Component Browser

The Component Browser is a powerful tool that contains analysis components and enables you to define your own components. The Component Browser is available from the Utilities menu.

Components are organized into groups listed in a tree structure in the left pane of the Component Browser. You can filter the display of component groups by selecting a particular group from the Show Component Type drop-down menu.

When you click a folder or subfolder in the left pane, the Component Browser shows its individual components in a given group or subgroup in the right pane. The icon representing the component tells you the origin of the component and in most cases how you can manipulate that component. The icon types are as follows:

Icon Description
Represents components that are hard-coded or ship with STK or are stored in read-only files.
Represents user-created components, which are not stored in read-only files.
You can neither duplicate nor edit these components.
Represents a component you placed in your User Collection. You can duplicate it, delete it, and modify its properties.
Represents an SDF Draft component, which is unfinished and unlinked.
Represents a general SDF component.
Represents a Draft component, which is unfinished and unlinked.
Represents a component that you can edit but cannot delete. STK prevents its deletion to avoid possible undefined behavior.
Represents a component that you can edit but cannot duplicate.

When you select a component, the file path to the location of that component is displayed in the File Path field of the component.

Adding and removing components

You can create a custom component by duplicating an existing component or importing one from a file. For components that you add to the Component Browser, STK saves them when you save the scenario. You can also export one or more components that you have defined in the current scenario for use in the following ways:

  • in your other scenarios
  • by others for different scenarios
  • in other applications.

Duplicating a component

To duplicate a component, select it in the Component Browser and click Duplicate Component (). A dialog box will appear, prompting you to enter a name and comment for the new component. Both fields are optional. If you do not enter a name, STK will automatically name it "Copy of <Component Name>". You can edit a duplicated component's properties at any time by double-clicking it to open its properties dialog box. You can rename the component by selecting it and then clicking its Name field or pressing the F2 key. To remove a selected custom component, click Delete () or press the Delete key.

Import one or more components

Use the Import option to add components to the existing components in one of the Component Type folders on the left side of the Component Browser. To import a single component or components from an external folder, follow these steps:

  1. On the left pane of the Component Browser, select the folder of the component type that you want to add to.
  2. Next to the Import icon (), use the down arrow to select one of the following:
    1. Import File - Choose this to import a single component.
    2. Import Folder - Choose this to move all the components from an external folder into the Component Type folder that you selected in the Component Browser in step 1.
  3. Click to go to and select the component file or folder of components that you want to import. Imported component files must have the correct file extension for the type that you are trying to load, and they must be properly formatted for that type. If you have specialized components you have saved to the STK Data Federate, you can import them into the Component Browser. To do so, in the Import file explorer window click the Location drop-down menu and select STK Data Federate. Then browse to and select your file or folder.
  4. Still in the Import file explorer window, click either Open, for importing a single component, or Select Folder, for importing components of a folder, to have STK import the component(s) into the Component Type folder you selected in step 1. If any of the import components have the same name as a component in the destination folder, a dialog box will appear to have you select whether or not to overwrite any or all of the components with the same name(s).

Export one or more components

The main use of the Export option is to share your custom components with others or with another application.

You can only export components that are not read only. If components are preinstalled in STK or ones that you added to your user collection, then they are ineligible for export.

When exporting custom components from the Component Browser, follow these steps:

  1. Designate a folder on your system where the component(s) will go.
  2. On the left pane of the Component Browser, select the folder of the component type that you want to export.
  3. Next to the Export icon (), use the down arrow to select one of the following options:
    1. Export File - Choose this to export just the one component you selected on the right pane of the Component Browser.
    2. Export Folder - STK will look in the Component Type folder you have selected on the left pane of the Component Browser. It will designate for export all of the eligible components inside of that folder.
  4. Click . In the Export file explorer window that appears, browse to and select the folder that you designated to place the exported component(s). You can choose to export your specific component(s) to the STK Data Federate. To do so, in the Export file explorer window click the Location drop-down menu and select STK Data Federate. Then browse to and select the folder you want to add to.
  5. Still in the Export file explorer window, click either Save, for exporting a single component, or Select Folder, for placing components of a folder, to have STK export the component(s) into the folder you selected. If any of the export components have the same name as a component in the destination folder, a dialog box will appear to have you select whether or not to overwrite any or all of the components with the same name(s).

Adding a component to your collection

You can save a custom-built component and make it available in other scenarios. Open the properties for the component and click Add to Collection. When you save a User Collection component for the first time, STK updates the File Path value to reflect the new component type. You cannot delete a User Collection component if the current scenario uses that component.

Built-in components never have the Add to Collection presented on their property page.

Select and edit windows

The Component Browser uses three different types of windows for most actions that involve selecting or editing components: single component selection, multiple component selection and component edit. Regardless of the component or components available in these windows, their function and the method for using them is the same.

Link Manager

The Link Manager enables you to manage all of the component-object links in your scenario in one location. You can link () components to objects, unlink () components from those objects, and edit () those components, all through the Link Manager window.

Help for certain component groups

For descriptions of STK Astrogator or STK Communications components, see the Help topic for individual STK Astrogator or STK Communications components.

For more information on creating and using star catalogs and star collections, see one or more of the following topics: