Celestia User Guide

[DavidR]

Hello All,

I have decide today to start a user guide manual, with infomation located in this forum adn other great sites.

Here is the TOC.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Preface
-Introduction
-Install Celestia
...Windows install
...Linux install (need help!)
...Mac OS X install (need help!)
-User Interface
...Getting started
...Toolbar Menu
......File
......Navigation
......Render
......Time
......Location
......Help
...Keyboard Commands
...... (…)
-Personalize with Add-ons
...Structure and files
......Root folder
......Data folder
......Extra folder
......Fonts folder
......Models folder
......Shaders folder
......Textures folder
......Create your own folders
...Files Add-ons
......Asterisms
......Asteroids
......Comets
......Galaxies
......Stars
......A lot of others elements
...3D Objects
...Implement Add-ons
......Solarsys
......Extrasolar
......(…)
...Textures
-Advanced features (Scripting)
...Understanding Celestia calculation
...File scripting
......Ssc files
......Stc files
......Xyz files
......(…)
-Third party programs
...Planet Builder
...Globular cluster Generator
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I expect, 1 month to post a pre-version.

Any comments are great

[billybob884]

make sure you also include an index at the end, maybe throw in some credits at the end for those who wrote certain sections, and put in a little topic about where the reader can get help if they need it (i.e. the forum, chris's e-mail, ect.).

[DavidR]

Billybob,

It is plan ...

The user guide I have started, is in reality a formated doc about all I have finded in the forums and sites. Each time a text of a people is inserted a comment with the name of author appear.

The goal, is to have a good manual for beginners and a small reference for advanced users.

[Psykotik]

Swiss people where the first to discover an exoplanet; they will be the first to write an user guide

Anyway, thanks in advance for your work. No doubt it'll be well estimate.

[billybob884]

yes this will be very helpful for learning all those little tricks and shortcuts!

[billybob884]

you know what could also be done, if you copy and paste it into microsoft word, ajust the pages to be only like 6"x4" or something, print it out and cut the paper accordingly, get a little card board/construction paper and hotglue for the cover and binding, and you could actually make a little printed booklet!

[DavidR]

Psykotik,

Ok, I go to add some tricks. If people have others...

Billybob,

I live in switzerland, my standard format for printing is A4. Normally Word adpat format automatically to letter or legal.

I take your suggestion in mind to format the document to have the possibility to print a booklet.

[billybob884]

i didnt really me you as in you, i meant you as in anyone in general

[DavidR]

No problem...

At the end, when content is formatted and validated, I go to create differents formats.

[billybob884]

anyway, are there any updates on this?

[DavidR]

The works is in progress.

I have around 33 pages now but not completed yet.

[fsgregs]

Hi David. I think it is good that you are working on a User's Guide. The new users of Celestia will greatly appreciate it. However, this is a bit awkward but by coincidence, I too have been writing a User's Guide for Celestia. It is far from complete and is not yet up to a level of 33 pages as yours appears to be, but I thought you should know that I am writing it. Perhaps we can combine our efforts. I will be submitting it for proofing to Chris in about 2 - 3 weeks. It's table of contents is similiar to yours, with a few differences. I am far from an expert in Celestia and my User's Guide is, therefore, being written from the perspective of what a new user of Celestia would need in order to install and use the program, edit the ssc files, install and use add-ons and write limited scripts.

I'm not sure the best way to handle this. Since all of this is voluntary anyway, perhaps we can submit both versions to Chris and/or others in the forum, and they can pick and choose the phrasing that appears the most understandable.

Regards,

Frank G

[DavidR]

Well...

Fusion both users guides is a good idea , for me is not a problem, I start this user guide to help community.

I think my work take more time than foreseen and certranly more of 2-3 weeks (your Guide go out before), but when pre-release is ready we can try to work together to merge it.

Also my english is not perfect, because is not my native language (spanish and french are my usual languages) and I think, I need correctors to end the Guide.

Yes !! I speak spanish and french.... If all go fine with this User guide, I have planned to translate it, but this is a next phase...

[brunetto_64]

Hi to all!!
I can translate the guide in Italian
Bruno

[JackCrow]

The best format for a User Guide would probably be HTML. Then you have no worries about cross-platform/cross-application conversions issues.

Just my $0.02.

[Christophe]

The best format for a User Guide would probably be HTML. Then you have no worries about cross-platform/cross-application conversions issues.

Actually I think the best format would be the DOCBOOK format, you get cross-platform support plus a slew of possible output formats.

[DavidR]

brunetto_64 write: I can translate the guide in Italian

Your help would be great apreciate to translate it to italian, when the guide go ready...
--

The end format previous, is PDF.

PDF is readeable for free in greater platforms (Unix, Windows, Mac) and also he contains some facilities like hyperlinks and indexes. In addition, you can print the document formated maintaining the style.

[Darkmiss]

This site might help you development

http://members.fortunecity.com/guilpain/

[billybob884]

the english version: http://members.fortunecity.com/guilpain/index_uk.htm

[Darkmiss]

Oh yeah! oooops