Daniel Bisque's Blog - All Comments

re: Post AIC...

Jaxdialation — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:46:53 GMT

So we want user friendliness or not?

How about this, too many people make generalized comments that are unsupported and vague?

"Too much software is now dumbed down and too automated for users who are too lazy to learn the software."

re: Post AIC...

Matthew Ota — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:39:03 GMT

I hope that TheSkyX will maintain the "under the hood" user friendliness of previous versions.'

Too much software is now dumbed down and too automated for users who are too lazy to learn the software.

re: Post AIC...

roystarman — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:15:24 GMT

I apologize as to what seems to have been a falre up of activity on the bisque user's group. I was honestly just trying to get more info. I missed the little 'X" show and tell you guys did. I did play with it a lot on the dipslay though at AIC and I think it is pretty good. So when should I get Linux up and running? My past expierence with it tells me I'll need a few weeks to get all the kinks out.

re: Post AIC...

roystarman — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:15:22 GMT

re: 2008 Advanced Imaging Conference

David Toth — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 06:27:41 GMT

What am I? Chopped liver?

Hey, the SB physician will be there to handle all of the tummy aches from sushi and sake.

Dr. Dave

re: Latest Seeker Update and Videos...

jeburnett — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 17:50:13 GMT

Hi Dan,

I'm glad you added the 3DConnexion support to Seeker. I am having hand-to-eye coordinator problems using it. I'd gotten very use to how this mouse works with Earth Google and it appears its default behaviors in Seeker are very different. Is it possible to reconfigure Seeker so this mouse works with it, like it does with Earth Google?

Thanks,

Jonathan

re: Off to PATS...

Ozy — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:26:10 GMT

I had the honor of spending many hours with the Bisque brothers at PATS both at the convention and at the S&T event on Friday. Our booth was right next to theirs. Thank you so much!! You guys are amazing, and I have the utmost respect for the Bisque team.

re: Off to PATS...

jeburnett — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:16:56 GMT

Hi Dan,

I was trying some of the things you suggested when it crashed with this error message: Faulting application TheSkyX.exe, version 10.0.1.1338, time stamp 0x47d1b464, faulting module ig4icd32.dll, version 7.15.10.1472, time stamp 0x480942d3, exception code 0xc0000005, fault offset 0x00021552, process id 0x172c, application start time 0x01c91ab228f183a1.

This is on Vista32 SP1.

Jonathan

re: Off to PATS...

Matthew L. Bisque — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:29:27 GMT

To see the horizon to horizon path, put a check mark next to "Update Chart" and select a desired pass - the chart displays the pass.

It' also might be helpful to turn on "Show satellite paths" on the Satellite dialog.

From here, the time skip tool bar and Date Time tab let you watch the pass.

re: Off to PATS...

jeburnett — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:34:16 GMT

Hi Dan,

That's a nice tool for getting dates. It's doesn't however show me MY sky and where the ISS crosses (horizon-to-horizon).

That's really what I wanted to see.

Thanks,

Jonathan

re: Off to PATS...

Daniel R. Bisque — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:26:36 GMT

Thanks.

Here's one way to find the best passes for the ISS (or any satellite) in TheSkyX:

1. Click Input > Satellites and mark "ISS" (or any group of satellites) to load the latest TLE's for the ISS from the web.

2. On the Satellites dialog, click the Show Satellites from Above Earth button.

The dates and times for the best passes over the next week are listed.

re: Off to PATS...

jeburnett — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:12:42 GMT

Hi Dan,

Well, in all fairness, I haven't really spent much time trying to learn it. I kind of dipped my toe into it by trying really simple stuff like "find an object". We have an ISS flyover for tonight and I wanted to see its path across the sky and when that would happen. If you do that in StarryNight, it's pretty intuitive. Find. Select. Path is drawn on the image and the object then traces that path and the clock tells you when it will appear and disappear. Nothing to it.

In TheSkyX, I do a Search. It shows a couple of items with ISS on the left side of the screen. No checkboxes. I click on them. I double-click on them. Nothing happens. Nothing but blue sky on the screen. OK. I have a few options. The first one I try is "Center". Clicking that changes the blue sky to a space view. No ISS on the screen (that's visible). No label. No track. Nothing but a few planets labeled. Another button says "Frame". Click that, the planets go away, a few spiral galaxies appear. No labels on anything. No ISS. No clues. I then try "Lock On". A few dots appear in the center and the background is moving. Still labels but if I hover the cursor over them, a hint box appears confirming that's the ISS. I still don’t' know where it is. When it's coming over and where in my sky. Now I'm out buttons to push!

These are pretty simple tasks and my bet is, they ARE simple to do BUT, it is just not intuitive.

I know in the long run I need to and better get real good at using this, but for now, I know how to get my questions answered....by using other tools.

I hope this doesn't sound like criticism because I don't mean it to be. I'm just a fan who's trying to adapt as early as I can to the next generation of the product but my inner-geek is letting me down! :-)

Thanks,

Jonathan

re: Off to PATS...

Daniel R. Bisque — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:57:32 GMT

Johathan,

One of the goals of TheSkyX is extreme ease of use. Can you tell me what the "stumbling blocks" are for you? I'm curious.

re: Off to PATS...

jeburnett — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:12:24 GMT

My feelings exactly Dave. I'm COMMITTED to the new TheSkyX platform, but......

Transitioning has been kind of tough. Mind you, being in IT for 32+ years and being able to understand programs and adapt to change isn't something I typically find challenging, but.....

The paradigm has changed and my experience with TheSky5 & 6 along with StarryNightPro, isn't really helping me to get a comfortable grip on this. Of course, I'm not yet able to depend on it for imaging and telescope control, which would kind of force me to sink or swim. Still, I was hoping to get up to speed on the interface now so to make that transition easier down the road. Only, I'm not adapting well to it....

In fairness to the product, I'm not investing any time trying to study the documentation (I'm suffering from lazy user syndrome). I've dabbled with the interface, hoping my intuition learned with earlier versions and similar functioning products, would be enough.....

So far, it is not enough, so sadly it remains the least played with tool in my astronomy arsenal. But this is a product that is way too cool to stay that way. It's fast, it's beautiful, and, unfortunately for me (so far) a bit incomprehensible.

Jonathan

re: Off to PATS...

David Toth — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:49:56 GMT

Yep, I was there too, and enjoyed meeting a lot of SB customers (and future customers) ... Interest was very high for Seeker and of course the Serious Astronomer and Professional Astronomer versions of TheSkyX.

I do admit to hiding in the back closer to the Paramount ME and fielding questions there. Personally, I need to take a deep dive into all of the new features of theSkyX. SB has taken the opportunity afforded them in doing a complete re-write to re-organize the structure of the program and its integration features. Change can be a bit scarey, even to me, but I can certainly see the huge advantage/opportunity in all of this ... so I'll be learning along with the whole user-base. And it IS fast with newer Image Link routines that allow larger FOVs to be linked.

Can't wait!

Dr. Dave