STK 9.2 Features | STK 9.2.1 Features | STK 9.2.2 Features

New Features in STK 9.2.3

The STK 9.2.3 release introduces the following enhancements:

• STK/SEET. This release of STK/SEET contains enhancements and corrected issues.
• STK/Connect. An altitude constraint can now be used for the Area Target class.

New Features in STK 9.2.2

The STK 9.2.2 release introduces the following enhancements:

• Connect
• • New Window2d and Window3d command options that display or hide toolbars on the 2D and 3D Graphics windows.
  • New 3D primitives (SurfacePolygon, SurfaceCircle, SurfaceEllipse, SurfaceRectangle, and SurfaceSector) that conform to terrain.
• Access. The max time step and max relative motion settings can now be set on a per constraint basis for access computations. These values help control the adaptive stepping algorithm. Currently, the settings are available using Connect and the ObjectModel; availability through the GUI will be provided in a subsequent release.
• STK/Coverage. The Dilution of Precision (DOP) figure of merit is improved to allow the use of the Best N algorithm for N=3, when reporting PDOP(3), HDOP(3), or VDOP(3) as the metric. In such a case, the Best 3 assets are determined using the lowest PDOP(3) metric.
• QualNet Interface for STK/Communications. Provides the capability to recognize the QualNet advanced satellite model, and enables users to map an STK antenna to both uplink and downlink antennas for the bent-pipe model when using the QualNet Interface Configuration Importer.

New Features in STK 9.2.1

The STK 9.2.1 release introduces the following new features and modules:

STK/EOIR

This new STK module provides the ability to model detection, tracking, and imaging performance of electro-optical and infrared sensors for earth science, missile defense, and space situational awareness applications. It supports concept development, design, field test, and operations.

STK/EOIR has the ability generate performance metrics such as signal-to-noise ratio and synthetic sensor images with both Earth and space in the background.

STK/EOIR provides the following benefits:

• Improved fidelity from a radiometric sensor model that goes beyond simple geometry. STK/EOIR considers the physics-based interactions of sensor, target, and environment providing accuracy and fidelity that have been anchored against operation missile defense sensor measurements.
• Faster and more accessible than complex stand-alone sensor models. The low complexity of the model speeds analysis and provides usability for both general systems engineers and sensor designers.
• Comprehensive mission analysis. STK’s broad mission modeling environment considers EO-IR performance in conjunction with sensor platform dynamics, communications and other mission architecture elements to assess integrated performance across a variety of mission scenarios.

STK/EOIR is developed by Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL), an AGI business partner and industry leader in EOIR sensor systems. For over 50 years, SDL has designed, fabricated, tested, and deployed space sensors for customers including NASA, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

Star Database Enhancements

The star database enhancements are:

• The Star Database tool, the Deck Access tool, and the Celestial 3D Graphics properties now support the use of the Hipparcos, Bright Star, and Tycho star catalogs.  In addition, the tools contain the ability to create and search star collections (a star collection is a subset of a star catalog).
• Ability to display star points and the star texture simultaneously.
• The default star catalog for STK is upgraded from the Bright Star Catalog, 5th Edition to the Hipparcos 2 catalog. The Hipparcos 2 catalog contains 117,995 stars and is considered to be one the best astrometric catalogs currently available.
• Scenario database options now include the selection of the default star collection.
• New star data providers.
• Improved rendering of stars in the 3D Graphics window.

Official Release of the STK/Vector Geometry Tool Automation Library

The STK/Vector Geometry Tool library, which was released as a Beta in STK 9.2, is now officially released. The Vector Geometry Tool (VGT) API enables you to define new or utilize existing geometric constructs such as coordinate systems, vectors, points, angles, axes and planes. The geometric elements can be used to transform between coordinate systems, find and differentiate vectors in various reference axes, or perform other types of analysis. For more information, see the STK Software Development Kit help system, which is accessible from the Help menu.

STK/Communications Enhancements

• QualNet Interface for STK/Communications. Wireless interfaces in the QualNet configuration file can now be imported into the QualNet Interface and easily mapped to antenna objects in the STK scenario.
• CommSystem Connect. CommSystem AccessOptions parameters can now be set using the new Comm CommSystem AccessOptions Connect command.

STK/Astrogator Enhancements

• Scripting tool.
• • Read-only attributes are now accessible from the scripting tool.
  • Attributes are now sorted alphabetically.
  • Stand-alone scripting tool profiles on a target sequence can now modify other profiles on the same target sequence.
• Targeter progress window.
• • Perturbation numbers now start at one instead of zero.
  • Tolerance is now provided for differential corrector profiles.
• Target sequences. Difference across segments and value at segment calculation objects now preserve the relative path to the other segment when they are copied.
• Connect Support. The new NumIterations attribute for the Astrogator_RM GetValue Connect command provides the ability to retrieve the number of iterations a differential corrector used on its last run.
• Object Model Support. A new STK Astrogator library property retrieves the number of iterations a differential corrector used on its last run.
• Component Browser.
• • Components can be renamed or deleted.
  • Segments that are in an MCS can be added.
  • Segments in sequences and target sequences can be edited.
• MarsGRAM.
• • Astrogator now supports the MarsGRAM 2005 atmospheric model.
  • Options to give the low, high, and random perturbed density are now available for the MarsGRAM models.

AGI Data Federate (ADF) Enhancements

The ADF open dialog now defaults to a simplified search page that can be used to easily find data in the ADF using either a file name or metadata.

STK/Connect Enhancements

• Latitude and longitude values returned using MissionModeler_RM commands now have a precision of 9 decimal places.
• VO CameraControl and VO_R CameraControl commands now set and get all data associated with the camera control tool.

STK Plugins

STK/Communications and STK/Radar scripts and COM plugins now support Vector Geometry Tool references to <MySelf>, <MyParent>, and <MyGrandParent>. An object within the object's hierarchy no longer requires an absolute path and name.

Licensing Enhancement

The reconnection timeout period for a connection to a license server is increased from five minutes to ten minutes.

New Date Format

Epoch Years (EpYr) is added as a new date format. The Date Format is set on the Scenario's Basic->Units Properties page.

New Features in STK 9.2

This release of STK introduces the following major enhancements:

• QualNet Interface for STK/Communications. This new interface offers an enhanced solution for communications network modeling by introducing off-the-shelf interoperability with QualNet, an industry-recognized network modeling and simulation tool. The QualNet Interface combines network performance evaluation from QualNet with the platform mobility models, wireless link calculations and mission visualization environment of STK, making it easier to:
• • Create a realistic scenario for communications network modeling.
  • Improve the fidelity of physical layer calculations.
  • Clarify the effects of network performance on a mission.
• AGI Data Federate (ADF). This new integrated data and engineering analysis management system allows you to spend less time handling data on your personal desktop, within your workgroup or across your entire organization. ADF facilitates collaboration, synchronization, and traceability of your data resulting in an increase in productivity.
• KML Support. STK can now display Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files (.kml/.kmz) in the 3D Graphics window. KML files can be added to a 3D Graphics window from the Globe Manager. Features specified in the KML files can be displayed or hidden and zoomed to using the KML window drop-down menu.
• COLLADA Support. STK can now natively read the COLLADA (.dae) 3D model format. COLLADA is an open format that greatly expands the ability to import 3D models into STK. COLLADA support was previously in beta but is officially released in STK 9.2.

Vector Geometry Tool (VGT) Automation Library Available as a Beta Release

Information about this new feature, including documentation and white papers, is provided on the AGI Developer Network.

Technical Enhancements

In addition, new technical enhancements are introduced in the following STK editions and modules:

Editions

• STK Professional Edition
• STK Expert Edition

Analysis Modules

• STK/Communications
• STK/Space Environment and Effects Tool