internal void CalculatePath(CCPoint startPosition, float startSlopeDx, float startSlopeDy, CCPoint endPosition, float endSlopeDx = float.NaN, float endSlopeDy = float.NaN)
        {
            //List<CCPoint> pathPoints = new List<CCPoint>();
            // fixes for numerical problems
            if (startSlopeDx < 0.0001 && 0 < startSlopeDx)
            {
                startSlopeDx = 0.001f;
            }
            if (startSlopeDx > -0.0001 && 0 > startSlopeDx)
            {
                startSlopeDx = -0.001f;
            }
            if (startSlopeDy < 0.0001 && 0 < startSlopeDy)
            {
                startSlopeDy = 0.001f;
            }
            if (startSlopeDy > -0.0001 && 0 > startSlopeDy)
            {
                startSlopeDy = -0.001f;
            }
            if (startSlopeDx == 0)
            {
                startSlopeDx = 0.001f;
            }
            if (startSlopeDy == 0)
            {
                startSlopeDy = 0.001f;
            }

            /*
             * // ALTERNATIVE METHOD:
             * // create a path that is a circular arc
             * // for this 1. find the rotational center
             * // 2. rotate the start point towards the end point around the rotational center, step by step, and add these points to the path
             *
             * // SPECIAL CASE: the path is a straight line
             * CCPoint normalizedVectorStartEnd = CCPoint.Normalize(endPosition - startPosition);
             * const float DELTA = 0.01f;
             * if (CCPoint.Distance(normalizedVectorStartEnd, new CCPoint(startSlopeDx, startSlopeDy)) < DELTA)
             * {
             *  pathPoints.Add(startPosition);
             *  pathPoints.Add(endPosition);
             * }
             *  // 1.1 solve yStart = -1/(dy/dx) * xStart + n  for n (line through start perpendicular to the start direction)
             *  // 1.2 get the midpoint between start and end
             *  // 1.3 solve yMid = -1/((endY-startY)/(endX-startX)) * xMid + n2  for n2 (line through midpoint perpendicular to the line from start to end)
             *  // 1.4 solve -1/(dy/dx) * x + n = -1/((endY-startY)/(endX-startX)) * x + n2  for x (intersection of the previous two lines, aka "the rotational center")
             *
             *  // 1.1
             *  // yStart = - dx/dy * xStart + n
             *  // yStart + dx/dy * xStart = n
             *  float n = startPosition.Y + (startSlopeDx / startSlopeDy) * startPosition.X;
             *  // 1.2
             *  CCPoint midPoint = (endPosition + startPosition) / 2;
             *  // 1.3
             *  // yMid + ((endX-startX)/(endY-startY)) * xMid = n2
             *  float n2 = midPoint.Y + ((endPosition.X - startPosition.X) / (endPosition.Y - startPosition.Y)) * midPoint.X;
             *  // 1.4
             *  // - dx/dy * x + n = - ((endX-startX)/(endY-startY)) * x + n2
             *  // - dx/dy * x + ((endX-startX)/(endY-startY)) * x = n2 - n
             *  // x = (n2 - n) / ((dx/dy) - ((endX-startX)/(endY-startY)))
             *  float xRotCenter = (n2 - n) / (((endPosition.X - startPosition.X) / (endPosition.Y - startPosition.Y)) - (startSlopeDx / startSlopeDy));
             *  float yRotCenter = -(startSlopeDx / startSlopeDy) * xRotCenter + n;
             *  CCPoint rotationPoint = new CCPoint(xRotCenter, yRotCenter);
             *
             *  // 2.1 find out whether to rotate left or right
             *  // for that rotate the start-direction-vector by 90° and by -90° and check which rotated vector is closer to the rotation point
             *  CCPoint rotatedLeft = CCPoint.RotateByAngle(new CCPoint(startSlopeDx, startSlopeDy), CCPoint.Zero, (float)Math.PI / 2) + startPosition;
             *  CCPoint rotatedRight = CCPoint.RotateByAngle(new CCPoint(startSlopeDx, startSlopeDy), CCPoint.Zero, -(float)Math.PI / 2) + startPosition;
             *  float angleSign;
             *  if (CCPoint.Distance(rotatedLeft, rotationPoint) < CCPoint.Distance(rotatedRight, rotationPoint))
             *  {
             *      // the rotation point is on your left, so rotate to the left
             *      angleSign = 1;
             *  }
             *  else
             *  {
             *      // the rotation point is on your right, so rotate to the right
             *      angleSign = -1;
             *  }
             *
             *  // ALTERNATE PATH COMPUTATION:
             *  // compute the angle between the vectors starting at the rotational center and ending in a) the startpoint b) the endpoint.
             *  // The path points are then generated by rotating the startpoint (using that point for each rotation) and increasing the angle
             *  // of rotation until it reaches the computed angle between the vectors.
             *  // The number of steps is dependent on the length of the line, calculated from the radius * the angle.
             *  float radius = CCPoint.Distance(rotationPoint, startPosition);
             *  CCPoint normalizedVectorRotStart = CCPoint.Normalize(startPosition - rotationPoint);
             *  CCPoint normalizedVectorRotEnd   = CCPoint.Normalize(endPosition - rotationPoint);
             *  float angleStart = Constants.DxDyToRadians(normalizedVectorRotStart.X, normalizedVectorRotStart.Y);
             *  float angleEnd   = Constants.DxDyToRadians(normalizedVectorRotEnd.X, normalizedVectorRotEnd.Y);
             *  // make sure angles are positive
             *  if (angleStart < 0) angleStart = (float)(2.0 * Math.PI) + angleStart;
             *  if (angleEnd < 0) angleEnd = (float)(2.0 * Math.PI) + angleEnd;
             *  // normalize the angles
             *  float angleShift = (float)(2.0 * Math.PI) - angleStart;
             *  angleEnd = (angleEnd + angleShift) % (float)(2.0 * Math.PI);
             *  float angleDestination = angleSign == 1 ? angleEnd : (float)(2.0*Math.PI) - angleEnd;
             *  //int steps = (int)(radius * angleDestination);
             *  //if (steps < 200) steps = 200;
             *  int steps = 250;
             *  for (int i=0; i < steps; i++)
             *  {
             *      CCPoint pathPoint = CCPoint.RotateByAngle(startPosition, rotationPoint, angleSign * angleDestination * ((float)i / (float)steps));
             *      pathPoints.Add(pathPoint);
             *  }
             *  pathPoints.Add(endPosition);
             * }
             */
            // SPECIAL CASE: the path is a straight line
            CCPoint     normalizedVectorStartEnd = CCPoint.Normalize(endPosition - startPosition);
            const float DELTA = 0.01f;

            if (CCPoint.Distance(normalizedVectorStartEnd, new CCPoint(startSlopeDx, startSlopeDy)) < DELTA)
            {
                Path = new CCPoint[] { startPosition, endPosition };
            }
            else
            {
                // calculate a spline
                // as the first point of the input-path add a new point
                // this point realises the start slope
                float firstX = startPosition.X - startSlopeDx;
                float firstY = startPosition.Y - startSlopeDy;
                // also create another point as the third point
                // it makes sure that the plane HAS TO MOVE a little bit in a somewhat straight way first
                float secondX = startPosition.X + 1 * startSlopeDx;
                float secondY = startPosition.Y + 1 * startSlopeDy;
                float thirdX  = startPosition.X + 10 * startSlopeDx;
                float thirdY  = startPosition.Y + 10 * startSlopeDy;

                // now calculate a special midpoint; it strongly defines the curvature of the path
                // start with the midpoint between start and end
                CCPoint midpoint = new CCPoint((endPosition.X + startPosition.X) / 2, (endPosition.Y + startPosition.Y) / 2);
                // now we need the perpendicular line going through that point (midpoint.Y = (-1/m)*midpoint.X + np) (mp = -1/m)
                float m  = (endPosition.Y - startPosition.Y) / (endPosition.X - startPosition.X);
                float mp = -1 / m;
                float np = midpoint.Y - midpoint.X * mp;
                // now get the line extending from the starting point with the startSlope (startPosition.Y = startSlope*startPosition.X + ns)
                float ns = startPosition.Y - (startSlopeDy / startSlopeDx) * startPosition.X;
                // next find the intersection point that these lines form (startSlope*x + ns = mp*x + np)
                // x*(startSlope - mp) = np - ns;
                float x = (np - ns) / ((startSlopeDy / startSlopeDx) - mp);
                float y = mp * x + np;
                // finally, as the special curvature point calculate the midpoint between the start-end-midpoint and intersection point
                float curvaturePointX = midpoint.X + ((x - midpoint.X) / 3f);
                float curvaturePointY = midpoint.Y + ((y - midpoint.Y) / 3f);
                // ADDITIONAL PROCESS FOR REFINING THIS FURTHER:
                // first get the curvature point as a vector relative to the midpoint
                CCPoint curveVector = new CCPoint(curvaturePointX - midpoint.X, curvaturePointY - midpoint.Y);
                // if it's not (0,0) (i.e. if there is any curvature at all)
                float curveFactor         = 0;
                float halfDistance        = CCPoint.Distance(startPosition, midpoint);
                float magicDistanceFactor = halfDistance / 900f < 1 ? halfDistance / 900f : 1;
                if (!curveVector.Equals(CCPoint.Zero))
                {
                    // normalize it
                    curveVector = CCPoint.Normalize(curveVector);
                    // now we need to calculate the factor by which it is to be scaled
                    // for that we calculate the scalar product of the normalized direction vector of the starting slope and the normalized direction vector from start to end point
                    float scalarProduct = CCPoint.Dot(new CCPoint(startSlopeDx, startSlopeDy), CCPoint.Normalize(new CCPoint(endPosition.X - startPosition.X, endPosition.Y - startPosition.Y)));
                    // the larger this product, the less curvature
                    curveFactor = 1 - scalarProduct;
                    //Console.WriteLine("CurveVector: " + curveVector);
                    //Console.WriteLine("CurveFactor: " + curveFactor);
                    //Console.WriteLine("Distance: " + CCPoint.Distance(startPosition, midpoint));
                    // now calculate the curvature point
                    curvaturePointX = midpoint.X + curveVector.X * curveFactor * (1.3f - 0.8f * magicDistanceFactor) * halfDistance * (curveFactor > 1 ? -1 : 1);
                    curvaturePointY = midpoint.Y + curveVector.Y * curveFactor * (1.3f - 0.8f * magicDistanceFactor) * halfDistance * (curveFactor > 1 ? -1 : 1);
                    //Console.WriteLine("Midpoint: " + midpoint);
                    //Console.WriteLine("CurvaturePoint: " + curvaturePointX + "," + curvaturePointY);
                }
                float[] xValues, yValues;
                magicDistanceFactor = halfDistance / 900f;
                if (curveFactor / magicDistanceFactor > 0.55f)
                {
                    xValues = new float[] { startPosition.X, secondX, thirdX, curvaturePointX, endPosition.X };
                    yValues = new float[] { startPosition.Y, secondY, thirdY, curvaturePointY, endPosition.Y };
                }
                else
                {
                    xValues = new float[] { startPosition.X, secondX, thirdX, endPosition.X };
                    yValues = new float[] { startPosition.Y, secondY, thirdY, endPosition.Y };
                }
                //var xValues = new float[] { startPosition.X, curvaturePointX, endPosition.X };
                //var yValues = new float[] { startPosition.Y, curvaturePointY, endPosition.Y };
                CubicSpline.FitParametric(xValues, yValues, POINTS_PER_PATH / 4, out float[] pathX1, out float[] pathY1); // startSlopeDx, startSlopeDy, endSlopeDx, endSlopeDy);
                                                                                                                          // get the point before the endpoint to adjust the curvature
                float xBeforeEnd = pathX1[pathX1.Length - 2];
                float yBeforeEnd = pathY1[pathY1.Length - 2];
                if (curveFactor / magicDistanceFactor > 0.55f)
                {
                    xValues = new float[] { startPosition.X, secondX, thirdX, curvaturePointX, xBeforeEnd, endPosition.X };
                    yValues = new float[] { startPosition.Y, secondY, thirdY, curvaturePointY, yBeforeEnd, endPosition.Y };
                }
                else
                {
                    xValues = new float[] { startPosition.X, secondX, thirdX, xBeforeEnd, endPosition.X };
                    yValues = new float[] { startPosition.Y, secondY, thirdY, yBeforeEnd, endPosition.Y };
                }
                CubicSpline.FitParametric(xValues, yValues, POINTS_PER_PATH, out float[] pathX, out float[] pathY);
                var newPath = new CCPoint[pathX.Length];

                // for the output skip the first point (start slope point)
                // and replace it with the start point
                newPath[0] = startPosition;
                for (int i = 1; i < pathX.Length; i++)
                {
                    newPath[i] = new CCPoint(pathX[i], pathY[i]);
                }
                Path = newPath;
            }

            // calculate and update the PathLength
            var pathLength = 0f;

            for (int i = 0; i < Path.Length - 1; i++)
            {
                pathLength += Constants.DistanceBetween(Path[i], Path[i + 1]);
            }
            PathLength = pathLength;
            // reset the advancement to 0
            AdvancementAsQuasiIndex = 0f;
        }