Using the 3D Map
The 3D Map shows a view of the galaxy with your travel history, EDSM known bodies, GEC Catalogm, Marx known nebula and stars from your system database.
The map is opened by using the panel selector (+) in either a tab or as a standalone panel.
You can open more than one 3d map panel at a time. Each retains its own settings.
Note that if too many are open, EDD may exit suddenly due to the openGL graphics system running out of memory and causing a shutdown without warning. Best practise is to open only a single one and ensure stability on your system before trying one 3d or local map at a time.
The 3dmap shows you the galaxy. You have two positions to control:
- Eye position - where your eye/camera is
- Lookat position - where your looking at
These positions are shown on the bottom left (Lookat position, distance between eye and lookat in light years, eye position)
You use the mouse and/or keyboard to change these positions. EDD remembers your lookat and eye position over shutdown so will open at the same position next time. Use the home button to go to your current travel position.
Along the top of the screen are icons to configure and move around the galaxy map:
- Menu - open the menu, see below
- Left arrow - go backwards in travel history one system
- Home - go to current system
- Right arrow - go forwards in travel history one system
- Galaxy - go to the default galaxy view (centred on Sol, at 6000 LY from it at a angle above the galaxy plane)
- Bookmarks - show the bookmark list
- Search text - search for a star or EDSM object, or show the name of the currently selected object.
The mouse allows you to move your eye position and your lookat position:
- Left Hold and drag: Rotate camera in Elevation and Azimuth
- Right Hold and drag: Translate Lookat/Eye on the XZ plane (left/right/forward/backwards)
- Left+Right Hold and drag: Translate Lookat/Eye on the YX plane (up/down)
- Left click - go to object pointed at
- Right click - open a context menu on object pointed at
- You can find information on the object, goto it, create or edit a bookmark on a star, etc.
- Mouse wheel - change zoom, i.e the distance between the eye and the lookat positions
For translation:
- Left Key, A = Left (X)
- Right Key, D = Right (X)
- Up Key, W = Forward (Z)
- Down Key, S = Backward (Z)
- Page Up Key, R = Up (Y)
- Page Down Key, F = Down (Y)
Shift doubles the speed when combined.
Key mapping for Zoom:
- Numpad +, M = Zoom in
- Numpad -, N = Zoom out
- Ctrl 1-9 Zoom to a set distance
Key mapping for camera:
- Numpad 8, T = Pitch up (Elevation)
- Numpad 2, G = Pitch down (Elevation)
- Numpad 4, Q = Turn left (Azimuth)
- Numpad 6, E = Turn right (Azimuth)
- Numpad 9 Rotate camera left
- Numpad 3 Rotate camera right
Shift doubles the speed when combined.
Others:
- Ctrl M = Change Y hold mode
When you zoom in so the lookat to eye distance is less than 400 ly, and the Galaxy Stars is enabled, then the program will attempt to load stars from your system DB.
You need to have the system DB populated with stars in the area of the lookat position for this to work. See the Settings panel.
As you move the lookat position around, the program will attempt to load more stars into the view. Stars are loaded on 100 ly cubes. As you move outside of a loaded cube the program will attempt to load more cubes.
A database icon on the bottom right lights up to show you the database is being read. Loading stars around Sol is slow, due to the volume of known stars. Outside of the local bubble it becomes quicker.
If too many stars are loaded (see the Galaxy stars display limit) then the oldest loaded stars are discarded.
The menu allows you to control the look of the galaxy map.
- Select between 3D (perspective) or 2D (orthographic) projections
- Select between elite movement (Hold Y when translating X/Z) or full 3D movement
- Display the galaxy image
- Display the dynamic grid
- Display the background star field
- Display the Nav route
- Display bookmarks
Configure how the map displays any stars loaded from EDSM in your system database:
- Enable/Disable star display
- Show names of stars
- Determine how many stars are displayed. There are four settings. The more you select, the more graphics memory is used. If your selection exceeds your graphics card capability, then EDD may terminate sudden due to out of graphics memory. Use Low or Medium as a preference. See above for notes about how you can run out of memory using too many panels.
- Select the scaling of stars as you move away from them. Keeping this high makes the stars more visible at a distance
Configure how your travel path is shown:
- Enable/Disable the Path
- Enable/Disable the Star
- Enable/Disable the showing of star names
- Select start/end date of travel path shown.
Configure which galaxy objects (nebula, black holes, etc) are shown:
- First button turns on/off all objects
- Further buttons turn on/off each class of objects. Hover over and the tooltip will tell you the type.
- Select the scaling of objects as you move away from them. Keeping this high makes the objects more visible at a distance
Configure if EDSM Region boundaries are shown (these were defined before Elite introduced regions). Mutually exclusive to Elite Regions:
- Enable/Disable
- Enable/Disable borders
- Enable/Disable shading of regions
- Enable/Disable name of regions
Configure if Elite Region boundaries are shown. Mutually exclusive to EDSM Regions:
- Enable/Disable
- Enable/Disable borders
- Enable/Disable shading of regions
- Enable/Disable name of regions
Overlay images, from EDAstro, any HTTP address, bitmaps on your drive, or EDD Icons, can be places on the map at any position, scaling, rotation and with configurable look at rotation and alpha.
The buttons:
- Enable/Disable galaxy images
- Add/Remove images from the map
See the video https://youtu.be/ki8ECcmEkn4 for details on how to add/remove items from the image list.
Select the scaling of bookmark markers as you move away from them. Keeping this high makes the objects more visible at a distance
Clicking on bookmark button along the top of the screen shows you the bookmark grid:
This shows you a list of your EDD bookmarks. You can sort the grid by clicking on a column heading.
- Left clicking on a bookmark moves the lookat position to that bookmark.
- Right clicking brings up a context menu allows you to edit, delete or make a new bookmark.