Differences between V1 and V2
AstroPlanner V2 differs from AstroPlanner V1.x in several areas that you need to be aware of.
AstroPlanner and the OS
- AstroPlanner no longer stores its files and temporary stuff in the same folder as the application. This is because both Mac OS X and Windows don't like that behaviour if the application is installed into the Applications folder (Mac) or Program Files folder (Windows). Instead, all those files, and preferences, are stored in a folder called AstroPlanner. That folder is stored in the user's application data folder. This is "~/Library/Application Support/AstroPlanner" on Mac OS X or "C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\AstroPlanner" on Windows. Typically you will never need to look at or move this stuff, although you might want to include it in backups. Also, plan documents are stored in your user Documents folder by default (in an AstroPlanner subfolder).
- The Windows application now includes a "traditional" installer/uninstaller (InstallAstroPlanner.exe), that deals with installing and setting things up. Mac OS X users, of course, merely need to drag the single application file into their Applications folder (or wherever else they desire to put it).
- The Windows application is no longer a single executable file, but now consists of an executable file (AstroPlanner.exe) and an attendant folder called "AstroPlanner Libs" that must be stored alongside the executable file and must not be renamed, etc.. This is all be taken care of by the installer.
- AstroPlanner V2 uses a new format for many of its files (plan documents, resources, observation database, etc.). This format results in faster access, smaller files, and much more robustness (i.e. more difficult to corrupt a file if things go wrong). This new format is not backwards compatible with V1.x, and in fact requires a V1.x user to run a special application in order to convert the files.
- Catalogue files have not changed format, and are (presently) the same format for both V1.x and V2. V2 can install catalogues from a V1.x CD-ROM, but that must be done via the Catalogue Manager feature in V2 - not via the installer on the CD-ROM, which is for V1.x only.
- As a result of the above, AstroPlanner V2 can be used in parallel with V1.x without any problems (that I'm aware of). Catalogue files and the DSS image cache can be used by both versions, but other than that they are completely separate beasts.
- The Windows version no longer uses the MDI method of supporting multiple documents (main window + child windows within that main window). All windows are opened separately and have their own menu bars. This will help with multiple screen setups, and with being friendly with respect to other applications.
- AstroPlanner now uses a user licence serial number method of determining registration status, rather than the presence of "special" catalogues as in V1. If you do not have a serial number valid for V2, then you will be restricted in the use of V2: apart from "nagging", you'll only have access to Messier, NGC and Bright Star catalogues, even if you own other catalogues from V1, and there are restrictions in other areas (such as uploading and downloading user-contributed plans and scripts), although the restrictions are not as wide-ranging as they were for V1.
AstroPlanner Operation
AstroPlanner V2 has had many changes to make it faster and to correct many user-interface annoyances found in V1. In particular:
- There is no longer a separate Planning and Observing tab. They are both combined into an Objects tab. When not "planning", you can hide the object data entry fields.
- There are no longer Local and Global observations. All observations are effectively "global" and reside in the Observation Database.
- Observation logging is now done on a separate Observations tab in the plan document.
- Observations now have associated observing "sessions" grouping them together.
- Observations can now have attached files and images associated with them.
- Telescopes now have their computerised mounts defined as part of the Telescope resource. This means that each Telescope resource can have a separate mount and serial port definition. It also means that you can even have two or more plan documents open, each connected to a separate telescope simultaneously.
- Preferences are now largely in separate windows (as opposed to the large and complex tabbed window in V1). They are either accessed via the (much reduced in complexity) General preferences window, or via buttons situated near the feature they support. e.g. FOV preferences are accessed via a button next to the FOV chart.
- Objects, observations, sessions and resources all have their own set of user-defined fields.
- Much of the interface is now threaded, which does away with annoying waits during which nothing can be done (e.g. while FOV is rendering a complex chart).
AstroPlanner Features Illustrated
Many of the major improvements in V2 have been documented in the AstroPlanner blog. Here are some direct links into the blog. Consider them "preliminary documentation" if you like :^)
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