.. _user-interface:
Control panel
*************
The Gaia Sky control panel is divided into seven panes, `Time <#time>`__,
`Camera <#camera>`__, `Type visibility <#type-visibility>`__, `Visual settings <#visual-settings>`__, `Datasets <#datasets>`__, `Objects <#objects>`__, and `Music <#music>`__.
+----------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
| .. image:: img/ui/control-panel-collapsed.jpg | .. image:: img/ui/control-panel-expanded.jpg |
| :width: 45% | :width: 45% |
| :alt: User interface with all panes collapsed | :alt: User interface with camera pane expanded |
+----------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Collapsed control panel | Expanded control panel |
+----------------------------------------------------+-------------------------------------------------------+
The seven panes, except for the Time pane, are collapsed at startup. To expand them and reveal its controls just click on the little plus
icon |plus-icon| at the right of the pane title. Use the minus icon |minus-icon| to collapse it again. Panes can also be detached
to their own window. To do so, use the detach icon |detach-icon|.
.. |plus-icon| image:: img/ui/plus-icon.png
.. |minus-icon| image:: img/ui/minus-icon.png
.. |detach-icon| image:: img/ui/detach-icon.png
Time
====
You can play and pause the simulation using the |play-icon|/|pause-icon| ``Play/Pause`` buttons in
the ``Controls`` window to the left. You can also use :guilabel:`Space` to play
and pause the time. You can also change time warp, which is expressed as
a factor. Use :guilabel:`,` and :guilabel:`.` to divide by 2 and double the value of the
time warp.
.. |play-icon| image:: img/ui/play-icon.png
.. |pause-icon| image:: img/ui/pause-icon.png
Camera
======
In the camera options pane on the left you can select the type of
camera. This can also be done by using the :guilabel:`Numpad 0-7` keys.
There are eight camera modes:
* **Free mode** -- the camera is not linked to any object and its velocity is exponential with respect to the distance to the origin (Sun).
* **Focus mode** -- the camera is linked to a focus object and it rotates and rolls with respect to it.
* **Game mode** -- a game mode which maps the controls :guilabel:`wasd` + mouse look.
* **Gaia scene** -- outside view of the Gaia satellite. The camera can not be rotated or translated in this mode.
* **Spacecraft**-- take control of a spacecraft and navigate around at will.
* **Gaia FOV (1, 2, both)** -- the camera simulates either of the fields of view of Gaia, or both.
For more information on the camera modes, see the :ref:`camera-modes` section.
Additionally, there are a number of sliders for you to control different
parameters of the camera:
- **Field of view** -- control the field of view angle of the camera.
The bigger it is, the larger the portion of the scene represented.
- **Camera speed** -- control the longitudinal speed of the camera.
- **Rotation speed** -- control the transversal speed of the camera, how
fast it rotates around an object.
- **Turn speed** -- control the turning speed of the camera.
You can **lock the camera** to the focus when in focus mode. Doing so
links the reference system of the camera to that of the object and thus
it moves with it.
.. hint:: **Lock the camera** so that it stays at the same relative position to the focus object.
Finally, we can also **lock the orientation** of the camera to that of
the focus so that the same transformation matrix is applied to both.
.. hint:: **Lock the orientation** so that the camera also rotates with the focus.
Additionally, we can also enable the **crosshair**, which will mark the
currently focused object.
Type visibility
===============
Most graphical elements can be turned off and on using these toggles.
For example you can remove the stars from the display by clicking on the
``stars`` toggle. The object types available are the following:
- |stars| -- Stars
- |planets| -- Planets
- |moons| -- Moons
- |satellites| -- Satellites
- |asteroids| -- Asteroids
- |clusters| -- Star clusters
- |milkyway| -- Milky Way
- |galaxies| -- Galaxies
- |nebulae| -- Nebulae
- |meshes| -- Meshes
- |equatorial| -- Equatorial grid
- |ecliptic| -- Ecliptic grid
- |galactic| -- Galactic grid
- |labels| -- Labels
- |titles| -- Titles
- |orbits| -- Orbits
- |locations| -- Locations
- |countries| -- Countries
- |constellations| -- Constellations
- |boundaries| -- Constellation boundaries
- |ruler| -- Rulers
- |effects| -- Particle effects
- |atmospheres| -- Atmospheres
- |clouds| -- Clouds
- |axes| -- Axes
- |arrows| -- Velocity vectors
- |others| -- Others
.. |stars| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-stars.png
.. |planets| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-planets.png
.. |moons| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-moons.png
.. |satellites| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-satellites.png
.. |asteroids| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-asteroids.png
.. |clusters| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-clusters.png
.. |milkyway| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-milkyway.png
.. |galaxies| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-galaxies.png
.. |nebulae| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-nebulae.png
.. |meshes| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-meshes.png
.. |equatorial| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-equatorial.png
.. |ecliptic| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-ecliptic.png
.. |galactic| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-galactic.png
.. |labels| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-labels.png
.. |titles| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-titles.png
.. |orbits| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-orbits.png
.. |locations| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-locations.png
.. |countries| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-countries.png
.. |constellations| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-constellations.png
.. |boundaries| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-boundaries.png
.. |ruler| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-ruler.png
.. |effects| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-effects.png
.. |atmospheres| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-atmospheres.png
.. |clouds| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-clouds.png
.. |axes| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-axes.png
.. |arrows| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-arrows.png
.. |others| image:: img/ui/ct/icon-elem-others.png
.. _individualvisibility:
Individual visibility
---------------------
This button provides access to controls to manipulate the individual visibility of
some non-selectable object types like meshes and constellations.
.. figure:: img/screenshots/individual-visibility.jpg
:alt: Individual object visibility
Individual object visibility button and dialog
As shown in the image above, when clicking the "Individual visibility" button, a new
dialog appears, from which individual meshes and constellations can be selected and
unselected. Unselected objects will not be rendered.
.. _velocityvectors:
Velocity vectors
----------------
Enabling **velocity vectors** activates the
representation of star velocities, if the currently loaded catalog
provides them. Once velocity vectors are activated, a few extra controls become
available to tweak their length and color.
.. figure:: img/screenshots/velocity-vectors.jpg
:alt: Velocity vectors in Gaia Sky
:width: 100%
Velocity vectors in Gaia Sky
* **Number factor** -- control how many velocity vectors are rendered. The stars are sorted by magnitude (ascending) so the brightest stars will get velocity vectors first.
* **Length factor** -- length factor to scale the velocity vectors.
* **Color mode** -- choose the color scheme for the velocity vectors:
* **Direction** -- color-code the vectors by their direction. The vectors :math:`\vec{v}` are pre-processed (:math:`\vec{v}'=\frac{|\vec{v}|+1}{2}`) and then the :math:`xyz` components are mapped to the colors :math:`rgb`.
* **Speed** -- the speed is normalized in from :math:`[0,100] Km/h` to :math:`[0,1]` and then mapped to colors using a long rainbow colormap (see `here