[APBeta] New annotation feature in 2.0b30

[Hilary Jones]

I tried the new annotations feature quickly tonight.  I haven't really 
explored all the possibilities yet, but I do have a couple of comments.

First, a possible bug.  To demonstrate this, create an annotation, but don't 
click the save button.  Now create a second annotation.  You will find that 
AstroPlanner has forgotten the first annotation and replaced it with blanks. 
Perhaps AP should warn about this, or maybe better still, just remember the 
first annotation.  There's also a question of whether AP should warn you 
that the annotations haven't been saved when you exit the app or move to 
another object.

Second, I can't find a way to highlight objects based on their annotations. 
I use annotations to tell whether an object is especially interesting or 
not.  For example I prefix each annotation with an asterisk if I think the 
object is especially noteworthy, and I use an exclamation point to show that 
the object is something I've finished work on.  Then I can use the 
highlighting rules to place the interesting objects at the top of the plan 
and the uninteresting ones later.  It's true that I can set the highlighting 
based on the object's "notes" field, but I really need to be able to set the 
highlighting based on an annotation.  That way the highlighting will be the 
same with every plan and I won't have to edit the notes field for every 
plan.  Actually, the best answer would be if the notes were shared between 
all plans in the same way that annotations are shared.  Alternatively, I 
would be happy if there was a highlighting rule that worked for the first 
annotation, say.  I certainly don't need to be able to set my highlighting 
based on the contents of the 37th annotation!

Hilary


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paul Rodman" <paul at ilanga.com>
To: "AstroPlanner Beta Testers" <apbeta at lists.astroplanner.net>
Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 4:52 PM
Subject: [APBeta] New annotation feature in 2.0b30


> This release sees the beginnings of a new Annotation feature. This 
> feature is similar to the old Catalogue Annotation feature, and  replaces 
> it. It's designed to allow you to "annotate" specific objects  with notes. 
> This feature is not in the list of new features for this  version.
>
> This can now be done from various places (the Objects tab, the 
> Observations tab, the Catalogue display window, and others to come.). 
> Annotations are cross-referenced by ID, so that an annotation for M31 
> would also appear for NGC224, etc. You can have multiple annotations  per 
> object, and so on. Annotations for solar system objects are also  now 
> allowed.
>
> If you have existing Catalogue Annotations, they will be imported into 
> the new database via a background thread when you startup this version 
> for the first time. This will be indicated by a green pulsing "Anno"  icon 
> near the top right of the plan window. Since this import process  has to 
> build cross-references it might take some time, and during that  period 
> the Annotation features will be disabled. PLEASE DO NOT QUIT  FROM THE 
> APPLICATION UNTIL THIS PROCESS IS FINISHED. i.e. the green  icon thingy 
> goes away.
>
> This feature is a work in progress. Other items still to be addressed 
> include:
> - Allowing display and editing of ALL annotations at once.
> - Import and export of annotations
> - Script access to the annotations
> - Printing of annotations and including them in printed reports, etc.
> - Catalogue search by annotation
>
> Please be patient.
>
> Paul R.
>
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