ETA clock

[Decksmeck]

I am not able to answer this because the math is too difficult for me.

When calculating the effect of a gravity well on time to target, can this be thought of as turning a straight line approach into a curved approach?

So a factor is throttle setting. At 100% throttle, the line is less curved than at 75%?

 

[777Driver]

The display is not an ETA, it is an ATA based on current velocity. As you have probably realised velocity is not fixed in SC, you are constantly accelerating or decelerating. The only time you get an accurate ATA is when traveling at minimum speed (30km/s) or when flying a fixed velocity in normal space.

 

[B1rdy]

The display is not an ETA, it is an ATA based on current velocity. As you have probably realised velocity is not fixed in SC, you are constantly accelerating or decelerating. The only time you get an accurate ATA is when traveling at minimum speed (30km/s) or when flying a fixed velocity in normal space.

So it is like Windows progress bars and time indication, you can be sure, that the value displayed will most likely NOT be proper. Can you even call it ATA then? ;-)

 

[Dommarraa]

Its UTA - Unlikely Time of Arrival

 

[B1rdy]

PTABMLN - Possible time of arrival but most likely not.

 

[Decksmeck]

The display is not an ETA, it is an ATA based on current velocity. As you have probably realised velocity is not fixed in SC, you are constantly accelerating or decelerating. The only time you get an accurate ATA is when traveling at minimum speed (30km/s) or when flying a fixed velocity in normal space.

For an ETA, I think distance and speed have to be constant to produce a constant.(edit: Actually, speed or distance need to be constant for the clock to count down. Not both. Yeah. Facepalm.) We always change speed because our depth into the gravity well keeps changing. I was wondering if instead of representing that depth as a change in speed, the might represent it as a curve in the distance. Basically bake into the path the entire effect of the gravity well at once to produce a curve in the path.

They might be able to do that if the gravity well is portrayed as a sphere. The path crosses through the sphere. Then with some math, you can calculate a curve into the path and compute an ETA for the path. Based on the distance along the curved path and a constant speed. They could still display the actual speed which is always changing but for the ETA calculation let speed remain constant and after the curve effect, distance is too. (Edit: I mean the path is constant. Not distance.)

 

[Navigare Necesse Est]

Is it right-hand turn or left-hand?

 

[Walter2]

Is it right-hand turn or left-hand?

Depends on which hemisphere you're in.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

I am not able to answer this because the math is too difficult for me.

When calculating the effect of a gravity well on time to target, can this be thought of as turning a straight line approach into a curved approach?

So a factor is throttle setting. At 100% throttle, the line is less curved than at 75%?

You could think of it that way, yes.

Though since flying an actual curved approach at a higher throttle will get you to the destination (safely) faster than a straight-line approach at lower throttle, I don't know if that analogy actually helps understanding.