Re: A kludge enabling internet download & display of SDSS data release 4 in Guid

duble.stars Mar 9, 2007

Hiya Roger,

well, I dunno...

I've just upped another copy of s.exe to the yahoo files list, which
is my copy, which does do sdss stuff, coz it did it yesterday.

HOWEVER, I found a vagary yesterday which was weird.

My toolbar buttons were in the order SDSS - DENIS - USNO B1.0 - 2MASS
and I wanted to change them to something more logical, so I changed
them to DENIS 2MASS SDSS USNO B1.0, and the DENIS and SDSS buttons
completely stopped working! Dunno why.

I could have 2mass and usno b1.0 in any order, but the same point
denis and sdss (both _replace_ the unused ucac2 here) had to be in a
certain order, no matter what, so all I can now suggest is that you
try this new s.exe and also do the following to toolbar.dat

Find where it says

# 2411 !web_a20.bmp A2.0 data via Internet
2550 !sdss.bmp SDSS data via Internet
2550 !denis.bmp DENIS data via Internet
2458 !2mass.bmp 2MASS data via Internet
2457 !usno.bmp B1.0 data via Internet
# 2413 !a10.bmp Get A1.0 data from CD-ROM

or similar in your toolbar.dat. You'll likely have something like

2550 !ucac2.bmp UCAC2 data via internet

instead of

2550 !denis.bmp DENIS data via Internet

but I don't know exactly who the ucac2 stuff is worded coz that's long
gone on my setup.

Basically make sure the sdss one is immediately preceding the ucac2 one.

And if when you click it it _still_ goes for ucac2 data instead of
sdss data, then Bill has evidently completely changed how stuff from
the internet is fetched.

[This is why I've had to freeze on upgrades of Guide, coz I don't use
it for observing, but for archive work, analysis work, and catalogue
access, and a lot of the nifty new features that are good for
observers that have got added in recent times (like correcting for
proper motion and stuff) are a bit of a nuisance for me personally.]

IF you have ucac2 on hard disk and don't fetch it from internet, then
permanently kludging gsc22.exe so the ucac2 url becomes the sdss url,
renaming the ucac2 datafile to sdssdr4 or whatever, is bound to
download that data for toolbar ID 2550, no matter what name or label
that gives, and as long as you have a tdf to show it.

So, sorry if it don't work, but if the above fix leaves you still
getting ucac2 data, that's that, coz there's no reason why it
shouldn't work, unless it's become infeasible with current Guide 8
upgrades due to infrastructure changes. As long as Guide calls
gsc22.exe and you definitely completely replace gsc22.exe with s.exe,
the it should be impossible for ucac2 data to be fetched, coz the
ucac2 url is just not there!!!

Basically the above is something that shouldn't be done so Guide
doesn't have to allow for it, so if it don't work it don't work,
unfortunately.

Still weird that just swapping which is written first lets it work or
not, though, ie

2550 !sdss.bmp SDSS data via Internet
2550 !denis.bmp DENIS data via Internet

in toolbar.dat works, but

2550 !denis.bmp DENIS data via Internet
2550 !sdss.bmp SDSS data via Internet

don't!

Cheers

John
--- In guide-user@yahoogroups.com, "Roger Pickard" <rdp@...> wrote:
>
> Hi John,
> At the risk of being boring . . . .
> I've now had a chance to look at this again and found the following:-
> There is a neat little file in Guide called debug.txt which lists, for
> example, the last download attempted. I copied s.exe to my Guide
> directory and renamed it gsc22.exe (after copying gsc22.exe to a safe
> place) and hit the sdss button but got:-
>
> <
> http://archive.ast.cam.ac.uk/viz-bin/VizieR?-out.max=9999&-out.form=as
> cii table&-order=I&-c=08 53 44 %2B57 48
> 39&-c.eq=J2000&-oc.form=sexa&-c.r=4.000&-c.u=arcmin&-source=I/289/out&
> -out.all=1>
>
> which is still the ucas data!
>
> Cheers,
> Roger
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "duble.stars" <duble.stars@...>
> To: <guide-user@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2007 6:56 PM
> Subject: [guide-user] Re: A kludge enabling internet download &
> display of SDSS data release 4 in Guid
>
>
> >
> > Alrighty...
> >
> > I'm running Jan 2006 Guide 8... ...actually I think it's a slightly
> > later one that didn't have it's date changed, probably April 2006.
> >
> > The coords you note below are for stuff in the provided sdssdr4 data
> > file, which I supplied for merely testing the TDF, consisiting of a
> > small subset of data in a small region. You've triangled the stars,
> > but that's all the same thing.
> >
> > If you've got s.exe in the right place, and the batch file has run,
> it
> > should work.
> >
> > Incidentally, if you've got a large field selected it won't work, as
> > you'll be trying to download millions of stars. I forgot to
> mention,
> > probably best to stick to fields of one degree or so across or
> > smaller, although fields of less than half an arcmin don't always
> work
> > for some reason.
> >
> > What you can do is backup the gsc22.exe in the Guide directory to
> > gsc22.bak, copy s.exe to the Guide directory, and rename it to
> gsc22.exe.
> >
> > You see, if the original gsc22.exe is still there, and has not been
> > replaced by s.exe, coz the batch file ain't executed properly, then
> > you are merely downloading ucac2 stars, and if your north of 40+
> > degrees, you ain't downloading a thing.
> >
> > So, that's the first test.
> >
> > I've never bothered proffering this before because of the problem of
> > switching gsc22.exe files in a simple way for nonDOS systems or
> those
> > nonfamiliar with dos systems.
> >
> > s.exe is based on an old gsc22.exe, by the way, and not the later
> > versions, but should still run with Guide 8, as the upgrade of Guide
> 8
> > I'm using came with a later download progress bar happy version and
> I
> > fell out with said, so went back to old gsc22.exe.
> >
> > In fact, now that I think about it, this is the problem for you,
> > you're getting a dialogue box telling you stuff is (not)
> downloading.
> > That shouldn't be happening, so s.exe has not replaced default
> > gsc22.exe in the Guide directory.
> >
> > Either you can't run dos boxes on your setup, or .bat files are not
> > allowed to execute, so basically you've to copy s.exe to the Guide
> > directory, and rename it to gsc22.exe, and run Guide again. I know
> > not of XP and DOS, I have heard vista don't have it, but that's its
> > problem, not mine.
> >
> > Ensure you always have a copy of your original gsc22.exe in the
> utils
> > directory, or elsewhere, so you can readily copy it back to the
> Guide
> > 8 directory, but it looks likely that in your case you'll have to
> > delete gsc22.exe from the guide directory, copy s.exe to the guide
> > directory, then rename to gsc22.exe, when you want sdss stuff, and
> > then copy original gsc22.exe over that new gsc22.exe to return to
> > normal, which is neither elegant nor fun, but it should work. You
> may
> > or may not have to relaunch Guide, shouldn't have to though.
> >
> > Yeh, that should do it.
> >
> > Famous last words...
> >
> >
> > Other oddies and soddies : the data is returned to the file
> sdssdr4,
> > and added to anything already in that file, so said will grow, but
> is
> > editable via ascii editor, so bits can be deleted, as the data is
> laid
> > down in a row per object format.
> >
> > SDSSdr4.tdf is a standard tdf, if the sdss data is there for a
> region,
> > you should be able to GO TO TDF SDSSdr4 then enter
> J172644.63+583745.8
> > and it'll go to it, but this is so similar to GO TO RA
> > 172644.63+583745.8, which'll also go there, I don't bother with it
> > personally.
> >
> > There is no sdss.dat, there's 180+ million of these things according
> > to vizier, that why download of needed bits from internet seemed
> like
> > a useful option.
> >
> > Oh, I think I've misunderstood you. You want to know a region SDSS
> > data will be available in.
> >
> > GO TO BZ UMa, that's a field that's definitely in the SDSS data
> > release 4 region, so you can test downloading of stuff for that
> > region. If you end up downloading 'em mulitple times just either
> edit
> > or delete the sdssdr4 datafile.
> >
> > Here's their reference coverage map for date release 4 (the RA is in
> > decimal degrees, looks to be about 8h to 18h, note also varying
> > declinatin coverage) :-
> >
> > http://www.sdss.org/dr4/dr4photo_big.gif
> >
> > Cheers
> >
> > John
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In guide-user@yahoogroups.com, "Roger Pickard" <rdp@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Hi John,
> > > Nearly, but not quite there.
> > > I followed the procedure easily enough and went to GO TO RA
> > > 172644.63+583745.8 (although you don't mention this again).
> However,
> > > there was a little star at the right position. Note I say star.
> I
> > > had to change the
> > > type 6 as follows to show a triangle (not sure which of the "type"
> > > lines I needed so copied over both from another tdf!
> > > # type 6
> > > type sC00fcfc;e0,0,12;
> > > type sc5;e0,0,10,c15
> > >
> > > However, I go to the location of another SDSS star and hit the
> SDSS
> > > toolbar and the info says some small file is being downloaded but
> > > nothing appears - even at mag 23!
> > >
> > > I'm running XP BTW.
> > >
> > > Assuming it's something silly on my part what about a SDSS.dat
> star so
> > > that you can go to any chosen such star?
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > > Roger
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "duble.stars" <duble.stars@>
> > > To: <guide-user@yahoogroups.com>
> > > Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2007 1:17 PM
> > > Subject: [guide-user] A kludge enabling internet download &
> display of
> > > SDSS data release 4 in Guide 8
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > This is not for the faint hearted, so any doubts whatsoever do
> not
> > > > even attempt it.
> > > >
> > > > It is actually quite simple and straightforward, but if you
> don't
> > > > understand it it's likely best not to try it.
> > > >
> > > > Now, this past couple of days VizieR has upgraded the SDSS data
> > > > release 3 photometric catalogue to data release 4, dr 4.
> > > >
> > > > This will show a way of downloading and displaying these
> objects,
> > > the
> > > > display giving the SDSS magnitudes, their errors, positional
> > > > information, date of observation, a link to a more in depth page
> on
> > > > the SDSS server, inclusive of an image, and the automatically
> > > > estimated type of object.
> > > >
> > > > First you need to download sdss.zip from the Guide-user yahoo
> groups
> > > > file section http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/guide-user/files
> ,
> > > > it's been successfully passed on a virus test this end, but feel
> > > free
> > > > to test it again.
> > > >
> > > > Now to the procedure :-
> > > >
> > > > [Note that if any of this goes wrong, simply reinstalling the
> latest
> > > > Guide 8 update you are using from Guide8.zip will fix all and
> return
> > > > things back to as was.]
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Find gsc22.exe in your Guide directory and _copy_ it to the
> UTILS
> > > > subdirectory that lies within the Guide directory. It is
> important
> > > to
> > > > ensure you do not move it, you need to have gsc22.exe existing
> in
> > > both
> > > > the GUIDE directory and the GUIDE/UTILS directory. Think of it
> as
> > > > your backup of gsc22.exe.
> > > >
> > > > Copy s.exe to this UTILS directory.
> > > >
> > > > Copy sdssdr4.tdf to the Guide 8 directory.
> > > >
> > > > Copy sdss.bmp to the Guide 8 directory.
> > > >
> > > > sdssdr4 can be copied to the Guide 8 directory or not, it is
> merely
> > > > some predownloaded data for testing the TDF and is not
> essential.
> > > > Future downloaded data files will be appended to this file, but
> if
> > > it
> > > > does not exist a new one should be made. However, if that
> doesn't
> > > > happen for whatever reason, including this file will give
> further
> > > > downloads something to append to. GO TO RA 172644.63+583745.8
> to
> > > > test, clicking on coloured stars
> > > >
> > > > Now to make some dos batch files, this is simple enough, and
> works
> > > on
> > > > my machine using win2k. Whether it works in ME or XP I don't
> know,
> > > > but it should work in any Windows flavour that is capable of
> > > launching
> > > > a dos box. The batch files will be accessed via
> > > >
> > > > START in bottom left of screen, normally, far left of Task Bar
> > > >
> > > > RUN
> > > >
> > > > In RUN entering s in the dialogue box and pressing okay will
> turn on
> > > > SDSS download, entering g will put things back to default.
> > > >
> > > > Open Notepad
> > > >
> > > > enter the following lines, adapted for your computer
> > > >
> > > > @echo off
> > > > copy d:\fullpath\guide\utils\s.exe d:\fullpath\guide\gsc22.exe
> > > >
> > > > if you store guide in a drive different from D:, edit
> accordingly,
> > > and
> > > > replace the words "fullpath" with the full file path to your
> Guide
> > > > directory.
> > > >
> > > > The simplest version would be c:\guide\gsc22.exe for example for
> > > > someone who has isntalled Guide directly to drive C:
> > > >
> > > > Save those two lines as a file named s.bat in your Windows
> > > directory!
> > > >
> > > > That'll be in c:\windows or c:\winnt or similar. It can
> > > alternatively
> > > > be saved in the system32 directory. Basically any directory
> that is
> > > > listed in the system variables' path will suffice for those in
> the
> > > > know, otherwise just do the above.
> > > >
> > > > Do all the above with a second file except in Notepad type
> > > >
> > > > @echo off
> > > > copy d:\astro\guide\utils\gsc22.exe d:\astro\guide\gsc22.exe
> > > >
> > > > and save it as g.bat in the windows or other appropriate
> directory.
> > > >
> > > > Now to edit TOOLBAR.dat. You may wish to make a copy of this
> and
> > > call
> > > > it toolbar.bak first, however it is usually replaced with Guide
> 8
> > > > upgrade zipfiles anyway, so recoverable. Unless, of course, you
> > > keep
> > > > a personally modified version, then back it up.
> > > >
> > > > At the top of Toolbar.dat is a number. In your text editor,
> > > possibly
> > > > notepad will suffice, increment this number by 1. ie if it says
> > > 0304
> > > > change it to 0305.
> > > >
> > > > You can add the following line anywhere, but if you add it near
> > > other
> > > > internet download toolbar buttons it'll be easier to find in
> future.
> > > >
> > > > So, in notepad for example, EDIT->FIND usno.bmp or gsc22.bmp or
> > > similar.
> > > >
> > > > Insert a line and add in this line
> > > >
> > > > 2550 !sdss.bmp SDSS data via Internet
> > > >
> > > > such that the local arrear of this list now looks something
> similar
> > > to
> > > > this
> > > >
> > > > # 2161 !rs.bmp RealSky image
> > > > # 2119 !dss.bmp DSS image
> > > > # 2378 !gsc22.bmp GSC 2.2 data via Internet
> > > > # 2410 !web_dss.bmp Grab DSS image via Internet
> > > > # 2411 !web_a20.bmp A2.0 data via Internet
> > > > 2550 !sdss.bmp SDSS data via Internet
> > > > 2457 !usno.bmp B1.0 data via Internet
> > > > 2458 !2mass.bmp 2MASS data via Internet
> > > > # 2413 !a10.bmp Get A1.0 data from CD-ROM
> > > > # 2414 !a10.bmp Get A2.0 data from CD-ROM
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > You will likely also have an UCAC2 data via Internet link, which
> I
> > > > have removed.
> > > >
> > > > Save toolbar.dat
> > > >
> > > > Basically this simply works because s.exe is a version of
> gsc22.exe
> > > > which has been hex edited to get sdss dr 4 data from vizier
> instead
> > > of
> > > > getting ucac2 data from vizier.
> > > >
> > > > OPERATION
> > > >
> > > > Guide will now have an SDSS toolbar button, possibly also an
> ucac2
> > > one
> > > > depending on personal preference.
> > > >
> > > > When s.bat is run by using START->RUN->s the file s.exe copies
> over
> > > > gsc22.exe such that when the SDSS toolbar button is pressed SDSS
> > > data
> > > > release 4 data is returned via VizieR. Incidentally, SDSS data
> > > > release 4 data will also be returned if the UCAC2 button is
> pressed
> > > in
> > > > this cirumstance. This is a dirty little kludge and simply
> replaces
> > > > the ucac2 fetch with an sdss fetch. There is no download
> progress
> > > box
> > > > for SDSS retrieval, incidentally.
> > > >
> > > > To return Guide 8 to UCAC2 download simply use START->RUN->g
> which
> > > > copies the default gsc22.exe stored in the UTILS directory back
> into
> > > > the Guide directory and returns the normal situation. Again, in
> > > this
> > > > situation pressing on the SDSS button returns UCAC2 data as does
> > > > pressing on the UCAC2 button. The 2550 tells you that in
> > > toolbar.dat
> > > >
> > > > This is a _kludge_, not a fix or addition.
> > > >
> > > > The SDSS data is returned as coloured stars where g' and r' are
> > > > interpreted as B and R using "photo" in the TDF as this seems to
> > > give
> > > > the most accurate matches. The stars are plotted to the r', or
> red,
> > > > mag. Right click gives mag info and object type and more info
> > > > additionally errors on mag and date when imaged and a link to
> the
> > > SDSS
> > > > data release 5 summary page and image for that star at the SDSS
> > > webserver.
> > > >
> > > > SDSS data fills half the northern sky, plus an near complete
> > > > equatorial strip, is good between mags about 15 and 20+, and is
> of
> > > > decent astrometry, and better than USNO B1.0, so makes a nice
> > > > complement to UCAC2 where it is available, but avoids dense star
> > > > regions so lies mainly away from the Milky Way.
> > > >
> > > > High quality V can be calculated for good g' and r' values using
> > > >
> > > > V = r' + 0.44*(g'-r') - 0.02
> > > >
> > > > for stars that are not too red.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Again, if you can see a need for this, try it, if it works,
> fine, if
> > > > not reinstall your personal latest upgrade file and ignore.
> > > Therefore
> > > > there must be a willingness and ability to reinstall the latest
> > > > upgrade file the user is using before any attempt is made to try
> > > this,
> > > > ie it's the users own responsibility, it's a kludge, if it
> doesn't
> > > > work you've to be aware of how to return to where you were.
> > > >
> > > > On the other hand, it's simple and straightforward enough, if a
> > > little
> > > > fiddly, and it works a doddle, I've been using it ages (albeit
> with
> > > > vizier SDSS data release 3 until the data release 4 upgrade
> > > yesterday).
> > > >
> > > > Finally, for those who can hex edit files, you could replace the
> > > sdss
> > > > vizier url, and download file name (sdssdr4), in s.exe with any
> > > other
> > > > vizier list, such as DENIS or CMC14, easily enough, but you'll
> have
> > > to
> > > > write a TDF to plot up the downloaded datafile in Guide and
> create a
> > > > .bmp file for the toolbar using 2550 as anchor, but most of the
> rest
> > > > of the above will be just the same, though s.bat and s.exe will
> no
> > > > longer be mnemonic, of course.
> > > >
> > > > Cheers
> > > >
> > > > John
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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