GCS Chat
========

GCS Chat allows you to communicate with other Ground Control Station (GCS) operators in real-time. It's a simple messaging tool built into the Andruav web client.

.. image:: images/_new_chatGCS.png
   :alt: GCS Chat Interface


What is GCS Chat?
-----------------

GCS Chat is a messaging panel that lets you send text messages to other GCS operators connected to the same Andruav server. You can broadcast messages to all GCS units or target specific operators.

How to Use
----------

Opening the Chat Panel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The GCS Chat panel appears as a draggable window on your screen. You can move it anywhere by dragging the header bar.

Sending Messages
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. **Type your message** in the input field at the bottom of the panel
2. **Choose your target** using the dropdown selector:

   - **All GCS**: Sends your message to all connected GCS operators
   - **Specific GCS**: Select a specific operator by name

3. **Click Send** or press Enter to send your message

Using @ Mentions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can also target specific operators using @ mentions:

- Type ``@`` followed by the operator's name or ID
- A dropdown will appear with matching operators
- Select the one you want to message
- Example: ``@WEB_GCS_d4k Hello, how's the mission going?``

To broadcast to all GCS using mentions, type ``@all`` or ``@gcs``.

Message Display
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- Your messages appear on the right side (blue)
- Messages from others appear on the left (orange)
- Each message shows the sender's name and timestamp
- The chat automatically scrolls to show new messages

Minimizing the Panel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can minimize the chat panel to save screen space:

- Click the minimize button in the header
- When minimized, an asterisk (*) appears in the title if you have unread messages
- Click again to expand and read new messages

Navigating to a GCS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you have a specific GCS selected, you can use the "Goto" button to navigate to that operator's location on the map.

Tips
~~~~

- Use @ mentions for quick targeting without changing the dropdown
- The chat remembers your message history during the session
- Unread messages are highlighted when the panel is minimized
- All messages are timestamped for easy reference