3D Graphics Global Attributes for Scenarios
Use the 3D Graphics - Global Attributes properties page of a scenario to define 3D visualization options that affect the entire scenario.
Surface Reference of Earth Globes
From the Surface At drop-down menu, select an option for displaying the surface level of the Earth in 3D graphics windows: at Mean Sea Level or the WGS84 Ellipsoid surface.
3D Object Editing
Select the Allow negative altitudes check box to enable you to pull great arc vehicles, facilities, and targets below the globe's surface reference — thus assigning them negative altitude values — while using 3D object editing.
Image Cache
The image cache temporarily stores imagery for the globe. You may need to increase the size of the cache if all of the images that you are trying to display cannot be loaded at the same time or if an image appears blurry.
Terrain Cache
The terrain cache temporarily stores terrain data for the globe. You may need to increase the size of the cache if all of the terrain that you are trying to display cannot be loaded at the same time or if the globe surface at the terrain level appears blurry.
The imagery and terrain caches allow for an even distribution of memory among 3D graphics windows, which at times may cause two or more 3D graphics windows to recalculate in response to mouse zooming or redraws in one window.
Surface Lines
From the On Terrain drop-down menu, select an option for displaying lines on the surface of the central body when terrain data is available. Select When Terrain Server is on to display surface lines on terrain only when you are connected to a terrain server, On to display surface lines on terrain data whenever it is available from any source, or Off to never display surface lines on terrain.
When you set surface lines for display on terrain, the following types of lines will conform to the terrain on the globe:
- Area targets
- Equator and Prime Meridian
- Ground tracks and swaths on all vehicles, except ground vehicles
- Ground ellipses
- Lat/Lon
- Line targets
- Map details
- Object lines (when set to do so in the 3D Graphics window properties)
- Range rings on facilities (when Use terrain data is selected on the Basic Position properties page)
- Range rings following ground vehicles
- Routes following ground vehicles
- Vector Product Format (VPF) data (set using the VO VPF connect command)
Displaying Surface Lines on Terrain
- If you do not display surface lines on terrain data, and terrain data is present, the surface lines may disappear under or appear to float over the surface of the central body.
- When STK displays a line on terrain, it ignores the line style.
- If you are not using terrain data in your scenario, you should not select to display surface lines on terrain, since doing so will unnecessarily degrade system performance.