Navigation Panel

Windows ‣ Navigation

Overview

The Navigation Panel is primarily used to target objects and navigate to those objects.

The name of the object that is set as Focus will appear in the toolbar button, in this case Earth is set to Focus as seen in the above image. If you focus on the James Webb Space Telescope, then the button would expand to accommodate that name in the Toolbar.

The Navigation Panel, with its top, iconized menu that determines which menu is displayed in the panel.

The panel has an iconized submenu at the top that determines what you see in the panel:

• The target button 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.

• The achor and aim button brings up a menu where you can choose one object to anchor to and another one 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 left mouse button and you will zoom in and out relative to Earth with the right mouse button.

Note

See Navigation in Getting Started for details about the Flight Modes and how the Focus affects each of them.

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 Getting Started.

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 an individual object.

To change the focus, make sure is selected in the panel’s top menu, then you can do one of three things:

• Click on an object in the list, or

• If the object you’re looking for is not in the list, you can search for it, or

• If you don’t know the name of the object you’re looking for, hit the More button and an alphabetical list of all loaded assets will appear.

Changing the Focus Transition Time

The time it takes to transition from your present view to the newly focused object can be adjusted in the Settings Menu using Retarget Interpolation Time.
Settings ‣ Navigation Handler ‣ Orbital Navigator ‣ Retarget Interpolation Time.

Note

The Retarget Interpolation Time is only visible for the Advanced User visibility setting and higher, which includes Developer or Everything. Change the GUI visibility setting to one of these profiles here:
View ‣ GUI Settings ‣ Visibility Settings

The default is transition time is 2 seconds. 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 use 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.
Settings ‣ Navigation Handler ‣ Path Navigator ‣ Speed Scale.

Anchor & Aim

While Focus chooses an object to center and navigate around, Anchor & Aim allows you to essentially set an object as the focus, then set a different object to aim the camera 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 sets that object to 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.

Keyboard Modifiers

Keyboard modifiersd for the Navigation Panel revolve around what happens when you click on the list items in the panel to set a new focus. Typically, when you click with the mouse button on an item in the list, your current flight speed will drop to zero (flight will stop), and the new object will be centered in your view. But, with some of these keyboard shortcuts, you can change that behavior.

Modifier Key	Function in the list items to focus on
left mouse (no modifier)	Set focus: stops flight and centers object.
Ctrl + left mouse	Set focus: continuous flight, centers object.
Shift + left mouse	Set focus: stops flight, does not center object.
Ctrl + Shift + left mouse	Set focus, continuous flight, does not center object.

Next, try the Navigation Tutorial on the tab at the top of this page.

Tutorial

Tutorial

This tutorial will demonstrate how you can use the Navigation Panel to explore data in OpenSpace. We will:

• Explore the Focus Mode.

• Understand how flying works with your focus.

• Use the Anchor & Aim Mode to orchestrate more complex scenes.

We will also use the Time Panel, which we will cover in more detail.

Important

• = Flight instructions

• = Turn on a data set

• = Turn off a data set

• = Adjust a setting

• = Target an object

• = Change the time settings

Begin at Earth

1. Bring up the Navigation Panel by clicking its button in the Toolbar.

2. Move the panel off to the right and out of the way.

Zoom Out to the Moon’s Orbit

1. Zoom away from Earth until you see the Moon’s orbit.

2. Note that Earth remains the Focus.

Focus on the Moon

1. Choose Moon in the Focus Panel. This will set the Focus to the Moon and center it.

2. Orbit a bit to see that motion is now relative to the Moon.

Fly to the Moon

1. Fly to the Moon manually by holding down the right mouse button.

2. Orbit from a reasonable distance so that you see Earth in the background.

Anchor the Moon, Aim to Earth

1. Open the Anchor & Aim submenu of the panel, confirm that the Moon is set to Anchor.

2. Choose Earth as the Aim by clicking the telescope button next to Earth. This will keep your spaceship aimed toward Earth and move Earth to the center, behind the Moon.

3. Orbit a bit to bring Earth back into view.

4. Use the Time Panel to change the Simulation Speed to 1 hour/second.

5. As the clock goes, we are traveling with the Moon, but looking toward Earth.

6. As the Moon orbits Earth, we will follow alongside it.

7. Pause time.

Practice Automated Flight

1. In the Focus submenu, set Earth as the Focus.

2. Fly to Earth using the Pan & Fly Button .

3. Fly back out to the Moon manually using the right mouse button.

4. Revisit Earth using the Fly To button . Notice this is a curved path.

Focus on ISS and Jump to It

1. Turn on the International Space Station (ISS) if it’s not already on:
   Scene ‣ Solar System ‣ Planets ‣ Earth ‣ Satellites ‣ ISS

2. In the Navigation Panel’s Focus submenu, select ISS.

3. Fly up to the space station using the right mouse button or any of the automatic flight buttons.

Tip

You can see where the ISS is by the shading on its orbital path. If the ISS is out of view—in other words, it’s on the opposite side of Earth—you run the risk of flying right through Earth. This is inelegant. It’s best to manually orbit Earth to bring the ISS into view in front of Earth, then fly toward it.

Turn off Trails with Action Panel

1. Rotate around ISS to see Earth’s horizon.

2. Level the horizon using the Shift + left mouse button so that Earth fills the bottom half of your view.

3. Turn off trails using Action ‣ Trails ‣ Hide All Trails.

4. Set the clock speed at 1 second/second by hitting the Realtime button.

5. Use the Time Panel’s Quick Adjust slider and move the indicator up one tick, which will be about 4 seconds per second.

6. Switch the Simulation Speed up to Hours. Earth suddenly starts moving violently. This is because we are focused on the ISS.

7. Return the Simulation Time to Seconds.

Aim to Earth

1. In the Navigation Panel, use the Aim submenu to set the Aim to Earth. This will move you so you’re directly looking down on the ISS and Earth.

2. Rotate around ISS to see Earth’s horizon again.

3. Use the Pan Flight Mode (Ctrl + left mouse button) to move ISS out of the center.

4. Increase the Simulation Time to 5 seconds/second. Now, the ISS rotates a bit, but Earth remains stationary in your view as we follow the ISS around it. This is more manageable. You can increase the simulation time with the Quick Adjust Slider to see the ISS rotate more quickly.

5. Reset the Simulation Time back to normal by pressing the Realtime button.

Use Home key to Focus on Earth Again

1. Use the Home key to return Earth to Focus.

2. Zoom away from Earth a bit.

3. Turn trails back on using Actions ‣ Trails ‣ Show All Trails.

Focus on Mars

1. Using the Navigation Panel, select Mars from the Focus submenu.

2. Fly up to the system manually, using the Zoom Flight Mode.

Focus on Phobos

1. Focus on Phobos using one of the following two ways:

• Using the Scene Menu, set Mars’ moon Phobos as the Focus.
  Scene ‣ Solar System ‣ Planets ‣ Mars ‣ Moons ‣ Phobos ‣ Phobos.

• Using the Navigation Menu, search for Phobos in Focus menu, and select it.

2. Approach Phobos so it’s in the foreground.

Aim to Mars

1. Aim to Mars in the Navigation Panel’s Aim submenu.

2. In the Time Panel, change the Simulation Unit to Minutes.

Follow Phobos

1. Set the Simulation Time to 5 minutes / second by clicking inside the input box and typing 5.

2. Fly out to see Mars and its moon’s orbits.

3. Now, Phobos remains stationary but everything else is moving slowly.

Focus on Mars

1. Set Mars back to the Focus.

2. Note now that Mars is stationary and its moons are revolving around it.

Phases of the Moon

1. Jump To Earth by pressing the Jump To button in the Focus Panel. This takes you directly to Earth and sets it as Focus.

2. Pause time.

3. Orbit to locate the Moon.

4. Increase the Moon’s Scale to 25:
   Scene ‣ Solar System ‣ Planets ‣ Earth ‣ Moon ‣ Moon ‣ Scale. Click in the text input box and type 25, then press Enter.

5. Aim at the Moon. In the Navigation Panel, select the Anchor & Aim submenu, and click the telescope button next to Moon.

6. Orbit a bit to move the Moon away from Earth.

7. Set the Simulation Time to 1 day/second.

8. Watch the Moon’s phases as it orbits Earth.

9. Pause time and set Focus to Earth.

Conclusion

This tutorial exercised your use of the Navigation Panel and, to some degree gave you an introduction to the Time Panel and Scene Panel. We demonstrated several means of navigating around space, whether manually or using one of the automated flight functions. And, we showed the utility and differences between Focus and Anchor & Aim when bringing an object front and center.