Axion 3D Atlas/ATLAS.iso/manual/m_over.txt

Text File | 1998-03-17 | 11KB | 200 lines

{bigtext=20,85,"Overview"}

{4}The program is designed to show data in a variety of formats:

- as a flat 2-dimensional map that the user can zoom into at any location with
  extremely high-resolution satellite imagery for the entire earth.
- as a rotating globe with different overlays such as satellite imagery,
  elevation, seasonal vegetation sequences, etc. As well, we can show other
  data such as satellite orbits.
- At any point on the 2D view,    the user can select Flyby to see a real-time
  generated flyby (not a precalculated path) so that they can interactively fly
  over any terrain in the world with satellite imagery draped onto the elevation.
- the user can clip out a rectangular section of terrain in order to view it in
  3D perspective. This allows them to rotate it, zoom in, exaggerate the heights,
  drape different images over the terrain model, etc.

Additionally, the program contains extensive statistical data for 261 countries and territories such as
population, defense spending, government, economic data, and others. The
program can show the data as color-coded maps, charts, or in tabular form.

City limits for more 24000 cities are included, as well as a searchable database
of over 1.6 million populated places worldwide. Databases of roads, railroads,
rivers, and other data types are also included as map overlays.

{2} Running the program:{4}

{4}You will notice after installation that there is a program added to the
group on your Start Menu.  The icon called 'Atlas' is the main program.
The program needs to run at higher than 256 colors, and can use 640x480
or higher resolution (we recommend 800x600 mode for best display quality).
If your display is not currently at these settings, right-click the mouse
on the Windows 95 desktop, choose 'Properties', then 'Settings', and change
the size and/or color depth.

The first thing you will see when you run the program is the opening title
page. Click any key or the mouse to get past the screen into the program.

You are now looking at a rendered view of a home office. Different objects in
the room are attached to various functions. As the mouse passes over each object,
messages are displayed telling what that object does. The objects in the room
are attached to the following functions:

- The laptop computer starts the program. In order to begin, click on the
  word 'Startup' on the laptop screen as the mouse passes over it. Also, you
  can exit the program by choosing 'Quit' on the laptop screen.
- The modem launches the user's Web browser (Netscape, Spry, Microsoft, ...)
  with Axion's URL address. Depending how you have your web browser set
  up, it could also automatically dial the phone if needed. Use the 'Internet'
  icon under the Windows 95 control panel to set up your internet connection.
  It does not matter what type of web browser is installed, the program should
  detect and run it with no problem. The web site will have information on
  product updates, promotional information, etc.
- The notepad on the desk launches the user's the user's default e-mail program
  with Axion's e-mail address. If they don't have a separate e-mail program
  defined in the Windows 95 registry, it launches the web browser with
  a {u,"mailto://[e-mail]",[e-mail]}{4} address.
- The cup of pencils prints a software registration form that the user can fax
  or mail in.
- The business cards on the desktop are links to help pages giving contact
  information and other company information for Axion and Worldsat. Once you
  click on these, the screen will change and show the address, phone, and
  email addresses. There are also hot links to directly connect you to the
  Web sites of Axion and Worldsat. Click 'close' when done.
- The pile of CD-ROMs on the desk is a link to a help page about other Axion
  products. Once you choose this option, the three buttons along the top
  display the information for each product. Click 'close' when done.
- The coffee cup will pop up a random geographical trivia function. The user
  can click on the 'Qestion' button to get the next question. The user can then try
  to guess the correct answer using the 4 choices along the bottom. Or, they
  can simply get the answer by hitting the 'Answer' button. When done, hit the
  'close' button to return to the room.

Once you are in the room with the desktop, click on the screen of the notebook
computer to start the Atlas program.

You should now see a 2-dimensional map of the world in a user interface with
buttons along the top and bottom edges, and along the right-hand side of the
screen. The buttons along the top edge are to view the data in different modes
(2-dimensional, 3-dimensional, globe, statistics, and flyby).

For each screen, the menus along the right hand side of the screen change to
show the different options. If you get stuck anywhere in the program, the
ESC key will always get you out. As the mouse passes over an active area on
screen, the cursor will change from the standard arrow cursor.

{2}The buttons along the bottom edge are various functions such as printing, and
{2}bringing up the on-line user manual:

{3}Shut Down:{4} This shuts down the Atlas and goes back to the display of the room
with the desktop.

{3}Options:{4} This pops up a window that allows the user to set different
optional settings for the program:

  {2}Calibrate joystick:{4} This lets you calibrate the joystick so that
  you can use it when interactively flying over the terrain in
  the 'Flyby' display mode. Click on the button, then follow the
  instructions. If you do not have a joystick or wish to cancel
  the calibration, hit ESC.

  {2}Gamma correction:{4} If your monitor is too dark, you can adjust
  the gamma correction factor to make things readable. (providing
  that adjustment of the brightness and contrast controls on your
  monitor are not sufficient). Choose 'gamma', then use the + and -
  arrows to set the brightness. A value of 1.0 is the default and
  means that no adjustment will be done. If you change the gamma
  correction factor, your changes will take effect the next time
  you run the program.

  {2}Monitor size:{4} In order to correctly calculate the map scale
  shown at the bottom right of the map when in 2-dimensional
  display mode, the program needs to know the actual physical
  size of your monitor. The default value assumes a 15-inch monitor.

  {2}Colors:{4} This allows you to set the preferred color depth that
  the program will run in. When the program starts, the program
  will check to see that you are in fact running in this resolution,
  and warn you if not. The program requires a color depth of higher
  than 256-color (15,16,24, or 32 bit), and display properties set to
  'small font'. Choosing 16-bit rather than 24 or 32-bit color will use less
  memory and consequently make the program run faster. Any video
  card with at least 1 Mb of video memory should be able to
  run at 800x600x16-bit or higher resolution.

  {2}Sound on/off:{4} If you have a sound card, this turns on or off
  the sound effects for different events such as error messages.
  Update Software: This launches the Web browser with Axion's
  web page address in order to download program updates.

{3}Help:{4} This allows the user to toggle on or off a feature that displays
helpful notes about what each button does as the mouse passes over
top of the button. The notes appear at the bottom left of the screen.
This is to help novice users learn to use the program. Once they want
to turn the feature off, this button can be used to do so.

{3}User Guide:{4} This    is a link to a context-sensitive on-line user manual. Once
you choose this option, the menus along the top and right edge will
be disabled, and a new text control panel will appear at the bottom left
of the screen. This control panel allows you to search, scroll up and
down, go to an index of topics (if one exists for that particular
help file), or return to where you were in the program. You can also use
the page up/page down or arrow keys to scroll through the text, and
the ESC button to close.

{3}About Axion:{4} This is a link to a help page listing contact information and
company information about Axion (like the business cards on the desk back
in the screen with the picture of the room).

{3}Internet:{4} This will launch the user's web browser with Axion's web address,
so that you can get information on product updates or other relevant
information.

{3}Print:{4} prints the current map or data showing on the screen. Depending on what
type of data you are printing, you may be presented with a popup window
to choose different options such as whether you what to show both the
raster imagery and vector data overlaid on the same map, etc. You can also
use the PrintScreen key as with any Windows program to capture the screen into
the clipboard, and then paste it into your favorite graphics program such
as the Windows Paint program.

{3}Print Setup:{4} allows the user to select which printer, paper size, paper orientation,
that they want to print with. The program supports both color and
black & white printers, and can also print across networks.

{3}Demo:{4} For any particular screen, this button will play back a short self-running
demo to show the user how to access various functions on that screen, such
as zooming in or out of the map, changing the map display types, etc. When
the demo is running, you can break out of it by hitting CONTROL-ESC.


{2}The buttons along the top of the screen allow you to change the way in which
{2}you want to show the map data:

{3}2D view:{4}    Allows the user to return to this flat 2-dimensional map when they
are in another display mode. You will notice that one of the buttons
is always highlighted so that you can tell which display mode you are
in.

{3}3D view:{4}    This allows you to clip out a rectangular area from the flat 2D map,
and view it in 3D perspective. You can then rotate it, stretch it, drape
different imagery over the top, plus many other functions. If you are zoomed
in far enough on the 2D view (i.e.: past a scale of 1:11,000,000), then you
can clip out the area currently showing on the 2D view. Refer to the section
later in this manual for detailed information.

{3}Statistics:{4} Shows statistical data for the countries of the world in different
formats such as tables, 3-dimensional bar charts, and 2D color-coded
maps. You can pick one continent at a time to look a comparative values,
or the entire world. You can also look at detailed information on 261
different individual countries and territories.

{3}Flyby:{4} This starts a real-time interactive flyby over the satellite imagery. The
User can choose any starting position in the world. Refer to the chapter on
the Flyby for detailed information

{3}Globe:{4} This option lets the user display data wrapped around a rotating globe
instead of as a flat 2-dimensional map. The user can display different
data sets such as monthly temperature or precipitation changes, or show
orbital tracks of satellites around the earth.