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diff --git a/doc/kstars/config.docbook b/doc/kstars/config.docbook new file mode 100644 index 00000000..38389e65 --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/kstars/config.docbook @@ -0,0 +1,379 @@ +<chapter id="config"> +<title>Configuring &kstars;</title> + +<sect1 id="setgeo"> +<title>Setting the Geographic Location</title> + +<para> +Here is a screenshot of the <guilabel>Set Geographic Location</guilabel> +window: +<screenshot> +<screeninfo>Changing the Geographic Location</screeninfo> +<mediaobject> + <imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="geolocator.png" format="PNG"/> + </imageobject> + <textobject> + <phrase>Set Location Window</phrase> + </textobject> +</mediaobject> +</screenshot> +</para> + +<para> +There is a list of over 2500 predefined cities available to choose from. +You set your location by highlighting a city from this list. Each +city is represented in the world map as a small dot, and when a city +is highlighted in the list, a red crosshairs appears on its location +in the map. +</para> + +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Geographic Location Tool</primary> +<secondary>Filtering</secondary></indexterm> +It is not practical to scroll through the full list of 2500 locations, +looking for a specific city. To make searches easier, the list can be +filtered by entering text in the boxes below the map. For example, in +the screenshot, the text <quote>Ba</quote> appears in the +<guilabel>City Filter</guilabel> box, while <quote>M</quote> has been +entered in the <guilabel>Province Filter</guilabel> box, and +<quote>USA</quote> is in the <guilabel>Country Filter</guilabel> +box. Note that all of the cities displayed in the list have city, +province, and country names that begin with the entered filter +strings, and that the message below the filter boxes indicates that 7 +cities are matched by the filters. Also notice that the dots +representing these seven cities in the map have been colored white, +while the unmatched cities remain gray. +</para><para> +The list can also be filtered by location in the map. Clicking anywhere +in the world map will show only those cities within two degrees of the +clicked location. At this time, you can search by name, or by location, +but not both at once. In other words, when you click on the map, the +name filters are ignored, and vice versa. +</para><para> +<indexterm><primary>Geographic Location Tool</primary> +<secondary>Custom locations</secondary></indexterm> +The <link linkend="ai-geocoords">longitude, latitude</link> and +<link linkend="ai-timezones">time zone</link> information for the +currently-selected location are displayed in the boxes at the bottom of +the window. If you feel that any of these values are inaccurate, you +can modify them and press the <guibutton>Add to List</guibutton> button +to record your custom version of the location. You can also define a +completely new location by pressing the +<guibutton>Clear Fields</guibutton> button, and entering the data for +the new location. Note that all fields except the optional +<guilabel>State/Province</guilabel> must be filled before the new +location can be added to the list. &kstars; will automatically load +your custom locations for all future sessions. Please note, at this +point, the only way to remove a custom location is to remove the +appropriate line from the file +<filename>~/.kde/share/apps/kstars/mycities.dat</filename>. +</para><para> +If you add custom locations (or modify existing ones), please send us +your <filename>mycities.dat</filename> file so that we can add your +locations to the master list. +</para> +</sect1> + +<sect1 id="settime"> +<title>Setting the Time</title> +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Date and Time</primary> +<secondary>The simulation clock</secondary></indexterm> +When &kstars; starts up, the time is set to your computer's system +clock, and the &kstars; clock is running to keep up with the real time. +If you want to stop the clock, select <guimenuitem>Stop +Clock</guimenuitem> from the <guimenu>Time</guimenu> menu, or simply +click on the <guiicon>Pause</guiicon> icon in the toolbar. You can +make the clock run slower or faster than normal, or even make it run +backward, using the time-step spinbox in the toolbar. This spinbox +has two sets of up/down buttons. The first one will step through all +83 available time steps, one by one. The second one will skip to the +next higher (or lower) unit of time, which allows you to make large +timestep changes more quickly. +</para> +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Date and Time</primary> +<secondary>Setting</secondary></indexterm> +You can set the time and date by selecting <guimenuitem>Set +Time...</guimenuitem> from the <guimenu>Time</guimenu> menu, or by +pressing the <guiicon>time</guiicon> icon in the toolbar. The +<guilabel>Set Time</guilabel> window uses a standard &kde; Date Picker +widget, coupled with three spinboxes for setting the hours, minutes and +seconds. If you want to re-synchronize the simulation clock back to the +current CPU time, just select <guimenuitem>Set Time to Now</guimenuitem> +from the <guimenu>Time</guimenu> menu.</para> + +<note><para> +<indexterm><primary>Date and Time</primary> +<secondary>Extended range of dates</secondary></indexterm> +&kstars; can accept very remote dates beyond the usual limits imposed by +QDate. Currently, you can set the date between the years -50000 and +50000. +We may extend this range even further in future releases. However, please +be aware that the accuracy of the simulation becomes more and more degraded +as more remote dates are examined. This is especially true for the positions +of solar system bodies. +</para></note> +</sect1> + +<sect1 id="viewops"> +<title>The Configure &kstars; Window</title> +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary></indexterm> +The <guilabel>Configure &kstars;</guilabel> window allows you to modify +a wide range of display options. You can access the window with the +<guiicon>configure</guiicon> toolbar icon, or by selecting +<guimenuitem>Configure &kstars;...</guimenuitem> from the +<guimenu>Settings</guimenu> menu. +The window is depicted below: + +<screenshot> +<screeninfo>Configure &kstars; Window</screeninfo> +<mediaobject> + <imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="viewops.png" format="PNG"/> + </imageobject> + <textobject> + <phrase>Configure &kstars; Window</phrase> + </textobject> +</mediaobject> +</screenshot> +</para> + +<para> +The <guilabel>Configure &kstars;</guilabel> window is divided into five +tabs: +<guilabel>Catalogs</guilabel>, <guilabel>Guides</guilabel>, +<guilabel>Solar System</guilabel>, <guilabel>Colors</guilabel>, and +<guilabel>Advanced</guilabel>. +</para> +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary> +<secondary>Catalogs Tab</secondary></indexterm> +In the <guilabel>Catalogs</guilabel> tab, you determine which object +catalogs are displayed in the map. The <guilabel>Stars</guilabel> section +also allows you to set the +<quote>faint <link linkend="ai-magnitude">magnitude</link> limit</quote> +for stars, and the <link linkend="ai-magnitude">magnitude</link> limit for +displaying the names and/or magnitudes of stars. Below the stars section, +the <guilabel>Deep-Sky Objects</guilabel> section controls the display of +several non-stellar object catalogs. By default, the list includes the +Messier, NGC and IC catalogs. You can add your own custom object catalogs +by pressing the <guibutton>Add Custom Catalog</guibutton> button. For +detailed instructions on preparing a catalog data file, see the +<filename>README.customize</filename> file that ships with &kstars;. +</para> +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary> +<secondary>Solar System Tab</secondary></indexterm> +In the <guilabel>Solar System</guilabel> tab, you can specify whether +the Sun, Moon, planets, comets and asteroids are displayed, and +whether the major bodies are drawn as colored circles or actual images. +You can also toggle whether solar system bodies have name labels attached, +and control how many of the comets and asteroids get name labels. +There is an option to automatically attach a temporary <quote>orbit +trail</quote> whenever a solar system body is tracked, and another to +toggle whether the color of the orbit trail fades into the background +sky color. +</para> +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary> +<secondary>Guides Tab</secondary></indexterm> +The <guilabel>Guides</guilabel> tab lets you toggle whether non-objects +are displayed (&ie;, constellation lines, constellation names, the +Milky Way contour, the <link linkend="ai-cequator">celestial +equator</link>, <link linkend="ai-ecliptic">the ecliptic</link>, <link +linkend="ai-horizon">the horizon line</link>, and the opaque ground). +You can also choose whether you would like to see Latin constellation +names, <acronym>IAU</acronym>-standard three-letter abbreviations, or +constellation names using your local language. +</para> +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary> +<secondary>Colors Tab</secondary></indexterm> +<indexterm><primary>Color Schemes</primary> +<secondary>Customizing</secondary></indexterm> +The <guilabel>Colors</guilabel> tab allows you to set the color scheme, +and to define custom color schemes. The tab is split into two panels: +</para> +<para> +The left panel shows a list of all display items with adjustable +colors. Click on any item to bring up a color selection window to +adjust its color. Below the list is the <guilabel>Star Color +Mode</guilabel> selection box. By default, &kstars; draws stars with +a <link linkend="ai-colorandtemp">realistic color</link> tint according +to the spectral type of the star. However, you may also choose to draw +the stars as solid white, black or red circles. If you are using the +realistic star colors, you can set the saturation level of the star +colors with the <guilabel>Star Color Intensity</guilabel> spinbox. +</para> +<para> +The right panel lists the defined color schemes. There are four +predefined schemes: the <guilabel>Default</guilabel> scheme, +<guilabel>Star Chart</guilabel>, which uses black stars on a white +background, <guilabel>Night Vision</guilabel>, which uses only shades +of red in order to protect dark-adapted vision, and <guilabel>Moonless +Night</guilabel>, a more realistic, dark theme. Additionally, +you can save the current color settings as a custom scheme by clicking +the <guibutton>Save Current Colors</guibutton> button. It will prompt +you for a name for the new scheme, and then your scheme will appear in +the list in all future &kstars; sessions. To remove a custom scheme, +simply highlight it in the list, and press the <guibutton>Remove Color +Scheme</guibutton> button. +</para><para> +<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary> +<secondary>Advanced Tab</secondary></indexterm> +The <guilabel>Advanced</guilabel> Tab provides fine-grained control +over the more subtle behaviors of &kstars;. +</para><para> +<indexterm><primary>Atmospheric Refraction</primary></indexterm> +The <guilabel>Correct for atmospheric refraction</guilabel> checkbox +controls whether the positions of objects are corrected for the effects +of the atmosphere. Because the atmosphere is a spherical shell, light from +outer space is <quote>bent</quote> as it passes through the atmosphere to +our telescopes or eyes on the Earth's surface. The effect is largest for +objects near the horizon, and actually changes the predicted rise or set +times of objects by a few minutes. In fact, when you <quote>see</quote> a +sunset, the Sun's actual position is already well below the horizon; +atmospheric refraction makes it seem as if the Sun is still in the sky. +Note that atmospheric refraction is never applied if you are using +<guilabel>Equatorial coordinates</guilabel>. +</para><para> +<indexterm><primary>Animated Slewing</primary></indexterm> +The <guilabel>Use animating slewing</guilabel> checkbox controls how the +display changes when a new focus position is selected in the map. By +default, you will see the sky drift or <quote>slew</quote> to the new +position; if you uncheck this option, then the display will instead +<quote>snap</quote> immediately to the new focus position. +</para><para> +<indexterm><primary>Objects in the Sky</primary> +<secondary>Labeling</secondary> +<tertiary>Automatic</tertiary> +</indexterm> +If the <guilabel>Attach label to centered object</guilabel> checkbox is +selected, then a name label will automatically be attached to an object +when it is being tracked by the program. The label will be removed when +the object is no longer being tracked. Note that you can also manually +attach a persistent name label to any object with its <link +linkend="popup-menu">popup menu</link>. +</para><para> +<indexterm><primary>Objects in the Sky</primary> +<secondary>Hiding</secondary></indexterm> +There are three situations when &kstars; must redraw the sky display very +rapidly: when a new focus position is selected (and <guilabel>Use +animated slewing</guilabel> is checked), when the sky is dragged with the +mouse, and when the time step is large. In these situations, the positions +of all objects must be recomputed as rapidly as possible, which can put +a large load on the <abbrev>CPU</abbrev>. If the <abbrev>CPU</abbrev> +cannot keep up with the demand, then the display will seem sluggish or jerky. +To mitigate this, &kstars; will hide certain objects during these rapid-redraw +situations, as long as the <guilabel>Hide objects while moving</guilabel> +checkbox is selected. The timestep threshold above which objects will be +hidden is determined by the <guilabel>Also hide if timescale greater +than:</guilabel> timestep-spinbox. You can specify the objects that should +be hidden in the <guilabel>Configure Hidden Objects</guilabel> group box. +</para> +</sect1> + +<sect1 id="customize"> +<title>Customizing the Display</title> + +<para> +There are several ways to modify the display to your liking.</para> +<itemizedlist> +<listitem><para> +<indexterm><primary>Color Schemes</primary><secondary>Selecting</secondary></indexterm> +Select a different color scheme in the +<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu><guimenuitem>Color Schemes</guimenuitem></menuchoice> +menu. There are four predefined color schemes, and you can define your own in the +<link linkend="config"><guilabel>Configure &kstars;</guilabel></link> window. +</para></listitem> +<listitem><para> +<indexterm><primary>Toolbars</primary> +<secondary>Customizing</secondary></indexterm> +Toggle whether the Toolbars are drawn in the +<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu><guimenuitem>Toolbars</guimenuitem></menuchoice> +menu. Like most KDE toolbars, they can also be dragged around and +anchored on any window edge, or even detached from the window completely. +</para></listitem> +<listitem><para> +<indexterm><primary>Info Boxes</primary><secondary>Customizing</secondary></indexterm> +<indexterm><primary>Info Boxes</primary><secondary>Shading</secondary></indexterm> +Toggle whether the Info Boxes are drawn in the +<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu><guimenuitem>Info Boxes</guimenuitem></menuchoice> +menu. In addition, you can manipulate the three Info Boxes with the +mouse. Each box has additional lines of data that are hidden by default. +You can toggle whether these additional lines are visible by double-clicking +a box to <quote>shade</quote> it. Also, you can reposition a box by +dragging it with the mouse. When a box hits a window edge, it will +<quote>stick</quote> to the edge when the window is resized. +</para></listitem> +<listitem> +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Field-of-View Symbols</primary><secondary>Description</secondary></indexterm> +Choose an <quote>FOV Symbol</quote> using the +<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu><guimenuitem>FOV Symbols</guimenuitem></menuchoice> +menu. <firstterm>FOV</firstterm> is an acronym for <quote>field-of-view</quote>. +An FOV symbol is drawn at the center of the window to indicate where the display +is pointing. Different symbols have different angular sizes; you can use a symbol to show +what the view through a particular telescope would look like. For example, if you choose +the <quote>7x35 Binoculars</quote> FOV symbol, then a circle is drawn on the display that is +9.2 degrees in diameter; this is the field-of-view for 7x35 binoculars. +</para> +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Field-of-View Symbols</primary><secondary>Customizing</secondary></indexterm> +You can define your own FOV symbols (or modify the existing symbols) using the +<guimenuitem>Edit FOV Symbols...</guimenuitem> menu item, which launches the FOV Editor: +</para> +<screenshot> +<screeninfo>Field-of-View Symbols Editor</screeninfo> +<mediaobject> + <imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="fovdialog.png" format="PNG"/> + </imageobject> + <textobject> + <phrase>FOV Symbol Editor</phrase> + </textobject> +</mediaobject> +</screenshot> + +<para> +The list of defined FOV symbols is displayed on the left. On the right are buttons for +adding a new symbol, editing the highlighted symbol's properties, and removing the +highlighted symbol from the list. Note that you can even modify or remove the four +predefined symbols (if you remove all symbols, the four defaults will be restored the +next time you start &kstars;). Below these three buttons is a graphical preview display +showing the highlighted symbol from the list. When the <guibutton>New...</guibutton> or +<guibutton>Edit...</guibutton> button is pressed, the <guilabel>New FOV Symbol</guilabel> +window is opened: +</para> + +<screenshot> +<screeninfo>New Field-of-View Symbol</screeninfo> +<mediaobject> + <imageobject> + <imagedata fileref="newfov.png" format="PNG"/> + </imageobject> + <textobject> + <phrase>New FOV Symbol</phrase> + </textobject> +</mediaobject> +</screenshot> + +<para> +<indexterm><primary>Field-of-View Symbols</primary><secondary>Defining New</secondary></indexterm> +This window lets you modify the four properties that define a FOV symbol: name, size, +shape, and color. The angular size for the symbol can either be entered directly in the +<guilabel>Field of View</guilabel> edit box, or you can use the Eyepiece/Camera Tabs to +calculate the field-of-view angle, given parameters of your telescope/eyepiece or +telescope/camera setup. The four available shapes are: Circle, Square, Crosshairs, and +Bullseye. Once you have specified all four parameters, press <guibutton>Ok</guibutton>, +and the symbol will appear in the list of defined symbols. It will also be available +from the <guimenu>Settings</guimenu> | <guisubmenu>FOV</guisubmenu> menu. +</para> +</listitem> +</itemizedlist> + +</sect1> + +</chapter> |