Where to Get GMAT's User Documentation

GMAT user documentation is available in several formats including HTML, PDF, and Windows Help.  All packages are available at the Main Documentation Page for all GMAT releases.  Additionally, the pdf version of the user documentation (called “help-letter.pdf” for 8.5”x11” letter format and “help-a4.pdf” in A4 format) is also available in the release packages in the /docs/help folder.   

The information below describes the organization and content of the user guide to help you navigate to the content and find what you need.

GMAT User Guide Organization

The GMAT User Guide is the primary source of user information and is complimented by sample scripts distributed with the system (100s!), training classes, and videos.  The user guide is broken down into four main sections to guide you to information quickly.  New users should start by reading the Using GMAT section, which contains information on installation and configuration instructions, data overview, interface tours, and system philosophy.   The Tutorials section contains end-to-end procedures for performing different types of modelling and analysis from propagating an orbit, to modelling multi-segment trajectories and performing orbit determination.  The Reference Guide section contains low-level information on all interfaces including supported fields and functions and an explanations of all inputs and outputs along with defaults and allowed ranges.  The Release Notes sections, one for each release, describe new features, compatibility issues, and known significant issues in each software release. 

Note that documentation for the GMAT API and the Collocation Stand Alone ToolKit (CSALT) is written in a different documentation system and is distributed in separate files than the rest of the system’s documentation.  GMAT’s heritage documentation is written using DocBook.  When new subsystems are implemented, the user documentation is written in Restructured Text (RST).  The GMAT API and CSALT are two of the newest components and the user documentation for those components is located in executable\application packages in the file docs/GMAT_API_OC_HTML/index.html .

Introductory Information

The Using GMAT chapter of the GMAT User Guide contains high level and introductory information on the system. New users should start there.  The Getting Started sussection describes how to get and install GMAT, how to run the provided samples, and where to turn for further help.  The Tour of GMAT subsection is an in-depth guide through some of the key interface features, including the Resources tree, Mission tree, Command Summary, and Script Editor. We consider the Tour of GMAT subsection to be essential reading, as it describes some fundamental aspects of how GMAT works.  The Configuring GMAT subsection describes how GMAT data is organized, what data is required and used during system organization, and information on supported external system interfaces such as Python and MATLAB.

Tutorials

The Tutorials section contains in-depth tutorials that show you how to use GMAT for end-to-end applications. The tutorials are designed to teach you how to use GMAT in the context of solving real-world problems and are intended to take between 30 minutes and several hours to complete. Each tutorial has a difficulty level and an approximate duration listed with any prerequisites in its introduction, and are arranged in a general order of difficulty.  Tutorials range in complexity from orbit propagation and modelling (chemical and electric propulsion), to reporting data such as eclipses and contacts, to processing of tracking data for orbit determination.

Reference Material

The Reference Guide section contains low-level information on GMAT resources, commands, functions, and interfaces.  If you need information on what a command does, or what a field means and its allowed and range, go here!  The Reference Guide sections is organized into logical subsections by functional area.  There are subsections devoted to Dynamics and Modelling, Input/Output, Targeting\Parameter Optimization, Orbit Determination, Programming, and System. 

Release Notes

The Release Notes for each version of GMAT document new features, improvements, compatibility changes, upcoming changes, and fixed and known issues.  The Release Notes sections are listed in chronological order at the end of the GMAT User Guide.