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Global Positioning

Set a single location, date, and time for your entire TrueSKY scene. Use this when you want your sun, planet, and sky to stay aligned without repeating the same inputs in multiple panels.

Where to Find It

  • Open the 3D Viewport N-panel.
  • Go to True-VFX -> TrueSKY 3.
  • Open Miscellaneous and select Global Positioning.

Panel Layout

  • Auto Update toggle with an Update Now button when auto update is off.
  • Location box with city search, map picker, and latitude/longitude fields.
  • Date row for year/month/day.
  • Time box with time fields, UTC offset, daylight savings status, and the Set to Current Date/Time button.
  • Align GPS to Body button for syncing Global Positioning to a moved/rotated body.

Quick links

If you prefer working directly in the viewport, the Scene Builder tool includes a Positioning Widget for date, time, and location. See Positioning Widget.

Location

  • Location search lets you pick a city and auto-fill coordinates.
  • The map button opens a map picker to grab coordinates directly.
  • Latitude and Longitude fields include direction toggles for north/south and east/west.

City search updates time

Choosing a city also sets UTC Offset and updates the local time for that location.

Date and Time

  • Set Year, Month, and Day in the Date row.
  • In Time, choose Hour and Minute, then toggle 12H Format if you prefer AM/PM entry.
  • UTC Offset adjusts the local time for the selected location.
  • Daylight Savings shows as a status label (enabled/disabled) based on the location and date.
  • Set to Current Date/Time snaps the values to your current system time.

Align GPS to Body

Use this when you have manually rotated or positioned a body (Sun, Moon, or planet) and want the Global Positioning values to match what you see in the viewport. It reverse-matches the body’s current position and updates the scene-wide GPS so other bodies stay in sync.

How it works - Click Align GPS to Body, pick a body, then choose an alignment mode. - The tool updates Global Positioning (not just the selected body). - It can adjust Date/Time, North Offset, or both, depending on the mode.

Finds the closest date/time for the body’s current position, then adds a small North Offset only if needed. Best all‑around choice.

Updates Date/Time to match the body while keeping North Offset unchanged. Use this if your north orientation is already correct.

Keeps Date/Time and adjusts North Offset to match the body’s rotation. Use this when time is locked but compass alignment is off.

If the dialog says the body is already aligned, you don’t need to change anything. If it suggests resetting North Offset, try setting it back to 0 before running alignment again.

Auto Update vs Update Now

  • Auto Update keeps linked bodies in sync while you edit values.
  • If you turn it off, use Update Now to apply the new time/location in one step.

Working With Other Panels

Use Use Global Positioning in Primary Body and Luminous Bodies to link those panels to this scene-wide setup. You can still override coordinates or date/time on a per-body basis when needed.

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