Wiki revision

docs/general/pull-requests.md

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ This article is mostly aimed at the internal OpenSpace developers, but would be
 Due to our branching model, which is adapted from [here](http://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model), all features for which Pull Requests are relevant will have been developed in a specific feature branch of the form `feature/<feature-name>`.  Especially for independent features, we want to keep the number of commits in the Git history reasonably low but still allow for continuous commits during the development.  To square this circle there are two methods:
 
 1. If the individual commits have not been pushed to the server, it is possible to squash the commits interactively (see [here](https://ariejan.net/2011/07/05/git-squash-your-latests-commits-into-one), then push one commit to the server and use that as the version for the Pull Request.
-2. If the individual commits have already been pushed to the server (the preferred way), it is better to merge all commits into a single new one in a separate branch and use that as the version for the Pull Request.
+2. If the individual commits have already been pushed to the server (the preferred way), it is better to merge all commits into a single new one in a separate branch and use that as the version for the Pull Request. Information on how to do this can be found [here](https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/incorporating-changes-from-a-pull-request/about-pull-request-merges).
 
 Alternatively, if there is a fix for a specific issue, the branch should be `issue/<issue-number>` with the issue number being the number of the GitHub issue.
 

docs/users/faq.md

@@ -6,16 +6,36 @@ parent: Users
 nav_order: 6
 ---
 
-# Linux
-## OpenSpace reports number errors when compiling shaders
-Error:
-```Error linking program object [LocalChunkedLodPatch Vertex]: 6(54) :
-error C0000: syntax error, unexpected integer constant at token "<int-const>"
-6(70) : error C0000: syntax error, unexpected integer constant at token "<int-const>"
-```
+# Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
+## What is OpenSpace?
+[OpenSpace](https://www.openspaceproject.com/) is an open source, non-commercial, and freely available interactive data visualization software designed to visualize the entire known universe and portray our ongoing efforts to investigate the cosmos. Bringing the latest techniques from data visualization research to the general public, OpenSpace supports interactive presentation of dynamic data from observations, simulations, and space mission planning and operations. The software works on multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, MacOS) with an extensible architecture capable of powering both personal computers and also high resolution tiled displays and planetarium domes. In addition, OpenSpace enables simultaneous connections across the globe creating opportunity for shared experiences among audiences worldwide. The target audience of the software reaches from the general public who wishes to explore our universe, enthusiasts interested in hacking the underlying components in OpenSpace to create unique experiences, informal science institutions wishing to create a low-cost, yet powerful exhibition piece, but also scientists desiring to visualize their datasets in a contextualized, powerful software.
 
-Reason:  We use the operating system's locale to convert numeric values into text.  On some languages (Spanish and German, for example), a "," is used as the decimal separator, leading a `3` to be converted to `3,0` which the code does not understand.  If you are finding this, you can overwrite the locale by exporting it to your shell first:
-```
-# export LC_NUMERIC="en_US.UTF-8"
-# ./OpenSpace
-```
+## What is OpenSpace's history?
+Founded in 2014, OpenSpace started as a collaboration between Sweden's Linköping University (LiU) and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Development of the software began several years ago through a close collaboration with NASA Goddard's Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) to model space weather forecasting and continued with visualizations of NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto and ESA's Rosetta mission to 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This promising set of preliminary work provided a foundation for continued funding from NASA, the Swedish eScience Research Centre, and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation, which has extended the collaboration to include the University of Utah's Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute, New York University's Tandon School of Engineering, multiple informal science institutions across the world, and multiple, international vendors.
+
+## How do I get started?
+### Users
+Please see our Users [Getting Started](http://wiki.openspaceproject.com/docs/users/getting-started/general.html) section.
+
+### Developers
+Please join our [OpenSpace Slack Channel](https://openspacesupport.slack.com/). We have several subchannels to get you started.
+ - #general is the space for community wide announcements.
+ - #help-questions is the place to ask questions and receive help from our developers.
+ - #bugs-and-breaks is the channel to report bugs or errors you are experiencing in the 
+ software.
+ - #linux, #macos, #windows are channels related to discussions on specific operating systems.
+ - #events is the space to share your upcoming or previous programs/events that used OpenSpace.
+ - #sharespace is a dedicated space for cool screenshots, videos, or anything that you’d like 
+ to share related to OpenSpace.
+ - #users-planetariums, #users-at-museums-and-science-centers, 
+ - #users-at-elementary-and-middle- school, #users-at-higher-education-institutions, #users-at-community-orgs are channels for users at specific types of institutions to connect on how they’re using OpenSpace.
+
+### But I've never used Slack before!
+No problem!
+If you’re new to Slack and want a quick overview, start here!
+- What is Slack? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q19RtuCHt1Q
+- Quick Start Guide: https://slack.com/resources/using-slack/your-quick-start-guide-to-slack
+- Want to see it in action as you scroll? Check out https://slackdemo.com/
+
+## What if I have other questions that should be in this FAQ?
+Great! Please [email]([email protected]) us the question and we'll work with you!

docs/users/getting-started/general.md

@@ -10,13 +10,15 @@ nav_order: 1
 
 The best-supported platform for running OpenSpace is a Windows 10 machine with at least 8GB RAM and a discrete graphics card (Nvidia cards work best, but AMD cards work with some issues). For minimum requirements by profile, see [Hardware Requirements](/docs/users/getting-started/hardware-requirements.html).
 
+Ensure to complete the steps found in the [Download, Install and Run](http://wiki.openspaceproject.com/docs/tutorials/users/downloadinstall.html) section prior to proceeding. **The video provides especially critical configuration instructions to ensure the software properly runs.**
+
 Once you get OpenSpace to build, or have installed it from a .zip file, it's time to run it. The OpenSpace executable can be found in the `bin/` directory (or in `bin/Release` or `bin/RelWithDebInfo` if compiled on windows).
 Here is a brief overview of what you need to know to get started.
 
 ## Initial Sync
 The data used by OpenSpace includes a number of very large data files, which cannot be stored on GitHub.  The first time you fire up a fresh build or a new install of OpenSpace you need to "Sync" it to download some or all of these data files.  The first time you run either executable it will also create several additional subdirectories, including subdirectories called `cache` and `documentation`.
 
-1. To perform the Sync you just start OpenSpace with the scene and and wait
+To perform the Sync you just start OpenSpace with the scene and and wait several minutes.
 
 ### Navigation Via Mouse
 Navigation in OpenSpace is based on the central object of the Scene, which is called the "Origin" or "Focus".  You can change your viewpoint around the origin using mouse motion. You must press and hold a button (or a combination of buttons) while you move the mouse.
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ Navigation in OpenSpace is based on the central object of the Scene, which is ca
 - Right mouse button - zoom in or out (by moving the mouse forward or backward)
 - CTRL+left mouse - pitch and yaw camera direction away from the origin
 
-More info on how to navigate in the software can be found under "Navigation" in the menu to the left on this page, or in the video tutorials under "User Tutorials". For basic navigation, see [this page](/docs/users/navigation/basic-navigation.html).
+More info on how to navigate in the software can be found under "Navigation" in the menu to the left on this page, or in the video tutorials under "User Tutorials". For basic navigation, see [this page](/docs/users/navigation/basic-navigation.html). In addition, use the "Open Getting Started Tour" feature in the side menu (3 vertical dots next to Scene command) when using OpenSpace to practice the Navigation controls.
 
 ### Keyboard Commands
 The first section of [this wiki page](../commandline) explains how to use the console for entering commands. After starting a scene, the `documentation/KeyboardMapping.html` file will contain a list of all keyboard bindings that are valid for the current scene.