Navigation: Deep-Sky Planner Help > Observing Log Menu >

Observing Project Manager

Observing Project Manager is used to manage observations by organizing them into observing projects. The Observing Log does not require that observations be organized into projects, but the manager provides a visual tool for organizing your observations if you wish. Observing projects may be created, deleted or edited using the manager; you may also maintain observations with the manager. You may export selected projects and/or observations to a file and import them as well. Finally, you may select a favorite observing project. The favorite observing project (if there is one) is shown in the status bar.

The Observing Project Manager is composed of a project tree in the left pane and a list of all observations in the right pane. The Projects pane lists all projects in the observing log, and the observations that are members of each project. The Observations pane shows the object name or number, the date and time of the observation, and the name of the observer who recorded the observation.

The Observing Project Manager is analogous to the Windows Explorer and is designed to operate similarly. Observations are like files and Projects are like directories that hold shortcuts to the files. Just as you can add shortcuts for a single file to multiple directories, so can you attach an observation to multiple projects. Also, just as you can delete shortcuts to files from directories without removing the actual file, so can you delete observations from projects without removing the observation itself from the database.

Tool Bar

Project adds a new project to the database.

Favorite toggles the status of the selected project.

Obs adds a new observation to the database.

Add creates a shortcut to an observation in the selected project.

Edit opens the selected observation in the Observation Editor.

Delete removes the selected observations or projects from the database. You are warned before data is actually deleted.

Find locates the observation that a shortcut references.

Export allows you to save observations in several file formats. You can export the entire log, a single project and all of its observations, or selected observations depending on what is selected when you Export.

Import allows you to select observations in an observing log data file for import into the database. You can import observations from a file by:

▪clicking Import on the tool bar, or

▪choosing File | Import from the menu, or

▪right clicking a selected entry in the Projects or Observations pane and choosingImport from the context menu

An Open dialog box is displayed where you specify a file containing observations in Deep-Sky Planner's native observing log data format (obslog). Please see Import Data for a list of supported formats. Press OK to open the file in the Import Data dialog. You can view the log data and select any or all observations to import into the database.

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

Help opens this help topic.

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

Projects Pane

My Projects shows an alphabetical listing of all projects in the Log. Each project contains a list of shortcuts to observations. Projects are identified by and shortcuts to observations are identified by . The favorite project is identified by . You can:

Add a project by

▪clicking Project on the tool bar, or

▪choosing File | New | Project from the menu, or

▪right clicking an entry in the Projects pane and choosing Project from the context menu

The new project will have a name like 'New Project' and will be ready for renaming to something more descriptive.

Make a project the favorite by selecting a project and

▪clicking Favorite on the tool bar, or

▪choosing File | Favorite from the menu, or

▪right clicking a project in the Projects pane and choosing Favorite from the context menu

The favorite project is identified by . To select no favorite project, find the favorite project and click it again: this acts as a toggle.

The favorite project is used in several places to make working with observations more convenient. For example, you can configure new Observing Log Search documents to select observations in the favorite project for inclusion in a report.

Rename a project by selecting a project and

▪clicking once on the name, or

▪pressing F2

When the name is put into editing mode you may type a new name that must be non-blank, unique and up to 20 characters in length. Press Enter to save the new name or Esc to discard the change and retain the former name.

Delete projects and all shortcuts to its observations by selecting a project and

▪pressing the Delete key, or

▪clicking Delete on the tool bar, or

▪choosing Edit | Delete from the menu, or

▪right clicking a selected entry in the Projects pane and choosing Delete from the context menu

You are asked to confirm your request to delete the project. If you want to proceed, the project and shortcuts to their observations are removed from the database. Note that the observations themselves are not removed from the database by this operation.

Export the entire observing log by selecting Observing Log and

▪clicking the Export button, or

▪choosing File | Export, or

▪right clicking a project in the Projects pane and choosing Export from the context menu

The Export Data dialog box opens with the observations you have selected. You may further refine your choices and perform the export in the Export Data dialog box. Exporting does not change your log².

Export a single project and all of its observations by selecting a project and

▪clicking the Export button, or

▪choosing File | Export, or

▪right clicking a project in the Projects pane and choosing Export from the context menu

The Export Data dialog box opens with the observations you have selected. You may further refine your choices and perform the export in the Export Data dialog box. Exporting does not change your log².

Add observations

You can add observations to a project by using one of several methods. Note that a project may not contain duplicate shortcuts to an observation.

▪Copy and paste

▪Select one or more¹ observations in the Observations Pane and copy to the clipboard by

▪pressing Ctrl-C, or

▪choosing Edit | Copy from the menu, or

▪right clicking on the observation and choosing Copy from the context menu.

▪select the project to which observations should be added and paste by

▪pressing Ctrl-V, or by

▪choosing Edit | Paste from the menu, or by

▪right clicking on the project and choosing Paste from the context menu.

▪Drag and drop

▪Select one or more observations in the Observations pane, then

▪drag and drop them onto a project in the Projects pane. Any duplicate observation shortcuts are removed automatically from the project.

▪Add Observation dialog box. This can be accessed by clicking on a project and:

▪clicking Add on the tool bar, or

▪choosing File | Add from the menu, or

▪right clicking a project or observation entry in the Projects pane and choosing Add on context menu

Delete observations

You can delete observations from a project by selecting one or more observations under a single project and

▪clicking Delete on the tool bar, or pressing the Delete key, or

▪choosing Edit | Delete from the menu, or

▪right clicking a selected entry in the Projects pane and choosingDelete from the context menu

As with Delete Projects, shortcuts to observations are removed from the database by this operation, not the observations themselves.

Edit an observation by selecting an observation and

▪double clicking the observation, or

▪clicking Edit on the tool bar, or

▪choosing File | Edit from the menu, or

▪right clicking the observation in the Projects pane and choosingEdit from the context menu

The Observation Editor is displayed so that you can edit the observation.

Find the observation

You can find an observation in the Observations pane that a shortcut in the Projects pane represents by selecting an observation shortcut and

▪clicking Find on the tool bar, or

▪choosing File | Find from the menu, or

▪right clicking a selected observation in the Projects pane and choosingFind from the context menu

Sort all observations and projects in the Projects Pane by

▪pressing F5, or

▪choosing View | Refresh from the menu

Observations are not sorted into alphabetical order when they are added to a project.

Observations Pane

My Observations shows a list of all observations in the Observing Log. Each entry shows the name of the object, the date and time of the observation and the observer who recorded the observation. You can:

Add an observation by

▪clicking Obs on the tool bar, or

▪choosing File | New | Obs from the menu, or

▪right clicking an entry in the Observations pane and choosingNew from the context menu

The Observation Editor is displayed so that you can enter a new observation. Note that if you check Add to Favorite Observing Project, the new observation is added automatically to the favorite project (if there is one.)

Copy observations

You can copy observations to the clipboard (for pasting into a project) by selecting one or more¹ entries and

▪pressing Ctrl-C, or

▪choosing Edit | Copy from the menu, or

▪right clicking the entry in the Observations pane and choosing Copy from the context menu

Edit an observation by selecting an entry and

▪double clicking on an observation, or

▪clicking Edit on the tool bar, or

▪choosing File | Edit from the menu, or

▪right clicking the entry in the Observations pane and choosingEdit from the context menu

The Observation Editor is displayed so that you can edit the observation.

Delete observations by selecting one or more¹ entries and

▪pressing the Delete key, or

▪clicking Delete on the tool bar, or

▪choosing Edit | Delete from the menu, or

▪right clicking a selected entry in the Observations pane and choosing Delete from the context menu

You are asked to confirm your request to delete observations. If you want to proceed, the observation is removed from the database and any shortcuts to it are removed from all projects.

Export observations by selecting one or more¹ entries and

▪clicking Export on the tool bar, or

▪choosing File | Export, or

▪right clicking an observation in the Observations pane and choosingExport from the context menu

The Export Data dialog box opens with the observations you have selected. You may further refine your choices and perform the export in the Export Data dialog box.

Sort observations

You can sort observations by clicking in the title bar of one of the columns. This sorts the data by that column; clicking again in the same column toggles the sort order between ascending and descending order.

Filter the observations shown by Object (User)

Object (User) Filter allows you restrict the observations shown in the list by showing only the observations of objects whose Object (User) designation matches this filter. For example, to see observations of only Herschel objects, enter H * and click Apply. To remove the filter, click Clear.

If you add a new observation whose Object (User) designation doesn't fit the filter, the new observation will not appear in the Observations list. You need to remove the filter or change it to include the new observation to see it. The same applies to editing an observation.

Notes:

¹ Note that you can select multiple observations in the Observations pane by using the usual Windows multi-select techniques:

▪To select consecutive observations, click the first item, press and hold down SHIFT, and then click the last item.

▪To select nonconsecutive observations, press and hold down CTRL, and then click each item.

▪To select all the observationspress and hold down CTRL, and then press A.

² Exporting observations does not remove any observations from your log. You must do that explicitly. See Delete Projects and Delete Observations.

³ Importing observations does not make a change to your log until you press OK in the Import Data dialog. You have the opportunity to see which observations will be added to the log before actually making a change to your log. An observation can't be added if it already exists in the log, or the import file has been corrupted somehow.