diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
index a3eaeab46a..73c8a7553b 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.cpp
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ void Avatar::setShouldDie() {
     _owningAvatarMixer.clear();
 }
 
-void Avatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
+void Avatar::simulate(float deltaTime, bool inView) {
     PROFILE_RANGE(simulation, "simulate");
     PerformanceTimer perfTimer("simulate");
 
@@ -316,47 +316,18 @@ void Avatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
     }
     animateScaleChanges(deltaTime);
 
-    bool avatarInView = false;
-    { // update the shouldAnimate flag to match whether or not we will render the avatar.
-        {
-            PROFILE_RANGE(simulation, "cull");
-            // simple frustum check
-            PerformanceTimer perfTimer("inView");
-            ViewFrustum viewFrustum;
-            qApp->copyDisplayViewFrustum(viewFrustum);
-            avatarInView = viewFrustum.sphereIntersectsFrustum(getPosition(), getBoundingRadius())
-                || viewFrustum.boxIntersectsFrustum(_skeletonModel->getRenderableMeshBound());
-        }
-        PROFILE_RANGE(simulation, "LOD");
-        if (avatarInView) {
-            const float MINIMUM_VISIBILITY_FOR_ON = 0.4f;
-            const float MAXIMUM_VISIBILITY_FOR_OFF = 0.6f;
-            ViewFrustum viewFrustum;
-            qApp->copyViewFrustum(viewFrustum);
-            float visibility = calculateRenderAccuracy(viewFrustum.getPosition(),
-                getBounds(), DependencyManager::get<LODManager>()->getOctreeSizeScale());
-            if (!_shouldAnimate) {
-                if (visibility > MINIMUM_VISIBILITY_FOR_ON) {
-                    _shouldAnimate = true;
-                    qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "Restoring" << (isMyAvatar() ? "myself" : getSessionUUID()) << "for visibility" << visibility;
-                }
-            } else if (visibility < MAXIMUM_VISIBILITY_FOR_OFF) {
-                _shouldAnimate = false;
-                qCDebug(interfaceapp) << "Optimizing" << (isMyAvatar() ? "myself" : getSessionUUID()) << "for visibility" << visibility;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     {
         PROFILE_RANGE(simulation, "updateJoints");
         uint64_t start = usecTimestampNow();
-        // CRUFT? _shouldSkipRender is never set 'true'
-        if (_shouldAnimate && avatarInView && !_shouldSkipRender) {
+        if (inView) {
+            // adebug BOOKMARK: can avoid copying duplicate joint data
+            // - can avoid some work when transform not changed (see SkeletonModel::simulate() and Model::setTranslation())
+            // - can maybe use _hasNewFoo instead of AvatarData::_jointDataVersion
+            // - can maybe avoid stuff if blendShapes haven't changed
             _skeletonModel->getRig()->copyJointsFromJointData(_jointData);
-            _skeletonModel->simulate(deltaTime, _hasNewJointRotations || _hasNewJointTranslations);
+            _skeletonModel->simulate(deltaTime, _hasNewJointData);
             locationChanged(); // joints changed, so if there are any children, update them.
-            _hasNewJointRotations = false;
-            _hasNewJointTranslations = false;
+            _hasNewJointData = false;
 
             glm::vec3 headPosition = getPosition();
             if (!_skeletonModel->getHeadPosition(headPosition)) {
@@ -365,7 +336,8 @@ void Avatar::simulate(float deltaTime) {
             Head* head = getHead();
             head->setPosition(headPosition);
             head->setScale(getUniformScale());
-            head->simulate(deltaTime, false, !_shouldAnimate);
+            const bool useBillboard = false; // HACK
+            head->simulate(deltaTime, false, useBillboard);
         } else {
             // a non-full update is still required so that the position, rotation, scale and bounds of the skeletonModel are updated.
             getHead()->setPosition(getPosition());
@@ -1106,7 +1078,7 @@ int Avatar::parseDataFromBuffer(const QByteArray& buffer) {
     if (_moving && _motionState) {
         _motionState->addDirtyFlags(Simulation::DIRTY_POSITION);
     }
-    if (_moving || _hasNewJointRotations || _hasNewJointTranslations) {
+    if (_moving || _hasNewJointData) {
         locationChanged();
     }
 
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.h b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.h
index d370402865..75af330452 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.h
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/Avatar.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public:
 
     void init();
     void updateAvatarEntities();
-    void simulate(float deltaTime);
+    void simulate(float deltaTime, bool inView);
     virtual void simulateAttachments(float deltaTime);
 
     virtual void render(RenderArgs* renderArgs, const glm::vec3& cameraPosition);
@@ -141,8 +141,6 @@ public:
 
     Q_INVOKABLE glm::vec3 getAcceleration() const { return _acceleration; }
 
-    Q_INVOKABLE bool getShouldRender() const { return !_shouldSkipRender; }
-
     /// Scales a world space position vector relative to the avatar position and scale
     /// \param vector position to be scaled. Will store the result
     void scaleVectorRelativeToPosition(glm::vec3 &positionToScale) const;
@@ -265,8 +263,6 @@ private:
     int _rightPointerGeometryID { 0 };
     int _nameRectGeometryID { 0 };
     bool _initialized;
-    bool _shouldAnimate { true };
-    bool _shouldSkipRender { false };
     bool _isLookAtTarget { false };
     bool _inScene { false };
 
diff --git a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
index b0dc9922ff..4ba3cbdc1a 100644
--- a/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
+++ b/interface/src/avatar/AvatarManager.cpp
@@ -165,7 +165,8 @@ void AvatarManager::updateOtherAvatars(float deltaTime) {
             ++avatarIterator;
         } else {
             avatar->ensureInScene(avatar);
-            avatar->simulate(deltaTime);
+            const bool inView = true; // HACK
+            avatar->simulate(deltaTime, inView);
             ++avatarIterator;
 
             avatar->updateRenderItem(pendingChanges);
@@ -210,7 +211,8 @@ void AvatarManager::simulateAvatarFades(float deltaTime) {
                 ++fadingIterator;
             }
         } else {
-            avatar->simulate(deltaTime);
+            const bool inView = true; // HACK
+            avatar->simulate(deltaTime, inView);
             ++fadingIterator;
         }
     }
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
index 1fb68fce14..1aacb00c04 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.cpp
@@ -120,8 +120,7 @@ AvatarData::AvatarData() :
     _handState(0),
     _keyState(NO_KEY_DOWN),
     _forceFaceTrackerConnected(false),
-    _hasNewJointRotations(true),
-    _hasNewJointTranslations(true),
+    _hasNewJointData(true),
     _headData(NULL),
     _displayNameTargetAlpha(1.0f),
     _displayNameAlpha(1.0f),
@@ -553,7 +552,7 @@ int AvatarData::parseDataFromBuffer(const QByteArray& buffer) {
     glm::vec3 newEulerAngles(pitch, yaw, roll);
     glm::quat newOrientation = glm::quat(glm::radians(newEulerAngles));
     if (currentOrientation != newOrientation) {
-        _hasNewJointRotations = true;
+        _hasNewJointData = true;
         setLocalOrientation(newOrientation);
     }
 
@@ -680,7 +679,7 @@ int AvatarData::parseDataFromBuffer(const QByteArray& buffer) {
         JointData& data = _jointData[i];
         if (validRotations[i]) {
             sourceBuffer += unpackOrientationQuatFromSixBytes(sourceBuffer, data.rotation);
-            _hasNewJointRotations = true;
+            _hasNewJointData = true;
             data.rotationSet = true;
         }
     }
@@ -715,7 +714,7 @@ int AvatarData::parseDataFromBuffer(const QByteArray& buffer) {
         JointData& data = _jointData[i];
         if (validTranslations[i]) {
             sourceBuffer += unpackFloatVec3FromSignedTwoByteFixed(sourceBuffer, data.translation, TRANSLATION_COMPRESSION_RADIX);
-            _hasNewJointTranslations = true;
+            _hasNewJointData = true;
             data.translationSet = true;
         }
     }
diff --git a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
index db06d52092..a3c9e537ca 100644
--- a/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
+++ b/libraries/avatars/src/AvatarData.h
@@ -427,8 +427,7 @@ protected:
     KeyState _keyState;
 
     bool _forceFaceTrackerConnected;
-    bool _hasNewJointRotations; // set in AvatarData, cleared in Avatar
-    bool _hasNewJointTranslations; // set in AvatarData, cleared in Avatar
+    bool _hasNewJointData; // set in AvatarData, cleared in Avatar
 
     HeadData* _headData;