Great Circle

[WarpD 824]

Ok... here's a challenge. *sigh*In a GPS Direct To flight plan there are only 2 waypoints. One can not simply draw a straight line from point a to point b and see the navigation track. It has to be rendered in an arc because it follows a great circle.I've yet to figure out how to accomplish this math-wise. Anyone have ideas/suggestions/info?

[G.Franco Corrias 0]

hi,You can found the Great circle math-formula in the aviation Formulary V1.43:http://williams.best.vwh.net/avform.htmcheers

[phjvh 0]

Hi,I use these ones for bearing and distance. 1 (from gps):(A:PLANE LATITUDE,degrees) (>@c:GeoCalcLatitude1,degrees) (A:PLANE LONGITUDE,degrees) (>@c:GeoCalcLongitude1,degrees) (L:set coordinate lat,number) (>@c:GeoCalcLatitude2,degrees) (L:set coordinate lon,number) (>@c:GeoCalcLongitude2,degrees) (@c:GeoCalcBearing,degrees) (A:MAGVAR,degrees) - (>L:FromToBearing,degrees) (@c:GeoCalcDistance,nmiles) (>L:FromToDistance,nmiles) 2 (without gps var's):(L:set coordinate lat,number) dgrd (>L:Lat2rad,number) (A:PLANE LATITUDE,degrees) dgrd (>L:Lat1rad,number) (L:set coordinate lon,number) (A:PLANE LONGITUDE,degrees) - dgrd (>L:DiffLonrad,number) (L:Lat1rad,number) sin (L:Lat2rad,number) sin * (L:Lat1rad,number) cos (L:Lat2rad,number) cos * (L:DiffLonrad,number) cos * + acos (>L:irs distance,number) (L:Lat2rad,number) sin (L:Lat1rad,number) sin (L:irs distance,number) cos * - (L:Lat1rad,number) cos (L:irs distance,number) sin * / acos rddg (>L:irs heading,number) (L:DiffLonrad,number) sin 0 < if{ 360 (L:irs heading,number) - (>L:irs heading,number) } (L:irs heading,number) (A:MAGVAR,degrees) - near 360 + 360 % d (>L:irs heading,number) The L var names for coordinates, heading and distance are from my panel, any name is ok.Instead of plane position define any other. see:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...ing_type=searchHope it helps,Jan"Beatus ille qui procul negotiis..."

[Guest JeanLuc_]

It mostly depend on the projection type you choose for the display! the Reality XP Sandel use a mercator projection, and I've created a complex function to draw the curve arcs. However, in the Airbus, I use a anzimuthal projection which is less sensible to deformations (and cope well so far in drawing straight lines).Basically, I approximate the curve with a series of well chosen segment lengths. It depends on the range factor and GC dist for the segment.Hope this helps!

[WarpD 824]

>It mostly depend on the projection type you choose for the>display! the Reality XP Sandel use a mercator projection, and>I've created a complex function to draw the curve arcs.>However, in the Airbus, I use a anzimuthal projection which is>less sensible to deformations (and cope well so far in drawing>straight lines).>>Basically, I approximate the curve with a series of well>chosen segment lengths. It depends on the range factor and GC>dist for the segment.>>Hope this helps!So... how are you defining the arc radius?

[WarpD 824]

>hi,>You can found the Great circle math-formula in the aviation>Formulary V1.43:>>http://williams.best.vwh.net/avform.htm>>cheersNot what I asked, but thanks. ;)

[WarpD 824]

>Hi,>>I use these ones for bearing and distance. >1 (from gps):>(A:PLANE LATITUDE,degrees) (>@c:GeoCalcLatitude1,degrees) >(A:PLANE LONGITUDE,degrees) (>@c:GeoCalcLongitude1,degrees) >(L:set coordinate lat,number) (>@c:GeoCalcLatitude2,degrees) >(L:set coordinate lon,number) (>@c:GeoCalcLongitude2,degrees)>>(@c:GeoCalcBearing,degrees) (A:MAGVAR,degrees) ->(>L:FromToBearing,degrees) >(@c:GeoCalcDistance,nmiles) (>L:FromToDistance,nmiles) >>2 (without gps var's):>(L:set coordinate lat,number) dgrd (>L:Lat2rad,number) >(A:PLANE LATITUDE,degrees) dgrd (>L:Lat1rad,number) >(L:set coordinate lon,number) (A:PLANE LONGITUDE,degrees) ->dgrd (>L:DiffLonrad,number) >(L:Lat1rad,number) sin (L:Lat2rad,number) sin *>(L:Lat1rad,number) cos (L:Lat2rad,number) cos *>(L:DiffLonrad,number) cos * + acos (>L:irs distance,number) >(L:Lat2rad,number) sin (L:Lat1rad,number) sin (L:irs>distance,number) cos * - (L:Lat1rad,number) cos (L:irs>distance,number) sin * / acos rddg (>L:irs heading,number) >(L:DiffLonrad,number) sin 0 < if{ 360 (L:irs heading,number) ->(>L:irs heading,number) } >(L:irs heading,number) (A:MAGVAR,degrees) - near 360 + 360 % d>(>L:irs heading,number) >>The L var names for coordinates, heading and distance are from>my panel, any name is ok.>Instead of plane position define any other. >>see:>http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...ing_type=search>>Hope it helps,>>>Jan>>"Beatus ille qui procul negotiis..."Also not what I asked... but thanks. :)

[Guest JeanLuc_]

Well, I don't define the arc radius per-see, I travel along the GC heading for a given distance, and this gives me a lat/lon point I can draw a segment between. If choosen not too loose but not too close (to save computation/drawing time), you can approximate the arc via a series of segments quite nicely. I've tested this against the GNS 430/Sandel gauge and both were giving quite similar results, for 2 distant points when flying in the middle of the distance of the two.

[WarpD 824]

>Well, I don't define the arc radius per-see, I travel along>the GC heading for a given distance, and this gives me a>lat/lon point I can draw a segment between. If choosen not too>loose but not too close (to save computation/drawing time),>you can approximate the arc via a series of segments quite>nicely. I've tested this against the GNS 430/Sandel gauge and>both were giving quite similar results, for 2 distant points>when flying in the middle of the distance of the two.Ok... was hoping there was a simple method to do this... guess not. ;)

[n4gix 4,947]

>>hi,>>You can found the Great circle math-formula in the aviation>>Formulary V1.43:>>>>http://williams.best.vwh.net/avform.htm>>>>cheers>>Not what I asked, but thanks. ;)Don't be so hasty! You can use this to calculate any intermediate points along the arc based on some fraction of the total distance between the end points:------------------------------------------Intermediate points on a great circleIn previous sections we have found intermediate points on a great circle given either the crossing latitude or longitude. Here we find points (lat,lon) a given fraction of the distance (d) between them. Suppose the starting point is (lat1,lon1) and the final point (lat2,lon2) and we want the point a fraction f along the great circle route. f=0 is point 1. f=1 is point 2. The two points cannot be antipodal ( i.e. lat1+lat2=0 and abs(lon1-lon2)=pi) because then the route is undefined. The intermediate latitude and longitude is then given by: A=sin((1-f)*d)/sin(d) B=sin(f*d)/sin(d) x = A*cos(lat1)*cos(lon1) + B*cos(lat2)*cos(lon2) y = A*cos(lat1)*sin(lon1) + B*cos(lat2)*sin(lon2) z = A*sin(lat1) + B*sin(lat2) lat=atan2(z,sqrt(x^2+y^2)) lon=atan2(y,x)------------------------------------------Take the total distance between the two end points, then divide that by some arbitrary number of points you wish to calculate, then draw your segments accordingly!f=0.0-----departure apt = lat1,lon1f=0.2-----intermediate point at 2/10ths totalf=0.4f=0.6f=0.8f=1.0-----destination apt = lat2,lon2The number of "calculated intermediate points" could be based on the total distance. If < 500nm use 4 points, >500 & < 1000, use 6 points, etc.

[WarpD 824]

It will take more points than that to show the aircraft actually on the route.

[n4gix 4,947]

>It will take more points than that to show the aircraft>actually on the route.Granted... however if the calculation is written as a func(); you can call it as often as desired in realtime to keep track of your track... :)Let's see, "now I'm here, and there is where I'll wind up, where will I be in - say - another 10nm?"For that matter, how long would it take to calculate and populate an array of - say - 100 points? 1000 points?