Navigation Panel: Focus & Fly
The Navigation Panel is primarily used to target an object and navigate to those objects.
The name of the object that is set to Focus will appear in the button, in this case Earth is set to Focus. If you focus on the James Web Space Telescope, then the button would expand to accommodate that name in the Toolbar.
The Navigation Panel, with a top, iconized menu that sets the menu below.
The panel has an iconized submenu at the top that determines what you see in the panel:
— This shows the list of objects that you can quickly designate as Focus, and includes a search box to choose other data sets that don’t appear in the menu.
— This brings the list of objects that one can set as the anchor.
— Brings up a list of objects that one can choose to aim toward.
Focus
In OpenSpace, there must be an object that is set as the Focus. This can be any asset that you load in the profile, or it can be the root: \((0, 0, 0)\). In most profiles, Earth is set as the Focus because most data sets and navigation takes place around Earth.
The Focus is important because it affects how one flies through data. With Earth as the default Focus, you will orbit around Earth with the and you will zoom in and out relative to Earth with the .
As long as the focused object remains in view, your flying will make sense. If the object that is set to Focus is out of view in the Graphics Window, then flying will be a little counterintuitive. We discuss this more in Navigation.
Note
See Navigation in Getting Started for details about the Flight Modes and how the Focus affects each of them.
Change Your Focus
In order to visit another object in OpenSpace, it is easier, and often necessary, to make that object the Focus. This is particularly true if you want to visit another planet, moon, or spacecraft.
Note
All of the large data sets in OpenSpace are observed from telescopes on Earth, or in low-earth orbit. These data sets are typically centered on Earth, so there is little need to change Focus to them because you’re not attempting to fly up to an object, per se. Rather, you will examine these data from a macro level that allows you to view the entire data set.
There is no need to change focus unless you’re planning to visit in individual point in space or object in the Solar System.
To change the focus, make sure is selected in the panel’s top menu, then you can do one of three things:
Click on the object in the resulting list,
If the object you’re looking for is not there, you can search for it,
If you don’t know the name of the object you’re looking for, hit the button and an alphabetical list of all loaded assets will appear.
Changing the Focus Transition Time
The time it takes to transition from one object to the newly focused object can be adjusted in the Settings Menu using Retarget Interpolation Time.
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The higher the number, the longer it will take between the two targets.
Once you select an object, OpenSpace will center that object up for you, but it will not fly there for you. That is the next step…
Flying to an Object
Once you change your target, there are several ways to fly to that object.
Because OpenSpace has centered the object up, you can use the Zoom Flight Mode and fly directly to it yourself at your own pace.
You can use the Refocus Button to have OpenSpace fly there by taking a straight line to the object but panning your view for a graceful tansition.
You can use the Fly To Button to have OpenSpace fly to the object using a curved path to the target.Or, you can see a few more options on the context menu
, which offers the above options plus:
The Jump To Button which fades your view to black, then fades back up beside the object.
Changing the Flight Transition Time
The time it takes to fly to a target can be adjusted in the Settings Menu using the Speed Scale.
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Anchor & Aim
While Focus chooses an object to center and navigate around, Anchor and Aim allow you to essentially set an object as the focus, then set a different object to aim toward.
Anchor an Object
The Anchor panel menu reveals the list of possible objects to set as your anchor. Once you choose an object from the list, or search for an existing asset, it makes that object the Focus. So, like Focus Mode, it will center the object up in the Graphics Window, and your navigation will revolve around that object.
Aim Toward an Object
Once an object is set to Anchor, you can then set a different object to aim toward. This allows you to keep one object as your focus while looking toward another object. This is useful when, for example, you want to follow the space station as it orbits Earth, but keep Earth in view as time moves forward.
Tutorial
This tutorial will demonstrate how you can use the Navigation Panel to explore data in OpenSpace. We will use the Focus Mode and understand how flying works with your focus, and then use the Anchor & Aim Mode to understand how to orchestrate more complex scenes.
Important
: Flight instructions
: Turn on a data set
: Turn off a data set
: Adjust a setting for a data set
: Target an object
: Change the time settings
Earth
Moon’s Orbit
Focus on Moon
Fly to Moon manually, then orbit around it so Earth is in view.
Confirm moon is anchor, then aim to earth
earth will disappear behind moon, but orbit a bit to make it visible.
Change time to 1 hour per second
Following Moon around it’s orbit and earth is stationary with satellites going
Pause time
Fly back to earth using Refocus Button
Fly back out right button to bring moon back into the foreground, now use the Plane Button to fly back
Turn on ISS if it’s not on
Focus on ISS and Jump to it
Set view with shift-left button to get earth level
Turn off trails with Action Panel
Set time going at 1 second/second
Jog to first tick on scale, should be about 4 sec/sec
Switch to hours and move Jog up a wee bit. Earth dances all over the place
Set Aim to earth
moves your view to be looking down on earth, so move it back to see the horizon
Now increase by hours and ISS dances around a bit, but that’s more manageable. Earth stays stationary.
Use Home key to focus on earth again
Focus on Mars
Fly up to system, focus on Phobos
Aim to Mars
Set time to 5 min / sec by right-click in input window
Fly out to see Mars and it’s moons orbits
mars and scene dancing around