| Welcome to the latest newsletter from SKY:Lab Astronomy Software. A
new version of STAR Atlas:PRO, Version 3.3, is now available and features support
for Goto Telescopes & Digital Setting Circles (DSC) along with many other new features
and refinements.
STAR Atlas:PRO's new Telescope Control System allows you to
point and click anywhere on a Star Chart to slew your 'scope, or you can locate any object
from the integrated astronomical catalog screens, and then use the new GOTO button to slew
your 'scope to that object. Each astronomical catalog screen also has a new SYNC button
that allows you to calibrate your 'scope to the position of that object with a single
click.
LX200 and Autostar(tm) owners will enjoy STAR Atlas:PRO's
Telescope Control Panel that allows you to make settings and adjustments to your
telescope, including focus, reticle, pec mode, movement rate, in fact nearly all LX200
commands are available using the 'Scope Control Panel.
STAR Atlas:PRO's telescope interface is constructed using
an "event-driven" communications interface, so your computer doesn't appear to
hang while it waits for telescope communications to complete. This mechanism supercedes
conventional software that polls (eg. reads or scans ) the computers' communications port
repeatedly in a program loop, until a reply is received from the telescope. Accordingly
STAR Atlas:PRO handles disconnections and reconnections and free's the computer for other
tasks while telescope communications take place.
Further support for additional Telescope Drivers are
planned, some of which are already in progress. If you are interested in final testing of
a new Telescope Driver in the field, I invite you to drop me a note at info@skylab.com.au
A special thank you to those of you who have provided
feedback about using STAR Atlas:PRO and the software bugs you have encountered. Such
feedback has helped to improve the software, and I'm sure that some of you will see
improvements or corrections that are a direct result of the feedback you provided. Once
again I invite you all to drop me a note with any suggestions you have or errors you have
encountered, at info@skylab.com.au
Finally, following is a list of instructions that will
assist you in acquiring, installing, and using the STAR Atlas:PRO Version 3.3 Upgrade.
I hope you enjoy the latest edition of STAR Atlas:PRO,
Clear Skies!
- Paul Mayo
- SKY:Lab(R) Astronomy Software http://www.skylab.com.au
-
- NEWSLETTER CONTENTS
- List
of New Features in STAR Atlas:PRO Version 3.3
- Pre-Installtion Check List
- Downloading the Upgrade
- Installing the Upgrade
- Telescope Control System Quick
Start Guide
- Telescope Control Panel
Pre-Installation Check List
Before proceeding make sure that you have one of the
following versions of STAR Atlas:PRO installed. If you have an earlier version installed
then you will need to install your upgrades in sequence as explained here http://www.skylab.com.au/upgrade.html#readme
before attempting to install the latest upgrade.
- Versions compatible with this Upgrade.
- STAR Atlas:PRO Standard Edition
Version 3.1 (current CDROM Version)
- STAR Atlas:PRO Advanced Edition
Version 3.2 (current CDROM Version)
- SKY:Lab with Version 3.2 Upgrade to
STAR Atlas:PRO (please note: there are additional instructions if you have this
version).
Downloading the Upgrade
- Download the STAR Atlas:PRO Version 3.30 Upgrade program
from http://www.skylab.com.au/downloads/sap_upgrade_v3_3.exe
(file size 5,204,192 bytes)
Installing the Upgrade
- IMPORTANT: This upgrade must be installed to the same folder
as your current STAR Atlas:PRO installation.
- 1. Install the Upgrade.
- Once you have completed the download, initiate the upgrade
by running or opening the download file "sap_upgrade_v3.3.exe".
- You can do this with a double-click of the mouse on the
download file's icon, or using Windows Explorer select the Upgrade file with a single
right-button mouse click, and choose Open from the popup properties menu. There are also
various other ways to run the program file.
-
- 2. Install Wizard Options.
- Once the Upgrade begins, follow the install wizard
instructions making sure that you choose to install the Upgrade into the same folder as
your existing STAR Atlas:PRO Installation ( i.e. C:\STARPRO or in the case of original
SKY:Lab users the default folder is C:\SKYLAB).
-
- If you originally purchased the SKY:Lab CD-ROM
and have since installed the Upgrade to STAR Atlas:PRO Version 3.2, then
there is an additional step you need to make. In Version 3.3 of STAR Atlas:PRO the program
file "SKYLAB.EXE" is discarded and superceeded by the new Version 3.3 program
file called "STAR_AtlasPRO.EXE" . The Version 3.3 Upgrade will make a new
program icon for you that you may wish to place in your existing SKYLab Program Group. You
can choose to do this as an option in the Install Wizard. If you decide not to do this,
then you will find a new program group called STAR Atlas-PRO and within it the icon for
STAR Atlas:PRO.
-
- 3. Upgrade Completion.
- After the Install Wizard has completed installing the
upgrade program files, STAR Atlas:PRO will automatically run the new Upgrade against your
current installation, but will first stop with the message "Welcome to the STAR
Atlas:PRO Upgrade V3.3. Continue with upgrade?". Answer Yes to install the
upgrade. The upgrade will take only a few moments to perform and when completed the
following message is displayed. "Upgrade was completed successfully".
The upgrade will now exit back to Windows and you may now proceed to start STAR Atlas:PRO
normally.
-
- Special Note.
If you installed STAR Atlas:PRO to a location other than
C:\STARPRO, or if you are upgrading from a previous version of the original SKY:Lab
CD-ROM, you may need to initiate the secondary stage of the Upgrade, manually. Only
proceed with this step if you did not get the "Welcome to the STAR Atlas:PRO
Upgrade V3.3. Continue with upgrade?" prompt after the installation wizard
completed.
Proceed to the location where you have STAR Atlas:PRO
installed. The Install Wizard will have placed a file there named
"V3_3_Upgrade.exe". You will need to execute this program file manually either
with a double-click or selecting the file and choosing to Open it from the properties
menu. You should now see the message "Welcome to the STAR Atlas:PRO Upgrade V3.3.
Continue with upgrade?". Answer Yes to proceed. When the upgrade has
completed (only a few moments), you will be returned to Windows where you can proceed to
start STAR Atlas:PRO normally.
Telescope Control
System QUICK START GUIDE
Version 3.3 of STAR Atlas:PRO includes an integrated
Telescope Control System that supports the following Goto Telescopes and Digitial Setting
Circles.
- Meade Autostar(tm) & Autostar II including LX200GPS, LXD55, LX90.
- Meade LX200 and all compatibles including Vixen Skysensor,
Losmandy Gemini, Astro-Physics GTO.
- Sky Engineering's Sky Commander.
- Wildcard Innovations's Argo Navis(tm) Digital Telescope Computer.
The integrated Telescope Control System allows Goto
Telescope operators to perform the following functions:-
- * Slew your telescope to the current mouse location
- * Click Identify from the popup menu, select Goto to slew
the Telescope to the object of your choice using the new GOTO button found on each of STAR
Atlas:PRO's astronomical catalog screens.
- * Similarly you may also choose the new SYNC button from
each catalog screen to synchronise your mount to the RA and DEC co-ordinates of the
selected astronomical object.
- * You may use the Find option to locate any object of your
choice from any of STAR Atlas:PRO's astronomical catalog screens and then Slew or
Synchronise your telescope to the object's position.
- * Center STAR Atlas:PRO's current star chart on the point
position of your telescope.
- * Follow/Track the current pointing position of your
telescope.
- * You also have simple controls for opening and closing the
communications link between STAR Atlas:PRO and your Telescope, allowing another
application to share a single communications line.
- * You may use the Telescope Control Panel to set your
telescope's mount mode, focus, reticle mode, recticle brightness, movement rate, pec mode,
trackkng frequency and more.
The integrated Telescope Control System allows Digital
Setting Circle operators to perform the following functions:-
- * Center STAR Atlas:PRO's current star chart on the point
position of your telescope.
- * Follow/Track the current pointing position of your
telescope.
Configure your Telescope Interface (one time only).
- 1. Starting at STAR Atlas:PRO's desktop, go to the
Preferences Screen (F5 key).
2. Click the button called "Telescope Settings".
3. Click the button "Telescope Interface - ON".
4. Click the button "Select Driver".
5. Double-click the Telescope Driver of your choice.
6. Check the COM PORT Settings are correct for your equipment.
7. Click 'Close' and then 'Close' again to return to the STAR Atlas:PRO desktop.
8. Note that the button 'Scope AF2' on the main toolbar now is enabled.
Using STAR Atlas:PRO's Telescope Control System.
You can use STAR Atlas:PRO's Telescope Control System using your keyboard or mouse or
combinations of both.
Using the mouse.
1. Right-click on the desktop and when STAR Atlas:PRO's popup menu is displayed you will
note a new menu option for the Telescope Driver you configured. Select the 'scope menu and
the option 'Connect' is displayed.
2. Click 'Connect' to establish a communications link with your telescope interface. A
successful connection to you telescope will resuly in the Scope Control floating Toolbar
being displayed on STAR Atlas:PRO's desktop.
OR
1. On the STAR Atlas:PRO's main toolbar click the
"Scope AF2" button (AF2 means ALT-F2).
Using the keyboard
1. press ALT-F2 to Connect to the telescope.
2. If connection is successful the Scope Control Toolbar is displayed and the Telescope
On-Line Indicator is also displayed.
Scope Control Toolbar
The Scope Control Toolbar is only visible when the Telescope is on-line to STAR Atlas:PRO.
Commands from this toolbar can be executed with a mouse click or the corresponding
keyboard shortcut displayed next to the button's name (ie AF4 which means ALT-F4)
STAR Atlas:PRO's
Telescope Control Panel.
Telescope Operators with LX200 and Autostar compatible equipment also have the additional
functionality provided by STAR Atlas:PRO's Telescope Control Panel. The Telescope Control
Panel provides you with immediate control over the positioning and settings of your
telescope. You must first click the 'Connect' button that appears at the bottom of the
Telescope Control Panel window before any of the buttons become enabled.
It is important to note that the Telescope Control Panel
works independant of the current STAR Atlas:PRO desktop.
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