Log Migrator Help
The observing log in Deep-Sky Planner 5 contains many new data items. The Log Migrator converts your Deep-Sky Planner 4 log data into version 5 format, and it allows you to set values for some of the new data items.
To prepare for migrating your log data, you should use Deep-Sky Planner 4 to export data to file(s) - see Deep-Sky Planner 4 Help. You should use the Observing Project Manager to select the projects or observations that you want to migrate and export these. You can create one file or several depending on your needs. Each file exported from Deep-Sky Planner 4 can be migrated to version 5.
Migration
Migration is a multi-step process and you can specify different parameters for each file that you migrate. This may influence how you organize observations into export files with Deep-Sky Planner 4.
Step 1: Enter the observing log data file name exported by Deep-Sky Planner 4. You must use Deep-Sky Planner 4 to create this file as explained above. This is the Source file.
Step 2: Enter a name for the file to be produced by the Migrator. This is the Target file. Ultimately this file will be imported into Deep-Sky Planner 5. By default, the Target file name will be the same as the Source file name, but it will have a file extension of .obslog and it will be in Deep-Sky Planner 5/Export folder. You can change the name and location of the Target file if you wish (but not the file extension.)
Steps 3 through 5 allow you to specify some data items that apply to each observation in the migration operation. For example, the Observer information for every observation in the source file will be set as specified in step 4 when the Target file is produced.
Click Begin Migration to produce the Target file. This processing make take more than a few minutes if you are processing hundreds of observations.
When Migration is complete and the Target file has been produced, the status window on the Migrator should show 'Migration is complete.'
Start Deep-Sky Planner 5 and open either the Observing Project Manager or Observation Browser. You can use View on the tool bar to review the migration Target file, or you can import the observations into Deep-Sky Planner 5 observing log using Import on the tool bar. Note that Import allows you to choose any or all observations in the file before any observations are actually imported into the database. See Deep-Sky Planner 5 Help
New Data Items in the Version 5 Log
The table below summarizes the new observing log data items, how the Log Migrator sets them, and how you can change the default values if you wish.
| Data Item | Default treatment by Migrator | How to Change in Deep-Sky Planner 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Location's Area | Assigns one area (selected in the Migrator) to each location | Edit affected location(s) with the Location Manager. |
| Location's Time Zone | no change | Edit the affected location(s) with the Locatino Manager. |
| Observing Location's Elevation | 0 | Edit affected location(s) with the Location Manager. |
| Observer | Assigns one observer (selected in the Migrator) to each observation | Add observers with Observer Browser; attach new observer(s) to affected observation(s) with the Observation Browser |
| Instrument (binoculars only) | True Field and Magnification are zero | Edit True Field and Magnification in affected instrument(s) using the Instrument Browser. |
| Camera Pixelsize | Assumes square pixels | Edit the Pixel Height or Width of affected camera(s) using the Camera Browser. This may affect the Array Height and Width, so verify these values with the Camera Browser. |
| Camera Binning | Assigns 1x1 | Edit affected camera(s) using the Camera Browser |
| Filter Bandpass and Centerline | zero | Edit affected filter(s) using the Filter Browser |
| Sky Conditions (except Rating) | zero/blank | Edit the affected observation(s) with the Observation Browser. |
| Weather Conditions | zero/blank | Edit the affected observation(s) with the Observation Browser. |
| Location Method | If Device-Assisted (v4) is False, Location Method (v5) is Manual. If Device-Assisted (v4) is True, Location Method (v5) is either DSC or GoTo as selected in the Migrator. |
Edit the affected observation(s) with the Observation Browser. |
| Image Path | no change | Note that this path isn't changed and the image files are not moved by the Migrator. |