Copyright: Copyright ©1995-1997  By John Sheu
Citation: Copyright ©1995-1997  By John Sheu


Solar System
Welcome

Welcome to Lawrencesoft’s Solar System 4.0! Solar System displays the positions of planets in our solar system and allows the user to view the solar system from different points in space. The user can move to any point in space to view the solar system from, go to a certain date, and view different combinations of planets! Lawrencesoft even offers yearly updates of planetary data!

Please note that users of shareware versions of this software are granted a 30-day trial period during which they may use this software as stated in the license agreement. At the end of the trial period, users must destroy all copies of this software, unless they register this software. To register, please follow the registration instructions.

Using Solar System

Starting Solar System

Loading Planetary Data

Setting Display Options

Setting the Date

Setting the Speed

Setting the Viewpoint

Viewing Different Planets

Viewing Information

Application Notes

The Interface

Solar System Menu

View Menu

Help Menu


System Requirements

These are the minimum system requirements to run Solar System.

•	486DX2-50 MHz CPU

•	8 MB of RAM

•	Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 or above

•	2 MB of Hard Drive Space


License Agreement

Solar System

Version 4.00

Copyright ©1995-1997  By John Sheu

Distributed by Lawrencesoft

Home Page: http://members.aol.com/lsoft/

IMPORTANT

•	This end-user license agreement is a legal agreement between Lawrencesoft (and the author of this software) and you for this software. Electronic and printed documentation are included as part of the software. By using this software, you agree to be bound by the terms of this end-user license agreement. If you do not agree to the terms set by this license agreement, promptly return this software to the seller for a full refund (excluding shipping/handling), if applicable (no refunds for shareware versions). This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Kansas and the copyright laws of the United States of America.

GRANT OF LICENSE

•	This software is protected by copyright laws and international copyright treaties, as well as other intellectual property laws and treaties. This software is licensed, not sold.

•	You may use only the number of copies licensed of this software. The software is in use when loaded in temporary memory (e.g., RAM) or permanent memory (e.g., hard disk).

•	You may make an unlimited number of copies of this software's electronic documents provided they are used for internal purposes only.

DISCLAIMER

•	To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event shall Lawrencesoft or the author of this software be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages whatsoever arising out of the use of or inability to use this software, even if Lawrencesoft or the author of this software has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you.

•	ANY LIABILITY OF THE AUTHOR AND SELLER SHALL BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICE.

SHAREWARE

•	You are granted a 30 day free trial period. At the end of the trial period, you must destroy all copies of this software, unless you register the software. Use the registration program provided with this software to print out a registration form. Then you must send it to the proper address with the registration form and fee. Failure to register or destroy this software after the 30-day trial period is copyright infringement.

•	You may freely distribute the SHAREWARE version of this software, if no fee is charged, the software has not been modified, the entire software package is distributed together, and the author and seller of this software are given due credit.

COPYRIGHT

•	The copyright to this software, including but not limited to any pictures, video, music, and text, are owned by Lawrencesoft or its author.

LIMITATIONS

•	This software may not be decompiled or disassembled, except to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law.

•	This software is licensed as a single product and its components may not be separated.

•	This software may not be leased or rented.

RIGHTS

•	Lawrencesoft or its authors may terminate this license if you fail to comply with the terms set by this agreement. All copies of this software must be destroyed if this license is terminated.

•	You may permanently transfer this software and this license. You may not retain any copies or any component of this software. The recipient must agree to the terms set by this license agreement. All prior versions of this software must be transferred if it is an upgrade.

•	Information in provided with this software is subject to change without notice.

REDISTRIBUTABLE COMPONENTS

•	You may redistribute sample files shipped with this software and files created by this software royalty-free. However, you may not use Lawrencesoft's name or trademarks to market your product.

•	To redistribute those files, you must agree to hold harmless, indemnify, and defend Lawrencesoft or the author of this software from against any claims or lawsuits that may arise or result from the use or distribution of the redistributable files.


Disk Layout

The following files are on the setup disk(s).

•	LICENSE.TXT	License Agreement

•	README.TXT	Readme File

•	SETUP.EX_	Setup Program

•	SETUP.EXE 	Setup Bootstrap Program

•	SETUP.INF	Setup Data File

•	SOLARSYS.CN_	Solar System Help Contents File

•	SOLARSYS.EX_	Solar System EXE

•	SOLARSYS.HL_	Solar System Help File

•	SSDATA.DL_	Solar System Planetary Data


Installation

To install this software, run SETUP.EXE in the directory where the setup files are located (usually in A:\) and follow the instructions.


Registration

Solar System is a shareware program and users are asked to register this software at the end of their 30-day trial period if they decide to continue using this software.

Benefits

Registered users receive the latest registered version of this software when they register. A printed manual is included with the registered software. Lawrencesoft provides free technical support to its registered users via e-mail or mail. Registered users are provided with patches and updates to their software via the Lawrencesoft home page or e-mail for no charge! They will also receive information on other software and upgrades along with possible discounts!

There are no restrictions nor registration screens in registered versions.

Registration Costs

To register this software, please start the application and click ‘Register’ when the Shareware notification screen appears. Please enter your information needed, and click ‘Print’ to print out the registration form. The information you provide here will be used by Lawrencesoft only. No customer information will be released to other individuals or companies. Your orders shall be confidential.

Please send the registration form and the registration fee to the following address:

John Sheu
2400 Westdale Road
Lawrence, KS 66049
(United States of America)

Please allow 2 - 4 weeks for delivery. Orders are processed as soon as they are received.


Support

Lawrencesoft provides free technical support to registered users of its software via e-mail or mail. The fastest way to contact us is via Lawrencesoft’s e-mail address. See below for instruction on technical support for unregistered users.

Lawrencesoft’s e-mail address is lsoft@aol.com.

Please provide your name, the name of the software in question, and the serial number found in the software’s About window. Lawrencesoft requires this information to verify that you are a registered user.

Patches and Updates

Registered users may also download updates and patches from Lawrencesoft’s home page.

Lawrencesoft’s web site is at http://members.aol.com/lsoft/.

Installation Problems

Lawrencesoft will assist all users, including unregistered users, if installing its software via e-mail. Please e-mail Lawrencesoft at lsoft@aol.com if you experience installation problems.

Bug Reporting

You may report all bugs or problems found in Lawrencesoft applications to lsoft@aol.com, even if you are an unregistered user. Please provide your name, your operating system, name of the problem software, and as much information about the problem as possible. If the program crashes, please copy down ‘Details’ information presented by Windows and send it with your e-mail. We will reply as soon as possible.

We cannot provide technical support for unregistered users, but please feel free to report problems with our software. If there is a problem, we will place a patch on our home page (http://members.aol.com/lsoft/) as soon as we isolate the problem, which can be downloaded.


Lawrencesoft

Please visit Lawrencesoft’s web site for more information on Lawrencesoft and other software. The web site is located at http://members.aol.com/lsoft/.

Please e-mail bug reports, comments, and questions to lsoft@aol.com.

Other Software

Lawrencesoft offers many other software. Some of them are listed below.

•	Fantastic Fractals 3.0 - Fantastic Fractals is an awesome program that can be used to create many beautiful and interesting fractals. It is the version 3.00 of Fractals for Windows. This new version will contain the original features of version 2.01 and have more new types of fractals! Since this version is written in Visual C++, instead of Visual Basic, it is around 20 times faster than version 2.01. The downloadable file is expected to be around 400 KB.

•	Solar System 4.0 - Solar System displays the positions of planets in our solar system and allows the user to view the solar system from different angles. The user can move to any point in space to view the solar system from, go to a certain date, and view different combinations of planets! This is definitely the program to try! Plus, this program is extremely compact. The downloadable ZIP file is less than 500 KB! Lawrencesoft even offers yearly updates of planetary data!

•	StarTime 1.0 - StarTime is a strategy game that is based in space. Both a Windows and a Macintosh version will be available. Here are some information about the game. StarTime can be played by up to four players on one computer. Each player will take turns commanding their fleets of starships, space stations, fighters, and transports. Each player's goal is to destroy the other players. Computer player capabilities are included in this game. Registered users will also receive a Map Editor to design custom "maps" for StarTime. At the time of this documentation, StarTime is still being written. Please visit Lawrencesoft’s home page for the latest information.

Please view Lawrencesoft’s home page for more and/or updated information.


About

Solar System

Version 4.00

Copyright ©1995-1997  By John Sheu

Distributed by Lawrencesoft

Home Page: http://members.aol.com/lsoft/

In no event shall Lawrencesoft or the author be liable for any special, incidental, indirect, or consequential damages whatsoever arising out of the use of or inability to use this software. Please see the license agreement.

PLEASE NOTE THAT USERS OF SHAREWARE VERSIONS OF THIS SOFTWARE ARE GRANTED A 30-DAY TRIAL PERIOD DURING WHICH THEY MAY USE THIS SOFTWARE AS STATED IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT. AT THE END OF THE TRIAL PERIOD, USERS MUST DESTROY ALL COPIES OF THIS SOFTWARE, UNLESS THEY REGISTER THIS SOFTWARE. TO REGISTER, PLEASE FOLLOW THE REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS.

Lawrencesoft and Solar System is a trademark of Lawrencesoft. All rights reserved.

Windows and Microsoft are either registered trademarks and/or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners.


Starting Solar System

To start Solar System, go to the Start menu and select the ‘Programs’ menu. Then click ‘Solar System’. The application will start out with default view settings (i.e. default viewpoint, speed, etc.).


Loading Planetary Data

Solar System allows the user to load external planetary data. All solar system data is stored in the file called SSDATA.DLL. Do not modify or delete this file. You will not be able to run Solar System without it. You can obtain updated planetary data from the company home page (See section on Support).

To install new data, replace the existing SSDATA.DLL file with the file you have obtained. You may want to make a backup of SSDATA.DLL before proceeding.

(This feature is not present in the SHAREWARE version.)


Setting Display Options

There are many options you can set in Solar System. You can set these display options in the ‘View’ menu by unchecking or checking the appropriate menu. You can choose to display or hide the current date, the current viewpoint, the planets, the stars, the sun, and the orbits.

In addition to these options, Solar System has many other options, including setting the viewpoint, etc.


Setting the Date

Solar System will also allow the user to jump to the date they specify. To the set date:

1.	Select the ‘Solar System’ menu.

2.	Select the ‘Date…’ menu.

3.	Enter in the date to jump to, or choose one of the default dates.

4.	Click ‘OK’.

(This feature is not present in the SHAREWARE version.)


Setting the Speed

The user is allowed to set the speed at which a day is incremented. To set the speed:

1.	Select the ‘Solar System’ menu.

2.	Select the ‘Speed…’ menu.

3.	Use the slider bar to select the speed.

4.	Choose how many days to increment at a time.

5.	Click ‘OK’.


Setting the Viewpoint

To set the point from which you will view the Solar System:

1.	Select the ‘Solar System’ menu.

2.	Select the ‘Viewpoint…’ menu.

3.	Enter in the coordinates of the new viewpoint or choose one of the preset points.

4.	Click ‘OK’.

You may also set the viewpoint by clicking on the screen displaying the solar system. The farther you click from the sun, the farther the viewpoint will move. You probably will want to experiment with this feature.


Viewing Different Planets

To set which range of planets to view:

1.	Select the ‘Solar System’ menu.

2.	Select the ‘Planets…’ menu.

3.	Use the two drop down selection boxes to select the endpoints of the range of planets to view.

4.	Click ‘OK’.


Viewing Information

Solar System comes with a massive database on the planets and the solar system. You can get data on its orbit, its rotational period, and much more. To view the information:

1.	Select the ‘Solar System’ menu.

2.	Select the ‘Information…’ menu.

3.	Click on the tab with the information you want.

4.	Click ‘OK’ when you are finished.


Application Notes

Below are some notes about how Solar System works and displays the solar system.

•	The data and calculations provided by Solar System are not exact enough to be used in environments where exact calculations are required. As stated in the license agreement, the author and seller shall not be liable for any damages caused by inexact or incorrect data and calculations generated by this software. Reasonable efforts have been made to insure the accurateness and correctness of the data and calculations. The data and information provided is subject to change without notice.

•	Note that the sun and planets are not to size compared to their orbits. (It is impossible to draw the planets and sun on the screen, if they were proportional to their orbits.)

•	Note that the stars are randomly generated.

•	Note that after a full period, the planet is set back to its original longitude to minimize errors, but this can also cause calculations to be inaccurate after a while. These errors will increase with time.

•	Calculations here will be accurate for only a reasonable period of time from the starting date. This is because of rounding errors in both the calculations and the data. These errors will increase with time.

•	The data used to calculate the orbits are not extremely exact, thus they will cause errors in the calculations. These errors will increase with time.


Solar System Menu

Here are the descriptions of each menu in the ‘Solar System’ menu.

Date…	Jump to a Certain Date

Speed…	Sets the speed

Viewpoint…	Sets the viewpoint

View Planets…	Select which planets to view

Reset	Resets to the starting date and viewpoint

Pause	Pauses the simulation

Information…	Shows Solar System Information

Register…	Registers this software (Shareware Only)

Exit	Exits the Application


View Menu

Here are the descriptions of each menu in the ‘View’ menu.

Status Bar	Toggles the status bar at the bottom of the window

Toolbar	Toggles the toolbar for Solar System

Orbits	Toggles whether or not to display the orbits

Planets	Toggles whether or not to display the planets

Stars	Toggles whether or not to display the stars

Sun	Toggles whether or not to display the sun


Help Menu

Here are the descriptions of each menu in the ‘Help’ menu.

Help Topics	Displays this help file

Register…	Registers this software (Shareware Only)

About…	Displays the About window