Openscope: Simplify and optimize aircraft projection

[erikquinn]

The efforts we go to with projection are rather over the top, particularly because the extra iterations are very expensive in terms of performance. All we really need to be able to show with projection is:

• lines toward the next fixes on the aircraft's route
• a simple projected track line (PTL), showing position in 1min (simpleton style, based on current heading and speed at each update)

The only actual downside (other than the gimmick of having it) is with localizer interception. Knowing whether or not an aircraft is going to be able to intercept is helpful. But that's a sacrifice that seems reasonable, given that you wouldn't have that information in the real world either.

[n8rzz]

I would prefer to err on the side of realism

[MisterHighQ]

I would prefer to err on the side of realism

While I respect that you want to make this simulation as realistic as possible and therefore may be tempted into completely removing the localiser interception projection, I would like you to reconsider this aspect.

In real life, especially at busy airports like London Heathrow, there would typically be numerous controllers each with distinct individual tasks. For example, there are controllers that ensure aircraft separation and localiser interception on final approach as well as giving landing clearances, and separate controllers to manage aircraft departures. All of these tasks are combined and performed by a single user when using the sim. Therefore, in terms of realism, the simulation may actually be more workload-heavy on a single user.

The localiser interception line is a crucial aspect of the sim that allows me to divert my attention to clearing aircraft for departures or giving vectors for approach without worrying about whether a landing aircraft will intercept the localiser after having been given the clearance to land. I urge you to reconsider your stance in terms of keeping the localiser interception lines. It may not be the most realistic feature but neither is the process of having a single controller watch aircraft lining up while also handling departures and approaching aircraft at a busy airport.

[n8rzz]

👍 For a compelling argument.

I think some of the refractors we will introduce as part of #139 will help ease some of the performance concerns. For now, the projection remains.

Perhaps instead of removing this wholesale, we just add an option to display track lines for selected aircraft?

[erikquinn]

^ I also agree with a lot of that, and we appreciate the feedback. 😄

There's no reason to completely remove it, though I _am_ inclined to disable it and make it accessible only by a non-publicized command (such as projections or something), as really it should only be used for debugging/development. It may be worth considering exposing it in the settings menu, though either way, it _will_ be disabled by default.

@MisterHighQ is right, the sim is doing too many things at once, and the workload can get to be _really_ overbearing in some situations. However, as I see it, that's not a reason to keep the projection lines around. Not having that information is a challenge that controllers face in real life, and one that we should have to face as well.

The current issue is that the localizer interception is quite crummy, so you never know when one might go through the localizer without much of a good reason. So for that reason, it's definitely not going anywhere for a while.