When sending Connect commands into STK, there are several methods to speed up the process. These methods include using commands and tools already available in STK, changing the approach to the problem, or using different modules to optimize the process.
1. Limit the number of commands that you are sending.
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NewMulti c
ommand - This command enables you to create two or more instances of new objects of a common type.•
Load c
ommand instead of New command - Loading an object with many of its properties preset help you avoid having to define them.•
SetAsDefault c
ommand - This enables you to save default settings that you can apply to additional new objects of the same type.•
Data thinning - When creating a vehicle, you may want to filter the data. For example, if the vehicle does not move more than a specified distance, then there may be no need to send in that particular data point. This will limit the number of commands you need to send into STK as well as limit the memory requirements for this vehicle.• STK can return l
arge reports much faster if you save them to a file and then read them into your script, rather than returning the data directly over the socket (Report_RM versus ReportCreate commands).•
ConControl / HighSpeedOn|Off - HighSpeed mode enables you to send in bursts of commands very quickly. You should be careful to turn off HighSpeed mode when you have finished sending commands because, in HighSpeed mode, STK will only process Connect commands and will not respond to any button clicks or map zooming.•
ConControl / VerboseOff AckOff - When you debug your setup, it is helpful to have Acknowledge and Verbose turned ON. When you are running operationally, they will only slow you down.•
BatchGraphics *
On|Off - Many commands force STK to refresh its graphics. Using the BatchGraphics command enables you to control when this refresh happens.•
ConFile /
<filepath> - This enables you to create a text file containing two or more lines with commands and execute them using a single call.•
If you do not have a fast 3D accelerator graphics card and/or you don't need to see your objects in 3D, run STK without the 3D capabilities. Using 3D capabilities requires more system resources to animate the objects, and if that isn't necessary, you will get better performance without it.•
Along the same lines, if you do not need to see a two-dimensional map window, STK will perform faster if you dismiss the 2D Graphics window. You can reinstate the 2D Graphics after the Connect session has completed.•
If you don't need to see any graphics for your objects, the best solution would be to run STK Engine. This module has no graphical interface. All communication with STK Engine is done with STK Connect or the other programming interfaces. With no user interface software, the program is smaller and has a faster execution time. Commands sent to STK Engine do not have to perform any user interface updates that would normally be necessary in the STK GUI and the 2D and 3D windows.Use the best hardware to run STK. Having a fast processor and a good graphics card is the most important step you can take to run STK smoothly. It is helpful to have high amounts of RAM. Please refer to the STK system requirements for the most up-to-date information required for STK to run well.
6. Employ additional tactics.
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Deck Access - Deck Access is a tool in STK that enables you to calculate access to many objects of a similar type, as defined in an external file. The advantage here is that you do not need to create every object in the STK scenario, thus avoiding the overhead that comes with that.•
Data Pruning (Prune and VOPruneArtic commands) - Use these to control the amount of data stored for a vehicle and for an articulation.•
AccessConfig / TimeConvergence VALUE - Use this to control how precise the Access calculations are to improve your calculation speed. VALUE is a real number of seconds between 0 and 1. The default time convergence is 5 milliseconds (.005 seconds).•
Propagation Time Step - When creating satellites, it is only necessary to give them a step size equivalent to 50 or 60 points per orbit. Setting the step size using this guide will reduce the number of data points kept in memory.•
Unload /UnloadMulti any unnecessary objects from the scenario.•
Don't display any text in the 3D Graphics window.•
Turn off Dynamic Displays, Notes, and any labels on objects.•
Avoid big or complex 3D models. Set satellite pass graphics to None.