Use VTT for Phase II

People working on their Phase II proposals can use the VTT for questions like:

Does my target have nearby bright objects that could spoil the observation? (There is a "Bright Object" tool within the VTT to help you find bright objects even if they are not bright on the visual plates.)
Is there an orientation which would avoid the bright object?
How should I place my exposures to create a mosaic of my extended target?
Which orientation places my extended target correctly in the aperture?
Which orientation places the second feature correctly in the coordinated parallel aperture?

In addition to the standalone VTT, there is a VTT integrated into the APT for Phase II use. It should be helpful for reviewing your specified Phase II exposures graphically against a FITS image. When you are using APT, go to Help>VTT Help and read the READ ME FIRST section to understand what is supported and what is not.

How do I learn to use the VTT Integrated into APT?

The main documentation for the integrated VTT is located in the APT Help menu under "VTT Help". But there are now three short movies available with the APT training movies.

After you have written some of your proposal (at least one target and exposure) you can click on the VTT button and preview an exposure. Below is a quick tour of the display.

A. The current selection in the hierarchical editor
B. The menu bar
C. The top tool bar
D. The side tool bar
E. Names of catalog entries
F. The outline of the selected aperture. To rotate the observation, click and drag one of the aperture's four corners.
G. The parallel exposure
H. The current targeted position, represented as J2000 Right Ascension and Declination. You can change the position by displaying the target crosshair and then selecting and dragging the target.
I. Button to access the Orientation Detail window.
J. Status indicators showing the current aperture orientation, pixel location, pixel data value, and coordinates of the cursor
K. Inscribed and circumscribed circles which represent areas that will always be imaged or may be imaged depending on orientation
L. The fiducial point of the selected aperture, represented by a small cross hair icon. You can change the position by clicking on this icon and dragging it across the image.