Definition
Describing a control system, mounting, or arrangement in which the operating axis or pivot point is located outside (away from) the center of the controlled component or load. In aviation usage, an exocentric arrangement places the support, hinge, or pivot off-center relative to the part it acts on.
Plain English
Set up so the pivot or support point sits outside the center of the thing it's holding or moving, rather than running through its middle.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of cockpit display design, navigation displays, flight simulators, and outside-view training displays.
Derivation
From Greek 'exo' meaning 'outside' and 'kentron' meaning 'center.' So exocentric literally means 'centered outside' — the pivot or reference point is outside the part itself. The opposite of concentric, where everything shares the same center.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing whether a display is exocentric helps a pilot understand what viewpoint the information is using, which prevents confusion when comparing a map-like view with the view out the windshield.
Analogy
Think of a door hinge mounted on the edge of the door rather than running through its middle — the door swings around a pivot that sits outside its center mass. That's an exocentric arrangement.
Intuition Check
Do not read “exocentric” as meaning strange or unusual behavior. In this context, it means the view is centered outside the pilot or aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
The control surface uses an exocentric hinge, with the pivot located along its leading edge rather than through its middle.
Example Sentence 2
Some glass cockpit displays can switch between egocentric and exocentric modes for better situational awareness.