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OpusMSFS is an excellent interface for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 with,

Live View for synchronized multi-screen networked displays. The Live View server-client connection can be a mixed sim link; for example, using OpusFSI v6 with P3D on the server system and OpusMSFS with Microsoft's FS2020 on the client system(s).

 

Weather Overview/Locator can be used to either locate specific weather conditions on the map area that match your specified criteria, or obtain a Weather Overview of the general weather conditions. This is very useful for locating any weather you are interested in globally, or viewing a simple overview of the weather in a specific region of the world. 
The weather criteria may be good or bad, based on some very simple user specified weather options.

 

 

In-flight moving map to follow your flight across the terrain with the aircraft superimposed over the satellite, terrain, or street map. 

 

 

All traffic overlayed on the In-Flight Map is depicted using an appropriate Jet, Piston, Rotorcraft or your own custom symbol. The symbol also reflects the current heading of the traffic and is colour coded. Traffic depicted in Grey refers to traffic currently parked up on the ground and White depicts taxiing aircraft. Traffic depicted in Green are airborne. Traffic depicted in Red are airborne and within 2000 feet of your current altitude, hence, may pose a threat.

 

Select the options you wish to be superimposed on the map; traffic, flight plan, met stations, airway, aerodromes, navaids and waypoints.

 

Hovering the mouse cursor over an aircraft symbol on the map will display information about the traffic. For example, aircraft ID, type, model, airline, flight number, current altitude in feet and airspeed in knots.  

 

Hovering over an aerodrome marker will display the airport's key information, including its ICAO code, Name, Elevation in feet, all available Runways, and all relevant COM frequencies.  

 

 

Hovering over a MET station marker will display the airport's key METAR information, including its ICAO code, Name, Elevation in feet, and METAR weather data.  

 

 

Map display options are provided to Keep Aircraft Centred, Keep Aircraft on Map, set Grey Scale Map, and set the Map Opacity. Additional button controls to display traffic, flight plan, airway, aerodromes, navaids and waypoints may be shown on the map.

 

The Station Monitor window aids flying the FS2020 sim by allowing the Destination (or Departure) to be monitored, showing all known details about the airport, including available runways and all communication frequencies, along with any nearby Met Station data (METAR) if one exists. The data associated with the closest Met Station within 64 km (40 miles) will be displayed. The Station Monitor's SIDs and STARs buttons simplifies the selection of departures and arrivals prior to programming the G1000/G3000 units. The SID and STAR selection is aided graphically by reviewing the departure/arrival route on the OpusMSFS Map. A selected SID or STAR can also be automatically copied into the OpusMSFS Flight Planning form.

 

 

Flight Planning. OpusMSFS can be configured to automatically load the MSFS flight plan. Alternatively, create/import your own OpusMSFS flight plan with the addition of automatic/manual SID and STAR selection and custom user waypoints. 

 

 

The In-Flight Map can be displayed without the sim active and used to aid flight planning. 

SIDs and STARs may be selected from the Flight Planning and Navdata dialog and reviewed on the Map. Once selected the relevant portion of the SID or STAR can be cut and pasted into the current flight plan.

User Specified LatLon Fixes are ideal for including 'points of interest' or geographic landmarks to a flight plan. Double-clicking with the right mouse button anywhere on the OpusMSFS Map will copy the generated fix to the Windows Clipboard ready to be pasted into a flight plan. All User LatLon Fix names are exported within the OPUSMSFS.PLN file so they will appear within the simulator's G1000/G3000 flight plan.

Any flight plan points that are suspected to be erroneous are highlighted in red and the Auto Correct Errors option simplifies the removal of all suspect points from the flight plan.

Landing analysis  

Popup touchdown and landing evaluation and log graded on the touchdown vertical speed in feet per minute (including any bounces).

 

Flight capture and replay

 

The Replay Parameters are used to automatically capture the final approach and landing phase of your flight. Alternatively, you may use the 'Start' and 'Stop' Capture buttons within the dialog to capture any phase of your flight.

The OpusMSFS GPS Simulator interface can be used to feed data into an Aviation Planning and Navigation package running on an external device such as SkyDemon® and ForeFlight® with either Basic GPS Data, GDL90 via network, or NMEA GPS Data via VSP protocol. 

 

ButtKicker® Gamer 2 (or similar audio controlled) vibration device interface for added vibrational feedback.

 

FSC 737-TQ Throttle Quadrant (motorised and unmotorised) driver.  

 

CPFlight MCP and EFIS (X2) panel support.  

 

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OpusFSI is the ultimate Flight Simulator Interface for FSX and Prepar3D with,

Live Weather Engine for real world live weather updates,
Live Camera for view control and dynamic head movements, and
Live View for synchronized multi-screen networked displays.

OpusFSI helps take reality to the next level by combining three excellent programs into one user friendly interface, setting new standards of performance and realism throughout its novel design. The OpusFSI interface is ideally suited to both standalone and networked FSX/P3D systems making it the ideal addon for cockpit builders and general users alike. OpusFSI_v5 also includes device drivers for the CPFlight MCP737/EFIS737 PRO/EL panels.

The OpusFSI interface is ideally suited for both standalone (single PC) and networked (multi-PC/Laptop) systems.

On standalone systems, OpusFSI incorporates two superb functions through its Live Weather Engine and Live Camera options.

The Live Weather Engine makes use of our unique method of weather update to provide the most advanced software in the marketplace and has set new standards for weather updating for the FSX and Prepar3D flight simulators. These methods provide the most detailed, realistic and efficient weather updating service.You can also download historic weather from the previous 24 hour period. The Live Weather Engine also allows you to create and name your own World Weather Themes based on the current weather, these themes can then be used at a later time. Using our Weather Locator you can search the world for weather conditions of interest and even relocate weather from one part of the globe to another using the Relocate Weather facility. Alternatively you can import your own custom METAR files. 

The Live Weather Engine supervises the ultra-realistic Dynamic Head Movement option (virtual cockpit camera shake) utilising actual 'real-life' capture 3D accelerometer data and Automatic Head Movements to assist the pilot whilst taxiing and banking in a turn.

Live Camera provides excellent camera creation, control and docking facilities through its user friendly interface, totally eliminating the need to alter any of the simulator's controls. The Live Camera interface includes support for standard non-windowed and Windowed Views. You can import or create Camera Panning Sequences which can be assigned to a shortcut button/key or camera views. Live Camera Control enables you to adjust to the eye point for any VC, 2D, or Custom view using either a GamePad, the arrow keys within our LCC dialog, or any assigned button/key.

On networked systems, irrespective of the size and complexity of your system, whether your system consists of a main 'flying' PC with a single networked laptop client, or a more elaborate multi-computer networked system; the Live View interface, with its ultra high-performance IPC communications, unique Client Side Smoothing software, and perfect synchronization of aircraft status, weather and cloud formations, will provide you with the highest possible networking performance. The Live View connections automatically synchronize the aircraft's current position, attitude, landing gear, wheel movement, lighting, ailerons, elevator, rudder, flaps, spoilers (speed brakes), engine throttles and reversers, and simulator's date/time, along with either the full METAR weather for the surrounding area or your chosen weather theme. Whether you simply want an additional controllable display to provide further scenic or external view options, or wish to create a multi-screened panorama for your FSX or Prepar3D experience, Live View offers you the ideal hassle free user-friendly solution.

Your main 'flying' OpusFSI server is the machine through which you control the aircraft. The networked client OpusFSI systems are synchronised to the server through multiple ultra high-performance IPC links, the client systems are used primarily as view controllers. The networked systems allow you to create a multi-screened simulator system without placing the full workload and burden on your main system. In addition, the Live View and Live Camera networked links with the secondary client systems (PCs or Laptops) allows a variety of exterior (scenic) and external (aircraft) client system views to be created and controlled. The Windowed Views option provides the ideal solution for systems equipped with multi-screened PCs. If desired, a number of exterior views can be used on a multi-screened system to create a panoramic vista. All views are created and controlled centrally from the server system.

From this set up it therefore follows that all in-cockpit or instrument panel views used to control the aircraft must be displayed on the main server. All other views (scenic or external) can be offloaded onto the client systems.  You can create wide panoramic vistas this way, or additional external aircraft views, without draining the resources on your main system or degrading its performance. 

OpusFSI_v5 is fully compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7/Vista/XP operating systems, both 32 and 64-bit versions. OpusFSI_v6 is fully compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 operating systems, both 32 and 64-bit versions. OpusFSI does not require the Windows Server operating system to create or maintain the local area network links, and different operating systems may be utilized throughout the local area network.

The unlicensed version of Opus will operate in Demonstration Mode for 15 minutes allowing you to evaluate the software and ensure compatibility with your system.

 

OpusFSI System Requirements

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For OpusFSI_v6: 

Lockheed Martin Prepar3Dv4+ simulator.
Windows 11/10/8/7 operating system.
Microsoft .NET Framework Version 4.7.2.
FSUIPC (see below).
90 MB hard disk space.

For OpusFSI_v5: 

Microsoft Flight Simulator X with Service Pack 2 or Acceleration Expansion Pack, FSX Steam Edition, or Lockheed Martin Prepar3D simulator.
Windows 11/10/8/7/XP/Vista operating system.
Microsoft .NET Framework Version 2.0 (for FSX/Steam and P3Dv3.2 or earlier).
Microsoft .NET Framework Version 4.0 (for P3Dv3.3 onwards).
FSUIPC (see below).
90 MB hard disk space.

OpusFSI uses Microsoft's SimConnect to interface with FSX/P3D.

FSUIPC is required on the OpusFSI SERVER. FSUIPC is required on OpusFSI CLIENTs displaying camera views. If you do not have FSUIPC installed you can download a free copy from http://www.fsuipc.com. 

 

OpusFSI Main Features

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Live Weather

Live Weather Features 

• Live Weather constructs Dynamic Live Weather from current live (or historic) METAR data. 

• Accurate detailed weather as far as the eye can see throughout your flight. No more unrealistic globalized weather from horizon to horizon, with OpusFSI you can see distant weather patterns all around you. See the changing weather patterns en route as you fly. 

• Live Weather provides instant weather updates. No more unrealistic clearing of the weather prior to updating. No more annoying screen flicker as METARs are slowly loaded into the sim. 

• No more METAR voids or unrealistic METAR data morphing. 

• No more inconsistencies with distant ATC and ATIS reports. Accurate Destination Weather when over 200km away, with perfect weather reports at any distance to any point en-route

• Opus weather reports can be used instead of ATIS, and at non-ATIS airstrips.

• Live Weather enables you to see low lying mist and fog patches. 

• Live Weather creates very realistic cloud, visibility layering and an overcast effect.

• Live Weather lets you turn on, off, or automatically generate the cirrus cloud effect. 

• The Live Weather Engine supervises both the turbulence and ultra-realistic Dynamic Head Movement utilising actual real-life captured 3D accelerometer data. 

• Live Weather Overview and Locator provides overview maps of weather conditions and a search facility so that you can locate weather matching your criteria.

• Create your own named World Weather Themes from the current weather to reload later.

• Relocate Weather from any place in the world to your current location. 

• Load your own custom weather using a simple METAR import file or even a global METAR.

• Load historic weather from within the last 24 hours. 

• Dynamic Weather Reports can be displayed during flight for your local area, destination, alternates, en route, lower and upper atmosphere weather. 

• Standard and user configurable Site Effects for additional turbulence and wind shear effects within 80 km of the airfield resulting from local features such as terrain or obstacles on approaches.

• Live Weather Assistant provides zoomable geographic maps of Surface QNH, Surface Winds, Surface Visibility, Surface Temperature, Precipitation Levels, Low Cloud Cover, Cruise Level Winds, Cruise Level Temperatures, Cruise Level Turbulence, Upper Level Wind and Turbulence, Aerodrome locations, Met Station Cover, traffic, and flight plan route overlays for the current 800 x 800 mile weather map.

• Flight Plan Assistant imports activated flight plans and provides dynamic flight plan weather reports together with detailed reports on METARs, GRIB lower and upper atmosphere weather, flight plan waypoint weather and SIDs/STARs ordered according to direction and distance.

• Client Side Weather Control enables you to edit flight parameters and display weather data on a networked client PC. 

• Live Weather allows perfect synchronisation of dynamic weather and cloud formations on networked systems. 

Dynamic Live Weather

The Live Weather Engine requires internet access to obtain the latest live (or historic) weather (METAR) reports for the area you are flying in. Data is downloaded from the NOAA, VATSIM or IVAO servers. These reports are used to synchronize the weather on all networked Opus systems. Configuration options allow you to specify the frequency of weather updates based on both time and distance travelled.

The Live Weather Engine does not include any sky and cloud textures. For optimum effect we strongly recommend you install the sky and cloud textures from packages such as  Flight Environment X or HDEv2 (freeware) for clouds with the sky upgraded by Danny Glover, and use the Opus Live Weather Engine for the actual weather updates.

As you are probably aware the use of METAR data to update the weather in the simulator leaves a lot to be desired. To adjust the weather correctly using METAR updates you are forced to either use unrealistic globalised weather, resulting in inconsistencies with ATC, or clear the weather and reload the new METAR data one station at a time. This update process is not only unrealistic, but can result in a great deal of screen flicker while the simulator slowly loads the new METAR data. There are also problems with METAR voids, METAR morphing, and weather synchronisation across networked systems using METAR updates. These problems are inherent within the simulator. On the other hand, our weather updates are able to load instantly into the simulator with no screen flicker or disturbance to the flight, no weather morphing, and no inconsistencies with ATC.

The screenshot below illustrates the detailed weather generated by our Live Weather Engine,  clouds rolling over the foothills of the Rockies with distant overcast skies.

Turbulence effects are intelligently linked to the weather conditions and can be adjusted to your liking either via the Live Camera interface or via the General DHM Options dialogs. Furthermore Opus includes additional turbulence and wind shear effects within 80 km of the airfield using Site Effects which result from local features such as terrain or even obstacles and buildings on approach. You can also configure your own User Site Effects.

Live Weather Assistant 

OpusFSI Live Weather Assistant provides geographic maps including Surface Visibility, Surface Precipitation Levels, Surface QNH, Surface Temperature, Cruise Level Temperature, Upper Level Temperature, Surface Wind, Cruise Level Wind, Upper Level Wind, Cruise Level Turbulence, Upper Level Turbulence and Low Cloud Cover and Met Station Cover for the current 800 x 800 mile weather map. You may overlay the Met and Aerodrome station locations, and local traffic. Moving the mouse cursor about the screen displays the weather at that point, if the location identifies a Met station then the ICAO and station name are displayed.

Up to four small footprint weather maps may be displayed in addition to the main map. The Live Weather Assistant is also available on a networked client PC.

 

Flight Plan Assistant 

Flight Plan Assistant automatically imports activated flight plans or will process any changes to, or the creation of a new, PLN flight plan. Alternatively you can browse for a flight plan or enter one manually within OpusFSI. Furthermore OpusFSI_v6 has options to List All Available Flight Plans For Departure and Auto Load Newest Flight Plan For Departure.

Dynamic flight plan text reports provide detail on METARs, GRIB lower and upper atmosphere weather, flight plan waypoint weather and SIDs/STARs ordered according to direction and distance.

The Dynamic weather reports are displayed in transparent windows and include Local Area, Lower and Upper Atmosphere, Flight Plan En Route, Destination and four Alternate met station reports. These reports can be used in place of ATIS and are accurate out to the edge of the weather map (over 400 miles out). You can use this feature to check the weather and wind direction at non-ATIS airstrips.

Historic Weather

If you wish to use historic weather from within the last 24 hour period then we provide configuration options to do so. Just set your simulator time as required, tick the historic weather option in OpusFSI and the historic weather will be downloaded automatically and updated at the specified frequency.

Custom Weather

Should you wish to specify your own weather, we provide a simple means to allow you to import METAR reports into the simulator via the Opus interface. All METAR reports can be specified in either standard or extended FSX/Prepar3D format. This interface provides you with a simple means to create your own global or localised weather themes by specifying the required METAR string(s) within the import file (the global ICAO station code GLOB can be used to specify global weather). In addition you can also save the current dynamic live weather as a named worldwide static theme to be used subsequently at any time and location you desire, see below.

Live Weather Overview and Locator

The Weather Overview/Locator feature is independent of both the simulator and the Live Weather Engine, hence, it can be used without the simulator running and before any weather is generated. It can be used to either locate specific weather conditions on the map area that match your specified criteria, or obtain a Weather Overview of the general weather conditions. This is very useful for locating any weather you are interested in globally, or viewing a simple overview of the weather in a specific region of the world. 

World Weather Themes

You can create your own themes using the Live Weather Save Current Weather as World Theme button which saves the current Dynamic Weather (METARs and GRIB) as a named static theme. You can use this feature to save any interesting weather scenarios from anywhere in the world, then reload them at a later stage. That way you can simply build up a library of interesting weather scenarios of your own, or even swap weather themes with others. Each named static theme covers the entire globe.

The use of static weather themes is efficient since it does not require the transfer of METAR reports from the server to client systems. To ensure correct synchronization, the desired weather theme for the flight must be selected in the FSI SERVER's Weather Dialog, and not via the usual sim Weather menu. 

Many Opus users like storm chasing, the saved themes can be used to repeat the experience at some other time of your choosing. There are numerous websites you can use to find interesting current weather to capture and reload.

Weather Relocation

Weather relocation enables you to experience the weather conditions from anywhere in the world whilst still flying at a favourite location or with your favourite scenery. For example, you will be able to experience tropical weather in the middle of winter at Gatwick U.K.

Weather relocation will work with any source of OpusFSI weather data, whether it be the current Live Weather, Historic Weather, or a specified World Weather Theme. All weather will be relocated or offset in latitude and longitude to move or relocate the weather using the specified FROM and TO ICAO locations. 

Client Side Live Weather Control 

If you are using a networked client PC only for live weather control (i.e. entering weather or flight plan data, or requesting reports via the client dialogs) then NO license, sim, or FSUIPC is needed on the client. Configure your client PC in accordance with the OpusFSI_v6 Getting Started Networked PCs guide (or OpusFSI_v5 Getting Started Networked PCs guide).

The Live Weather Control dialog presents options to display the text reports, weather report windows, edit the flight plan and other flight parameters. Text reports are displayed on the client, weather report windows are displayed on the server.

Please refer to the OpusFSI Live Weather guide for further details.

Live Camera

Live Camera provides excellent camera creation, control and docking facilities through its user friendly interface, totally eliminating the need to alter any of the simulator's controls. You can create many useful views that are not included as standard in your sim and also control the transition speed between these different views. This can be coupled with Live Camera Control and a dedicated 6-axis GamePad controller to wander or float around the cockpit or exterior to your heart's content. The Live Camera interface also includes support for standard non-windowed and Windowed Views and an ultra-realistic Dynamic Head Movement option (virtual cockpit camera shake) utilising actual 'real-life' capture 3D accelerometer data and Automatic Head Movements to assist the pilot whilst taxiing and banking in a turn.

Live Camera Features

Live Camera provides you with a user-friendly interface for creating, controlling and managing any number of virtual cockpit, 2D cockpit, external aircraft, and world views for your flight simulator system. You can create multiple Windowed Views on your server and client systems. These camera views may be used to enhance your flight simulator experience on a standalone system, providing view control with the press of a joystick button or the use of an assigned keyboard key sequence. On networked systems you have the means to create a multitude of displays including wide sweeping panoramic views of the outside world.

All camera views are created, controlled and managed from the main 'flying' server system, with live view adjustment for each of the client system camera views. A simple dialog is used to manage the camera views. The software allows 'live' adjustment of all server and client views through the dialog's camera control buttons. 

Joystick buttons and keyboard sequences can be assigned to individual views or multiple camera views spanning the networked system. Duplicated button or key assignments permit simple and fast coordinated changes to your multi-screened display with a single button press or key stroke.

Live Camera does not require you to make any changes to the standard simulator control assignments.

Live Camera features a Dynamic Head Movement (DHM) or 'camera shake' option utilizing actual real-life captured 3D accelerometer for the taxiing, takeoff, airborne, turbulent and landing phases of flight. 

In order to produce the most realistic head movement, all DHMs are based on actual real-life 3D accelerometer data, captured on Boeing 737-800 airliners and a Europa XS Tri-Gear light aircraft. Special low pass filters have been developed to remove all traces of engine vibration.

We have conducted extensive taxiing trials, multiple takeoffs and landings on hard surfaced runways to prepare the accelerometer data. Data comparisons between heavy and light aircraft have also allowed us to mimic the speed dependencies and subtle changes in the natural frequency within the captured data. The end result is an ultra-realistic flight simulator experience.

Optional Automated Head Movement assists the pilot whilst taxiing and banking in a turn. You can alter the AHM maximum bank angle, the amount of head rotation in yaw and pitch for turns to the left (port) and right (starboard). For AHM when taxiing you can alter the sensitivity for the calculated turn radius.

Camera Import and Export options allow you to save and load groups of camera definitions stored in named .CDF (Camera Definition Files). Two Opus CDFs are supplied in the OpusFSI (or OpusFSX) folder, Opus_PMDG_737NGX.CDF and Opus_RealAir_Legacy.CDF. You may assign imported views to multiple aircraft types. A selection of predefined CDFs are available on our downloads webpage.

Panning Sequences such as aircraft 'walk arounds' or 'fly arounds' may be imported or created. A set of pre-configured examples are provided for you to use. You may assign aircraft types to a sequence so that the sequence will only be played if the relevant aircraft is loaded. The LCC can be used to define each eyepoint and options are provided to copy, flip and mirror sections of the sequence which makes the creation of panning sequences quick and easy.

Live Camera Control (LCC) is actually independant of Live Camera and enables you to make adjustments to the current eye point for any VC, 2D, or Custom view using either a gamepad controller, the arrow keys within the LCC dialog, or any assigned joystick buttons (including POV and Hat Switches) or key sequences specified via the Shortcuts dialog. This is useful for making seat adjustments, roaming about the cockpit, or flying or walking around the aircraft. 
Live Camera Control has a Set Camera feature so that you can set temporary adjustments to views. This is useful to overcome the FSX bug which shifts the camera view slightly at different locations in the world.

Please refer to the Live Camera guide for further details.

Live View

Live View is a standard feature within the Opus Flight Simulator Interface; this feature provides a multi-screen networked display option for your sim by synchronizing multiple networked PCs running copies of either the Microsoft FSX, FSX-SE or Lockheed Martin Prepar3D simulator.

Live View is ideally suited to home cockpit builders and general enthusiasts alike. The Live Camera control feature included within Opus also simplifies the Live View set up, allowing you to customize and automate the Live View displays on each of your client PCs.

Live View Features

The Live View multi-screen networked display feature allows FSX/P3D to be synchronized across multiple networked computer systems, including laptops.

N.B. In order to see the full synchronized effects of Live View users must save a default flight with all engines running on each client system to ensure the aircraft is powered up correctly and ready to fly.

Live View can be used to create a variety of panoramic views or to simply provide additional fixed spot plane, fly-by, tower, or map views on separate 'client' computers.

With Live View, Opus Software have used their 30 year experience of developing high performance real-time networked telemetry and data acquisition systems, to provide the networking software you need to create a multi-screened experience for FSX/P3D. No matter what complexity of system you intend to create, Live View will provide the ideal solution.

A networked Live View system is created by activating the FSISERVER program on your main 'flying' computer, and running the FSICLIENT program on each of your connecting client systems (PCs or laptops). 

The configuration of the Live View system is simple to the extreme, just tell the main 'flying' server how many Live View clients you wish to support, and configure the server's computer name or IP address into each of the client systems, and away you go. You can sit back and watch your client systems connect and start communicating with the server. Spy buttons help you monitor the activity over all the networked links, or monitor the overall activity and operation of the Opus Server and Client programs.

To ensure consistent views you should also have the same scenery, textures, and airport Addons installed on each FSX/P3D system.

The unlicensed version of the Opus Server program will operate in a Demonstration Mode for 15 minutes, with a minimum of 2 minutes required in between successive runs, allowing you to evaluate the software and ensure full compatibility with your system.

Photo courtesy of the Human-Centered Design Institute, Florida Institute of Technology, using OpusFSX networked multi-screen synchronised displays with Prepar3D

Live View Weather Synchronization ...

The current version of the software supports synchronization using either Static Weather Themes or Dynamic Live Weather using the surrounding area's METAR data. Alternatively, the Live Weather Engine allows you to create and name your own themes based on the current live METAR reports.

Please refer to the OpusFSI_v6 Getting Started Network guide for further details of how to set up Live View.

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