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ScopeDriver 2.1 Released 19 May 2004

• New Features:
  
  
  • Added Window menu to main menu.
    
    
  • Windows version no longer uses Multiple Document Interface (MDI). Menus now appear within windows that allow menu selection. ScopeDriver will always keep at least one window open that contains the menu bar.
    
    
  • Expired demo may now be extended via a simple e-mail key. When the demo period has expired, the Welcome to ScopeDriver window will now include an “Extend...” button, which initiates the demo period extension request.
    
    
  • Global Control Palette implemented. This window floats above all windows in all application programs, effectively giving you basic ScopeDriver functionality in all programs. On most versions of Windows, clicking the Global Control Palette’s title bar will bring ScopeDriver to the front. Otherwise, the palette always floats above the front most application. Features include:
    
    
    • Configure via Edit menu -> Configure Global Control Palette...
    • Show (when a connection is active) via Edit->Show Global Control Palette.
    • Control Slew Direction, Slew Rate, Focus, and more.
    • View Sidereal, Local, and/or Universal Time.
    • View and set equatorial and altazimuth values on telescopes that support it.
    • Select only the palette panels you need; make the palette as small as you like.
    • Observing List palette panel allows slewing to any list object.
    • Reorder the palette panes to suit your requirements.
    • Contextual menu offers extensive control over ScopeDriver, even when it is not the front most application.
    • Check the Help Tags on the palette panes for additional information.
      
      
      
• Observing List:
  
  
  • Added Default Observing List. If you place an Observing List file named “Default Observing List” in your ScopeDriver data folder, that list will be used as a “template” for all new Observing Lists. This allows you to use a default window size, window position, print options, followup action, etc. The Default Observing List can also contain objects that will appear automatically in all new Observing Lists, if desired. Because this feature sets list defaults, the “Make Default...” button no longer appears in Observing List Print Options Windows.
    
    
  • “Find” and “Find Again” added. The search string is saved with the Observing List file, so that each Observing Window can maintain its own search parameters.
    
    
  • Added menu command “Add Selected Items to User Objects...” in the File menu. Details appear below:
    
    
    • When one or more list items are selected, this menu command adds the selected Observing List objects to ScopeDriver’s User Object data. This is useful when you have obtained an Observing List from another user which contains objects which are not in ScopeDriver’s internal database or your user objects file(s).
      
      
    • Duplicate checking is applied, and you may inspect the duplicates individually, if desired. ScopeDriver considers an object a “duplicate” if it exactly matches the coordinates and epoch of an object already contained in a ScopeDriver support file, user file, or the internal database.
      
      
    • This function is also available via the scrolling Observing List’s contextual menu.
      
      
    • When the Inspect Duplicates Window appears on Mac OS X as a sheet, its size is based on the Observing List Window size. For a wider or taller Inspect Duplicates Window, drag to resize the Observing List Window before adding objects.
      
      
  • When adding database objects, holding down the ALT/OPTION key changes the “Add to List” button to “Add to All Lists.” Clicking this button adds the selected object to all open Observing Lists.
    
    
  • Editing an Observing List item identified by its celestial coordinates now brings up the Edit Observing List Item Window with fields specific to objects identified by RA/Dec. To revert to the “old” behavior (using the same Edit Observing List Object Window as objects identified by Elements, etc.), hold down the ALT/OPTION key as you double-click an Observing List object.
    
    
  • Each open list can have its own Add Database Object Window. This is useful when you are adding objects to various Observing Lists. The Add Database Object Window will contain the name of its “target” Observing List in its titlebar, so you’ll know which Observing List the entry window “belongs” to. This is most useful with the new feature described below:
    
    
  • Added “Remain Open” control to Add Database Object Window. Click “Remain Open” to add objects to an Observing List without closing the Add Database Object Window. When adding an object to a list in this fashion, the “target” Observing List will move forward in the window layering so that you can see where the object was added.
    
    
  • Observing Lists may now have multiple Add Database Object Windows open. Closing an Observing List closes all Add Database Object Windows associated with that list. Example usage: keep several Add Database Object Windows open, each set to display stars from a different constellation. If you use Mac OS X, read the below note:
    
    
  • On Mac OS X, the Add Database Object Window is implemented as a sheet window. To instead display the window as a standard window, hold down the SHIFT key while selecting “Add Database Object.” You may use this same method to open multiple Add Database Object Windows.
    
    
  • Added “List Save Options...” to the Observing List contextual menu. This controls whether or not the Observing List will open at the same size and/or screen coordinates as the last time it was saved.
    
    
  • Undo and Redo now correctly update the object count in the window’s title bar.
    
    
  • Lists are no longer returned to their saved position and size when opened on a different machine.
    
    
  • The “Delete All Objects...” contextual menu item no longer appears when a list contains no entries.
    
    
  • Drag and drop, paste now undoable and redoable.
    
    
  • Clicking on Observing List object now force-updates its Right Ascension and Declination. This is useful when a list contains a rapidly-moving object.
    
    
    
• Main Window and Telescope Connection:
  
  
  • Slew Buttons are now much more responsive, allowing very short slew bursts.
    
    
  • ScopeDriver now launches much faster when no telescope is connected and ScopeDriver is set to automatically connect at launch.
    
    
  • Connect Window: Pressing [tab] now cycles through the Port: pop-up menu. Pressing SHIFT + [tab] cycles through the Telescope: pop-up menu.
    
    
  • Clickable Main Window displays (i.e., the Time Display) now highlight when clicked, providing a visual cue that the click will perform an action.
    
    
  • A connection may now be closed by clicking in the Main Window’s close box.
    
    
  • Modern Autostar 4-speed focusers now supported.
    
    
  • Lost connection dialog now presents date and time.
    
    
  • Test Mode now supports active time displays.
    
    
  • Main Window now honors custom background color when in Test Mode.
    
    
  • Connection progress dialog now re-appears after warning appears, if incorrect telescope selection is detected.
    
    
  • ScopeDriver now queries for the alignment state at connect time, instead of setting alignment to its saved state. If the query fails, alignment will be set to its last known state.
    
    
  • If connected to an Autostar (including LX200 GPS) with firmware Rev. 3 or higher, ScopeDriver now presents the advanced motion rate controls “Slew/Find/Center/Guide” instead of “Fast/Medium/Slow” in the Main Window.
    
    
  • Fixed situation where the time display in the Main Window would not update properly after setting the time in the Time and Date Window.
    
    
  • Communications Window may now be shown any time Main Window is open. Hold down SHIFT + CONTROL and click in a non-control area of the Main Window to display the Communications Window. If the Communications Window is already open, SHIFT + CONTROL + click clears the Communications Window’s scrolling display.
    
    
  • Main Window displays now update when Communications Window is front most.
    
    
    
• Finding Sky Objects:
  
  
  • Find Object Window: Solar system objects now display Object Information.
    
    
  • Find Object Window and Add Database Object Windows now perform much better.
    
    
  • Fixed a small number of internal database entries where the seconds portion of the Right Ascension or Declination had been rounded up to 60.
    
    
    
• Observing Log:
  
  
  • Reverting or discarding changes to the Log now also reverts or discards the Log’s Print Options.
    
    
  • New Log Entries now properly populate the UTC Date, UTC Time Fields, and Site Fields when a telescope is not connected. ScopeDriver will have had to connect to a telescope at least once in order to use its data to calculate the UTC; otherwise, Local Time will appear in the UTC Fields.
    
    
  • Export Log: On Windows, ScopeDriver enforces the “.txt” extension on the saved text file.
    
    
  • “Find” button now disables if the Log is empty.
    
    
  • Fixed some screen refresh issues.
    
    
  • Export Log Window now uses check marks to display the selected fields, instead of Yes/No.
    
    
    
• Navigation Palette:
  
  
  • “Main” and “Find” buttons now enable in Test Mode.
    
    
  • Edit menu -> Show Navigation Palette menu item now uses a check mark to indicate its status, instead of changing the menu item’s text.
    
    
    
• Internet Update and Auto-Upgrade:
  
  
  • When using Internet Update Window, a successful download now opens its parent window in the Finder.
    
    
  • If the “Cancel Download?” warning is on-screen, and a download successfully completes before the warning is dismissed, ScopeDriver now automatically closes the warning window.
    
    
  • Update Window now appears in front of other windows if an update is available.
    
    
  • Auto-upgrade feature no longer checks for the obsolete “Backup ScopeDriver Preferences” file, and so will not report that the file failed to copy.
    
    
    
• Miscellaneous Changes:
  
  
  • Changed “Preferences” menu keyboard equivalent to COMMAND/CONTROL + (comma).
    
    
  • You may now disable the warning that ScopeDriver presents when you are about to close a connect
    
    
  • Improved appearance of little arrows controls.
    
    
  • Improved window repositioning code when a window opens off-screen or nearly so. Multiple screens are now considered when repositioning the window, and the window is repositioned closer to its original position.
    
    
  • Additional Mac OS X Sheet support. Trying to access a window that is displaying a sheet (e.g., selecting “New Log Entry” when the Log Window contains a “Save Changes?” sheet) now returns a warning that the window is busy, with explanatory details.
    
    
  • Adjusted RAM requirements for Classic Mac OS.
    
    
  • Changes to dialog support.
    
    
  • Character Delay Startup Preference added. This Startup Preference (hold down SHIFT at program launch) allows ScopeDriver to insert pauses between each character sent to your telescopes. Normally, the default value of “0” should be used.
    
    
  • A failed connection now just returns you to the Connect Window, instead of offering Test Mode in the failure dialog.
    
    
  • Failed or dropped connections now handled more gracefully.
    
    
  • International text support added to About Box.
    
    
    
• Miscellaneous Bug Fixes:
  
  
  • Fixed crash that would occur on Mac OS 10.3.2 and later when confirming changes in the Sun-Orbiting Object Window.
    
    
  • Fixed several popup menu problems on Windows builds.
    
    
  • Connect Window no longer appears briefly when quitting with the Main Window open.
    
    
  • Export Log Window (and other list windows): Using arrows or buttons to move entries no longer clears the check mark.
    
    
  • Fixed display of License Agreement on Mac OS Classic builds.
    
    
  • Fixed situation where multiple save or disconnect warnings would sometimes occur on quit.
    
    
  • Full screen Observing List mode text should now obey night vision changes on all Windows systems.
    
    
    
    

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