Skip to content

bmeaut/nightshaderemote

Repository files navigation

Android remote control for Nightshade

Overview

NightshadeRemote is an Android based remote controller for the popular Nightshade astronomy software.

NightshadeRemote allows teachers to wander freely within a planetarium's dome, and control the Nightshade simultaneously.

Features

Controlling the appearance

The desktop Nightshade has 12 toggle controls on the bottom left that toggle the following features:

IconFunction
Constellation lines
Constellation names
Constellation artworks
Constellation boundaries
Azimuthal grid
Equatorial grid
Cardinal points
Ground
Atmosphere
Planet names
Nebula names
Coordinate system

Running scripts

The remote is capable of transmitting and running scripts found in its NightshadeRemote/scripts folder on the external storage.

This screen also provides controls for manipulating the speed of time (faster, slower, real, current).

Currently listing the available scripts on the machine where the Nightshade runs is not available. That would require modifications in the Nightshade codebase, but shouldn't be difficult. As soon as the NS part works, implementing on the Android side should be quick.

Custom buttons (short scripts)

There are usually some short, but frequently used commands that are not mapped to the toggle buttons (e.g. Fly to the Earth). On the custom buttons screen one can create and edit such short commands, name them, can quickly execute them.

Warning: Although most script commands work here to, some are known to fail, occasionally crashing the Nightshade too!

Notes

It is often necessary to take notes during a presentation, or have some prepared data quickly available. The Notes function provides a solution for this. If there are multiple notes, the currently available can be chosen from a spinner.

Object manager

Warning! This is an entirely experimental feature, and doesn't always work as expected!

The object manager provides a search interface to look up certain objects by their catalogue number. If an object is found, and there is an image associated with it, the image is displayed.

This screen also provides an experimental zoom control.

Installation

Manual cloning

Clone this repository, and from Android Studio select File -> New -> Import project, browse the cloned folder, and follow the wizard.

Importing from GitHub

In Android Studio select File -> New -> Project from version control -> GitHub and select the repository. THe IDE should automatically clone and import the project.

About

Android based remote control for Nightshade

Resources

Stars

Watchers

Forks

Releases

No releases published

Packages

No packages published

Languages