The 3D World
The Race Analysis Simulation screen contains two main areas, the top portion is the interactive 3D world. An image of this area is shown highlighted with a yellow box below. You can click the image for a full sized view.
The 3D World can be resized by hovering over the window boarder and dragging. The minimum screen size is 1024x768 while the maximum is 1900x1200. Keep in mind the larger the screen the more computing power you need!
Navigating in the 3D world
There are two ways to navigate in the 3D world. Each method is associated with a camera mode the two modes are the 'Follow' mode and the 'Free Flight' mode.
Regardless of the mode you can always tell the (true) heading of the camera by looking in the upper left corner of the screen.
The Follow Camera
When the simulation begins you are in the Follow mode. The Follow mode focuses the camera on the first visible boat in the simulation. In the screen shot above the camera is focused on the blue boat (Occam). In Follow mode the camera remains focused on the selected boat. You can tell which boat you are following by looking in the lower right portion of the screen.
In Follow mode you can control the camera with the actions below:
- If you click the name of a boat in the data table (at the bottom of the screen) and that boat is currently active in the simulation, you will begin following that boat.
- If you hold the "q" key and move the mouse you will rotate the camera around the boat as well as move it up and down.
- If you hold the "w" key will move the camera closer to the target boat.
- Pressing the "r" key will move the camera closer twice as fast.
- Pressing the "s" key will move the camera away from the target boat.
In follow mode you can only get within about 2 meters of the target boat.
The Free Flight Camera
As the new suggests the Free Flight mode allows you to fly the camera anywhere is the 3D space, including underwater.
To enter Free Flight mode right click the mouse any where in the 3D screen. While in Free Flight mode you can control the camera with the following actions:
- Holding the "q" key while moving the mouse changes the camera's pitch and yaw. The camera's roll is fixed and parallel with the horizon.
- The "w" key 'flies' the camera in the direction its facing. Moving the mouse will 'steer' the camera as you fly.
- The "e" key mimics the action of the "e" key but at a higher speed.
- The "s" key 'flies' the camera in reverse.
- The "a" and "d" keys move the camera left and right.
To re-enter Follow mode select a boat by clicking its name in the data table at the bottom of the screen.
Objects in the 3D World
There are two types of objects in the 3D World. Dynamic Objects and Static Objects.
Dynamic Objects
Dynamic Object are the objects that move. The boats are dynamic objects. Associated with each boat are two wind indicators, the true (blue) wind and the apparent (green) wind.
The camera is also a Dynamic Object but one you obviously can't see.
Static Objects
Static Objects are objects that don't move. The buoys, track lines and the water surface are all static objects. They can be located in the 3D world but they remain stationary.
The background is also a type of Static Object but it remains a fixed distance from the camera so you can never get to it and a boat will never sail through it.
Other Objects
Okay there is a third type of object that will only be briefly mentioned here. Waypoints are also a kind of object. They don't appear as something 'physical' but instead are used to calculate the course the boats are to sail. Often (nearly always) they will have a regular Static Object associated with them because you typically want to see them.