How to use it
Two steps to finding your way back on a surface.
1 Mark where you stand.
Say "mark this spot".
D47 says "Marked as mark 1." Name one by saying, for example, "mark this spot as the crash site".
2 Ask which way.
Say "where is my ship", "which way to my last sample" or "which way to mark 1".
D47 gives the distance and compass bearing, such as "Your ship is 1.2 kilometres away, bearing 140, south-east." When Elite reports which way you face it adds where the point lies, such as "It is ahead on your right."
! The one that stops people.
Marks end when you leave the body.
D47 forgets them on leaving the body, on a new visit and on restart, and says "Nothing is saved on this body to guide you to."
Why it works this way
D47 answers when asked, from points it already holds in memory.
1 Three kinds of point.
2 Nothing leaves this machine.
The details
Saves points on the body you are at and tells you the bearing and distance to them. It answers when asked and does not repeat itself while you walk.
Mark a spot
“mark this spot” “mark this location” “mark my position”
Saves your live position as “mark 1”, “mark 2” and so on, using the lowest number not in use. “mark this spot as the crash site” names it and goes through the model. With no position from Elite, D47 says:
I have no position for you. Marking a spot needs you on or near the surface.
A mark lasts while you stay at that body. It is dropped when you leave the body, on your next visit and on restart. It is not a bookmark.
Ask which way
“where is my ship” “which way to my ship” “guide me to my ship” “which way to my last sample” “which way to my mark” “which way to crash site”
With no target D47 uses the ship, then the newest mark, then the last specimen of the newest open set. The compass bearing is always given. The wording relative to the way you face is added only when Status.json has a heading. It uses eight 45-degree sectors centred on straight ahead: ahead, ahead on your right, on your right, behind you on your right, behind you, and the three on the left. A point on another body is never used.
Ask for the nearest earlier find
“which way to the nearest earlier find” “guide me to the nearest earlier find” “which way to the nearest Aurasus”
With Earlier biology finds from Canonn on and the finds for this system already fetched, D47 picks the find on this body nearest your position and gives it in the same wording, such as “The nearest earlier Bacterium Aurasus - Green find is 2.4 kilometres away, bearing 210, south-west.” A name after “nearest” must appear in the variant name and goes through the model. Without a match D47 says “No Commander has logged an earlier Bacterium find on this body.” The spot is where another Commander logged the entry, not a specimen. This tool sends no request. A plain genus without “nearest” still means your own last sample. A spoken list of points names at most three.
The tool surface, for contributors
mark_surface_point
Saves the live Status.json position as a mark in memory, keyed by the body in SurfacePoints.
Optional name; refuses without a position. Not protected.
{"type":"object","properties":{"name":{"type":"string","description":"What to call the mark. Optional; omit to number it."}},"required":[],"additionalProperties":false}
get_surface_bearing
Gives the bearing and distance to the ship, a mark, or a genus or species being sampled. Optional
to; nearest <name> picks the nearest earlier find from the EarlierFinds store. Not protected.
{"type":"object","properties":{"to":{"type":"string","description":"ship, the name of a mark, a genus or species being sampled, or \u0022nearest \u003Cname\u003E\u0022 for the nearest earlier find. Optional."}},"required":[],"additionalProperties":false}