically.

Notes

  • Different targets may have different visual behaviors.
  • Some fighter jets support engine contrail effects.
  • Some models may include special animation logic such as rotor motion.

8. Background Modes

The software supports three background modes:

  • Image Background
  • Solid Color
  • 3D Scene Background

8.1 Image Background

Use this mode when you want a flat image as the environment.

Available options:

  • Select an image from the built-in library
  • Paste a direct image URL
  • Upload a local image file
  • Adjust image scale

Typical use cases:

  • Quick visual mockups
  • Static target presentation
  • Lightweight background setup

8.2 Solid Color Background

Use this mode when you need a plain background color.

This is useful for:

  • Technical demonstrations
  • Clean captures
  • Isolated target presentation
  • Simplified training or annotation scenes

8.3 3D Scene Background

Use this mode when you want a full 3D environment.

Available options:

  • Select a scene model from the library
  • Adjust scene scale
  • Enter manual scale values
  • Adjust scene vertical offset along the Z axis
  • Enter manual Z values

This is the most realistic mode for simulation.

9. 3D Scene Scale and Z Offset

When using a 3D background scene, you can adjust:

  • Scene Scale
  • Scene Offset Z

Scene Scale

This changes the overall size of the background scene.

Use it to:

  • Match the environment to the target size
  • Improve perspective consistency
  • Fit the scene into the desired camera framing

Scene Offset Z

This moves the background scene up or down vertically.

Use it to:

  • Align the scene with the target path
  • Correct scene floor height
  • Match the visual horizon
  • Reposition the environment relative to the target

Persistence behavior

The application remembers the last scale and Z offset per background scene.

This means:

  • If you adjust Scene A, switch to Scene B, then return to Scene A, your previous values are restored.
  • These settings are also remembered after restarting the software.

10. Empty Backdrop Options for 3D Scenes

When using a 3D scene background, you can also configure the Empty Backdrop behind the scene.

Available modes:

  • None
  • Solid Color
  • Texture

Use cases

This helps when:

  • The scene itself does not fully cover the background
  • You want a custom sky or flat fill
  • You want a cleaner visual output for recording or streaming

11. Drone Scale

The Drone Scale slider changes the overall size of the selected target.

Important behavior

  • Scale is remembered per target model
  • Different models can have different saved scale values
  • The value is restored automatically when switching back to a previously used model
  • The value is also restored after restarting the application

Typical use cases

  • Matching target size to a specific environment
  • Visual calibration
  • Presentation scaling
  • Preparing scenes for RTSP output or annotation workflows

12. Model Calibration

Model calibration allows fine alignment of each target.

Open calibration panel

Click:

  • Calibrate Model

When the panel is open, you can adjust:

  • Position offsets
  • Rotation offsets
  • Model size

12.1 Position Offsets

Axes available:

  • X Position
  • Y Position
  • Z Position

Use position offsets to:

  • Move the model relative to its route center
  • Align the target more precisely inside the scene
  • Correct imported model anchor position

12.2 Rotation Offsets

Axes available:

  • X Rotation
  • Y Rotation
  • Z Rotation

Use rotation offsets to:

  • Correct model orientation
  • Align the nose direction
  • Fix asset import axis mismatches
  • Improve realism during playback

12.3 Model Size

This field stores the physical size of the current target in meters.

Why model size matters

The model size is used in distance estimation during RTSP workflows.

The application uses model size together with:

  • zoom ratio
  • target pixel width in the RTSP frame
  • sensor and focal length constants

to estimate target distance.

Save and reset

Buttons available:

  • Save
  • Done
  • Reset

Persistence behavior

Calibration is stored per model.

That means each model remembers its own:

  • position offsets
  • rotation offsets
  • physical size

13. Engine Contrail

Some targets, especially certain fighter jets, support engine contrail or exhaust trail rendering.

Contrail strength levels

The slider can represent:

  • Off
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Strong

Use cases

  • Visual realism
  • Jet presentation
  • Motion enhancement during playback
  • Streaming demonstrations

If a model does not support contrails, this control may not appear.

14. Playback and Simulation Speed

Speed

Use the Speed control to adjust motion speed along the route.

You can change it by:

  • slider
  • numeric input

Playback Progress

Use the progress slider to move to a specific point in the animation timeline.

Playback buttons

Available actions:

  • Restart Loop
  • Pause
  • Resume
  1. Create or edit the route.
  2. Set target scale and calibration.
  3. Adjust background.
  4. Set playback speed.
  5. Use pause/resume to inspect motion.
  6. Use progress slider for frame-by-frame review.

15. Recording

The application supports recording the viewport output.

Recording options

You can configure:

  • Recording resolution
  • Recording FPS
  • Centered recording mode

Centered recording

When enabled, the camera automatically keeps the drone centered during recording.

This is useful for:

  • demonstration footage
  • target tracking visuals
  • clean operator review videos

Start recording

Click:

  • Start Recording

Stop recording

Click:

  • Stop Recording

Recording hints

The application may display runtime messages such as:

  • recording started
  • exporting file
  • recording failed
  • unsupported encoding
  • local resource recommendations

Licensing note

In some configurations, recording export may require a valid license.

16. VOC Dataset Export

The software can export image and annotation data in VOC-style format.

What this is used for

  • dataset generation
  • machine vision workflows
  • object detection training
  • target annotation pipelines

Export interval

Set the Export Interval (ms) to control how frequently frames are captured.

Start export

Click:

  • Start VOC Export

Stop export

Click:

  • Stop Export and Download

Expected behavior

The system captures frames and generates annotation data while the simulation runs.

Important note

If the target is occluded or not visible, behavior may depend on current export logic, but the software is designed to support annotation workflows robustly.

Licensing note

VOC export may be disabled in unlicensed mode.

17. Route Editing

The software supports editable target routes inside the 3D scene.

Coordinate system

The route editor uses the following convention:

  • X = left / right
  • Y = forward / backward
  • Z = height / vertical

Route controls

Available actions include:

  • Add Route Point
  • Cancel Add Route Point
  • Clear Route
  • Quick Add Point
  • Back to Start

Visibility controls

You can toggle:

  • route visibility
  • route point visibility
  • ground grid visibility

Editing a selected point

When a route point is selected, you can edit:

  • X
  • Y
  • Z
  • Z slider

Adding new points

When adding points:

  1. Click Add Route Point
  2. The view switches into a top-down workflow
  3. Place the point on the ground plane
  4. Adjust the Z height separately

Point list

Each route point is shown in the control panel with:

  • point index
  • X value
  • Y value
  • Z value
  • delete action

Best practice

For smoother motion:

  • add points in the order of travel
  • avoid extreme jumps in height
  • preview playback after edits
  • refine point positions gradually

18. Camera Controls

The 3D viewport supports interactive camera control.

Mouse controls

Current control mapping is:

  • Left Mouse Button: Pan
  • Middle Mouse Button / Wheel: Dolly / Zoom
  • Right Mouse Button: Rotate

Additional camera tools

Buttons in the panel include:

  • Reset Camera
  • Focus Background Scene

When adding route points

The camera can switch to a more top-down behavior to make point placement easier.

19. On-Screen Overlay Information

The viewport can display additional real-time information.

Horizontal FOV

The application can show:

  • Horizontal Field of View

Target distance

During RTSP streaming workflows, the application can also show:

  • Target Distance

This distance is derived from the model size, zoom data, and observed pixel width.

20. Closed-Loop PTZ Integration

The software supports licensed closed-loop workflows with PTZ-related devices.

License requirement

Closed-loop PTZ features are unavailable without a valid license.

Main components

The panel can include:

  • Pelco-D angle device connection
  • Zoom information device connection
  • PTZ view switching
  • RTSP streaming setup

21. Pelco-D Angle Device

This section is used for an angle-control device.

Typical settings

  • IP address
  • Port
  • Connect / Disconnect

What it provides

  • pan information
  • tilt information
  • axis display
  • PTZ view mode switching

View modes

Possible view modes include:

  • PTZ View
  • External View

Axis display

You can show or hide the PTZ origin axis for debugging and alignment.

22. ZoomInfo Device

This section is used for zoom information acquisition.

Typical settings

  • IP address
  • Port
  • Connect / Disconnect

What it provides

  • current zoom ratio
  • base zoom
  • raw zoom values for diagnostics

This information is important for distance estimation and integration workflows.

23. RTSP Streaming

The software supports RTSP output for integration and external device consumption.

License requirement

RTSP streaming is a licensed feature.

Built-in components

The customer edition includes built-in runtime support for:

  • RTSP server handling
  • FFmpeg-based media pipeline

RTSP configuration options

You can configure:

  • Resolution
  • FPS
  • Bitrate
  • Port

Start streaming

Click:

  • Start Stream

Stop streaming

Click:

  • Stop Stream

RTSP URL

Once streaming starts, the application displays an RTSP URL that can be copied.

Important network behavior

The software uses a runtime-detected local IP address for the address shown to external consumers. It is not intended to be a permanently hard-coded external IP.

Encoder display

During streaming, the application may show the current encoder mode, such as:

  • WebCodecs H264
  • GPU-based encoding
  • CPU-based encoding

Typical customer workflow

  1. Activate a valid license
  2. Configure resolution, FPS, bitrate, and port
  3. Start stream
  4. Copy the RTSP URL
  5. Open it in the downstream consumer or compatible client

24. Distance Estimation During RTSP

When RTSP streaming is active, the application can estimate target distance.

Inputs used

The distance calculation uses:

  • model size in meters
  • zoom ratio
  • detected target width in pixels
  • internal optical constants

Why pixel filtering is needed

Targets with moving rotors or fast animation can produce unstable bounding widths frame-to-frame. The software applies filtering so the pixel measurement remains more stable.

Practical note

Distance output is an estimate and should be treated as operationally useful, not necessarily a certified measurement.

For a typical customer use case, the recommended workflow is:

  1. Start the software
  2. Confirm the correct language
  3. Check license status
  4. Select the target model
  5. Adjust drone scale
  6. Open calibration and fine-tune the model
  7. Choose a background mode
  8. Adjust scene scale and Z offset if using a 3D scene
  9. Create or edit route points
  10. Preview motion with playback controls
  11. Enable contrail if needed
  12. Record video or export VOC data if required
  13. Start RTSP or closed-loop functions if licensed and needed

26. Tips for Best Results

For realistic visualization

  • Use a 3D scene background
  • Match target scale carefully
  • Calibrate rotation before recording
  • Use moderate playback speed for review

For route editing

  • Keep route transitions smooth
  • Avoid overly sharp height jumps
  • Use top-down point placement first, then refine Z

For RTSP workflows

  • Confirm license validity first
  • Enter correct network and port settings
  • Verify downstream client compatibility
  • Use a stable scene and correct model size for better distance estimates

For dataset export

  • Make sure the target remains visible
  • Use a suitable export interval
  • Verify route and camera framing before long exports

27. Troubleshooting

27.1 License not activated

Possible causes:

  • no license file imported
  • invalid license file
  • expired license
  • machine code mismatch

What to do:

  1. Copy the machine code
  2. Request the correct license
  3. Import the license again
  4. Restart the application if required
  5. Check the license message shown in the panel

27.2 Closed-loop or RTSP controls are disabled

Possible cause:

  • no valid license is active

What to do:

  • Activate a valid customer license first

27.3 Background scene looks too large or too small

Possible cause:

  • scene scale is not matched to the selected target

What to do:

  • adjust Scene Scale
  • compare against target size visually
  • fine-tune Z offset if alignment is wrong

27.4 Target appears misaligned or rotated incorrectly

Possible cause:

  • imported model orientation or anchor mismatch

What to do:

  1. Open model calibration
  2. adjust position offsets
  3. adjust rotation offsets
  4. save the calibration for that model

27.5 Recording or export result is not ideal

Possible causes:

  • wrong framing
  • route too fast
  • target partially outside the viewport
  • poor scene alignment

What to do:

  • pause playback and refine the route
  • reduce speed
  • enable centered recording if needed
  • confirm visibility before exporting

27.6 RTSP stream not usable by downstream client

Possible checks:

  • confirm the stream is started
  • confirm the correct port
  • confirm the shown RTSP URL
  • confirm the receiving device is on the same reachable network
  • verify the license is active
  • verify the downstream client supports the stream format

28. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Does the software remember my last language?

Yes. The selected language is saved and restored automatically.

Q2. Does the software remember per-model scale?

Yes. Each target model remembers its own scale.

Q3. Does the software remember 3D scene scale and Z offset?

Yes. These values are remembered per background scene and restored automatically.

Q4. Does each model remember its own calibration?

Yes. Position, rotation, and model size are stored per model.

Q5. Can I use RTSP without a license?

No. RTSP is a licensed feature.

Q6. Can I use closed-loop PTZ without a license?

No. Closed-loop functions are blocked without a valid license.

Q7. What is the model size field for?

It is used for distance estimation during RTSP workflows.

Q8. What if I change language after activating the software?

The interface updates immediately, and the selection remains saved.

29. Safety and Operational Notes

  • This software is a simulation and integration tool.
  • Distance estimation should be treated as operational guidance unless externally validated.
  • Always verify licensed workflows before field use.
  • For customer deployment, only use valid license files issued for the correct machine code.
  • Keep exported data and recorded media in an approved storage location according to your internal process.

30. Quick Start Checklist

Use this checklist for a fast setup:

  • Launch the software
  • Switch the interface to English if needed
  • Confirm license status
  • Select the correct target model
  • Set target scale
  • Calibrate model if needed
  • Select background mode
  • Adjust scene scale and Z offset
  • Create or load route points
  • Preview playback
  • Record, export, or stream as needed

31. Short Operator Workflow Example

Example: Create a fighter jet simulation and stream via RTSP

  1. Start the application
  2. Confirm the license is active
  3. Select a fighter jet model
  4. Set the appropriate drone scale
  5. Enable engine contrail if desired
  6. Choose a 3D scene background
  7. Adjust scene scale and Z offset
  8. Edit route points
  9. Preview the motion
  10. Open the closed-loop / RTSP section
  11. Set resolution, FPS, bitrate, and port
  12. Start RTSP stream
  13. Copy the RTSP URL
  14. Verify the stream in the receiving system

32. Contact / Support Information

For customer support, please provide the following when reporting an issue:

  • software version
  • screenshot of the issue
  • current license status
  • target model in use
  • background mode in use
  • whether recording / RTSP / PTZ was active
  • the exact error message shown in the panel
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Last modified: 2026-05-24