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Official Documentation

Search Bar

The search bar in KeepTrack is a powerful tool that allows users to quickly find and select specific space objects.

The search bar can be toggled open or closed:

  • Click the search icon in the top menu
  • Use the keyboard shortcut Shift + F to focus on the search bar

Search Functionality

  1. Type at least 3 characters to initiate a search
  2. Results update in real-time as you type
  3. The search is case-insensitive

Search Criteria

You can search for space objects using various identifiers:

  • Object Name
  • NORAD Catalog Number (SATCAT)
  • International Designator
  • Bus Type
  • Launch Vehicle

Search Results

Display

  • Results appear in a dropdown below the search bar
  • Each result shows the object’s name and identifying number (e.g., NORAD ID)
  • Matching parts of the search are highlighted

Interaction

  • Click on a result to select that object
  • Hover over a result to highlight it in the main view
  • The number of results is limited (default: 350) for performance

Visual Feedback

  • Selected search results are highlighted in the main view
  • The color scheme may change to emphasize the selected group

Advanced Features

Group Creation

  • Search results automatically create a temporary group
  • This group can be used for further analysis or visualization

Integration with Other Features

  • In Satellite Field of View (FOV) mode, only payloads are searchable
  • Search results can trigger updates in other components (e.g., Satellite FOV calculations)

Performance Considerations

  • Searches are optimized for large datasets
  • Numeric-only searches (e.g., NORAD IDs) use a faster search algorithm
  • Certain object types (e.g., sensors, markers) are excluded from search for efficiency

You can close the search bar in one of two ways:

  • Right click and select Clear Screen
  • Click the search icon again

Additional Notes

  • The search bar is a built-in singleton but will be made into an actual core plugin eventually for better maintainability
  • Searches are added to the Url so they can be shared or bookmarked