Computer graphics in the cockpit

Spatially integrated data presentation for electronic flight displays was first proposed over forty years ago. Yet, in current state-of-the-art cockpits, only 2-D instruments are depicted on the electronic displays. The first part of this paper will discuss today’s state-of-the-art in 3-D computer graphics in relation to the graphics used in today’s electronic flight displays and illustrate how properties of the display medium, system requirements, image generation capabilities and current practices influence the design. The second part will discuss the design rationale behind a synthetic vision display format in the light of the requirements and constraints.