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ScopeDriver 2.2 Released 02 September 2004

• New: Automatically Download the Latest Comet and Asteroid Data
  
  
  • Added “Update Comets and Asteroids...” command to the Data menu. This allows automatic downloading and processing of IAU-standard data for comets, bright asteroids, distant asteroids, NEO/unusual asteroids, and critical asteroids. Only files that have changed since the last update check will be downloaded, and you may select any or all object files for downloading at once. User may select MPC or Autostar format (MPC is slightly more accurate, and contains historical data; Autostar contains more common names).
    
    
• New: Area Search Locates Nearby Objects
  
  
  • If you are in the general area of a desired sky object, but the object is not in the field of view, ScopeDriver’s new Area Search helps you locate the object. Area Search performs widening rectangular slews, moving outward from the original telescope position. Area Search functions in all alignment modes. When connected, access area search via the “Telescope -> Area Search...” menu, via COMMAND/CONTROL-SHIFT-A, or by pressing [A] while in Full-screen Observing List mode.
    
    
• New: Import MPC-format and Autostar-format Orbital Data
  
  
  • Added support for both MPC-format and Meade Autostar-format comet and asteroid data files. Simply place the file (or an alias/shortcut to the file) in the “Downloaded Elements” folder in the ScopeDriver Data Folder. (If the “Downloaded Elements” folder is not there, then launch and quit ScopeDriver to create it.) These files are normally updated at launch, but may be force-updated by selecting “Reload Object Files” from the Data menu.
    
    
• New in Observing Lists:
  
  
  • Observing Lists now support importing text files, Autostar Tours, and AstroPlanner text or plan documents.
    
    
  • Observing Lists now support adding any type of object via a pop-up menu.
    
    
  • Observing List Add Database Object Windows now dynamically update the listing of found objects when the telescope type is changed, thus changing the available catalogs. If the currently selected object is still available on the new telescope model, the selection is maintained.
    
    
  • Increased recent Observing Lists to 15.
    
    
  • Full-screen Observing List mode now contains the sequential object number at the top (such as “Object 1 of 20”).
    
    
  • You may now move backward in full-screen Observing List mode by holding down the SHIFT key while clicking or pressing any other key.
    
    
  • Full-screen Observing List mode now better handles extremely long comments, reducing the type size if necessary for all text to fit.
    
    
  • Editing objects in Observing Lists and editing User Objects now uses the same interface. To force ScopeDriver to edit the object’s raw data, hold down the ALT/OPTION key when editing an object.
    
    
• Miscellaneous New Features:
  
  
  • Increased accuracy of Orbital Element position calculation.
    
    
  • Certain warning dialogs may now be suppressed, preventing the re-appearance of warning dialogs on a dialog-by-dialog basis. Added Application Preference to reset suppressed warning dialogs.
    
    
  • Added “Duplicate” button to Edit User Objects window.
    
    
  • Telescope-related menu commands are now selectable even when the Main Window is in the background, as long as a connection is active or ScopeDriver is in test mode.
    
    
  • Observing List Windows, Find Object Windows, and Add Database Object Windows now open at staggered positions if necessary, eliminating windows that exactly overlap one another.
    
    
  • Connect Window: Pressing the I key now toggles the state of “Increase Responsiveness.”
    
    
  • Edit Sun-Orbiting Object Window: Added option to specify Mean Anomaly and Epoch to Elliptical Orbit model. Changed first parameter name to Elements Equinox.
    
    
  • ScopeDriver now checks to determine whether its last launch completed successfully. If not, a dialog is presented offering to open the Startup Preferences Window with the option “Reset all preferences” selected.
    
    
  • Losmandy Gemini now gets its firmware version at connect time, and so the user does not need to set it explicitly in the Connect window.
    
    
  • Added “Reload Object Files” command to Data menu. This forces a reload of all files in the “Object Text Files” and “Downloaded Elements” folders, and is useful if you’ve added object text files and don’t want to quit and re-launch ScopeDriver in order to use them. The command forces re-parsing of all files, whether or not their data has changed.
    
    
  • Added “Paste” buttons to paste registration codes into Register and Renew windows.
    
    
  • Internet Update: Added support for extended characters (accented characters, etc.) in Change Listing.
    
    
• Miscellaneous Improvements
  
  
  • Modified Observing List control layout.
    
    
  • Edit Object windows now have much larger “Comments” text fields.
    
    
  • Edit Sun-Orbiting Object window now better cross-populates values when you change the Orbit Model tab. For example, if you have entered data for an Elliptical Object, but later realize that the object should be Near-Parabolic, the data you already entered will appear in the Near-Parabolic tab when you switch to it.
    
    
  • Made ALT/OPTION -adding duplicate objects universal to all object editing windows. If you edit an object, and click Add Object while holding down ALT/OPTION, the editing window will remain open. Thereafter, clicking on the Add Object button will add a new instance of the object.
    
    
  • Sync. to Current Coordinates (Object Menu -> Sync. to Current Coordinates; Full-Screen Observing List Window; Area Search Window) now presents a suppressible warning that some telescopes can only sync to catalog objects.
    
    
  • Default view option for Global Control Palette is now “Show and Hide via Menu Only.”
    
    
  • Cancelling a pending connection now returns control more rapidly, and does not display a warning dialog.
    
    
  • Error checking on orbital elements is now performed any time an orbital position is calculated.
    
    
• Bug Fixes
  
  
  • Fixed Gemini/Windows timing issue which led to unpredictable “Transfer List to Telescope...” results.
    
    
  • Importing files to Observing Lists now properly updates the window’s title bar with the number of objects.
    
    
  • Fixed error in release builds where Internet Update Window heading contained the text “^AppName” instead of “ScopeDriver.”
    
    
  • Comments with end-of-line characters now display properly in Observing List full screen mode.
    
    
  • Fixed bug where some cases of negative zero degrees declination and latitude were handled improperly.
    
    
  • Fixed error that sometimes occurred when closing an Observing List while an object’s Info. Window was showing.
    
    
  • “Copy” now re-enabled in most text fields.
    
    
  • Preferences file format has changed. ScopeDriver will transparently read in the “old” preferences, but will now write to a new preferences file [“ScopeDriver Preferences (3)” in the preferences folder; “Backup SD Preferences (3)” in the ScopeDriver Data Folder]. Older versions will continue to work from the older preferences files, which are left in place. This means that any changes you make to your preferences in ScopeDriver 2.2 or later will not be reflected when you launch a previous version. This fixes a bug where Recent Observing List data could sometimes become corrupted, leading to unexpected quits or crashes at launch.
    
    
    
    

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