3.3 Tutorial - Basic Operations
This tutorial describes how to operate Solar System Simulator manually using the Simulation Controller on the right side of the Control Window.
1) Starting the Sssim Studio program
Start the Sssim Studio program. If Solar System
Simulator is not in the initial state, click Init
State
button (
)
on the toolbar. In the initial state, the Simulation Window should show the solar
system with the sun at the center. To activate the Simulation Controller,
choose View-> 
Browser
Control layout or View-> 
Simulation
Control layout.
2) Mouse operations (Simulation Window)
At the Simulation Window, you can view the solar system from any direction with the sun at the center by dragging with pressing the left mouse button. Dragging up and down with pressing the right mouse button changes the distance from the point to the sun. Solar System Simulator has a "Space View Mode" which allows you to look around space with a celestial body (sun, etc.) at the center. Choose Earth from the Celestial body Name: pull down menu in the Simulation Controller on the right side of the Control Window. Earth appears at the center of the screen. You can look around space with Earth in the center by dragging with pressing the left mouse button. Hereafter, celestial bodies centered in the middle of the screen are called "Selected Celestial Body".
3) Adjusting the time speed
Next, let us speed up time. In the default state, the current time will be set and displayed in the simulatior. The simulation is carried out for only one second, which means that the time of Solar System Simulator advances according to the current time. By switching Step: to hour/s, the time of Solar System Simulator will advance one hour per the actual one second as you view the Earth rotating. Drag the Speed: slider below to the left or right to adjust your desired time speed. The viewpoint will move around within the solar system according to the movements of the selected celestial body (in this case Earth). In this way, with the Space View Mode, you can view the relative movements of planets in the solar system as seen from the selected celestial body. Click on the Actual time button to return the simulation time to the current time.
4) Landing/launching
Now that we have viewed the solar system from space, let’s try going down to Earth and looking up at the skies. Select the location from the Location Name: pull down menu, and click on the Landing/Launching button. You will find yourself landing smoothly on Earth at the selected location. You are now in the "Ground Observation Mode". Look around by dragging with pressing the left mouse button. Drag up and down with pressing down the right mouse button to change the view angle. You can also see how the stars move centering around the northern stars in the northern skies while advancing time, and how the sun rises from the east and descends to the west. Using the Simulation Controller, show the constellation lines or nebula, star clusters. You can simulate starry skies at the desired time and place freely as if you were in a planetarium.
Now, let’s fly off into space once again. Click on the Landing/Launching button to return the place where you looked at Earth from space. In this way, Solar System Simulator allows you to travel freely within the solar system while traveling smoothly between Earth and space. Now, let’s try selecting a different planet and landing there. How will the solar system look from a planet which no one has yet traveled?