1 KStars Revision History
3 1.0 (Kornephoros): (* indicates to-be-done)
4 ===================----------------------------------
8 - Added Comets and Asteroids (numbers of each?).
10 - Added Jupiter's Moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto
12 - Added configurable "Target Indicator" at center of display.
17 * Have any planetary body leave a trail as it moves across the sky.
19 - Tag any named object with a name label (in popup menu)
21 - High-quality printouts
23 - "Default Zoom" menu item/toolbar button
28 - Rigorous performance profiling with valgrind has resulted in
29 sky-rendering times about half of what they were in 0.9.1
31 - Startup time has been greatly reduced by more efficient
32 algorithms to read in large data files.
37 - Altitude vs. Time plotter
39 - Light-curve Plotter for variable stars
41 - Detailed Information Window has been greatly expanded; in addition
42 to presenting data about the object, it allows you to manage the
43 object's internet links, query professional astronomical databases,
44 and attach personalized text to the object's data record.
46 * KStars script generator: a GUI to build KStars DCOP scripts.
53 - Opening secondary KStars windows is finally stable
55 - Expanded DCOP functionality; can now generate interesting
56 "demo movies" with KStars.
58 - Delay "focus below horizon" popup window to avoid mysterious
61 - Updated some inline object images
63 * Expanded number of image/info links
65 - KStars can now alternately use a localized list of internet links,
66 rather than the default which links to mostly English-only
69 - We no longer support KDE 2.x
73 ===============--------------------------------------
75 This is a maintenance release; it contains all the feature
76 improvements we have made up to the KDE 3.1 feature freeze.
78 - The Info Panel has been removed; in its place, we display the
79 time/geography/focus data directly on screen in three separate
80 "Info Boxes". These can be dragged around the window to any
81 position, and they "stick" to the window edges on resize events.
82 In addition, each box can be "shaded" (by double-clicking)
83 between a full mode, and a short mode, in which only one line of
86 - New "Detailed Information" window displays name, position and other
87 information about any object in the sky.
89 - Redesign of Time Step widget in the main toolbar. The new custom
90 widget renders properly in all widget styles and should function
93 - ~50% improvement in sky-rendering speed due to code optimization
95 - Improved display of angles as strings (use
96 degree/arcminute/arcsecond symbols instead of letters d,m,s).
98 - More accurate Rise/Set/Transit times for planets
100 - new AstroCalculator module: "Day Duration"...calculates time of
101 sunrise/sunset/noon as well as length of day and position of Sun
102 at these three times.
104 - Added many locations to geographic database, including major
107 - More AstroInfo articles on on Blackbody Radiation, Parallax,
108 Stars, Star Colors, Dark Matter, and Elliptical Galaxies
110 - Handling of Daylight Savings time (a.k.a. Summer Time) is more stable.
112 - Many bugfixes, including some more memory leaks.
114 - Various usability/stability improvements.
118 ============--------------------------------------------
121 - Configurable InfoPanel: can choose to show parts of infopanel, or hide
124 - We now show the sky "slewing" to a new position, instead of "snapping"
125 immediately to the new position. You can turn this off in the options.
127 - Added planet name labels
129 - Planets drawn with more realistic angular sizes and position angles
131 - The NGC/IC catalogs are now complete (13,000 deep sky objects; the old
132 version had ~10,000). In addition, the new catalog has more precise
135 - Deep sky objects drawn with correct angular size and position angle
138 - Added many more zoom levels
140 - KDE3 automatically alpha-blends the planet, Messier, and star bitmaps
143 - KStars can spawn multiple windows. Use this with caution; it isn't
146 - Added View Options toolbar, which provides buttons to toggle the display
147 of major sky features (stars, constellations, planets, deep sky obj.,
148 coordinate grid, and horizon)
150 - Added Advanced tab to Configuration window
154 - Can now add custom object catalogs!
156 - Manual focus function (you enter exact coordinates to center on).
158 - Added AstroCalc calculator window
160 - Added wider range of timesteps
162 - Time can now run backwards
164 - Added Daylight Savings Time rules
166 - Added DCOP interface, which will form the foundation of our scriptable
169 - Can zoom with the mouse wheel, or by dragging with the middle mouse
172 - new "Advanced" Options tab for tweaking behaviors such as atmospheric
173 refraction correction, hiding objects while moving, and animated slewing
175 - Preliminary Print function (does not work well yet)
177 - "Tip of the Day" window
180 Calculation Accuracy:
181 - More accurate Planet positions: now properly include aberration,
182 nutation, light travel time delay. Planet positions are updated
185 - Atmospheric refraction: in Alt/Az mode, we include the effect of our
186 atmosphere, which bends light that passes through it, slightly altering
187 the positions of objects in the sky.
189 - rewrote time handling code; simulation time is now kept by a separate
194 - Using a memory cache for object images, which greatly reduces CPU load
195 when object images are on-screen.
197 - rewrite of splashscreen/data loading procedure to be more efficient.
199 - Find Object (by Name) function is faster
201 - clicking on the map to identify an object is more intelligent when
202 several objects are near the clicked location (it prioritizes the
203 selection by object type).
207 - major code overhauls to improve performance and memory usage
209 - Improved OOP code structure (classes are more independent; and
212 - Planet data stored in a hierarchy of classes.
214 - the information panel is now its own class
216 - using XMLGUI to describe menu and toolbar structure
218 - Menus conform to the standard KDE structure
221 Several bugfixes, including some crash conditions.
225 ============-----------------------------------------------
227 Sky display: Milky Way is now filled. Added coordinate grid.
228 Reorganized "colors" tab in options window. Added options to
229 show constellation names in native language, or as official IAU
230 abbreviations. Popup menu now shows Rise/Set times of the object.
231 Added "genetive" star names (e.g., "alpha Orionis"). Added
232 keyboard shortcuts to center on planets, and on cardinal direction
233 points along the horizon (N, S, E, W).
235 Customization: Ability to add custom geographic locations, custom
236 URLs, and custom color schemes. Added "star chart" predefined
239 Geographic locations: Added about 80 non-US cities to locations
240 database. Improved determination of a location's time zone.
241 Added optional "Province" field to geolocation database.
243 Documentation: Updated Handbook. Added AstroInfo articles to the
244 Handbook. Added toolbar button to launch handbook browser
247 - Improved memory handling (unused objects are not loaded into
252 =============------------------------------------------------
253 Added realistic star colors.
254 Added ability to provide custom image and information links.
255 Most Messier objects now shown as inline images directly on the sky map.
256 Expanded number of internet links.
258 Added Milky Way countour.
259 Added spectral type of stars to popup menu.
260 Automated object tracking when an object is centered.
261 Display name and coordinates of centered object in the infoPanel.
262 Fixed "extra layout" error messages.
263 Improved efficiency of KSPlanet::findPosition().
264 Initial startup parameters make more sense.
265 If focus point is below horizon when KStars restarts, a warning message
266 is triggered. Also, if it is shut down while tracking an object, it
267 will still be tracking when restarted.
268 Choose latin or localized constellation names.
269 Various bug fixes and minor improvements.
273 ================--------------------------------------------
274 Added the moon, with phases.
275 Reorganized the InfoPanel widget (and painted it black).
276 The sky map now stretches when the window is resized.
277 Improved startup speed and vastly improved speed of the "Find Object"
281 ===========------------------------------
282 Added Sun and all planets except Pluto.
283 Reorganized view options dialog.
284 Added Splash Screen, with loading messages.
287 ============-----------------------------
288 Added customizable display options, including color palette.
289 Implemented Alt/Az Coordinate system.
290 Added optional opaque horizon.
291 Expanded star catalog.
292 Deep-sky objects symbols indicate object type, and color indicates catalog.
293 Added NGC/IC catalog.
294 Added links to HST press release images.
295 Added Find-by-name function.
296 Updated documentation.
299 =============----------------------------
300 added Messier objects, constellation lines, image downloads,
304 =================----------------
305 added global coverage to city database
308 =============--------------------