• Target Tool Widget

The Target tool widget has four areas:

• Menu Bar
• Shortcut Buttons
• Graphics Plot Area
• Message Area

• Menu Bar

• File
• Sequence Design
• Animation
• Graphic
• Utilities

• File Menu

• New Plot...: Creates the Session Data Entry widget to allow you to enter the parameters for a new plot to be created. If there is an existing plot, you will be given a chance to save or discard the data from that session.
• Title Plot...: Select this option to add a title to the current plot. This title is placed in the upper left corner of the current plot. When selected, the operator is prompted for the desired title.
• Save Plot As...: Creates the Save Plot widget to save the current plot into a file.
• Print Plot:Sends the current plot to the currently selected printer. The printer selection may be changed via the Printer Setup widget available via the file menu on the CASPER widget.
• Make PMI File: Allows you to construct a Physical Model Interface file using any currently plotted FOV.
• Exit: Destroys the target tool. The user will be asked to confirm that they do indeed wish to shut the tool down, and will also be prompted to save any current module data.
• Save CASPER output ...: Saves pointing and module information to an ASCII CASPER Output File for use with other software.

• Sequence Design Menu

• Mosaic Tools
• FOV Tools
• C Kernel Tools

• Sequence Design Menu: Mosaic Tools Sub-Menu

• Templates... : This creates the Templates and Modules Selection Window for selection of a template to plot
• Save Mosaic: This allows the user to save the current mosaic to a file selected via a Pickfile widget.
• Load Mosaic: This allows the user to load a previously saved mosaic selected via a Pickfile widget. If there is already pointing data on the plot, the user is prompted to save it. Loading the mosaic will also load the target that the mosaic was originally plotted with. This is an advantage over C-Kernels.

• Sequence Design Menu: FOV Tools Sub-Menu

It also contains tools to examine the characteristics of a FOV in more detail.

• FOV Select: This creates the Field of View Selection Window where the user you may toggle FOVs on and off.

• FOV Wrapping: This creates the FOV wrapping control widget. FOV boundaries are normally drawn "unrapped," that is they are displayed on the celestial sphere independent of any target bodies "wrapped" FOV's are tied to the target body or rings which they intercept at the time of observation, and are displayed always at those same target body (or ring) coordinates.

• Sequence Design Menu: C Kernel Tools Sub-Menu

• Save C Kernel...: This allows you to save the current mosaic as a Type I C Kernel. You are prompted for the file name and for a comment for the segment. You must select a name that is not currently in use! At present, the entire mosaic is saved into one segment, and velocity information is not added.  See the section on CASPER Pointing for more information on C kernels and matrices in CASPER.

• View C Kernel...: This opens the CK Viewer tool. This tool allows you to display a previously saved CKernel.
   
•  Animation Menu
• Session...": Creates the Session Animation widget to create an animation based on the current Target plot.
   
• Graphic Menu

The items within this menu allow the user to select which objects should be present on the main CASPER plot.
1. Background Grid: This switches the background grid on or off. An ON/OFF flag indicates its current setting.
2. Pointing Position: This will switch the plotting of markers that show the position of the boresight pointings for any modules that are currently plotted.. An ON/OFF flag indicates its current setting.
3. Satellites This switches the plotting of satellite position symbols on or off. An ON/OFF flag indicates its current setting.
4. Sun This switches the plotting of the Sun's position on or off. An ON/OFF flag indicates its current setting.
5. Earth This switches the plotting of the Earth's position on or off. An ON/OFF flag indicates its current setting.
6. Orbits: This switches the plotting of the orbit paths of the satellites on or off. An ON/OFF flag indicates its current setting.
7. Features: This switches plotting of the target body's features on or off. An ON/OFF flag indicates its current setting.
8. A feature detail file needs to be available for the target body otherwise CASPER will report a missing file error. At present, only a feature file for the Earth is available.
1. Exobase: This switches plotting of an extra circle around the target body on or off. An ON/OFF flag will indicate its current setting. This circle can be used to represent exobase altitudes. The altitude information must be present in the features.tpc text kernel file located in the $SPICE_DIR directory.
2. Stars: This switches plotting of stars on or off. An ON/OFF flag will indicate its current setting. The stars are represented by a + sign on the plot, with the size of the symbol representing the magnitude of the star. Two related items may be found under the Utilities menu, for limiting the number of stars that are plotted using magnitude (STAR LIMITS) and for identifying and retrieving information about a plotted star (STAR VIEWER).
 
• Utilities Menu
1. Target Data... Creates the Target Data widget to give more detailed information about the current plot.
2. Module/Pointing data...
3. FOV on Map.
4. FOV on rings.
5. Star Viewer...: Creates the Star Viewer widget to display information about selected plotted stars.
6. Star Limits...:Creates the Star Limits widget to control which magnitude and/or spectral type stars are plotted.
7. Deep Space Network: Creates the Deep Space Network tool widget. This is a user-developed tool that is not maintained with CASPER.
8. Colour Setup...: Creates the Colour Setup widget for changing the colour scheme for the plot.
 
• Shortcut Buttons


The shortcut buttons are used to access often used functions more quickly than by going to the Target menus.

From left to right the buttons are:

1. New Plot...: Creates the Session Data Entry widget to allow you to enter the parameters for a new plot to be created. If there is an existing plot, you will be given a chance to save or discard the data from that session.
2. Print Plot:Sends the current plot to the currently selected printer. The printer selection may be changed via the Printer Setup widget available via the file menu on the CASPER widget.
3. Modules... : This creates the Modules Selection Window for selection of a module create.
4. Load Module: This allows the user to load a previously saved mosaic selected via a Pickfile widget. If there is already pointing data on the plot, the user is prompted to save it. Loading the mosaic will also load the target that the mosaic was originally plotted with. This is an advantage over C-Kernels.
5. Save Module: This allows the user to save the current observation to a file selected via a Pickfile widget.
6. FOV Select: This creates the Field of View Selection Window where the user you may toggle FOVs on and off.

 
7. Plot Mode
Next to the shortcut buttons is a display that shows the current plot mode. This mode changes depending on whether you are creating Mosaics or plotting a C Kernel. All functions are available in Mosaic mode, but creation of mosaics and associated functions are unavailable in C Kernel mode. In other words, C Kernels and Mosaics don't mix.
 
• Main Plot Area
The large main graphics area is where the plots are displayed, There are three scroll bars and associated buttons that are linked to the plot area.

The horizontal scroll bar and left vertical scroll bar are used to move move the plot. After each manipulation, the plot is recalculated (you are NOT sliding a plot larger than the display area).The Arrow buttons may be clicked on to give small increments in position.

The right vertical slider controls the Zoom of the plot.

The Reset button at the junction of the position sliders will center the plot again, and reset the zoom to the starting value.

The size of the plot area can be set within the casper_personal_setup shell script to be from around 400 x 400 to 750 x 750 pixels in size.

Clicking in the main plot window with MB3 will create the Illumination Angles widget showing illumination details and other data about the selected point.
 

 
• Message Area
At the bottom of the window is a text widget that is used to display informational messages to the user. These may be indications of the current processing within CASPER, error messages, etc. Arecord of these messages can be displayed with the command history option from the menu Main Help.
 
• FOV Selection Widget

 


 

 

The FOV Selection window allows you to turn any of the FOVs built into CASPER on and off as required, although it should be noted that some FOVs are too large to display properly within the Target tool (mainly a number of the Mapsgap instruments). If you have plotted pointings on the Target window, switching a FOV on or off will cause the plot to be updated.

• Select Group: This droplist allows you to select the instrument group. When this droplist is changed to a new group, the FOVs available for display in the section below will change to those FOVs belonging to this instrument group.
• FOV Selections: The FOVs available for plotting will be those that correspond to the selected instrument group. To select an instrument's FOV to be drawn, simply click on the selection button and the FOVs will be drawn on the current plot. To disable drawing of a FOV, click on the button again to deselect it.
• Close: Iconizes the FOV selection widget. The currently selected FOVs will continue to be plotted. (The FOV selection widget can take a while to set up. Once opened, it is best to keep it available rather than destroying it).
 
• FOV on Map.

This tool displays a cylindrical projection of the target body, in latitude and longitude coordinates.  Fields of view are displayed on this map if a module is currently defined within Target.  The sub-spacecraft point is indicated by the S/C symbol, and the sub-solar point is indicated by the SSP symbol.  The limb and terminator are also shown.  In the example above, the limb is shown in blue, and the terminator in brown.  This tool is used for the BODPSCAN module to draw a path on the target body.  The display in this tool may be saved for later printing.  In the menu options, Reset removes all old mosaics from the display, Append allows the user to load and display a previously saved mosaic, and Save saves the currently displayed mosaics to a file.

 
 
• FOV on Ring

This tool is a projection of the Saturn equatorial plane.  The coordinates are in units of Saturn radii (defined to be 60330 km).  Saturn itself is not displayed in this tool.  Two different coordinate systems for longitude are possible: Body East longitude, which is the standard NAIF Saturn body longitude system, and Ring longitude, which is measured from the ascending node of the ring plane on the J2000 X-Y plane (Earth's equator at J2000).  The display may be set to three different zoom levels.  This tool will display the projection of any module on the ring plane, and is used to define a path for the RINGPSCAN observation.  The plots shown in this tool may be saved to a file for printing.

• Star Viewer Widget

This option allows the operator to identify which stars are displayed on the current graphic. When selected, a small display widget appears on the screen. Using the mouse, the operator can obtain information about a displayed star and label a star. To retrieve data about a star, move the mouse pointer over the desired star and push MB1. The selected star's data will then be displayed in the star viewer window. If the "label" button is pushed in the star viewer widget, the star name will also be added to the graphic. The star viewer is an independent tool and other CASPER actions can be performed while it is active. When you are finished with the viewer, select the "Done" button.

 

• Star Limits Widget

This option will create a widget that allows the user to limit the number of stars that are displayed on the main CASPER graphic. The limitation can be by magnitude or spectral type. The widget can also restore the full star data set. Limiting magnitudes can be selected with a slider or by entering the maximum V magnitude of stars displayed in a text entry area. Then, only stars in the CASPER stars data base with a magnitude less than the entered limiting magnitude will be displayed. The display will be redrawn with the appropriate stars when the user clicks on the "Apply" button. By entering a character or string of characters in the Spectral Type limiting text entry area, all stars that have that exact character or string of characters in their spectral type description will be removed. Again, click on "Apply" to redraw the display with the new set of stars. For example, to eliminate all spectral type A stars from the graphic, enter "A" in the Spectral Type limit text entry area and click on "Apply". Click on "Restore" and then on "Apply" to restore the graphic to the full CASPER star data set. You may save your customized set of stars with the save button, and load a customized star table wu\ith the load button.

 

• Save Plot Widget

The Save Plot widget allows the suer to save the current Target plot to a PostScript file for printing later.

• Save: Saves the current Target plot into the selected file.
• Cancel: Destroys the widget without saving the plot.
• Orientation: The user selects whether to save the plot in landscape or portrait mode.
• Filename: The directory path and file name of the PS file to which the plot will be saved.
• Pickfile: Creates a standard IDL Pickfile widget for selecting the save file name more easily
 
• Template Selection Widget

The Template selection widget allows the user to select the Template that they wish to add to the current plot. NOTE: Only GENMOSA is currently functional.

• Module Group: Use this droplist to select the type of module group you are interested in. The list of modules will be updated to reflect the module group selection.
• Modules: Select the module that you wish to use. Only one module may be selected.
• Message Area: Displays various information messages.
• Generic: Creates the module widget for the selected module.
• Template: Brings up a list of available templates based on the currently selected module, which then creates the relevant module widget with various items already specified.
• Description: Displays a brief description of the selected module in the message area.
• Cancel: Destroys this widget
• Help: ...
 
• Module Widget

 
• There are different module widgets for each type of module.

• Template Name: Name of the module or template
• Module Type: Name of the module that the template is based on. If you selected GENERIC then this will be the same as the Template name.
• Instrument: Use the Select Instrument button to select the instrument that you will use for this observation. This specifies the FOV to be used for calculating overlaps and also specifies the instrument boresight to be used for pointing. NOTE: Currently the ORS boresight is used no matter what instrument is picked!
• User Specifies: Use this droplist to select the items that you wish to specify for the mosaic. Any other values will be calculated for you by CASPER.
• Coverage Selection: Use this droplist to select the means you wish to use for specifying the start and/or end points of a mosaic. NOTE: some User Specifies choices require only a start point. Some options will allow you to draw a rubber band box on the screen to show approximate coverage. The direction of this box drawing is the direction of the creation of the module. If no end point is required, a line is drawn instead of a box to show direction of mosaic creation. The length of the line is not related to the eventual coverage.
• Number of Scans: If active, this text widget allows you to enter the number of scans in the mosaic
• Footprints per scan: If active, this text widget allows you to enter the number of footprints per scan in the mosaic.
• Percentage Scan Overlap: If active, this widget allows you to enter the % overlap for your selected instrument FOV in the scan direction.
• Percentage Footprint Overlap: If active, this widget allows you to enter the % overlap for your selected instrument FOV in the direction perpendicular to the scan direction.
• Dwell Time: Enter the time that each footprint will take.
• Message Area: Shows informational messages.
• Use: Use the current entered details to create a mosaic on the Target plot.
• Cancel: Close this window without creating a new mosaic. If Target is waiting for you to draw an area coverage box, this option will also stop that process
• Scan axis:
• Available time: .
 
• Skymap

 

For more information about the SkyMap tool (pictured here), get the MAPSGAP User's Guide.

• 3D Viewer

• 3D Viewer Window


For more information about the 3D View tool and the Track tool, get the MAPSGAP User's Guide.
 
 

• Batch Mode

CASPER2 introduces a new concept of running CASPER in batch mode. At present, this is only applicable to the Target tool. Basically, the user prepares a list of targets and times and then runs CASPER in a windowless version where it works through the list, producing Target plot files for each entry, as well as an accompanying text file of further details.

To create the batch file, you must use the Batch tool that is started by the batch button on the main Casper window.


• Tour File: This si the name of the tour file currently loaded into Casper that will be used in the Batch file. If you wish to change the tour file, you will need to use the Change Tour Kernel option in the SP Kernel Tools menu on the main Casper widget.
• UTC Time: Each plot you make requires a time and a target combination. Use this option to enter a UTC for the plot. The UTC time and target can also be setup by selecting an event from the Events tool if it is open.
• Target Body: Select the target required for the plot
• Batch Buffer List: The list of batch-mode plots that you have created. Each entry in the list will produce a plot during Batch mode.
• Add: Add the current UTC time/target combination to the Batch Buffer list
• Delete: Delete the currently selected item from the Batch Buffer list.
• Grab Events: Will copy the currently displayed list of filtered events from the Events tool into the Batch Buffer list.
• Load: Loads a previously saved batchmode file
• Save: Saves the current tour name and batch buffer list to a user-selected file ready for a batchmode run.

Cancel: Closes the Batch File Creation tool

• Status: Displays informational messages
 
 
• Running Casper in Batch Mode

To start Casper in batch mode, simply use the following command at the shell prompt:

$ CASPERB

You will be asked to supply a batchfile name (if you give the root name, the .bat prefix will be appended for you). This file should be available in the directory $CASPER_PERSONAL_BATCH and should be a file created using the Batch File Creation tool.

A PostScript Target plot will be produced for each item in the batchfile, along with a text file containing more information about each plot. These will be placed in the directory $CASPER_PERSONAL_BATCHRUN.

You will be asked if you want to PRINT these files. These automatically send the plots to the default printer (the first printer in the casper_printers.dat file) during the batch run.

You are then asked to enter a root name for the files. Pressing RETURN will simply use "temp" as a root. The filenames are numbered and have prefixes added. As an example, if you have 2 items in your batch file and you choose rhea_flyby as your root name, you will create rhea_flyby_001.ps and rhea_flyby_002.ps containing the PostScript plots, and rhea_flyby_001.txt and rhea_flyby_002.txt containing the additional information for the plots.

Here is a sample batch mode run:

raptor.LPL.Arizona.EDU> CASPERB
IDL. Version 4.0.1b (OSF alpha).
Copyright 1989-1996, Research Systems, Inc.
All rights reserved.  Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Installation number: 4152-1.
Licensed for use by: LUNAR & PLANETARY LAB, CASSINI ISS

Restoring the pre-compiled version of CASPER
CASPER restored - starting Main Routine

Enter the name of the batchfile to run: rhea_flyby_t1

tour read in = /casper/casper_2//kernels//spk/tour/T1.bsp
Running batch mode now...

PRINT results? [Y (default) or N] :


Enter root name for files [default = temp]:

Processing Entry :        1
Creating image file :  /casper/casper_save//batch/results/temp_001.ps
Creating text file : /casper/casper_save//batch/results/temp_001.txt
Printing Image File
Result  = Job Number is: 710
Printing Text File
Result  = Job Number is: 711
Processing Entry :        2
Creating image file :  /casper/casper_save//batch/results/temp_002.ps
Creating text file : /casper/casper_save//batch/results/temp_002.txt
Printing Image File
Result  = Job Number is: 712
Batch Processing Completed

• Adding External User Modules to CASPER

NOTE: This section has been removed for now as the changes to Casper have made it obsolete. If you wish to use your own modules within Casper, please contact the current maintainer who will advise you on the best way to proceed for your particular needs.
 
 

• Troubleshooting

Because of the size of the software package and particularly because of its interaction between three different language components cross-platform problems may arise.

If you get an error specifying the spice_share.so file on your Sun workstation, try changing the spice_share.so file to one of the alternate versions included in your casper distribution.  Go to casper/lib/sun-solr/ and
mv spice_share.so spice_share_alt0.so
then
mv spice_share_alt1.so spice_share.so
then try running CASPER again.  If this doesn't work,
mv spice_share.so spice_share_alt1.so
mv spice_share_alt2.so spice_share.so
If it still doesn't work, you may need to rebuild the spice_share.so file (see below).

Common start-up problems include not having all the SP kernels converted to binary format on the host machine, not having the other (text) kernels in the appropriate directory, not having the spice_share library properly compiled and linked on the host machine, and not having redefined the environment variables in the casper_setup and casper_personal_setup files.  Another common problem is an incompatibility between your machine and the spice_share.so library supplied with CASPER.  Other versions of the spice_share.so libraries are available from casper@casper.colorado.edu.

After double-checking all these against the instructions , if CASPER is still not running on your system, make a detailed report of the steps you follow and the error messages encountered contact casper@casper.colorado.edu
 

• Compiling the Shareable Library

The Fortran and C code used by CASPER needs to be compiled into shareable libraries. This seems to be where most of the problems occur when using Casper, but there are two ways to avoid this step. The first is to use the library from a previously installed version of Casper. The second is to download a pre-compiled shareable library from the Casper ftp site.

• Using a Library from a Previous Casper Installation

This is simple.

• Make sure you have sourced the new casper_setup and casper_personal_setup files
• Locate the previous Casper installation and locate the directory that contains the old library. It will be somewhere like:

/home/user_home/casper_1.2/casper/lib/spice_share.so

• Copy that file to $CASPER_DIR/lib/spice_share.so

NOTE: If you are on an HP system, the file may be called spice_share.sl. Please rename it to spice_share.so when copying it. This is so that all the Unix OS's can use the same setup file easily!
And that's it! You can now skip to the next section about installing kernel files.
 
• Downloading a Pre-Compiled Shareable Library

Locate the file for your particular OS below and transfer it into $CASPER_DIR/lib/$CASCPU/. Make sure you have sourced casper_setup and casper_personal_setup.   For the HP version, there have been some problems with compatibility of spice_share.so files between machines.  If the standard HP library does not work on your machine (you will get an error referring to the spice_share.so file), try the HP 9 library.  If you get this file, be sure that you change the file name from spice_share.so.9 to spice_share.so.
 

• Sun library
• SGI library
• HP library
• HP 9 library (try if HP library does not work)
• ALPHA_OSF library
Once you have downloaded the file, you need to uncompress it.  When it is in the correct subdirectory, you should be ready to run CASPER.
 
• Rebuilding the Shareable Library

If you don't wish to use either of the above options, but prefer to make the library yourself, then you'll need to follow the steps below.

• Make sure you have sourced the casper_setup file
• move to the library source code directory

csh> cd $CASPER_DIR/lib/src

• Locate the correct Makefile for your machine and copy it to the standard Makefile name e.g.

csh> cp Makefile.HP Makefile

The next step will depend on the particular operating system you are using.
 
• SunOS, Solaris and OSF Machines

1. You will first need to edit the Makefile and change the line
SPICE_DIR = /home/naif
to point to the top directory of the NAIF directory tree on your system.
 
1. Compile the shareable library ussing
        csh> make
• HP Machines
Due to the naming conventions used by HP machines for object code, there is an extra step involved in creating the shareable library.
1. Edit the file HP_make_spice and change the line

        cd /home/naif/toolkit/src/spicelib

                    to point to the same directory of the NAIF directory tree on your system. This should normally mean  just changing the /home to the location of the NAIF directory on your system.
1. Execute the HP_make_spicelib command. This will compile a version of the spicelib library with the +z option to give SunOS-like object file names. The original NAIF distribution will be left intact.

        csh> HP_make_spice

1. then compile the CASPER shareable library using

        csh> make