Interface Overview

Darksun places a 3D simulation canvas at the centre of a windowed workspace. Knowing where the main controls live will help you move quickly between planning, inspection, and visualisation tasks.

Top Bar

The top bar exposes global windows and utilities:

• About – version information and credits.
• Docs / Help – open the external documentation or the in-app help window.
• Copilot – toggle the copilot chat (if configured).
• Spacecraft / Planner / Timeline / Missions / Calculator / Share / Groundtrack – one-click shortcuts to the corresponding windows.
• Settings – opens the settings window (Display, Visual Effects, Simulation tabs).

Window Manager

Every tool runs inside a draggable window:

• Drag the title bar to move a window.
• Resize from any edge or corner.
• Close with the ×; reopen from the top bar.

Frequently Used Windows

Window	Purpose	Highlights
Spacecraft Manager	Create, inspect, focus, replay, or remove spacecraft.	Launch the wizard, open detail panes, focus the camera.
Mission Planner	Author manoeuvre scripts and run them.	Script editor, node table, propulsion analysis, “Run Maneuver Program” button, optional solve step for circularisation directives.
Orbit Graph	Plot orbital metrics for the selected spacecraft.	Choose parameters (altitude, inclination, eccentricity, etc.) and compare planned vs executed tracks.
Groundtrack	View ground tracks over planetary surfaces.	Heatmap modes, collision/SOI markers, zoom/reset controls.
Spacecraft Detail	Inspect telemetry and stage data for one spacecraft.	Orbital elements, state vectors, propulsion regimen, quick links to orbit graph and timeline.
Settings	Adjust display layers, lens flares/tone mapping, integrators, and tolerances.	Changes apply immediately; integrator switches can auto-adjust tolerances.
Share	Capture a shareable URL for the current state.	Copy link or open a mail draft directly.

3D Scene

• Camera – orbit the scene with right-drag, pan with middle-drag, zoom with the wheel. Use context menus or the spacecraft detail window to focus targets or switch to orbital perspectives.
• Scene Layers – toggle orbit categories, SOI spheres, atmosphere rendering, surface features, comms links, and more from Settings → Display.
• Interaction – right-click an object to focus it or open related windows (detail, mission, planner).

Timeline & Playback

• Mission Timeline Window – shows the selected spacecraft’s timeline and propagation controls via the reusable spacecraft simulation settings view.
• Playback Controls – bottom bar buttons control play/pause and the experimental time warp slider/popover.
• Epoch – click the UTC timestamp to jump to a specific time.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Use W, A, S, D to translate the camera, Q / E for vertical movement, and R / F to zoom in or out.
• Aim the camera with the arrow keys, roll with Z / C, and press T to reset the current target.
• Adjust camera movement speed with = / ] / Numpad + and slow it down with - / [ / Numpad -.
• Save the current simulation state to the URL at any time with Cmd+S (macOS) or Ctrl+S (Windows/Linux).
• Tap the keyboard icon in the bottom bar to open the in-app cheat sheet. The Controls Reference has the full table.

Workspace Persistence

Darksun stores window positions, sizes, and most settings in browser storage. Reloading the app restores your layout automatically. Use the Share window if you want to capture the current arrangement or hand a scenario to a colleague.