synSwath

From the main window various tools are invoked. The apps button leads you to the applications, which will be described later. Don't mind 'load' it is not more in use. With the bars below it you can adjust the attitude of the ship with respect to it's refrence frame. Note the following (OMG!!) conventions:

'+x' : axis pointing to the bow

'+y' : axis pointing to starboard

'+z' : axis pointing up

Place the mouse on one of the attitude variables and hit 'w'. You'll see the ship make a (motion) wobble. Hitting 'z' puts a value back to zero. Do not confuse the minimum viewable power with the actual power input. Low minimum viewable power values (e.g.-70dB) result in showing more of the beam. It does not reduce sidlobes or adjust the beam dimensions although that might be the first impression. 'Wire render' shows the skeleton of each object in the 3D window. 'Man Load' is the remains of an older synSwath version, pressing it will terminate the program so just leave it untouched. A Water surface is displayed with 'Water on/off'. An option to add some surfaces waves is described here. The 'Coupling' button couples the beamvector with the ship. So the beam will for example roll together with the ship when coupling is turned on.
Place the mouse on 'Beam vector' and toggle the '+''-' keys. You will see the beam bending away as a result of refraction.
The remaining buttons are used to switch on various feautures in the 3D display window.

With the arrow keys you can move around the centre point which is by defalut the ships centre of gravity. Hitting '5' changes the orienatation point. '9', '8' and '7' changes the views to front, side and top. Zooming is done with the '-''+' keys or 'page up''page down' keys, note that you'll zoom towards the oreintation point.
Some more keys:

'0' : toggle light 0 on/off

'1' : toggle light 1 on/off

'2' : toggle light 2 on/off

'6' : change the transducer under the ship

'a' : display the axis

'spacebar' : display all the sensors

'z' : display skeleton of ship and beam

's' : toggle between objects

'y' : turn beam pattern off

't' : display transmit beam

'r' : display receive beam

'b' : display product of transmit and recieve beam

'c' : display cones

'y' : display sphere around transducer

'w' : display water

'i' : display beam illumination

's' : change object

'x' : dumps a ppm image of the 3D window

'q' : exits synSwath

Next: the gems behind the apps button.....-->