Visual Attribute Functions

Users can turn on/off several visual attributes for an object. This includes attributes such as vectors, frame axes, and a longitude/latitude grid.

Vectors

A vector can be in the form of a frame axis, direction vector, or sensor boresight vector.

Function	Description of Function	Method(s) to Perform Function
Look along	Adjust view to set the camera’s (observer’s) position at the tip of the vector, looking along the direction of the vector.	Object Menu: Select parent object of the vector. Right-click the vector. Then select Look along from the displayed options.
Look opposite	Adjust view to set the camera’s (observer’s) position at the tip of the vector, looking opposite the direction of the vector	Object Menu: Select parent object of the vector. Right-click the vector. Then select Look opposite from the displayed options.
Hide	Hide vector	Object Menu: Select parent object of the vector. Right-click the vector. Then select Hide from the displayed options.
Set Properties	Open Dialog box to adjust vector’s label, opacity, scale, and color	Object Menu: Select parent object of the vector. Right-click the vector. Then select Set Properties from the displayed options.
Vector Scaling	Adjust size of vectors on a scale of 0 to 1, applies to future vectors displayed and does not affect existing vectors	Left Toolbar: Toolbar > Gears > Guides > Vector Scaling, adjust scale from 0 to 1
Boresight Vector	Shows vector that represents the boresight of an instrument sensor	Left Toolbar: Find name of sensor with search icon, click Boresight
Finding Angle between Two Vectors	Shows text box that displays the angle measurement between any two vectors in degrees and radians	Object Menu: Select Body that the vectors are on. Select one of the two vectors. Right click the non-selected vectors. Click Angle to [name of first vector]. Make sure time is not paused

Frames and Axes

A body’s context menu provides a set of options for visualizing reference frames.

To visualize a frame, right-click desired object upon which frames will be rendered in order to display a body’s context menu. Then click desired frame.

There are a total of four types of frames that can be visualized.

ICRF (International Celestial Reference Frame): inertial frame
Intermediate Frame: one of the frames used to define the orientation of the body in the case of a two-step orientation determination.
Body Fixed Frame: frame that remains fixed relative to the selected body. The frame moves with the body as the body rotates.
SPICE frames: All frames loaded into the kernel pool for Cosmographia. Any one of these can be selected to be displayed on the selected body.

: Body Axes turned on for Mars

If the object’s body-fixed frame orientation is defined in one step (from the ICRF frame to the body-fixed frame), the set will include three options — ‘ICRF’, ‘Body-fixed frame’, and ‘SPICE Frame’. Selecting any one of these options will show the X, Y and Z axes of the selected frame centered at the object.

If the object’s body-fixed frame orientation is defined in two steps (from the ICRF frame to an intermediate frame and from the intermediate frame to the body-fixed frame), the set will include the ‘Intermediate Frame’ option for showing this intermediate frame in addition to the ‘ICRF’, ‘Body-fixed frame’, and ‘SPICE Frame’ options.

The order of transparency, from most to least, is as follows: ICRF, Intermediate Frame, Body Fixed Frame, and Spice Frames
The name of an axis can be changed by selecting the object the axis is on, right-clicking the axis and clicking Set Properties.
Make sure SPICE bodies are turned on. If SPICE bodies are turned off, clicking any SPICE frame will default to displaying the ICRF frame.

Adjust size of axes

Users can adjust the size of axes by going to the Gears icon, selecting Guides, and adjusting Vector Scaling on a scale of 0 to 1. This changes the size of all axes created after the scale adjustment. Existing vectors will not be changed.

Users can turn on/off several visual attributes for an object. This includes attributes such as vectors, frame axes, and a longitude/latitude grid.

Vectors

A vector can be in the form of a frame axis, direction vector, or sensor boresight vector.

Function

Description of Function

Method(s) to Perform Function

Look along

Adjust view to set the camera’s (observer’s) position at the tip of the vector, looking along the direction of the vector.

Object Menu: Select parent object of the vector. Right-click the vector. Then select Look along from the displayed options.

Look opposite

Adjust view to set the camera’s (observer’s) position at the tip of the vector, looking opposite the direction of the vector

Object Menu: Select parent object of the vector. Right-click the vector. Then select Look opposite from the displayed options.

Hide

Hide vector

Object Menu: Select parent object of the vector. Right-click the vector. Then select Hide from the displayed options.

Set Properties

Open Dialog box to adjust vector’s label, opacity, scale, and color

Object Menu: Select parent object of the vector. Right-click the vector. Then select Set Properties from the displayed options.

Vector Scaling

Adjust size of vectors on a scale of 0 to 1, applies to future vectors displayed and does not affect existing vectors

Left Toolbar: Toolbar > Gears > Guides > Vector Scaling, adjust scale from 0 to 1

Boresight Vector

Shows vector that represents the boresight of an instrument sensor

Left Toolbar: Find name of sensor with search icon, click Boresight

Finding Angle between Two Vectors

Shows text box that displays the angle measurement between any two vectors in degrees and radians

Object Menu: Select Body that the vectors are on. Select one of the two vectors. Right click the non-selected vectors. Click Angle to [name of first vector]. Make sure time is not paused

Frames and Axes

A body’s context menu provides a set of options for visualizing reference frames.

To visualize a frame, right-click desired object upon which frames will be rendered in order to display a body’s context menu. Then click desired frame.

There are a total of four types of frames that can be visualized.

ICRF (International Celestial Reference Frame): inertial frame

Intermediate Frame: one of the frames used to define the orientation of the body in the case of a two-step orientation determination.

Body Fixed Frame: frame that remains fixed relative to the selected body. The frame moves with the body as the body rotates.

SPICE frames: All frames loaded into the kernel pool for Cosmographia. Any one of these can be selected to be displayed on the selected body.

The order of transparency, from most to least, is as follows: ICRF, Intermediate Frame, Body Fixed Frame, and Spice Frames

The name of an axis can be changed by selecting the object the axis is on, right-clicking the axis and clicking Set Properties.

Make sure SPICE bodies are turned on. If SPICE bodies are turned off, clicking any SPICE frame will default to displaying the ICRF frame.

Adjust size of axes

Users can adjust the size of axes by going to the Gears icon, selecting Guides, and adjusting Vector Scaling on a scale of 0 to 1. This changes the size of all axes created after the scale adjustment. Existing vectors will not be changed.

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