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Cosmographia uses catalog files to define solar system objects and their properties. Catalog files for many solar system natural bodies come pre-packaged with the Cosmographia application and use ephemeris, orientation, and shape models also included with or built into the program. All catalog files are written in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). Cosmographia users can create and load into the program additional catalog files defining new objects or redefining existing objects.
The following kinds of catalog files are usually involved in defining objects for a SPICE-based mission:
Name |
Description |
SPICE Data Catalog |
Catalog listing additional SPICE kernels that need to be loaded to run a visualization for a particular mission |
Spacecraft Catalog |
Catalog defining trajectory, orientation, appearance, name label, and trajectory plot parameters for a spacecraft |
Sensor Catalog |
Catalog defining sensor Field-Of-View (FOV) location, orientation, and appearance |
Observation Catalog |
Catalog defining observation times and footprint appearance for observations of a target taken by a sensor |
Natural Body Catalog |
Catalog defining trajectory, orientation, appearance, name label, and trajectory plot parameters for planets, satellites, comets and asteroids |
Catalog List Catalog |
Catalog defining a set of catalog files that should be loaded together |
The subsections linked from the table above provide examples and brief descriptions of the contents of different kinds of catalog files. A more detailed description of some of these catalog files is provided in the Cosmographia-SPICE User’s Guide.
The following kinds of catalog files define additional, more generic features and objects:
Name |
Description |
Annotations Catalog |
Catalog file defining time-dependent annotation messages displayed at top of the screen |
Visualizers Catalog |
Catalog file defining graphical primitives (visualizers) such as planes |
Surface Features Catalog |
Catalog file defining names and locations of surface features for a natural body |
View Point Catalog |
Catalog file defining the initial view point when the program is launched without any command line arguments |
Add-ons Catalog |
Catalog file defining add-ons that appear in the Visualization Setting Add-ons panel |
SPICE-enhanced Cosmographia User's Guide 