[Flightgear-devel] On-screen stick deflection indicators for autopilot

[pebble g. <peb...@ya...>]

I was fascinated by the discussion of engaging/disengaging the autopilot, and the challenges posed by a game joystick. Namely, the fact that the stick returns to center despite the autopilot's influence. There's no way to show the stick deflections that were in force at the time of AP engagement. 
   
  Perhaps this can be remedied by adding two graphical elements on the screen: 
   
  1. a graphic representing where the AP thinks the stick is deflected, and 
  2. another graphic showing the actual stick position. 
   
  Both boxes use the screen's x and y axes to show stick positions. Center screen, of course, means a centered stick. To the right and below center means a stick that is deflected right with some back pressure. 
   
  Here's a picture of what I'm talking about: 
  http://userimages.imvu.com/userdata/00/01/03/89/userpics/apStickDeflection_0.jpg
   
  Users could disengage the autopilot anytime they like, but it'd be no trouble at all to move the joystick box over to the AP stick position before disengaging. 
   
  Just a thought.
   
  pebble

    One half-baked idea I've been toying with involves animating a
/hand/ which is normally gripping the yoke. The joystick moves
the hand. When the autopilot is engaged, the joystick still moves
the hand, but the hand is not gripping the yoke. I'm not sure
how hard this would be to implement. In any case, it has some
conceptual value, providing a way to visualize the nature of the
problem, to some extent.

This is an important topic to be discussing. Some of the recent
suggestions are commendable steps in the right direction, but I
reckon we are still one breakthrough removed from a complete
solution to the problem.


       
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