Adding features from XEphem

[nabobalis]

Hello

So I have been looking for a replacement for XEphem which can run on an intel mac.
Since I have access to LLMs, I LLM generated the features I need to match XEphem for my very specific use case:

• Show ground tracks for all active satellites simultaneously in the 2D map.
• Add separate configurable past and future ground tracks, with past tracks visually distinguished from predicted tracks.
• Add persistent satellite/mission labels to the 2D map.
• Add configurable per-satellite ground-track colors, stored by NORAD ID.
• Add a small 2D map legend showing past / current position / future.
• Make 2D coverage footprints optional rather than always displayed.
• Add controls for how many past and future orbits are shown.
• Add a GitHub Actions macOS Intel build that produces a self-contained .app, so users can download and run TLEscope without compiling it locally.

I don't fancy forcing you/anyone to read LLM generated C code, so I am more curious as to if you want any of these features upstreamed. Right now it's all mushed together on one branch but I'd split it all out per feature/change just for sanity sake.

[aweeri]

Hi! some of these features are already implemented in the extremelywip branch; that's where the current development happens, main is considered legacy at this point. (Granted, I've failed to mention it in the readme, this will be corrected :P)
I also don't exactly mind LLMs; they have their uses and I am all for responsible/reasonable use of such tooling.

Already in extremelywip:

• Optional coverage footprints - done. There's a show_ground_coverage toggle in the Layers panel (tool_layers.cpp).
• Orbit count control - partially. orbits_to_draw is configurable and persisted, but it's future-only.
• macOS .app bundling - the tooling exists (make macos + macos_bundle.sh + the bundle/ skeleton with AppIcon.icns). Only the CI job missing there.

Not in extremelywip:

• Simultaneous ground tracks for all active sats in 2D (only the highlighted sat's track is drawn, main.cpp).
• Separate past/future tracks with visual distinction.
• Persistent labels for all sats (only the highlighted one gets a name label, main.cpp).
• Per-satellite track colors keyed by NORAD ID.
• 2D map legend.
• The macOS Intel CI job itself.

A small thing to note: extremelywip is C++ (imgui-based). The C code (main.c/ui.c) only exists on main.

If you want to contribute, the genuinely missing pieces are the first five plus the CI job. Splitting per-feature would be neccessary of course.

[nabobalis]

Thanks! I was not aware of the new branch. I will update my fork and prepare isolated PRs per feature.