CZML Orientation
- "orientation" (fixed):
{ "unitQuaternion": [x, y, z, w] } — a single 4-dimensional unit
quaternion rotating the entity's body axes into the Earth-fixed (East-North-Up) axes.
- "orientation" (sampled, time-dynamic):
{ "epoch": "<ISO8601>", "unitQuaternion": [t0, x0, y0, z0, w0, t1, x1, y1, z1, w1, ...] } — same interleaved
timestamp-then-value sample pattern as a time-dynamic "position". Compute the actual quaternion
values yourself from the intent's described heading/attitude — never leave placeholder values.
- Always add "orientation" whenever the intent describes a heading, facing direction, or attitude —
a "point"/"billboard" alone has no orientation.
Example: a fixed orientation
[
{ "id": "document", "name": "Oriented entity", "version": "1.0" },
{
"id": "facility-1",
"position": { "cartographicDegrees": [-75, 40, 0] },
"orientation": { "unitQuaternion": [0, 0, 0.3826834, 0.9238795] },
"point": { "pixelSize": 10, "color": { "rgba": [255, 255, 255, 255] } }
}
]
Example: orientation sampled over time, alongside a time-dynamic position
[
{
"id": "document",
"name": "International Space Station",
"version": "1.0",
"clock": {
"interval": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z/2012-03-16T10:00:00Z",
"currentTime": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z",
"multiplier": 60,
"range": "LOOP_STOP"
}
},
{
"id": "iss",
"name": "InternationalSpaceStation",
"availability": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z/2012-03-16T10:00:00Z",
"position": {
"epoch": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z",
"cartographicDegrees": [0, 0, 0, 400000, 1800, 45, 10, 400000, 3600, 90, 20, 400000]
},
"orientation": {
"epoch": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z",
"unitQuaternion": [0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1800, 0, 0, 0.7071068, 0.7071068, 3600, 0, 0, 1, 0]
},
"point": { "pixelSize": 8, "color": { "rgba": [255, 255, 0, 255] } }
}
]
1---2name: czml-orientation3description: CZML entity orientation as unit quaternions, both a single fixed orientation and orientation sampled over time. Use when the intent describes an entity's heading, facing direction, attitude, 3D rotation, or orientation that changes over time.4---56# CZML Orientation78- "orientation" (fixed): `{ "unitQuaternion": [x, y, z, w] }` — a single 4-dimensional unit9 quaternion rotating the entity's body axes into the Earth-fixed (East-North-Up) axes.10- "orientation" (sampled, time-dynamic): `{ "epoch": "<ISO8601>",11"unitQuaternion": [t0, x0, y0, z0, w0, t1, x1, y1, z1, w1, ...] }` — same interleaved12 timestamp-then-value sample pattern as a time-dynamic "position". Compute the actual quaternion13 values yourself from the intent's described heading/attitude — never leave placeholder values.14- Always add "orientation" whenever the intent describes a heading, facing direction, or attitude —15 a "point"/"billboard" alone has no orientation.1617## Example: a fixed orientation1819```json20[21 { "id": "document", "name": "Oriented entity", "version": "1.0" },22 {23 "id": "facility-1",24 "position": { "cartographicDegrees": [-75, 40, 0] },25 "orientation": { "unitQuaternion": [0, 0, 0.3826834, 0.9238795] },26 "point": { "pixelSize": 10, "color": { "rgba": [255, 255, 255, 255] } }27 }28]29```3031## Example: orientation sampled over time, alongside a time-dynamic position3233```json34[35 {36 "id": "document",37 "name": "International Space Station",38 "version": "1.0",39 "clock": {40 "interval": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z/2012-03-16T10:00:00Z",41 "currentTime": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z",42 "multiplier": 60,43 "range": "LOOP_STOP"44 }45 },46 {47 "id": "iss",48 "name": "InternationalSpaceStation",49 "availability": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z/2012-03-16T10:00:00Z",50 "position": {51 "epoch": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z",52 "cartographicDegrees": [0, 0, 0, 400000, 1800, 45, 10, 400000, 3600, 90, 20, 400000]53 },54 "orientation": {55 "epoch": "2012-03-15T10:00:00Z",56 "unitQuaternion": [0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1800, 0, 0, 0.7071068, 0.7071068, 3600, 0, 0, 1, 0]57 },58 "point": { "pixelSize": 8, "color": { "rgba": [255, 255, 0, 255] } }59 }60]61```
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