Vector Channels

Spatial multivariate trajectory visualization for planetary mission operations. A 2D encoding that shows multiple telemetry variables along a trajectory as parallel offset channels tied to a primary channel — a spatial correlator between MMGIS and PlanDev.

The concept

MMGIS answers where. PlanDev answers when. Neither currently shows how multiple telemetry variables correlate spatially along a trajectory. Vector Channels fills that gap.

The primary channel is the trajectory itself (a lat/lng polyline), encoded with color (primary variable) and width (companion variable). Parallel channels sit offset perpendicular to it in screen space, each colored by a different variable. Outlines, event glyphs, activity highlights, and state overlays compose as orthogonal encodings.

The visual concepts borrow standard telemetry vocabulary: the central path is the primary channel and the parallel offset lines are channels. Earlier drafts called these "main track" and "rails"; the historical docs in docs/ may still use the old names.

For the design rationale, see docs/DECISIONS.md. For how it compares to existing tools, see docs/COMPETITIVE.md. For opportunities, adjacent pain points, and our own current gaps, see docs/GAPS.md.

Quickstart

Prerequisites: Node.js 22.20.0+ and pnpm 9+.

pnpm install
pnpm dev

The standalone demo opens at http://localhost:5173 with a synthetic Mars rover traverse in Jezero Crater.

Repo layout

packages/
  core/            pure TypeScript rendering engine (no React, no Leaflet)
  leaflet-layer/   Leaflet custom layer wrapping core
  react-ui/        sidebar controls and state store
  standalone-app/  Vite dev harness + demo deliverable

docs/
  ARCHITECTURE.md  how it works (technical structure)
  DECISIONS.md     why it works this way (decision records)
  ROADMAP.md       what's next
  COMPETITIVE.md   what else exists in this space
  GAPS.md          pain points, opportunities, and our current gaps
  reference/       prototype artifacts

MMGIS integration

A future apps/mmgis-plugin will wrap core + react-ui as an MMGIS plugin, installable under /src/essence/*Plugin-Tools*/VectorChannels. MMGIS already uses Leaflet, so the integration surface is minimal.

License

MIT License. See LICENSE.

Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md and CLAUDE.md (working conventions). New contributors should read HANDOFF.md for project orientation.