PSICAT Documentation
This section of the site contains the documentation for PSICAT. Documentation is currently pretty sparse since PSICAT has been under active development. However, a current 'Getting Started Guide' is included and work on the user's manual and developer's guide is underway. We are also working on providing video screencasts of various features of PSICAT.
Getting Started
This section is aimed at quickly getting you up and running with the current version of PSICAT. It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to using PSICAT.
Step 1: Download PSICAT
Download the appropriate PSICAT package for your
platform from the Downloads section. PSICAT currently comes packaged
as a zip archive, so you will need to unzip and extract the files from the archive. It should create a
'PSICAT' folder.
Step 2: Launch PSICAT
Open the 'PSICAT' folder and launch the
'PSICAT' executable. On Windows, it will be named 'PSICAT.exe'. You should see a
small splash screen as PSICAT loads. If you get errors or PSICAT doesn't launch, you likely need a
more recent version of Java. PSICAT requires the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.5/5 or
higher to run. The JRE is freely available
here.
Step 3: Creating a Project
To get started using PSICAT, you will first need to
create a Project. To do this, use the 'File->New..' menu option. Select the
Projcet option from the list. You will need to provide a name for the project.
Step 4: Creating a Diagram
Once you have created a Project, it should show
up in the workspace list on the right side of the program. Double-click the Project to begin drawing.
The first time you double-click a Project, a small wizard will pop up and ask you to create a diagram.
A diagram just specifies which columns should be shown, and what order they should be shown in. If it is your first
time using PSICAT, I suggest enabling the columns in the following order:
Depth Ruler Column, Core Box Column, Unit Column,
Interval Column, Symbols Column, and Bioturbation Index Column.
This will allow you to experiment with most of the functionality PSICAT currently has.
Step 5: Using the Tools
The drawing tools are in the Palette area on the far
right of the diagram. To use the drawing tools, select a tool from the palette and mouse over the diagram. If
the tool works in a particular column, you should see some feedback such as a gray box appearing with the current
depth displayed near your mouse cursor.
Step 6: Drawing an Interval
The Interval Column is currently the most interesting
column to work with. It allows you to draw stratigraphic intervals and beds, and associate lithologies and
contacts with them. To draw a new interval, click the Interval tool in the Palette.
When you mouse over the middle column of the diagram, you should see a gray box appear. This is the outline of your interval.
If you click and release, the interval will be the size of the gray box. Alternatively, you can click and drag to create an
interval of a different size and shape. Once you release the mouse button, you should see a blank box. This indicates that
the interval has been drawn but no lithology has been associated with it. You can choose one or more lithologies from the
Properties pane at the bottom of the application. The rest of the tools in the palette work similarly,
and you should be able to manipulate objects with your mouse or via the Properties pane at the bottom of
the application.
[ Back to top ]
User Manual
Work is underway on the User Manual at the PSICAT wiki.
[ Back to top ]
Developer's Guide
PSICAT has been designed to be an open, extensible platform. It is designed around a plug-in architecture, which allows new functionality to be easily developed and integrated. Work on a Developer Manual that documents what functionality currently exists and provides information on how to extend PSICAT is underway. If you are interested in using or developing PSICAT, please contact Josh Reed.
In the interim, the PSICAT wiki is the best source of development information.
[ Back to top ]
Additional information: Check out the Downloads, Publications, and Screenshots sections.