- Command Syntax
- Case Sensitivity
- Object Names
- Specifying Paths
- Using Wildcards
- Common Graphics Options
- VGT, Time, Calc Component Specification
- Date/Time Options
- Report Style Names
- Other Syntax Notes
Command syntax
The following table outlines the use of syntax of the command format.
| Syntax | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| <IndividualValues> | Descriptions of individual values for parameters that must be specified are enclosed in angle brackets. | <Value> This example indicates that a single value is entered, the command description will provide more detail of what the value can be, for example: a real number between 0.0 and 99999.9. If a command calls for a numeric value and text is entered instead, the value will generally be interpreted as zero. |
| {Options} | Values surrounded by curly brackets indicate a choice between any number of available parameters. | {ColorName | ColorNumber} To indicate the color of something, you can use either the ColorName OR the ColorNumber, but not both. |
| {Option | Option} | Bars are used between options to indicate OR. |
{Primary | Secondary | Compute} In this example, enter the word Primary OR Secondary OR Compute. {<Value> | "StartTime" "StopTime"} In this example, the options are <Value> OR "StartTime" AND "StopTime". |
| [OptionalValues] | Values surrounded by square brackets indicate optional parameters. These options can be used in addition to the required parameters but are not required. | {SphereOption1} <Value1> [<WindowID>] In this example, you must specify {SphereOption} and <Value> pair and you may specify <WindowID>. |
| {Option [|] Option} | Square Brackets around a Bar indicates AND/OR. |
{<Name> [|] "StartTime"} In this example enter, <Name> OR "StartTime" OR <Name> AND "StartTime" |
| [OptionalValues...] | Ellipses indicate that multiple values of the same type may be entered. Values surrounded by square brackets indicate optional parameters. These options can be used in addition to the required parameters but are not necessary. | {SphereOption1} <Value1> [{SphereOption2} <Value2>...] In this example, you must specify one {SphereOption} <Value> pair and you may optionally specify any number of additional {SphereOption} <Value> pairs. |
| ({Option} <Value>) | Parentheses indicate multiple entries that are always entered together. This syntax is often used with ellipses to indicate that any number of the entries within the parentheses can be entered for a command. |
({CommOption} <Value>)... In this example, you can specify multiple {CommOption} <Value> entries. |
| "<ValuesInQuotes>" | The value entered must be enclosed in double quotation marks. |
"<FilePath>" This example indicates that a file path must be entered, and the value must be enclosed in double quotation marks. For example: "c:/Temp/MyFile.txt" |
Case sensitivity
STK class names are case sensitive (e.g., Application, Facility, Sensor).
Command names and almost all command parameters are case insensitive. If a parameter is case sensitive, this will be stated in the command description.
Object names
Object names cannot be more the 64 characters in length.
Object Names can contain only alphanumerics, underscores, and hyphens.
STK Object Names, in Connect, are not case sensitive; however, Class names are case sensitive.
An Object Name can not be "_Default" or "end" (regardless of case), as these are reserved words in STK.
Specifying paths
| PathType | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| <ApplicationPath> |
The <ApplicationPath> is the path to the instance of the current Application. The format for this is: /Application/<AppName> where <AppName> is the Application name, e.g. STK, NTK, etc. Since only one Application can be opened at a time, the <ApplicationPath> can also be abbreviated to simply: / |
/Application/STK / |
| <ScenarioPath> |
The <ScenarioPath> is the path to the instance of the current Scenario. It is represented by: Scenario/<ScenName> where <ScenName> is the Scenario name. Since only one Scenario can be opened at a time, the Scenario path or name can also be represented by a wildcard character, * (asterisk), which indicates the currently loaded scenario. |
Scenario/stkDemo Scenario/* * |
| <ObjectPath> |
The <ObjectPath> is the path to an object instance in the current Scenario. Its format is: Scenario/<ScenName>/<ObjectClass>/<InstanceName> The <ObjectClass> is a valid STK object e.g. Satellite, Facility, CoverageDefinition. The <InstanceName> is the name of the particular instance of the object. To obtain the path of a child of an object, simply append the /<ObjectClass>/<InstanceName> of the child to the end of the path. The Scenario/<ScenName> portion of the object path can be abbreviated with a wildcard character (*). |
Scenario/stkDemo/Satellite/espSat */Satellite/espSat Scenario/stkDemo/Satellite/espSat/Sensor/testSens */Satellite/espSat/Sensor/testSens |
| <TruncObjectPath> | The <TruncObjectPath> is an <ObjectPath> without the Scenario specified. | Satellite/espSat Satellite/espSat/Sensor/testSens Facility/Facility1 |
| "<FilePath>" | This is a complete filepath and filename. If the file is being read, it should indicate a valid, existing file. The "<FilePath>" is always enclosed in quotes, since it could contain spaces. | "c:\stk62DB\Dev\testFile.aem" "C:\Program Files\AGI\STK 12\STKData\VO\Models\Air\aircraft.glb" |
| "<SDFFilePath>" | This is a path to a file on an SDF server.
Syntax: <ServerName>:\\<ServerFile>[.<revision>] The "<SDFFilePath>" is always enclosed in quotes, since it could contain spaces. In STK 11.5 the "<SDFFilePath>" is only available for a select number of Connect commands. If you don't see it in the command documentation, then it is not available for that command. |
"AGI SEDS SDF:\\User Homes\susan@agi.com\Models\humvee.mdl" "AGI SEDS SDF:\\User Homes\susan@agi.com\Models\cubesat_1u.dae.1.0" |
Wildcards in object paths
The wildcard character (*) can be used in an <InstanceName> in a Connect <ObjectPath>. The wildcard can only be used in the <ObjectPath> for which the command is being sent, it can not be used in an <ObjectPath> (or <TruncatedPath>) that is one of the command parameters, except where explicitly stated in a command's documentation.
The wildcard character cannot be used in any <ObjectClass> name.
If the wildcard is used in a command returns data, the returned data for each object represented by the path, will be separated with a keyword, MDATA@DataLength@, where DataLength is the number of characters in the returned data for that object.
The wildcard should not be used with commands that write to a file. Only one file will be written and it will contain the data for the last path found.
When a command is entered using a wildcard in the <ObjectPath>, the path is expanded into all possible instances and the command is called for each instance. If any of the commands Nack, then a Nack will be returned, even though some commands may have completed successfully. To have the command ignore Nacks and continue processing use the ConControl / WildcardIgnoreNacksOn command.
Some examples follow:
*/Satellite/GPS*
The command with this path will affect all Satellites with names beginning with "GPS".
Scenario/stkDemo/Satellite/espSat/Sensor/*Test
The command with this path will affect all Sensors, on the Satellite espSat, with names ending with "Test".
Scenario/stkDemo/Satellite/Sat*/Sensor/*
The command with this path will affect all Sensors on all Satellites with names beginning with "Sat".
*/Satellite/*/Sensor/*
The command with this path will affect all Sensors on all Satellites.
Chains */Constellation/ConstObj Add Place/*
The command adds all Place objects in the scenario to a Constellation object.
Chains */Constellation/ConstObj Add Place/*/Transmitter/*
The command adds all Transmitters on a Place object to a Constellation.
Common graphics options
The following table outlines some of the common graphics options used in Connect commands.
| Option | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Colors in Connect commands can be entered in four different ways described here:
|
Below are the four different ways to indicate the color red: red 6 %255000000 #ff0000 |
| LineStyle | Line styles in Connect commands can be entered as the line style name or the line style number:
|
LineStyle dotted LineStyle Solid LineStyle 7 |
| FillStyle | Fill styles in Connect commands can be entered as the fill style name or the fill style number:
|
FillStyle VerticalStripe FillStyle 3 FillStyle Solid |
VGT, Time, Calculation, and Spatial Component specification
Use the following syntax when entering a VGT, Time, Calculation, or Spatial Analysis component in Connect.
A component instance:
"<TruncObjectPath> <ComponentName> {ComponentType}"
A template:
"<ClassName> <ComponentName> {ComponentType}"
The following table describes the elements of the specification.
| Element | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| <TruncObjectPath> | A truncated object path, Central Body path or Access object path.
To specify an Access object path, the syntax is: Where the <FromObj> and <ToObj> are comprised of the <ObjectClass>-<ObjectName> hierarchy. |
Facility/Facility1 Satellite/Satellite1/Sensor/Sn45 CentralBody/Moon Access/Facility-ScenTestFac-To-Satellite-ScenTestSat |
| <ClassName> | STK object class name; used when specifying a template. | Satellite GroundVehicle Receiver |
| <ComponentName> | The name of the component or template. |
EphemerisTimeSpan Body.Origin |
| {ComponentType} | The type of component or template. | Valid values for VGT {ComponentType}:
|
NOTE: In many Connect commands, the {ComponentType} is implied by the command and need not be entered, but it is good practice to always include the {ComponentType}.
| Component Instance Example | Description |
|---|---|
| "Satellite/MultSelTest EphemerisTimeSpan Interval" | The ephemeris time span interval for the satellite MultSelTest |
| "Satellite/MultSelTest AvailabilityIntervals.Span.Start Time Instant" | The embedded availability start time instant of the Satellite |
| "Satellite/ScenTestSat/Sensor/ScenSatSn Center Point" | The center point of the Sensor |
| "Satellite/ScenTestSat GroundTrajectory Parameter Set" | The satellite's ground trajectory parameter set. |
| "Satellite/ScenTestSat GroundTrajectory.Detic.LLA.Altitude Scalar Calculation" | The embedded Altitude scalar of the satellite's ground trajectory parameter set. |
| "CentralBody/Earth SunRA Angle" | The Earth SunRA angle. |
| "Access/Facility-ScenTestFac-To-Satellite-ScenTestSat-Sensor-TestSn1 AccessIntervals.First Interval" | The first access interval of the access between ScenTestFac and the TestSn1 Sensor. |
NOTE: Where a Connect command requires a template specification a Central Body component can also be used.
| Template Example | Description |
|---|---|
| "Satellite EphemerisEpoch Time Instant" | The ephemeris epoch time instant template for a Satellite |
| "Sensor Boresight Vector" | The boresight vector template for a Sensor |
Date/Time Options
When entering a single Time Value or Epoch enter one of the following:
| Single Time | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| "<DateTime>" | Enter the time using the current Connect Date units. | Connect Date unit set to UTCG: "01 Sep 2011 12:00:00.000" Connect Date unit set to YYDDD.DDD: "11244.50000" |
| "<TimeInstantComponentSpec>" | Enter a time instant component. The syntax is "<TruncPath> <Name> Time Instant" where <TruncPath> is an object truncated path and <Name> is the name of the time instant. |
"Satellite/Satellite1 EphemerisTimeSpan.Start Time Instant" "Missile/Missile1 EphemerisEpoch Time Instant" |
| "{TimeConstant}" | Enter a time constant. Valid values are Today, Tomorrow, NoonToday, NoonTomorrow, Now, UseAnalysisStartTime, UseAnalysisStopTime. Today and Tomorrow represent midnight (local time) of the current or next day. NoonToday and NoonTomorrow represent noon (local time) of the current or next day. Now will set the time to the current system time. UseAnalysisStartTime is the Scenario's analysis time period start. UseAnalysisStopTime is the Scenario's analysis time period stop. |
"Tomorrow" "Now" "UseAnalysisStartTime" |
The following are examples of valid specifications for entering a single Time or Epoch:
- "01 Jul 2011 12:00:00.000" (current Connect Date unit is set to UTCG)
- "Aircraft/Aircraft1 AvailabilityIntervals.Span.Stop Time Instant"
- "Today"
- "2455796.666666667" (current Connect Date unit is set to JulianDate)
When entering a Time Interval enter one of the following:
| Time Interval | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| UseScenarioInterval | Enter the keyword to set the time interval to the Scenario's Analysis Interval. | UseScenarioInterval |
| "<TimeIntervalComponentSpec>" | Enter a time interval component, which represents a start and stop time. The syntax is "<TruncPath> <Name> Interval" where <TruncPath> is an object truncated path and <Name> is the name of the time interval. |
"Scenario/Scenario1 AvailabilityIntervals.Span Interval" "Missile/Missile1 EphemerisTimeSpan Interval" |
| "<StartTime>" "<StopTime>" | Enter a start time and a stop time. The times must be entered in order, and need not be the same format. | See table below for formats for "<StartTime>" "<StopTime>" |
The following formats are available for entering "<StartTime>", "<StopTime>", and "<TimeLimitInstant>".
| "<StartTime>", "<StopTime>", or "<TimeLimitInstant>" | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| "<DateTime>" | Enter the time using the current Connect Date format. | Connect Date unit set to UTCG: "01 Sep 2011 12:00:00.000" Connect Date unit set to GPSTime: "1651:234315.000" |
| "<TimeInstantComponent>" | Enter a time instant component, which represents a single time. The syntax is "<TruncPath> <Name> Time Instant" where <TruncPath> is an object truncated path and <Name> is the name of the time instant. |
"Satellite/Satellite1 EphemerisTimeSpan.Start Time Instant" "Scenario/Scenario1 AnalysisStartTime Time Instant" |
| "{TimeConstant}" | Enter a time constant. Valid values are Today, Tomorrow, NoonToday, NoonTomorrow, Now, UseAnalysisStartTime, UseAnalysisStopTime. Today and Tomorrow represent midnight (local time) of the current or next day. NoonToday and NoonTomorrow represent noon (local time) of the current or next day. Now will set the time to the current system time. UseAnalysisStartTime is the Scenario's analysis time period start. UseAnalysisStopTime is the Scenario's analysis time period stop. |
"NoonToday" "UseAnalysisStopTime" |
| "+n {Unit}" | Enter a time increment. This is valid for "StopTime" only and defines a length of time that is added to the Start time.
where n is an integer, and {Unit} can be any of the following: Day, Days, Hour, Hours, Hr, Hrs, Min, Mins, Minute, Minutes, Sec, Secs, Second, Seconds |
"+1 day" |
The following are examples of valid specifications for Time Interval.
- UseScenarioInterval
- "01 Jul 2011 12:00:00.000" "01 Jul 2011 17:00:00.000"
- "Satellite/Satellite1 EphemerisTimeSpan.Start Time Instant" "Aircraft/Aircraft1 AvailabilityIntervals.Span.Stop Time Instant"
- "01 Jul 2011 12:00:00.000" "Satellite/Satellite1 EphemerisTimeSpan.Stop Time Instant"
- "Today" "+1 day"
- "Satellite/Satellite1 AvailabilityStartTime Time Instant" "+8 hours"
- "01 Jul 2011 12:00:00.000" "UseAnalysisStopTime"
- "Satellite/Satellite1 AvailabilityTimeSpan Interval"
For more information on dates, see the Scenario Units of Measure section in STK Help.
Report Style Names
This section describes how to specify the "<StyleName>" for the Style {Option} for the various report and graph commands. The syntax for the "<StyleName>" is:
"[{My Styles | Installed Styles}/][<Directory>/]<StyleName>"
Or
"<FilePath>/<StyleFileName>"
The following table describes the different style specifications. In the table:
ScenarioDir is the current Scenario directory
UserDir is <STKConfig>/Styles/<ClassName>
InstallDir is <STKInstall>/Styles/<ClassName>
| "<StyleName>" | Description |
|---|---|
| "<StyleName>" | This is the most common method. Enter the Style Name as it appears in the UI. STK will look for the style in the ScenarioDir, then in the UserDir and then in the InstallDir.
For example: "Beta Angle" |
| "<Directory>/<StyleName>" | Enter the Style Name preceded by a sub directory name. STK will look for the style in ScenarioDir/<Directory>, then in UserDir/<Directory> and then in InstallDir/<Directory>.
For example: "New Project/Beta Angle" |
| "My Styles/<StyleName>" | STK will look for the style in the UserDir.
For example: "My Styles/Beta Angle" |
| "My Styles/<Directory>/<StyleName>" | STK will look for the style in UserDir/<Directory>
For example: "My Styles/New Project/Beta Angle" |
| "Installed Styles/<StyleName>" | STK will look for the style in the InstallDir.
For example: "Installed Styles/Beta Angle" |
| "Installed Styles/<Directory>/<StyleName>" | STK will look for the style in InstallDir/<Directory>
For example: "Installed Styles/New Project/Beta Angle" |
| "<FilePath>/<StyleFileName>" | Enter the full path and file name for the style file. STK will look for the file specified.
For example: "C:\MySTK\Config\Styles\Satellite\New Project\Beta Angle.rst" |
Other Syntax Notes
The following table describes various notes you may want to keep in mind when using Connect Commands.
| Name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Keyword-Value Pairs | Many connect commands use the Keyword-Value pair syntax to enable you to include a variable number of options on the command line. If, however, you enter a Keyword-Value pair more than once, only the last instance of the Keyword value will be used. | VO */Satellite/Satellite1 Model Color red Color yellow In this simple example, the Color will be set to yellow for the model, not red. |