VM PILOT’S HANDBOOK

Discuss your experiences with and ideas about Stardust@home here.

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DustBuster
DustMod
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VM PILOT’S HANDBOOK

Post by DustBuster »

This thread contains ideas submitted by users that may be helpful to those just starting out or a good reference for seasoned searchers who are experiencing something that somebody may have found a way to improve upon.
Please add any suggestion you have that might be helpful in using the VM.
Do not include browser compatibility issues, video monitor/card limitations, suggestions, fixes, workarounds, etc.

Here are a few to get the ball rolling:
I wrote:Periodically check the TUTORIAL and the TECH FAQ for updated information.

It may be helpful to adjust your mouse sensitivity settings to increase/decrease responsiveness while working with the Virtual Microscope.

When clicking on a candidate, click directly in the center of the track on any frame of the movie. The tracks in the calibration movies have a 30-pixel area surrounding the center of the track that should register correctly if clicked within this boundary.
Nikita wrote:I keep pen and paper by me. When I suspect I found a track, or I see something that I have a question about, I write down the number before I respond to the movie.
jdrockster wrote: Read everything before you start searching! It will help with your score and accuracy.
Last edited by DustBuster on Sun Aug 27, 2006 3:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
speck
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 6:14 am
Location: Seattle, Wahington, USA, Earth

Post by speck »

Experiment around to see how rapidly your computer can respond to focus change.

Don't automatically scan down really quickly; depending on the speed of your processor, your computer might not be fast enought to "draw" each frame as quickly as you go past it, resulting in poor focus.

Happy hunting

speck
Last edited by speck on Mon Aug 28, 2006 2:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonite - I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonite. - Anonymous
Groundling
Posts: 65
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:55 pm
Location: Oregon, USA

Handbook

Post by Groundling »

Hi Dustbuster
I hate to be picky, but
click directly in the center of the area on any frame of the movie
Some of the "dusters" are dealing with bi-lingual issues, and this might be too general.
Groundling
I have met the enemy and he is us.
Pogo
DustBuster
DustMod
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Re: Handbook

Post by DustBuster »

Groundling wrote:Hi Dustbuster
I hate to be picky, but
click directly in the center of the area on any frame of the movie
Some of the "dusters" are dealing with bi-lingual issues, and this might be too general.
Groundling
I changed it to say "Track". I didn't want to do that initially becuase you may not be clicking on a track. If you would like to reword it to make it more universal, please do and I will update it.

Thanks!
Cass
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Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2006 8:26 pm
Location: Lloydminster, Alberta Canada

Post by Cass »

Make sure to wait until the movie is fully loaded before starting to look.
stardust1
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Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 2:08 pm
Location: Germany

Post by stardust1 »

If you are using zoom-utilities with your browser:
Make sure you turn back to normal magnification before you click at anything. The transmitted coordinates might be wrong and thus leaving wrong results on calibration movies as well as on the position of possible finds on real movies.
Please look at: http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/ ... ight=#7663
Wir leben in einer Zeit vollkommener Mittel und verworrener Ziele. (Albert Einstein)
lpspieler
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Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2006 3:37 pm

Post by lpspieler »

I think someone should make this thread sticky...

Meanwhile some old hint (posted numerous times but fitting here as well):

If the surface comes into focus only a few focus bars above the bottom end of the focus bars, mark it as "bad focus". Ideally, the surface should come into focus within the top half of the focus range.

The same applies if only a part of the surface is not well focused.

BUT look for possible tracks no matter whether the movie is well focused or not.

If you find a track candidate, click it anyway
Mighty Pete
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Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:47 am
Contact:

Post by Mighty Pete »

If you want to find a track then Slow Down... There are people here that are clicking so fast that they are missing excellent needs another look candidates. It's your best chance to find one.

Ok somebody added a F11 well there is even a better way to stop scrolling. If you using Firefox to search and you have ad block installed block the images up near the top so they don't load, There is three of them, this in combination with F11 stops you having to scroll period. Happy Searchin...
Last edited by Mighty Pete on Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.
DustBuster
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Post by DustBuster »

If you right-mouse-click and select 'open window' on a track in Internet Explorer it will register an incorrect answer and reduce your sensitivity.
jdrockster
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:14 am
Location: Northern California

VM with notebook

Post by jdrockster »

If your search is with a notebook and you are tired of scrolling down... :idea: Press F11 and you will be pleased to search with much less effort! Happy hunting!
Dust2Dust...Dust4Dust!
Groundling
Posts: 65
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:55 pm
Location: Oregon, USA

Speed

Post by Groundling »

I had been running cable but at economy speed (384 K?). I recently upgraded to 3 Meg and would just like to convey some observations.
The first movie download is very fast as you would expect.
The second download is also much faster but the "jerkyness" of the visible movie (this has been discussed in other posts) Is still there untill the second is complete just as before. Of course the whole process is very fast as you would expect.
I still must wait for the download to complete before clicking except for obvious CM s.
I wonder if my processor might be causing some of this jerkyness.
I'm running a kind of home grown PC with a 1.2 Gig Celeron. (don't laugh I'm shopping now)
This may not be of any real help but just information.
The rest is; XP, Internet Explorer.
All of the other problems I have had have been traced back to operator error.
Groundling
I have met the enemy and he is us.
Pogo
Howie
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2006 2:47 pm
Location: Florida

Has anyone noticed what I noticed the past few weeks? A TIP!

Post by Howie »

Do you ever wonder why all of a sudden you get so many CM test movies with a track within a few minutes or you keep getting them???

That is a signal that you are about to pass someone on your rank or they are competing with you for that spot!!!

I thought I was crazy, but, it is for real!!! Not sure why, but, my progress today proved it, because I was passing people with very close scores and it just kept working that way as I passed them.

Howie
bmendez
Stardust@home Team
Stardust@home Team
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Post by bmendez »

All focus movies are served up at random.
"I am made from the dust of the stars, and the oceans flow in my veins"
- RUSH
Howie
Posts: 331
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2006 2:47 pm
Location: Florida

Some helpfull info !!!

Post by Howie »

No Matter if you are on a older slower phone connecton modem or newer DSL connection or cable or fiber optics etc,,,

Your computer will collect info that will overload and slow down your computer files...

You should regularly clear and clean your computer...

Clear your History fliles,,,
Clear your Temorary Internet Files,,,
And not to many of you may not know, how to empty the cache file which can really build up...learn how!!!

I have worked on peoples computers that had a year or so without cleaning because they did not realize or know how to do it or that it even was there!!!
CAN REALLY SLOW YOU DOWN AND FILL UP YOUR COMPUTER SPACE!!!

And if you have a wireless optical mouse, make sure you change the battery regularly, if computer does not tell you you have low battery!!!

Sincerely,
Howie
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