Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope

A User's Manual For the CCD Data Acquisition User Interface

Interacting with the User Interface

Mouse control

There are a number of fundamental control actions which you will perform using the mouse.

• Pointing (process of moving the pointer) the mouse pointer at an object or action signals a possible interest in that object or action.
• Clicking a mouse button, usually the left button, acts on the object pointed at (like turning on or off an option) or performs the indicated action.
• Dragging the mouse pointer, while holding down the left button, enables a person to move objects around, change window sizes, or browse through a menu.

Active Window

When the pointer is in the root window (the background window that covers the whole display screen with ``CFH'' labels patterned over it), the pointer is shaped like a miniature dome. However, when you move the pointer to a window in your session, the pointer changes to an arrowhead (window frame or interior) or an ``I'' (edittable text field).

The active window is the window to which the pointer has been moved. If no window is active, any keyboard input is ignored.

The most visible clue that a window is active is that the window frame changes color, from blue to yellow.

Menu usage

Displaying a menu is as easy as positioning the pointer over a menu button and then pressing (but, don't let go) the left button on the mouse. Now, drag the pointer down the menu. As the pointer moves, the item for each available selection will highlight. When your desired selection is highlighted, release the button.

Invoking an action with the control forms

Each button in the Pegasus Session Manager's menubar corresponds to a set of actions, invoked via interaction from the user. These actions are grouped in specific ``forms'' in which user input is solicited. These forms contain several types of ``widgets'' with which the user may interact.

Control buttons

Most forms contain four ``standard pushbuttons'': Accept, Save values, Defaults, Cancel. (For example see the exposure form figure.)

• Accept notes all parameter changes, stores them, initiates any required actions, and closes the form.
• Save values notes all parameters changes, stores them for later use, and closes the form.
• Defaults resets the parameters to the ``system defaults'' which may or may not be useful. The form remains open, and the parameters are not yet stored.
• Cancel ignores all activity and closes the form.

Text Fields

The form may also contain ``text edit'' widgets which contain alpha/numeric quantities such as object name, exposure time, binning factor, et cetera. To select these fields for editing one may use either of the following:

• Use the TAB key to go from one field to the next. The currently selected area is highlighted.
• Move the mouse cursor to the area and click the left mouse button. The area is highlighted

Selection buttons

Other buttons that may appear are toggle switches (on/off). The button is ``on'' when it appears as a filled (darkened) diamond/box. Open (light) diamonds/boxes are ``off''. Sometimes these buttons are mutually exclusive (like buttons on a car radio), e.g., in the expose form, bias, dark, object, flat et cetera, are mutually exclusive; only one type of exposure may be taken!

Diamonds are ``radio buttons''; that is there is only one selection possible, as opposed to square boxes which correspond to a selection of an option among several possibilities (e.g. the selection of a filter position).

To change the selection of a button, move the mouse on top of it and click with the left mouse button.

Status icons

A status icon provides information about a running process. Examples of status icons include:

• Instrument status icon: instrument device status while a motion order is in progress.
• CCD status icon: provides information about the CCD exposure in progress.
• Files status icon: provides information about files on disc or being saved to tape.
• IQE status icon: provided information about the image quality.

Getting help