Using APT for HST: Videos and Documentation

Since APT is highly graphical, the best way to learn it is to watch someone use it. So we have provided a series of short training movies to demonstrate the APT tools — feedback from GOs shows the movies are highly recommended. There are also equivalent text documents which should be helpful for printing, and quick reference.

General APT Training Materials

Title Text Movie
General Overview of APT GUI Yes 6 mins.
Annotated Snapshot of the GUI Features Yes -
Editing with the Tree Editor - 3.5 mins.
Using the new Find feature - 3.5 mins.
Reviewing Diagnostics Yes 4.5 mins
The Differencing Tool - 5.5 mins

 

 

Phase I Specific APT Training Materials

Note: The Phase I Proposal Roadmap contains all of these links in a high level step-by-step proposal writing procedure.

itle Text Movie
Phase I Getting Started in APT Yes 11.5 mins.
How to Analyze Scheduling Constraints with APT Yes 6.5 mins.
How to Ingest Fixed Targets in Phase I Yes -

 

 

Aladin Interface Training Materials

Aladin is the tool for visualizing exposures in APT. We highly recommend the movies below so you can become familiar with Aladin's conventions.

itle Text Movie
Using Aladin with APT in Phase I Yes 8.5 mins.
Creating mosaics in Phase I Yes 5 mins.
Using HLA with Aladin Yes 3.5 mins.
Using Aladin with APT in Phase II Yes 6.5 mins.
Measuring/updating orientations - 1.5 mins.
Creating Pos Targ offsets Yes 2 mins.
Reviewing/updating patterns Yes 1.5 mins.
Visualizing the path of a moving target observation Yes -
Using the Aladin Multiview Function - 1.5 mins.

 

 

Phase II Specific APT Training Materials

Note: The Phase II Proposal Roadmap contains all of these links in a high level step-by-step proposal writing procedure.

itle Text Movie
Getting started in Phase II Yes 9.5 mins.
Understanding the Phase II PDF Proposal Preview Yes -
Running the Orbit Planner Yes 5.5 min
Annotated Snapshot of the Orbit Planner Features Yes -
Running the Visit Planner Yes 4 mins.
Annotated Snapshot of the Visit Planner Features Yes -
Changing Orbit Numbers & Actual Durations in Sub-exposures Yes 7 mins.
Using the Auto-adjust Feature for Orbit Packing Yes 4 mins.
Creating Multi Visit Mosaics - 8 mins.
Creating Patterns Yes 3 mins.
Creating Coordinated Parallel Observations Yes 2 mins.
Cheat sheet for dealing with parallel buffer dumps Yes -
Creating Non-interruptible Exposure Sequences Yes 3 mins.
Creating a Big Phase II Proposal Yes -
Using the Text Proposal (.prop) File Yes -
How to Ingest Fixed Targets in Phase II Yes -
How to make and use Fixed Target Confirmation Charts Yes 4.5 mins.
How APT Processes Solar System Targets Yes -
How to use the MAST Portal from APT - 7 mins.
How to export Exposure Maps Yes -
How to use the Bright Object Tool Yes 10.5 mins.
How to use the COS BOT Yes 12 mins.
How to retrieve minor body orbital elements from Horizons - 2 mins.