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

Xbox 360 controller focus mode

Xbox 360 controller in 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.