Astrometric's SkyGuide-Win Console
SkyGuide-Win's Console is designed to facilitate the human -to- PC interface in an astronomical environment. All interactions with SkyGuide-Win can be performed entirely from mouse input. Input of commands and data via the keyboard is optional.
The extent of functionality contained in a full featured telescope control system requires careful consideration when displaying status (ex. coordinates, object information, time...). This is particularly important given the limited area available on a computer screen. SkyGuide-Win clearly displays important status perpetually and carefully separates the display of all other status into the context for which it is important.
SkyGuide-Win also makes use of a clear set of distinct (and user selectable) sounds to signal different types of status or events. This feature is only available on PC's that are capable of playing WAV files.
The SkyGuide-Win Console has three main areas: |
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| • | Instrument
Display: The Instrument Display is designed to provide full
access to all SkyGuide-Win features in a minimal amount of space.
This section is designed to have the "look and feel" of
a handheld instrument and can be used entirely from mouse input. The
keyboard is not necessary (but can be used) even to enter numbers.
The buttons to the left and right of the instrument display are "menu"
buttons that allow you to navigate a "menu tree" of "display
pages" (the Back button takes you "back" to the previous
display page). SkyGuide contains over 200 display pages that are carefully
organized to provide easy and intuitive access to all SkyGuide features
from a small instrument panel. |
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| • | Status
Area: The Status Area provides "readout" of important
control system status such as time, coordinates, operational modes
and nearby object information. |
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| • | Control
Pages: The Control Pages provided a "tabbed notebook"
type interface to several "pages" of control system features
and status. The following pages are included: |
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| - | From
the "Display Map" page a full "tree view" of the
hierarchy of the Instrument Display is presented. The full "menu
tree" for the Instrument Display can be navigated from here. |
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| - | From
the "Objects" page the user can access SkyGuide-Win's entire
object database. Additionally, a list of the objects nearest to the
present telescope coordinates and a list of the most recent GoTos
is included. A GoTo any of these objects takes only a mouse click. |
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| - | From
the "Status" page the most frequently referred to status
is displayed. Coordinates, system state, operation modes, time, date
and power supply status are examples. |
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| - | From
the "Actions" page the most frequent features of SkyGuide-Win
are available. A fully functional handpaddle (including focus control),
coordinate GoTo, mark/return, timer, alarm and time stamps are examples. |
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| - | From
the "Settings" page the user can set commonly used control
system settings. Examples include the current handpaddle settings
(velocity and direction polarity), handpaddle "assignable key"
assignments, error correction settings, common HighDrive settings
and alignment/calibration settings. |
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| The
SkyGuide-Win Console has three different "display modes"
that allow the user to select how much of the PC's screen SkyGuide-Win
occupies. The Display Mode is selected by the Minimum,
Medium and Maximum
buttons: |
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| • | When
Maximum is depressed, the entire
SkyGuide-Win Console is displayed and is sized to fit on a standard
VGA monitor (640 x 480 pixels). |
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| • | When
Medium is depressed, SkyGuide-Win's
Console changes to a "medium" size and only the "Instrument
Display" and "Status Area" are shown. |
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| • | When Minimum is depressed, the SkyGuide-Win Console shrinks to its smallest form and obscures as little of the PC's screen as possible. Only SkyGuide-Win's versatile "Instrument Display" section is shown. All of SkyGuide-Win's features are still available from the "Instrument Display". Often, users will run SkyGuide-Win in this Display Mode with the "on top" feature enabled when controlling SkyGuide-Win from planetarium software. With "on top" enabled, SkyGuide-Win "floats" on top of all other windows. | |
