Navigation: Deep-Sky Planner Help > Equipment/Observer Menu >

Equipment Browsers

Equipment/Log Browsers

Equipment/Log browsers are used to maintain various equipment and log information stored in Deep-Sky Planner. You can add, edit, delete, view and print information, as well as import and export lists of equipment and log data. You can also mark various equipment items as Enabled for active use or not.

The browser is composed of a browsing pane on the left and a property viewing/editing pane on the right. The tool bar provides access to all browser functions.

Tool Bar

New initializes the Property Pane for a new equipment item and enables editing.

Edit initializes the Property Pane for the selected equipment item and enables editing.

Delete removes the selected equipment item from the database. You are warned before the item is actually deleted. Also, if the equipment item is referenced in any observations, you must determine how to handle the affected observations (see delete item options.)

Import allows you to select an equipment data file and open it in the Import Data dialog. Please see Import Data for more information on importing data. The file formats supported by Deep-Sky Planner include:

▪Equipment list (*.equip) - native Deep-Sky Planner equipment and observer lists

▪Observing log data (*.obslog) - native Deep-Sky Planner observing log (equipment, sessions, observers and observations)

▪Session list (*.obssess) - native Deep-Sky Planner observing session lists

▪OpenAstronomyLog 2.1 (*.xml) - also known as <OAL>, this is a non-proprietary file format for exchanging observations between applications. Please see http://groups.google.com/group/openastronomylog for information about this international effort that enables observers to exchange observations among applications. Software developers can read about the format definition at https://github.com/openastronomylog/openastronomylog.

Export allows you to select equipment items from the database and export them to an equipment data file using the Export Data dialog. Equipment data files have the file extension .equip. Several other export formats are supported including OpenAstronomyLog 2.1 (*.xml). Please see the Export Data page for details.

View allows you to view the contents of an equipment data file. The view is formatted according to the stylesheet selected in View/Print Style. You can also print the equipment data file from within the viewer.

Print allows you to view the contents of an equipment data file and print its contents. The printout is formatted according to the stylesheet selected in View/Print Style. A print dialog box is shown before printing begins so that you can select a printer and specify printing options.

Help opens the specific equipment type help topic.

View/Print Style allows you to select a stylesheet to use when viewing or printing an equipment data file. Deep-Sky Planner ships with default stylesheet(s).

Browsing Pane

The Browsing Pane shows a list of all items by name that are stored in the database. Select an item to view its properties, or for deletion or editing.

Close closes the browser.

Property Pane

The Property Pane contains data specific to each type of equipment (or observer.) Please see help for specific type of equipment for a description of these data.

Note: *=optional data reminds you that any data item in the property pane that is labeled with an asterisk (*) is an optional data item. Deep-Sky Planner can omit some calculations when an optional data item not entered by the user.

Save saves changes made in the Property Pane to the database. Note that this includes changes made by the New or Edit functions only.

Cancel discards changes made in the Property Pane and cancels the Add or Edit function.

Note:

Equipment that is Enabled for active use appears in the Equipment Bar and in the equipment lists when a new observation is being added with the Observation Editor. All equipment (both Enabled and Disabled) appears in the various equipment browsers and in the equipment lists when an observation is being viewed or edited. The status of equipment items is indicated in the browsing pane of each equipment browser with either (Enabled), or (Disabled)