Controls

This section describes the controls of Gaia Sky.

Keyboard controls

To check the most up-to-date controls go to the Controls tab in the preferences window. Here are the default keyboard controls depending on the current camera mode. Learn more about camera modes in the Camera modes section.

Keyboard mappings

The keyboard mappings are stored in an internal file called keyboard.mappings (link). If you want to edit the keyboard mappings, copy the file it into $GS_CONFIG/mappings/ and edit it. This overrides the default internal mappings file. The file consists of a series of <ACTION>=<KEYS> entries. For example:

# Help
action.help                                 = F1
action.help                                 = H

# Exit
action.exit                                 = ESC

# Home
action.home                                 = HOME

# Preferences
action.preferences                          = P

#action.playcamera                          = C

The available actions are defined in this I18n file here.

Focus and free camera modes

These keyboard controls apply to the focus mode and also to the free mode.

Key(s)	Action
↑	Camera forward
↓	Camera backward
→	Rotate/yaw right
←	Rotate/yaw left
Home	Back to Earth (or any other home object)
Tab	Toggle minimap
Ctrl + r	Reset time to current
Num 0 or 0	Free camera
Num 1 or 1	Focus camera
Num 2 or 2	Game mode
Num 3 or 3	Gaia scene mode
Num 4 or 4	Spacecraft mode
Num 5 or 5	Gaia FOV1 camera
Num 6 or 6	Gaia FOV2 camera
Num 7 or 7	Gaia FOV1 and FOV2 camera
Ctrl + w	New keyframe
Ctrl + k	Panorama mode
Space	Pause/resume time
F1	Help dialog
F5	Take screenshot
F6	Start/stop frame output mode
F11	Toggle fullscreen/windowed mode
Ctrl + f or f	Search dialog
Esc or q	Quit application
p	Open preferences dialog
h	Open help dialog
r	Run script dialog
c	Run camera path file dialog
-	Decrease limiting magnitude
+	Increase limiting magnitude
,	Divide time warp by two
.	Double time warp
*	Reset limiting magnitude
Shift + b	Toggle constellation boundaries
Shift + c	Toggle constellation lines
Shift + e	Toggle ecliptic grid
Shift + g	Toggle galactic grid
Shift + l	Toggle labels
Shift + m	Toggle moons
Shift + o	Toggle orbits
Shift + p	Toggle planets
Shift + q	Toggle equatorial grid
Shift + s	Toggle stars
Shift + t	Toggle satellites
Shift + v	Toggle star clusters
Shift + h	Toggle meshes
Shift + u	Expand/collapse controls window
Ctrl + u	Toggle UI completely (hide/show user interface)
Ctrl + d	Toggle debug info
Ctrl + s	Toggle stereoscopic mode
Ctrl + Shift + s	Switch between stereoscopic profiles
Ctrl + k	Toggle 360 panorama mode
Ctrl + Shift + k	Switch between 360 projections
Ctrl + Shift + g	Toggle galaxy renderer

Spacecraft mode

These controls apply only to the spacecraft mode.

Key(s)	Action
w	Apply forward thrust
s	Apply backward thrust
a	Roll to the left
d	Roll to the right
k	Stop spaceship automatically
l	Stabilize spaceship automatically
↑	Decrease pitch angle
↓	Increase pitch angle
←	Increase yaw angle
→	Decrease yaw angle
PgUp	Increase engine power by a factor of 10
PgDown	Decrease engine power by a factor of 10

Mouse controls

Here are the default mouse controls for the focus and free Camera modes. The other modes do not have mouse controls.

Focus mode

Mouse + keys	Action
L-MOUSE DOUBLE CLICK	Select focus object
L-MOUSE SINGLE CLICK	Stop all rotation and translation movement
L-MOUSE + DRAG	Apply rotation around focus
L-MOUSE + Shift + DRAG	Camera roll
R-MOUSE + DRAG	Pan view freely from focus
M-MOUSE + DRAG or WHEEL	Move towards/away from focus

Free mode

Mouse + keys	Action
L-MOUSE DOUBLE CLICK	Select object as focus (changes to focus mode)
L-MOUSE SINGLE CLICK	Stop all rotation and translation movement
L-MOUSE + DRAG	Pan view
L-MOUSE + Shift + DRAG	Camera roll
M-MOUSE + DRAG or WHEEL	Forward/backward movement

Game mode

Use the mouse to look around and wasd to move.

Gamepad controls

Gaia Sky supports (as of version 1.5.0) mappings for different controller types. However, so far only the mappings files for the Xbox 360 controller and the PS3 controller are provided.

Sometimes there are differences between the axes and buttons codes for the same controller device between operating systems. To solve this issue, we offer a way to describe operating system specific mappings. To do so, create a new mappings file with the format [controller_name].[os_family].controller, where os_family is linux, win, macos, unix or solaris. If the mappings for the given file name and OS family are found, they will be used. Otherwise, the file defined in the configuration file is used. For example, if we have the file xbox360.controller is defined in the configuration file, the system will look up xbox360.win.controller if on Windows, xbox360.linux.controller if on Linux, and so on. If found, the file is used. Otherwise, the default xbox360.controller file is used. Gaia Sky provides the default xbox360.controller file, which defines the Linux mappings, and also the Windows mappings xbox360.win.controller.

The mappings files (see here) must be in the $GS_CONFIG/mappings (see folders) folder, and basically assign the button and axis codes for the particular controller to the actions.

# AXES

axis.roll=3
axis.pitch=1
axis.yaw=0
axis.move=4
axis.velocityup=5
axis.velocitydown=2

# BUTTONS

button.velocityup=2
button.velocitydown=0
button.velocitytenth=5
button.velocityhalf=4

The actions depend on the current camera mode (focus, free, spacecraft), and are described below.

Creating mappings files for new controllers

As of version 1.5.1 a new controller debug mode has been added to help create new mappings files. This mode prints to the log all key press and release events with their respective key codes, as well as trigger events, values and codes. It also prints controller connection and disconnection events.

In order to enable the controller debug mode, set the property controls.debugmode=true in the $GS_CONFIG/global.properties file.

Put your new files in $GS_CONFIG/mappings/. The name of the file should be [controller brand and model].mappings. For example, xboxone.mappings or logitech_f310.mappings.

Please, if you create mappings files for new game controllers, create a pull request in the gaiasky gitlab so that the community can benefit.

Focus mode

Property	Action
`button.velocityhalf`	Hold to apply `0.5` factor to speed
`button.velocitytenth`	Hold to apply `0.1` factor to speed
`axis.velocitydown`	Move away from focus
`axis.velocityup`	Move towards focus
`axis.yaw`	Horizontal rotation around focus
`axis.pitch`	Vertical rotation around focus
`axis.roll`	Roll right and left
`axis.move`	Move towards or away from focus
`button.velocityup`	Move towards focus
`button.velocitydown`	Move away from focus

Free camera mode

Axis/button	Action
`button.velocityhalf`	Hold to apply `0.5` factor to speed
`button.velocitytenth`	Hold to apply `0.1` factor to speed
`axis.velocitydown`	Move away from focus
`axis.velocityup`	Move towards focus
`axis.yaw`	Yaw right and left
`axis.pitch`	Pitch up and down
`axis.roll`	Move sideways
`axis.move`	Move forward and backward
`button.velocityup`	Move towards focus
`button.velocitydown`	Move away from focus

Spacecraft mode

Axis/button	Action
`button.velocityhalf`	Stabilise spacecraft rotations
`button.velocitytenth`	Stop spacecraft
`axis.velocitydown`	Apply backward thrust
`axis.velocityup`	Apply forward thrust
`axis.yaw`	Yaw right and left
`axis.pitch`	Pitch up and down
`axis.roll`	Roll right and left
`axis.move`	None
`button.velocityup`	Increase engine power
`button.velocitydown`	Decrease engine power

Touch controls

No mobile version yet.