CHAPTER 2: BASICS

The Perseus documentation assumes that you are familiar with basic Macintosh vocabulary and standard Macintosh techniques, such as clicking and dragging with the mouse. In addition, this User's Guide does not provide a detailed description of HyperCard. Described here are the special ways that Perseus uses the features of HyperCard and the Macintosh techniques . If you need more basic help, consult the original disks and documentation for the Macintosh system and HyperCard software.

2.1 TECHNIQUES FOR NAVIGATING PERSEUS

NAVIGATOR PALETTE

Users can navigate through the resources in Perseus by using the Navigator palette (figure 2.1). The Navigator is a small floating window that can be positioned anywhere on the screen. The Perseus Navigator is always active, regardless of the number of windows open on the screen.

Figure 2.1 Navigator Palette

Move the Navigator by clicking and holding the mouse down on the title bar and dragging it to the desired place on the screen.

Close the Navigator by clicking the upper left-hand box of the title bar.

Make the Navigator reappear by choosing Navigator from the Perseus pull-down menu.

Get author credits

When applicable, author credits are available by clicking the Information icon. If author credits are available, a card appears with the source to be credited for the information. To return to your original location, click the Go Back icon, described below.

Get help

Help is not implemented in Perseus 1.0. When you click the Help icon, a dialog box informs you that help is not yet available. Click Sorry to continue.

Navigate a path

The Path icon allows you to navigate a path. This icon is a square maze with an arrow at either side, suggesting a meander through Perseus. The meander has three active components: the left arrow, the meander center, and the right arrow.

The left and right arrows are Path Previous and Path Next, respectively. Click them to go to the previous and next locations of the path you are following.

The meander center allows you to add a location to the path you are creating. See chapter 9, "Utilities," for more information on paths.

Go to Perseus Gateway

The Gateway icon places you at the main access point of Perseus, the Perseus Gateway. From the Gateway, you can select all major resources of Perseus.

Go back to last location

The Go Back icon returns you to the card from which you entered, whatever resource of Perseus you were using. If you click this icon several times in succession, you will retrace your past steps backward. This is not the same as the Go Previous icon, described below.

Go to previous card

The left arrow on the Navigator takes you to the previous card in a stack, moving you backward in a linear progression. For example, if you are on a building card for the swimming pool in Olympia, the left arrow will take you to the previous building card for buildings in Olympia.

Go to next card

The right arrow on the Navigator takes you to the next card in a stack, moving you forward in a linear progression. For example, if you are examining a catalog entry in the Encyclopedia, the right arrow will take you to the next catalog entry in the Encyclopedia.

BUTTONS

Perseus contains screen areas called "buttons." When clicked, buttons instigate a program action. Clicking a button called "Index," for example, returns the user to the appropriate index for that Perseus resource. In Perseus, buttons are often shown as rectangular boxes enclosing text to indicate their function. In certain cases, an icon is used instead of a box with text. Three types of buttons are depicted below (figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2 Types of buttons

Some buttons are toggles: clicking one turns a feature on or off, and the name on the button or the highlighted active area changes correspondingly. For example, clicking a button called "Show Links" reveals link areas in a text field. The name of the button then changes to "Hide Links," which is the user's cue to click that button again to hide the link areas in the text field.

POP-UP MENUS

Pop-up menus provide multiple choices from a button. Buttons that contain pop-up menus are shown as rectangles with shadows. To see the choices in a pop-up menu, click and hold the mouse button down. While you hold the mouse button down, a list of choices pops up. Move the cursor over your choice and release the mouse. If you decide not to make a choice, move the cursor outside the boundary of the pop-up menu and release the mouse.

The active choice in a pop-up menu is registered in one of three possible ways. One is a check mark placed next to the choice in the pop-up menu. The second is that the choice now appears as the name of the pop-up menu. The third is an action that occurs as soon as you release the mouse button. A pop-up menu from a button is depicted below (figure 2.3). This menu allows you to set the type of videodisc player.

Figure 2.3 A pop-up menu

PULL-DOWN MENUS

Pull-down menus provide choices from the menu bar. In addition to the menus regularly available through HyperCard, two menus are consistently available as you move through the Perseus resources. These two menus are Links and Perseus. The Links Menu remains the same throughout Perseus. The Perseus Menu changes depending on your location and path within Perseus. The Perseus Menu is depicted below (figure 2.4).

Figure 2.4 Perseus Menu

Specialized menus accompany some Perseus resources and appear on the right end of the menu bar when you open the resource. These menus provide tools, functions, and links designed to expand the power and flexibility of the Perseus resource. For example, an Atlas Menu appears when you go to the Atlas and a Plan Menu is displayed when you select a site plan.

Detailed explanations of the Links and Perseus menus are offered at the end of this chapter. Descriptions of specialized menus are included in later chapters.

2.2 GATEWAY

The Gateway (figure 2.5) is the point of entry into Perseus. The Gateway contains buttons that link you to Perseus resources and utilities, as well as to two HyperCard functions (Home and Quit). The Gateway also provides information about the Perseus Project and the Annenberg/CPB Project, which provides the major funding for Perseus.

Figure 2.5 Perseus Gateway

PERSEUS RESOURCE ICONS

Click the button of the resource you would like to use: Historical Overview, Tools & References, Art & Archaeology, Atlas, or Primary Texts.

In addition to the resource icons named on the Perseus Gateway, four other icons are buttons that open Settings, Home, Quit, and Information, respectively (figure 2.6).

Figure 2.6 Settings, Home, Quit, and Information icons

SETTINGS

Click the Settings icon to go to the Settings card.

The Settings function allows you to customize Perseus to your environment. You can specify whether you are using a videodisc player and what type of player if so, you can select a primary text display format, and you can identify the location of your Perseus folders on your hard drive.

If you are using Perseus for the first time on your hard drive, check the settings by clicking on the Settings icon and reviewing or changing the information on the Perseus Settings card.

See chapter 9, "Utilities," for more information on Settings.

HOME (HYPERCARD FUNCTION)

Click the Home icon to go to the Home card in your Perseus folder.

You may wish to go directly to the Home card if you use HyperCard in another application. You can also go to the Home card to review and adjust your path and directory specifications for Perseus.

QUIT (HYPERCARD FUNCTION)

Click the Quit icon to quit Perseus and HyperCard. You will be asked to confirm your choice to quit in a dialog box.

PERSEUS INFORMATION AND CREDITS

Click this icon to learn about the Perseus Project, its funding, and other support.

An index of information lists entries for the Perseus Project and Annenberg/CPB, support information for using Perseus, and projects related to Perseus.

2.3 WINDOWS

Perseus uses the HyperCard features of multiple and scroll windows.

MULTIPLE WINDOWS

Perseus can display multiple windows, which means that you can have more than one Perseus stack open on the desktop at any time.
Open another window
Hold down the Shift key while you click to go to a new card.

An option in Settings allows you to choose to go either to cards in a new window, thus leaving the old window in the background on the screen, or to cards in the same window, thus replacing the current screen display. The advantage of opening cards in new windows is that you can view several things at once.

NOTE: You may specify in the Perseus Settings if you wish to go to cards in a new window or in the same window by default. Depressing the Shift key during any action will reverse the choice specified on the Settings card.

Make a window active
Click anywhere on a window to make it active.

Only one window is active at any time. The active window is shown on top of other windows and has a striped title bar. Inactive windows have plain white title bars. Although you can open several windows, available RAM restricts the number of windows that can be open at any time. If you open too many windows, the application will spontaneously quit.

Only windows from different stacks can be seen at the same time; you cannot have two windows from the same stack open simultaneously.

Close windows
Click the close box in the upper left-hand corner of the title bar.

Open windows can accumulate on and clutter the desktop. Close any windows you are not using. When only one Perseus window is open, its title bar will not have a close box.

SCROLL WINDOW

Scroll windows (figure 2.7) allow you to resize windows and to move around windows that are bigger than the desktop (for example, the Regional Maps in the Atlas and the Large Composite Site Plans). On nine-inch screens, other windows may also have a scroll window. The black rectangle in the middle of the scroll window outlines the region of the window currently displayed.

Figure 2.7 Scroll windows with Pointer Hand and with Black Rectangle

Move around the window
Position the cursor in the middle of the black rectangle in the scroll window. The cursor becomes an open hand.

Drag the black rectangle with the hand by clicking the mouse and holding the mouse button down while moving the cursor. A different region of the map now appears on the main part of the screen.

Resize the window
Position the cursor near an edge or corner of the black rectangle. The cursor takes the shape of an arrow, pointing in the direction in which you can change the dimension of the rectangle.

Drag the black rectangle with the arrow by clicking the mouse and holding the mouse button down while moving the cursor. The size of the map display changes, reflecting the change in dimension of the black rectangle.

PHOTOGRAPH AND ILLUSTRATION WINDOWS

Many illustrations and digitized photographs are not stored in HyperCard and should therefore be treated differently from other Perseus elements. In particular, you must click the close box to remove an illustration. The window must be active for the close box to appear (the active window has a striped title bar). To make a window active, click in the title bar area. The close box should now appear.

If you use the Navigator while an illustration window is open, you will be unable to see the effects on the Perseus HyperCard resources. This is particularly true if you have opened a large illustration window that hides much of the screen behind it.

2.4 AUTHOR/DRAWING CREDITS

When a Perseus screen has been created specially by an artist, author, or photographer, a credit box automatically appears with the screen. The credit box can be dragged across the desktop to any location and can be closed by clicking in the upper left-hand corner of the box.

2.5 LINKS MENU

Perseus resources have latent links. Links are implemented through buttons, text, and the Links Menu (figure 2.8). Using the Links Menu, you can move among the Perseus resources without returning to the Gateway.

Figure 2.8 Links Menu

ENTER DESTINATION

When you have become familiar with specific references in Perseus, you may wish to go directly to those references, bypassing the Gateway and indexes. The Destination feature offers a shortcut directly to primary text references, archaeological catalog entries, maps, and articles.

Choose Enter Destination from the Links Menu.

A small floating window appears with a cursor.

Type the destination in the floating window.

Choose from the Links Menu the resource that Perseus should search for the item.

When you use the Destination window to go directly to a primary text reference, you must use specific abbreviations and formats. The standard abbreviations for primary text references are listed in appendix C.

When you use the Destination window to go directly to a catalog for architecture, coins, sculpture, sites, or vases, you must use the exact title of the catalog entry.

When you use the Destination window to go directly to the Atlas or Encyclopedia, you must type the exact site or article name. Be aware that spellings of proper nouns are not always consistent. For example, Gnossus, Knossos, and Knossus all refer to the same site. Although efforts have been made to standardize references as much as possible, you may need to try alternate spellings if a link fails.

GO TO A NEW PERSEUS RESOURCE

Hold the mouse button down on the Links Menu, and release the mouse on your choice.

OPEN A LINKS MENU ITEM IN A NEW WINDOW

Hold the Shift key down while releasing the mouse on an item in the Links Menu.

The information appears in a new window.

2.6 PERSEUS MENU

The Perseus Menu (figure 2.9) is always available from the menu bar in Perseus. The Perseus Menu allows you to control Perseus tools and facilitates navigation and Paths.

Figure 2.9 Perseus Menu

NAVIGATOR

Release the mouse on the Navigator item to make the Navigator reappear, if it has been closed.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT

Release the mouse on the Current Assignment item to activate a personal stack attached to Perseus.

Read chapter 9, "Utilities," to find out more about using the Current Assignment feature.

NOTEBOOK

Release the mouse on the Notebook item to see the Notebook Index.

You first must set up a path for the Notebook by using the Settings feature from the Gateway. Chapter 9, "Utilities," describes the use of the Notebook.

PATH MENU ITEMS

An overview of how to add a location to a path, see the current path card, see a path index, and change a path follows. For more information about using paths in Perseus, see chapter 9, "Utilities." You first must set up a path by using the Settings feature from the Gateway for the following items to apply.
Add to Path
Release the mouse on Add to Path to add this location to your current path.
Current Path Card
Release the mouse on Current Path Card to see the path card (if any) for your current path.
Path Index
Release the mouse on Path Index to see a list of all paths (if any) in your version of Perseus.
Change Path
Release the mouse on Change Path to select a different path.

A dialog box appears listing all paths (if any) in your version of Perseus.

VIDEO CONTROLLER

Choose Video Controller to gain direct access to the videodisc player.

A small window with controls for the videodisc player appears (figure 2.10). Use the window to test connections to the player, if one is being used.

Figure 2.10 Video Controller

Archive number
Click in the "Archive #" field.

Type the desired Perseus archive number.

All Perseus images have an archive number. A booklet that comes with your videodisc lists all Perseus archive numbers.

NOTE: Perseus archive numbers are not the same as the frame numbers of images on the videodisc. Perseus archive numbers are permanent, but videodisc frame numbers are subject to change.

Show information for current image
Click Show Info for Current Image to obtain the Perseus archive number for the image displayed.
Caption and credits
The caption and credits (if applicable) are shown for the current image on the videodisc.
Player control buttons
The videodisc player can be controlled remotely from the computer by using these buttons. In order from left to right, their functions are Step Reverse, Scan Reverse, Stop, Play, Scan Forward, and Step Forward.

Click Stop and Play to stop and play the videodisc, respectively.

Hold the mouse down on the Step and Scan buttons to continue a step or scan action. Release the mouse when the desired image is found.

STACKS CURRENTLY OPEN

At the bottom of the Perseus Menu is a list of all open Perseus stacks, if any stacks other than the Gateway are open. (Figure 2.9 does not reflect any other open Perseus stacks.) Selecting a stack from this list brings you to the first card in that stack.

Release the mouse on the name of an open stack to bring you to the first card in that stack.

Use this menu feature especially if you are using Perseus on a system that has a small monitor. Note that this feature takes you to the first card in a stack rather than the last card you were on when you left it.