Software top left display units Mega? and request maybe

[ncc1701d]

I am looking at the top left corner text distance display and noticing that after k(kilometers I assume). Am i correct the M unit stands for mega?
Is there a way to always have it display only in units of km or k?
As I look around at many space websites including NASA they refer to distances in thousands of km. I rarely run across a Mega units in discussions or documents.
It might make that number more instantly relatable when comparing to space .pdfs and useful if it is displayed in km or AUs? Anyone agree or is it just me? can that be adjusted easily?
thanks

 

[orb]

Why do you want so precise display of distance? The distance display, until AUs, shows only 4 most significant digits, and there are also gigameters before AUs.

I don't agree with you. I prefer it displayed this way, or even if I could choose, I'd switch it to metric units for larger distances (by a configurable switch), so terameters, petameters, eksameters, zettameters, and maybe jottameters.

 

[Hielor]

Is there a way to always have it display only in units of km or k?
As I look around at many space websites including NASA they refer to distances in thousands of km. I rarely run across a Mega units in discussions or documents.

What's the difference between "thousands of km" and "megameters"?

 

[TJohns]

What's the difference between "thousands of km" and "megameters"?

I think that's what he's on about ... they quote distances in kilometres and numbers in the thousands (or millions, etc), rather than use megametres and have number in the tens to hundreds only.

 

[Grover]

its a personal taste more than anything. i prefer Mega, but some people would prefer to use Kilo for a wider spectrum of distances, NASA do for example, which is also the reason why NCC1701D asked, because he/she wants units that are directly comparable to other systems of astronomical data.
the only other units ive ever found are meters with a X10^XX M extention, so 1x10^6 would be 1M and 1x10^9 would be 1G (this is only really useable for mathematics and calculations, no good on the HUD of craft)

 

[ncc1701d]

Instant Relatabilty

Hi all,
I want a precise display because of the the instant relatability. For example I look for Mariner 10 on a NASA document and it says let say it traveled 2345 kilometers from planet venus. I go back to orbiter to see what venus looked like from mariner from that distance by zooming out with my mouse. I see the M units appear and then I get confused and think about doing math to convert etc to get to kilometers so I can relate to the distance. Its a speed of relatabilty thing and how fast I get achieve that relatablility as I use the mouse. I could do the math etc for every zoom click of mouse but it makes the experience less fun.
I have nothing against the other units. Just looking for an option to improve what I call "instant relatabity" without doing math since NASA documents are the first place the average joe goes to get information.

 

[statickid]

math?? all you have to do is move the decimal place :thumbup:

 

[ncc1701d]

I know.. The issue was "instant relatabilty" and I was just hoping I could change it somehow easily

 

[statickid]

Here's a trick I thought of for instant decimal point moving that requires no math: just think of the decimal as a comma meaning "thousands of kilometers."

so your example of 2345 km could be 2,345 km or even 2.345 M. See how if you squint it looks the same? Don't let that decimal fool you! Both of these are measuring in meters so there is no "conversion".

 

[Urwumpe]

I would rather read a SI-standard "2.345 Mm" than a non-standard "2.345 t. km" as output. Even a "2,345 km" output would be better then, but easily confused with "2.345 km".

Even Gm are ok, despite being a pretty useless unit already in its magnitude. Even if you know that Gm are millions of kilometers, it doesn't really help you as much as AU can, the next better unit (1 AU ~ 149 Gm, or 1 Gm ~ 0.006 AU)

 

[statickid]

I also like it the way it is. I don't mean it should include a comma in the output, I was just saying that they could think of it that way on their own in their head to avoid the thought of moving a decimal point...

 

[ncc1701d]

I really like your idea about the decimal to comma trick. I quick experimented with 25.31M to km. I just have to also remember in this case at least to make the M a 0 so I get 25,310 km and if it gets larger to add two 0s which is easy.

When I start getting into AUs etc I am less picky about showing kilometers

thanks

 

[statickid]

yes, just remember that there are three value places after a thousands comma where the zeros would go and thats easy! :thumbup: