[APBeta] Observations Feature Questions

[Greg Paine]

-----Original Message-----
From: apbeta-bounces at lists.astroplanner.net
[mailto:apbeta-bounces at lists.astroplanner.net] On Behalf Of Paul Rodman
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 4:16 PM
To: AstroPlanner Beta Testers
Subject: Re: [APBeta] Observations Feature Questions

> I'd like to see the general / resources area made larger. Currently  
> I only see 2.5 lines without scrolling.

So you're telling me you use more than one or two lines? I can arrange  
that. Perhaps a splitter bar.

[Greg's Comments:] Yes, definitely. I frequently start out with a low or
medium power EP and increase power until I've gone too far. Toss in trying a
filter and/or barlow. I often have 3 or 4 entries. A slitter bar would be
great.


You mean make Edit->Preferences... into a hierarchical menu (i.e. Edit- 
 >Preferences->Observation, etc.)? 

[Greg's Comments:] No, just a tab in the preferences window alongside
general, lists, printing, etc

I have been breaking out the  
preferences into separate windows positioned "closer" to their  
emphasis (i.e. FOV prefs next to the FOV, etc.). However, I will  
consider this. Preferences are something you shouldn't need to change  
much. If there are certain preferences you are fiddling a lot, perhaps  
they need to be elsewhere.

[Greg's Comments:] I also like your idea of the prefs located closer to
their emphasis. Is it easy to place access to them in both locations? I
think your V1 users will tend to look in the prefs window first, at least I
did.


> Is there a way to name sessions?

No. They are based on Date/Time/Site, i.e. "named" automatically. If  
you really, really feel the need to "name" sessions, I can add a name  
field.

[Greg's Comments:] No, the notes field will work but it would be nice to do
a column sort on notes; at least maybe the first 15 characters or so of
notes. I usually enter the name of guests then the next time they stop by I
look up what I showed them last time.


> Would it be beneficial to include the other obs session fields  
> (seeing, trans, observer & notes) in the obs sessions window?

Well, I recently added the first three. Use the splitter to reveal  
them if necessary.

[Greg's Comments:] I see them now. I tried the scroll bar but didn't see
them so assumed there wasn't anything there. Any easy way to continue to
show the scroll bar until the window is expanded out far enough to show all
fields? It is a little misleading now; when the scroll bar disappears one
thinks there is nothing more to see to the right.