Document Planetarium documentation Planetarium FRIENWARE-Version 2.50 ====================== 1. FEATURES ======== - can easily be configured via ascii-files - pictures for telescope mode are automatically recognized - functions can be chosen by `DROPDOWN MENUS', `SHORTCUTS' or `GADGETS' - slideshow-mode - double-buffered-display ! ( see `KNOWN BUGS' ) - friendly with multitasking : while nothing happens, task is set to 'waiting' - saves its `default settings' at the end of a session - can always be switched to `other languages' - now shows a lot more of stars and other objects 2. Some remarks ============ This program was originally written for the C64 by H. Hinkelmann and first published in the C64 Magazin 5/85 (Markt & Technik). I ported it to the Amiga, adding a lot of stars and new features, making use of intuition, thus re-coding the whole thing. I reorganized the whole stucture of the program and its routines speeding them up and that's why I sign as author. Meanwhile the program is quite stable and as I have put a lot of time into it I give you the newest version as FRIENDWARE, which means I hope you will write me a letter, if you enjoy this program. If you register you will be informed when a new version is available. Anyway, donations (money, science fiction of all kind, CD's, cars, houses...) are wellcome and will entitle you to a free update (if there is one) and the sourcecode. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ATTENTION!! I MAY NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE THIS PROGRAM MIGHT DO TO YOUR HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, TUPPERWARE OR BRAIN, SO BE CAREFUL! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Orginally written on a 1Meg A2000 under Kick 1.3 the program turned out to run well with 1Meg chipmemory and 6Meg fastram under Kick 2.x and the A2630, though some "friends" of GFA-basic would not expect it. (-> `KNOWN BUGS') ATTENTION ========= I encourage you to pass this package to anyone you want under the condition that the files remain unchanged and complete! (see `copyright') ====================== 3. Contents ======== - three archivs TELE1.LHA graphics for telescope-mode and diashow TELE2.LHA additional graphics PLAN.LHA containing - Planetarium_2.50 main program - Planetarium_2.50.info program icon - Planetarium.c compiled version (without double- buffering for AGA and slow Amigas) - Planetarium.c.info program icon - Planetarium.guide.info texticon - Planetarium.guide german/english guide - about.eng ASCII-file for Info (english) - about.fra ASCII-file for Info (french) - about.ger ASCII-file for Info (german) - const.eng ASCII-file for constellations - const.fra ASCII-file for constellations - const.ger ASCII-file for constellations - defstrings.eng ASCII-file with all needed strings - defstrings.fra s.a. french version - defstrings.fer s.a. german version - preset.data ASCII-file for presets - planet.data ASCII-file for planets - starneu.data ASCII-file for stars - gfabasro Run-only-Interpreter and the files - MuchMore textviewer - BITTE_LESEN.info texticon - BITTE_LESEN installationhelp german - READ_ME_FIRST.info texticon - READ_ME_FIRST Installationhelp english - Installer Commodores utility - Install-Planetarium simple installerscript - Install-Planetarium.info scripticon - AmigaGuide Commodore utility - libs library-drawer - amigaguide.library - tools tools-drawer - LhA (de-)archiving utility - LhaPatterns utilityprogram for lha 4. Overview ======== PLANETARIUM draws a chart of stars from horizon to horizon for any place on earth and any reasonable time (it calculates the Julian Date). +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | It starts with the time (and date) it gets from your system, expecting | | you to live in the timezone of the first pre-set place. If you do not, | | you should correct this in preset.data using any ASCII-editor. | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ You can change time and date selecting the appropriate item from the pulldown-menu. Most stars down to third magnitude are shown and some fainter are added where the constellation requires them. Magnitude and apparent brightness correspond to the colours (grayscale) used by the program, planets are marked red. PLANETARIUM has the intention to help the astronomical beginner: First, it helps to locate stars, constellations and planets. Point at a star on the chart and press the left mousebutton: A circle is drawn around it, its name and that of its constellation are displayed while the other stars of the constellation are blinking. If you know the name of a star, planet or constellation and don't know where it is, select 'Look for names' from the `DROPDOWN MENUS' , enter the name or part of it and everything will be displayed as mentioned above. Second, PLANETARIUM is able to simulate the movements of celestial objects. Just select 'Planetarium' from the 'MODE'-menu or click its icon. Choosing an twentyfour-hour interval will show you the motion of sun, moon and planets in front of the fixed stars. 5. Functions ========= 5.1. DROPDOWN MENUS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5.1.1. - Program ------- - continue actualizes screen and time - quit leave the program - about version, copyrightnotice and adress are shown 5.1.2. - Change parameters ----------------- - Location enter coordinates of any place on earth - Date/Time enter any reasonable time and date - Pre-set locations direct selection of places the coordinates and names of which are stored in the ASCII-file preset.data (configurable!) - Systemtime reset to systemtime 5.1.3. - Mode ---- - Starchart static - Planetarium dynamic -> after a selectable delay time is increased by a choosen interval. Other functions are blocked! - Telescope klicking on objects the pictures of which are stored in the subdirectory \tele or te volume tele: will display the picture 5.1.4. - Resolution ---------- - 640*502 have a guess! - 640*251 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ATTENTION!! If you are short of memory you should select lores immediately when the explaining text is displayed! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.1.5. - Look for -------- - name searches for star or constellation with the specific name; german and latin names can be found and edited according to your needs in the ASCII file star.data or planet.data 5.1.6. - Print ----- - hardcopy resets colours to black and white and prints the screen using the default driver of your workbench. Be sure it is available! - names in chart prints the name beneath any selected object on the screen 5.2. GADGETS ======= In hires-mode six icons and a 'quit' gadget are available: first row: ---------- - clock set time - earth set place - printer hardcopy second row: ----------- - mag. glass telescope mode on/off - projector diashow; all available pictures in the subdirectory /tele or the volume tele: are displayed. Left mousebutton gets next picture, right button cancels mode. ---> pictures should be in ACBM-format <--- ---> names must end with ' .pic ' <--- - planetarium animation mode on/off third row --------- - QUIT quit program Clicking on the close gadget of the window has the same result. The sizing gadget is not yet supported 5.3. SHORTCUTS ========= SHORTCUTS are shown on the right side of the menuitems 5.4. Other languages =============== All strings for `DROPDOWN MENUS' and messages can be found in defstrings.xxx and can be changed with any ascii-editor. Take care: - don't kill , ; ! - ------- - don't alter the length of strings to much (try out) and take care of blanks 6. Default Settings ================ When leaving the program regularly (via QUIT e.a.) default settings are saved in S:plan.prefs (1.e. language, place etc.) Next time they are available the moment you start PLANETARIUM! 7. KNOWN BUGS ========== - in planetarium mode you should not press the buttons for a longer period than the chosen delay - on AGA-machines colours of ACBM-files are a bit odd - some commodities don't work with PLANETARIUM (blankers...) Due to the use of a lot of system functions the double-buffering program can not be compiled at this time, therefor it might not run on A1200, A3000, A4000. I compiled a version without this feature and this should work on all Amigas. Any idea what I can do? Please help me if you can! 8. COPYRIGHT ========= You may NOT use the program commercially in any way (read: sell it or make any money with it or parts of it)! Distribution in public-domain-series is welcome as long as a disk or copying fee does not exagerate 10,-DM, e.g. about 7$. © Remember this stuff is copyrighted! (see `AUTHOR' -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Program history =============== Version 0.98i (not released) ------------- I fixed a few bugs and added a preset feature for some well known (Wünnenberg??) or interesting locations. Now the MedRes-screen is built up properly and the GURU will not come up any more when you use some strange coordinates. A friend asked me for an entire english version, so I translated everything the best I could - even the names of variables and subroutines in the source - so that everybody might be able to understand what the program is doing (Version 0.98i means "international" haha). Version 0.99i (not released) ------------- I worked on the routines to speed them up. Where it is possible the program now uses integer instead of floatingpoint variables. Version 1.0i ------------ I checked the trigonometric functions and used the fast GFA routines where speed was more important than precision. This payed!! The compiled version now only needs about three seconds to calculate and draw! an image of the sky. I called this version 1.0i because during testing no serious mistake occured (though there might be still some more bugs in it). Version 1.01i (not released) ------------- I changed the palette so that the brightness of the stars can be displayed properly. Adding one more bitplane to the screen would slow down the program by half. Version 1.02i (not released) ------------- One minor bug in the blink routine eliminated. Version 1.1i ----------- I added a feature to calculate the phases of the moon and the possibility to print the names of the stars you klick at into the screen. Version 1.11i (not released) ------------- The moon is no longer a simple circle because I added a picture for the phases! Version 1.12i ------------- Now the moon is shown correctly even non-interlaced. Version 1.13i ------------- Pictures of the moon are now integrated in the source-code (inline). Using the latest version of GFA Basic and Compiler (Version 3.52) made some minor bugs disappear. Version 1.15i to 1.85i (not released) ---------------------- I added the booleangadget routine to make program handling more easy. Configuration ability via ASCII files implemented. Version 2.0 ----------- Double buffering implemented --> better animations No more loops, when the program looks for inputs; the task is just waiting for an event, so multitasking is better! Version 2.01 ------------ Extended presets; got rid of a minor bug in gadgetroutines Version 2.02 (22.01.1994) ------------ Enabeled sort of "localizing" via defstrings.data and thus added english and french version Version 2.03 (21.04.1994) ------------ Cleared up the code a bit and "localized" the information displayed each time you start the program (about.data). You can edit it the way you like. Added star.data.english Version 2.04 (23.4.1994) ------------ Finally corrected the routine calculating Greenwich time from systemtime. Now it should work for every first defaultposition! Version 2.50 (22.6.1995) ------------ A major update! Changed the structure of the stars' file (starneu.data) so the old file cannot be used any more. Well, for more look at `FEATURES' 10. Author ====== If you want to contact me write to Rolf Kühr Am Südhang 21 D 33181 Wünnenberg (Germany) Tel.:49-2953-8701 or try to reach me via e-mail (german Zerberus-net): Sokrates@MF.ZER That's all folks, enjoy! Rolf Kühr