This property page is used to control the display of b-planes for the satellite.
For practice using b-planes, try the Astrogator Moon Mission exercise.
Adding B-Planes
B-planes are derived from user-defined templates, which can be created using the B-Plane Template Tool. If you have not defined a b-plane template for the current scenario, you will need to create one before you can utilize this property page.
To add a b-plane to the satellite, click Add to open the Add B-Plane window and select a b-plane template to use. The b-plane will appear in the adjacent table, comprised of the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Indicates the name assigned to the b-plane. |
| Definition | Indicates the template from which the b-plane is derived. |
| Event | Indicates the event name, which is the point in time at which the b-plane is defined. |
| Show | Select to have the b-plane displayed in the 3D Graphics window. |
| Point Color | Indicates the color of the b-plane's points. Double-click to select a different color. |
To change the basic parameters of a b-plane, click Modify to open to the Modify B-Plane window, which is identical to the Add B-Plane window. Click Remove to delete the currently selected b-plane, or Remove All to delete all b-planes listed in the table.
Specifying B-Plane Display
Once you have added a b-plane or b-planes to the satellite, you can specify characteristics about the display of each. Select the desired b-plane in the table, and then edit the following fields, as desired.
If you switch the selected b-plane, any changes you made to the previously selected b-plane are automatically applied to it.
Event
Define the event, which is the point in time at which the b-plane is defined.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Epoch | Enter the epoch of the event or accept the default epoch. This field is the same as the epoch field in the Add/Modify B-Plane window, and a change to the field in one location will be reflected in the other. |
| Always Display | Select to have the b-plane display throughout the scenario's animation. |
| Display | Select to specify a duration before and after the event that the b-plane will display. The b-plane will only be displayed from the specified time before the event until the specified time after the event. |
Additional Points
Define additional points to display on the b-plane.
Click Add to create an additional point, which will then appear in the associated table. Click Remove to delete the currently selected point, or Remove All to delete all the additional points.
The additional points are displayed in a table and can be defined by double-clicking the desired field and inputting a new value:
- Name
- B.T
- B.R
- BMag
- Theta
Changing the value of one of the B.T, B.R, BMag, or Theta fields for a point will cause the values of the other three fields to be changed respectively.
The display of additional points can be further defined by the following fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| First Point | Select Use Point Color to display the first point in the same color as all the other points, or select a different color to use for the first point only. |
| Connect | Select to connect the points, and specify the color and width of line to be used. |
Target Point
Define the display of a target point. The position of the target point can either be defined manually, or by an Astrogator target sequence.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Show | Select to have the target point displayed in the 3D Graphics window. |
| Color | Select a color with which to display the target point. |
| Cartesian/Polar | Select Cartesian or Polar to define the representation of the target point, and enter either B.T and B.R values for Cartesian, or BMag and Theta values for Polar. |
All Points
Define display properties for all points on the b-plane.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Show Label | Select to display all points with their appropriate labels. |
| Point Size | Specify the size at which to display all points on the b-plane. |
Show in Windows
Select the 3D Graphics windows in which b-planes will be displayed. By default, All is selected, which will result in b-planes appearing in all 3D Graphics windows. You can select multiple windows from the list by holding down the Ctrl or Shift buttons and left-clicking them, in the same manner as most Windows applications. All b-planes selected for the satellite will be displayed in all selected windows.