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AltiSight: UPDATED! Now cross-platform version for Windows, Linux and Mac
A version for Android tablets and iPad in the works

Altisight splash screen
Figure 1: The opening splash screen for AltiSight.

This software is for model rocketeers. It will figure the maximum altitude reached during the flight of a model rocket. It can compensate for wind by accepting input from the sighting angles recorded by two observers (one upwind observer and one downwind observer). It will also take into account the slope of land. The online help text has general user instructions as well as directions for construction and use of a simple sighting instrument that can be used to measure the angles that the program accepts as input.

Results of an upwind calculation
Figure 2: an example AltiSight output screen.

The AltiSight app is free for noncommercial use.

Installing AltiSight with the automated setup wizard for Windows users:
For those with Windows based computers who wish to install AltiSight in the simplest manner possible without separately installing Java on their computers, download the Altisight setup wizard. This setup wizard will install a version of the AltiSight app that will automatically include the required Java runtime library without actually installing Java on your computer.

Running AltiSight on Windows after installing with the setup wizard.
After installation with the setup wizard, you can run AltiSight the same way you would any other Windows app since (in this particular case) it is a standard Windows executable.

Installing AltiSight for Linux users, Mac users and some Windows users who didn't install with the Altisight setup program:
For all other users, the alternate AltiSight jar app will work on any computer with the Java runtime environment (JRE) installed on it, be it Windows (except for those using Windows RT), Linux or Mac. At present, using the jar app is the only way you can run AltiSight on a Linux computer or Mac. You will need to install JRE first if you do not already have it installed. After installing the JRE, download the AltiSight jar app on this webpage by clicking the following link: AltiSight.jar. Make sure you put the JAR in your home folder or some other folder that your computer has been setup to look for executable files. After you complete those steps, there are a couple of different ways that you can execute the AltiSight app. Those methods are described as follows.

Running AltiSight: For Linux users, Mac users and some Windows users who don't install with the Altisight setup program
Execution Method 1: From the terminal
Make sure that you designate AltiSight as an executable file. Once you have done that, from your computer's terminal app (called the Command Prompt on Windows computers), type in and execute this command.

java -jar AltiSight.jar
Note, if you did not put the AltiSight jar file in a folder that your computer automatically looks inside of for executable files, you will have to type the full pathname to the AltiSight.jar.

Execution Method 2: How to make AltiSight execute with just a double click.
If it is not already displayed on your desktop, you must go to the folder containing the AltiSight.jar file. On Linux and Wndows computers, users should right-click on the icon for AltiSight.jar. You will be presented with some options for executing AltiSight.jar. The option you should choose is Oracle Java Runtime. If when choosing this option you set it up as your default option, you will only have to double click the icon to run AltiSight in the future.

On a Mac, setting up AltiSight to run with a double click is a little more involved. Go here for details: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/18858363/executing-a-jar-on-mac-10-8

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