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Things to Note:

In terms of labelling, here's how sorting was chosen:

  • Visual: anything that you can SEE or affects how/what you see
  • Interface: any toolbars, panels, or windows that are always on the screen/will pop up
  • Orbit & Environment: all of your orbital mechanics terminology, anything that seems like physics, and anything that affects the environment in your simulation
  • Comms & RF: anything you'd think comms would want to know
  • Automation, Code: anything that requires you to write a line of code, or deals with exporting files & data

Term NameWhat Is That?How Do I Use It? & FAQsRelevant Labels
Object Browser (OB)Your file directory for your simulation. It displays every active asset (e.g. Satellite, Facility, Sensor) in your scenario.By default, it should be on the left side of your screen. You can do a couple of things with this:
  • If you want to move this tab around, feel free to click and drag it around; place it wherever you like. If you press the downwards arrow along the top of the bar, you can change it from floating (it goes wherever you want), to docking (will snap along the screen), to integrated (will go wherever you want in your workspace).
  • If you accidentally closed it, here's how you can find it! Along the very top toolbar, click "view". From there, find "5"; that will make your OB appear again.
  • Double-click any item in this tree list to open its properties menu.

INTERFACE & PANELS

3D Graphics Window The main central panel showing a 3D model of the central body of your choosing, and the orbital trajectories that are passing by that body. Used to visually confirm certain geometries, line-of-sight arcs, and sensor cones.

By default, you should have a 3D window where your central body is the Earth. 

If you want a new one, click "view" along the very top toolbar, then "New 3D Graphics Window". You can also duplicate an existing window via very similar means. 

INTERFACE & PANELS

VISUAL
2D Map WindowThe main central panel showing a 2D projection map of the Earth. It displays the ground tracks of your satellites and the surface coverage footprints of your sensors over time.

By default, you should have this window open when you create a new scenario. 

If you want a new one, click "view" along the very top toolbar, then "New 2D Graphics Window". You can also duplicate an existing window via very similar means. 

  • 9 times out of 10, an "odd" looking ground track pattern is just normal flat-map projection geometry. If you really want to know if it's normal, check the 3D window to see its true circular path. 

INTERFACE & PANELS

VISUAL
Timeline ViewThe panel dictating the "time" the simulation is currently rendering. 

By default, it should be towards the bottom of your screen. However, the actual standard media controls (Play, Pause, Fast Forward, Reset) live in the 3D media toolbar just above your workspace with your graphics windows!

  • If everything is frozen, that means you've probably hit the end of your global Scenario duration. Click that red reset button in the animation toolbar to rewind to the very beginning of your simulation period.

INTERFACE & PANELS

Report & Graph ManagerThe UI tool used to pull raw numbers (e.g. GPS coordinates, access durations, look angles) out of your visual simulation and turn them into data sheets. For whatever object you want to make a report for, right-click it in the OB. Then, find "Report & Graph Manager" and select a style template in order to generate it.

INTERFACE & PANELSAUTOMATION, CODE

Access ToolThe calculation interface used to determine exact line-of-sight timeline windows between any two objects.To use it, highlight your primary object in the OB (this "primary object" is whatever is trying to access/see the other thing). If you look at the toolbar above the 3D media toolbar, click the "Access" button. It should look like 2 connected nodes, one being green. Then, look to your OB and select your target (whatever your primary object is trying to see) from the list, then "compute".

INTERFACE & PANELSCOMMS & RF

Properties BrowserThe ultimate configuration window for any individual object. This is where you input hard physical data, like orbital parameters, transmitter frequencies, or camera dimensions.To get to it, double-click any object in the OB. 

INTERFACE & PANELSIN PROGRESS

Vector Geometry Tool (VGT)The utility window in STK used to construct custom coordinate systems, geometric vectors, points, and reference axes.

To get to it, click "Analysis" from the main toolbar along the top. Then, find "Analysis Workbench", and the first tab that you should be automatically on is the VGT tab. 

  • If you need data that is NOT relative to the center of the Earth, use VGT and create a new coordinate system.

INTERFACE & PANELSORBIT & ENVIRONMENT

Component BrowserA catalog built into STK that holds predefined profiles for real-world space objects, atmospheric models, star maps, celestial bodies, and satellite hardware specs. To get to it, click "Utilities" from the main toolbar along the top. From there, you should be able to find the Component Browser. You can duplicate standard components (e.g. a default GPS receiver antenna) and tweak them to match custom flight hardware. 

INTERFACE & PANELSIN PROGRESS

Scenario ObjectThe ultimate folder that holds everything that exists in your simulation, at the top of your OB. It holds global settings like the start date, 

Do you remember what you named your scenario? That, in the OB, is what you'd double-click to get to its properties. It rests at the very top of the tree in the OB. 

  • If you want to change the global mission timeline, you can open this object's properties and edit the analysis period's start and stop times.

INTERFACE & PANELS

Integrated 3D Media ToolbarThe cluster of playback control buttons docked (typically) just above your workspace.  

From left to right, these are the buttons: reset (it's RED, jumps back to the beginning of the scenario period), step in reverse, reverse , pause, play, step forward, decrease time step, increase time step, "Normal" Animation Mode, Real Time Animation Mode, X Real Time Animation Mode. Let's go through some terminology:

  • The timestep determines how much time is passing every time the animation updates. By default, this is 60 seconds, so the animation jumps ahead by 1 minute per frame. Thus, to step forward or backward is to jump back or ahead by your timestep.
  • Normal Animation Mode runs as fast as your device can handle. Real Time Animation Mode locks itself onto your device's clock, only going as fast as "real-time". X Real Time Animation Mode is identical to the actual thing, except that you can multiply "real-time" by some constant to keep it moving smooth, just slightly faster or slower. 

INTERFACE & PANELSVISUAL

Message ViewerThe diagnostic terminal panel; it is STK's error log that spits out warning text when something in your simulation breaks.

It usually pops up in the bottom right corner of your screen. If something's gone wrong, it will tell you exactly what has gone wrong and where. 

  • To clear the panel (if there's too many messages), right-click inside the panel and select "Clear All". 

INTERFACE & PANELSAUTOMATION, CODE

Analysis WorkbenchThe home of the calculations that run in the background of STK. Contains VGT, the time tool, calculation tool, and spatial analysis. This is where you create advanced, custom mathematical rules that go beyond standard STK functions.To get to it, select "Analysis" from the main toolbar, and from there you should be able to find the workbench. 

INTERFACE & PANELSIN PROGRESSORBIT & ENVIRONMENT

Spatial Analysis ToolA technical interface panel used to analyze geographical space. It lets you paint regions of the Earth and calculate how well you access that zone (e.g. a satellite constellation accessing a portion of the Earth's surface area)To get to it, select "Analysis" from the main toolbar, and from there you should be able to find the spatial analysis tool. You can set up coverage definitions and user grids to turn orbits into real-world geographic statistics.

INTERFACE & PANELSIN PROGRESS

Solar Panel ToolA configuration panel used to build a virtual representation of your satellite's (or other object's) power generation hardware, tracking exactly when the panels face the Sun.

To find it: Utilities (main toolbar, along the top of the screen) → Solar Panel Tool

You can input your panel surface area, efficiency percentages, and whether your solar wings are fixed or spinning.

  • If you happen to have zero power generation, double check that you aren't paused in the middle of an eclipse in your timeline...

INTERFACE & PANELSORBIT & ENVIRONMENT

Astrogator UI PageThe advanced trajectory-design workspace that replaces your standard "Orbit" properties menu when you need to calculate complex maneuver firing sequences (e.g. Hohmann transfers, orbit-raising burns).To get to it: right-click your satellite/object → Properties → Orbit → Astrogator (in the propagator dropdown menu). You'll know you're there when you see the UI and the OB transform into a flowchart where you can add "Propagate", "Maneuver", and "Target" commands.

INTERFACE & PANELSORBIT & ENVIRONMENT

Globe ManagerThe sidebar panel that controls the visual mapping layers of the Earth itself. 

You can use this to toggle high-resolution satellite imagery, terrain elevation maps, cloud cover layers, and nighttime city light visualizations on and off. 

  • If your 3D Earth looks ugly (pixelated, flat, etc.), consult the Globe Manager and make sure a) your terrain cache server is checked and active, and b) your local imagery files are checked and active. 

INTERFACE & PANELSVISUAL

Object Properties What pops up when you open the properties of literally any object. Contains constraints, graphical attributes, and RF settings for whatever you're editing.
  • If you're looking at the properties of an object with vision (e.g. a satellite), you can add lines of sight via the "Constraints" branch in the Object Properties tree. Specifically, you can add limits like minimum elevation angles. 

INTERFACE & PANELS

Insert STK Object 

INTERFACE & PANELS

Save, Archive (VDF)

INTERFACE & PANELS

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