# Usage
To enter the ship, there is a button on top of the ship that will open `Hatch`. Once inside you can also open and close the cockpit glass `Canopy`. Buttons for these are available in the pilot side consoles.
## Flying the Ship
The left lever on the center console controls backwards thrust (braking) and the right lever controls forward thrust.
| Interface | Function |
|---|---|
| `Speed` | Current speed in metres per second. |
| `ForwardThrust` | Current forward thrust, maximum of 10,000 units |
| `Throttle` | Current throttle level, maximum of 100 percent |
| `Cruise` | Activates cruise control, forward thrust will not reset to zero unless turned down. |
| `Turtle` | Activates turtle mode which sets forward thrust to a maximum limit of `TurtleRate` of full thrust. |
| `Sloth` | Activates the low sensitvity mode of pitch and yaw by limiting thrust. Use the `Sensitivity` switch to set the maximum thrust rate of sloth mode.|
| `Aim` | Reduces the response time of key presses for pitch and yaw. |
| `Guides` | Activates rangefinders (except center one which can be activated separately). Can be used as guide lasers. `Red` warning lights show location of obstacles (left, right and centre). |
| `Range` & `Distance` | Activates center rangefinder, with `Distance` showing distance to object. |
| `Material Scanner` & `Materials` | Turns on the [Ore Scanner](#ore-scanner) and shows results of scan. |
| `Approach`, `Collect`, `Mine`, `Lasers`, `Rotate`, `Eco`, `Drill Mode` & `Drill Pitch` | Mining controls. See [Mining](#mining). |
| `Nav`, `Autopilot`, `Avoidance` & `Target` | Autopilot controls. See [Autopilot and Crash Avoidance](#auto-pilot-and-crash-avoidance). |
| `ISAN2` | Current ISAN coordinates of ship. |
| `NavGrid`, `NavP`, `NavC` & `Attitude` | [NavGrid](https://github.com/pcbennion/starbase-navgrid) system, see [Using the Waypoint System](#using-the-waypoint-system). |
| `SafeZone` | Whether current location is in the safe zone. |
| `StrengthFactor` | Current strength of ship. May fluctuate as ore crates are filled. Anything below 1.0 means ship is damaged. |
| Transponder `Toggle` & `Ping` | Transponder controls, `Toggle` turns on and off ship transponder while `Ping` will activate transponder for three seconds |
| `Timer` | See [Timer](#timer). |
| `Odometer` | See [Odometer](#odometer). |
**NOTE:** For safety, firing full braking thrust will deactivate `Cruise`.
## Using the Waypoint System
### Viewing and Selecting Waypoints
This uses the [NavGrid](https://github.com/pcbennion/starbase-navgrid) system. Use the `Down` and `Up` waypoints selectors to select waypoint. The selected waypoint information is shown on `NavP` and `NavC` panels.
On the pilot center console, `NavGrid` will show the compass towards the selected waypoint while `Attitude` will show the ship's pitch, heading and roll directions. `NavGrid` is best used while not moving.
### Editing and Saving Waypoints
Use `Set` to save waypoint of current location to the current selected waypoint position.
To edit currently selected waypoint, use your `U` tool to add name, X, Y and Z values to `nName`, `nX`, `nY` and `nZ` respectively. Then use the `Save` button to save.
**NOTE:** Waypoint 1 to 6 are presets and can not be over written.
### Loading Waypoint to Auto Pilot
Use `Load to Auto Pilot` to load curretnly selected waypoint to `Target` to be used with the auto pilot system.
## Auto Pilot and Crash Avoidance
The ship uses a modified version of [NavCas](https://github.com/fixerid/sb-projects/tree/main/NavCas) which uses the 3 in 1 ISAN from Compass. Waypoints are loaded from NavGrid waypoint system.
Use while the ship is stationary. Activating `Nav` will start point the ship towards `Target` waypoint and deactivate itself when done. `Autopilot` will activate `Nav` and fly to within 5km of `Target` waypoint with `Avoidance` activated.
**NOTE:** `Nav` may not be very accurate. I recommend using it in conjunction with the NavGrid compass. The `dd` panel on the pilot left console shows debugging information for NavCas.
`Avoidance` will activate `Guides`. If the guides detect objects it will cut thrust and strafe up or down (will flash either the top or bottom `Blue` warning lights on the pilot center console according to the direction) while sounding an alarm (check game settings if you do not hear the alarm).
It will also flash `Red` warning lights on the pilot center console according to the position of obstacle detected. If `Autopilot` is activated, it will readjust and continue its flight.
**NOTE:** For safety, `Avoidance` will not activate if the mining lasers are turned on. Do not turn on `Avoidance`, `Autopilot` and `Nav` while lasers are turned on.
`Avoids` will show the counters for number of avoidances. The `Trip` counter can be reset by holding down the `Avoids` `Reset Trips` button.
**NOTE:** There is very limited coverage of range finders for the crash avoidance system. **Use at your own risk!**
## Resetting Navigation
If ISAN or NavGrid is not working, it can be reset using the `Reset ISAN` button. Press once to take ISAN offline, then press again to reset.
## Mining
To approach an asteroid, point the center range finder at an asteroid and activate `Approach`. Once in range (optimum range is 10 to 14m on `Distance`), activate `Lasers` to turn on the mining lasers. Activating `Rotate` will rotate the laser drill.
The laser drill has three modes.
- `Fixed` mode will keep all lasers converged to the asteroid detected by the center range finder.
- `Manual` mode allows adjustment of the `Drill Pitch`. The pitch range is from `-15` to `20` degrees.
- `Auto` mode will activate `Rotate` and progressively increase the drill pitch with the rotations
`Drill Pitch` can only be adjusted in `Manual` mode. `Eco` mode will only use two lasers to conserve power.
`Mine` is a button which will activate automated mining. Point the center range finder at an asteroid and activate. It will activate `Material Scanner` and `Approach`, and once in range it will automatically activate `Lasers`.
`Collect` turns on the four ore collectors.
If batteries start running out of charge while mining, turn on `Min Gen`. Continous use of the lasers and collectors at the same time requires a `Min Generator Limit` of around 90%.
**NOTE:** For safety, lasers will turn off if the total fuel is less that 2,000 units.
### Ore Scanner
Activate using the `Material Scanner` button. Scan results will show on the `Materials` panel in number of stacks. It has a maximum range of 100m.
## Managing Power and Fuel
| Interface | Function |
|---|---|
| `Propellant` | Total propellant remaining in propellant tanks, maximum of 144,000,000 units. |
| `PropTime` | Time and distance remaining of propellant based on current usage. Distance is calculated from speed. |
| `FuelTime` | Time and distance remaining of fuel based on current usage. Distance is calculated from speed. |
| `WithBackup` | Same as FuelTime but takes into account backup rods available. Use the switch for `Backup Rods` to set the number of backup rods available. As standard there are 20 extra rods. |
| `Fuel Rod 1` to `Fuel Rod 12` | Fuel remaining on fuel rods in individual fuel chambers, maximum of 300,000 units for each. |
| `Generator` | Current generator rate. |
| `Min Gen` & `Min Generator Limit` | Toggle and sets minimum generator rate. See [Managing Power](#managing-power). |
| `Shutdown` | Will turn off all fuel chambers thus shutting down generators. |
| `Battery` | Shows current battery charge of the batteries, maximum of 10,000 units. |
| `HeatTransferRate` | Current heat transfer rate of the heat sinks, maximum of 100%. |
| `StoredHeat` | Current stored heat in the heat sinks, maximum of 15,000 units. |
| `Flow In` & `Flow Out` | Toggle flow modes of resource bridges. See [Refueling Propellant](#refueling-propellant). |
| `Lights` | Turns on and off internal lights. |
| `Canopy` | Opens or closes glass canopy. |
| `Hatch` | Opens or closes ship entry hatch. |
### Managing Power
By default the generator will only run and ramp up when the batteries need charging so there is minimum management needed. But you can set a minimum generate rate by setting the `Min Generator Limit` value using the switch for the minimum rate and turning on `Min Gen`.
### Refueling Propellant
All four resource bridges can be used for refuelling propellant. To refuel from another ship, turn off `Flow Out` on the pilot right side console and leave `Flow In` turned on. Then connect a resource bridge to the other ship. To refuel another ship, do the opposite, `Flow Out` turned on and `Flow In` turned off.
Remember to turn `Flow In` and `Flow Out` back on if you are using the Endo to collect ore via any of the ship's resource bridges.
## Other Stuff
### Timer
On the pilot center console there is a `Timer` panel which acts as a timer. It will run when the ship is active and show total time in years, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds. To reset the timer, hold down the `Reset Timer` button on the pilot left console.
### Odometer
On the pilot right console there is a `Odometer` panel which will keep track of the ship's estimated flight distance based on speed. To reset the trip odometer, hold down the `Odometer` `Reset Trips` button on the pilot left console.