========== Maestro Beta Software 0.01.001 Release Notes (17-Nov-2004) ========= Maestro is a Client software application designed to provide interface to SkyWalker. NOTE: Maestro does not work with SkyWalkers shipped prior to October 2004 *unless* that SkyWalker has been upgraded to a "smart" SkyWalker with the S-Box accessory. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOTE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you plan to switch back and forth between using SkyGuide and Maestro, on the same PC, then you will have to also switch back and forth between the two WARP and TeleAPI support DLLs used by each program (otherwise Maestro or SkyGuide will crash). Specifically, in the \Program Files\Common Files\System folder on your PC you must have the correct TeleAPI.dll and WARP.dll files. Use the following to determine which DLL files get placed in this folder: - For Maestro: - TeleAPI.dll: www.astrometric.com/support/downloads/tapibeta/TeleAPI.dll - WARP.dll: www.astrometric.com/support/downloads/warpbeta/WARP.dll - For SkyGuide: - TeleAPI.dll: www.astrometric.com/support/downloads/TeleAPI.dll - WARP.dll: www.astrometric.com/support/downloads/WARP.dll Alternatively, the SkyGuide and Maestro installation programs install the correct DLL files into the System folder so a reinstall can properly set-up the files. Note: a Maestro reinstall will NOT reset any of your S-Box or Maestro settings/preferences. We are working on a DLL versions that work with both Maestro and SkyGuide. ================= New features/changes in Maestro 0.01.001 ==================== - Added Void-Alignment and Align-from-Last buttons to the Alignment area on the Settings tab. - Provided a pop-up warning when changing a setting on the Instrumental tab. This helps prevent inadvertent changes to settings which will void alignment. - The type of mount that the Virtual Telescope displays is not longer selectable by the user but rather calculated by Maestro from the following settings: - If Mount Assumption (set from the Settings/AlignmentSetup/MountAssumption Menu Page) is Alt/Az type then draw as a Fork-Alt/Az. - If Mount Assumption is Polar type then: - If Meridian Avoidance is "Full(GEM)" then draw as GEM-Eq - Otherwise draw as Fork-EQ - Changed the "Set Time" button on the Settings tab so that it involves a pop- up that notes the difference between S-Box and PC time rather than using absolute times since that gave the user the impression that while they wait the time that Maestro will set S-Box time to continues to become more and more a time in the past. - Changed the default first-use for SkyWalker interface to COM1 (rather than "SSW_Demo"). - Made a number of label/text changes for consistency and readability. - Clarified textual notes in the Alignment wizard (e.g. to help indicate when preliminary alignment from Starting Position would occur). ====================== Bug fixes in Maestro 0.01.001 ========================== - Fixed a bug where if the S-Box was aligned with Maestro, and then exit/ re-start Maestro, it voided the S-Box's alignment. - Fixed a bug where if the "shift", "ctrl" and "alt" Quick Key modifiers were disabled when using numeric keys 1-7, then the pop-up "Using only numeric 1-7 causes problems - leave at least one modifier" happens (this is OK) but then all three modifiers were enabled and the "using:" was listed as just "num". New behavior is that whatever was the last modifier to be un-clicked is just left on and the modifier listed accordingly. - For GEM-Eq, the Virtual Telescope did not properly display telescope orientation for all combinations of North/South Hemisphere and "Y Polarity Valid". - The Alignment wizard was missing a few Starting Position choices. They are included now. Specifically: - When Meridian Avoidance == Full(GEM): - None - DueNorthFromEast - DueNorthFromWest - When Meridian Avoidance != Full(GEM): - None - DueNorth - Fixed a bug where the alignement could revert to Preliminary for a Starting Position when using Maestro's alignment "wizard" (from the Align-from-Star(s) button) together with TheSky. ================== Known problems with Maestro 0.01.001 ======================= - Before installing a new version of Maestro it is necessary to uninstall any previous version of Maestro. - Need a "Default Starting Position" pull-down selection control in the Alignment area of the Settings tab to provide functionality equivalent to that in the Instrument Display on the HP2 Emulator tab. - Need more readable font for labels/text. Perhaps MS Sans Serif. - Cannot change site name from Site Name pull-down on the Settings page. Can do this from the Instrument Display on the HP2 Emulator tab. - When using TheSky with Maestro, TheSky crashes if it is started before Maestro. The temporary workaround is to always start Maestro first. - The Objects tab is non-functional because SkyWalker does not currently provide support for the ATCL Objects selection/usage commands. The calibrate from Bright Star button on the Settings tab does not work for the same reason. - When using Client software (e.g. Maestro) to control SkyWalker, occasionally there will be a Client Syntax error with an unknown command that is shown as 3 characters rather than the standard 4 characters for all ATCL commands. This is because SkyWalker firmware is loosing a character from time to time. The SkyWalker serial communications interface (i.e. Client interface) is very error tolerant and the above problem is benign (however a bit annoying!). You can click the "Quiet Comm. Errors" option in the Preferences group on Maestro's Window tab to prevent a pop-up error window for these errors. The Maestro Message window will still log the errors. This is not a Maestro problem and will be fixed in an upcoming SkyWalker firmware release. - The Instrument Display does not refresh if SkyWalker is powered-down and then back up too quickly for the "SkyWalker down" state to be noticed by Maestro. There is "Refresh" button under the Instrument Display that can be used in this situation. Note: this only happens if "Quiet Comm. Errors" is set from the "Maestro Preferences" section of the Windows tab.