| | Using the File Manager: The SETI File Manager software allows you to capture the essentials of your SETI station and associate that with the data file that you generate. This will make it possible to identify the station configuration, pointing angels and other engineering information when the SETI data was collected. You can download latest version of this software here . Create your own station profile then attach it to the WAV files you generate. |
To learn the basics of the File Manager its best to play with it. Do the following:Install the generator. Download and start it. You should see the front page as below. Create A New SML File The File Manager starts with a default SML set. Use it to build a personal SML file for yourself. For more information on SML jump here. Save the SML file in a convent file are by clicking on "Save As". The SML is stored in a file with the extension .XML This allows the file to be recognized by other standard XML processing tools. Modify the current SML by changing any data in any of the boxes. Press the 'Tree' icon on the bottom right - The SML tree should show. You can change anything you like but notice the blinking "Refresh Needed" button? Press it to update the tree display. The update is only needed to keep the tree current. If you save your file it is automatically updated. Save again. Shut down the Generator and restart. Then reload the SML file you created and changed. Your changes should appear on the forms and in the Current SML box. View the raw SML by pressing the "SML" tab. This is the same information shown in the Current SML box but 'flattened'. This is the data that is stored with your WAV or JPG files.
Attach Your SML To A Wave or JPG File Open any wave file. You will have many on you computer use the search function to find a suitable one to play with. In the WAVE File area (bottom right) select "Open". Then navigate to your wave file. Select the file and press the Open button. The File Manager will ask you if you would like to use any SML already inside the wave file. if you say 'Yes' any SML in the file comes into the File Manager and overwrites the current SML. No and only the wave data comes in. Your wave file is now loaded and has been 'tagged' with the SML data. Select 'Save' and store it in a temp file area. Change the 'SML File' information to something descriptive like "Test of the File Manager". Notice that as soon as you start entering characters the Refresh button starts blinking. Press it and notice that the 'Current SML' area is updated. Slide to the top of the box and see your text entered in the title block. You must press the Refresh button before you save the file.
That's all there is to tagging a wave file with SML. Please note: I have updated the File Manager so that it works with JPG files as well as WAV. The JPGs found in the Archive section all have SML embedded in them. The latest version also allows Drag 'n Drop operations. You just plunk a WAV, JPG or XML file in the manager and it will show the contents to you. SETI Station Use Select the other tabs in the generator (Antenna, Receiver and Data Set) and make the changes that describe you SETI station. Save the final SML file for later. Search using your standard system software and save the resulting WAV file. Tag the file with your station profile.
Your file can then be sent to other Argus stations or exchanged with any other user. The file can be played back as if it were live data and the station conditions at the time of collection are frozen with the data. How It Works | | A Wave file is made up of several 'chunks'. First is a RIFF chunk that that identifies the file as a Resource Interchange File Format. Second comes a Format chunk that identifies the configuration of the wave data in the file (Stereo or Mono, 8 Bit or 16 bit, sampling rate etc). Next comes the Data chunk that contains the actual data. At the end of the long Data Chunk there may be a chunk that identifies the name of the tune or the record producer etc. This chunk is not a requirement. The File Manager adds a final chunk, the SML chunk, where the SML data is stored. You can SML tag wave files and still use them normally. For example you can tag the Windows Start wave file and it will still sound correct on you computer. JPGs don't use 'chunks' but do allow comments. The JPG comment field, at the top of the file, is where the File Manager stores the SML. As with WAVs tagging a JPG will not change the way it is displayed nor will anyone know about the existence of the SML data unless they have the File Manager. |
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