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Olan Frequently Asked Questions

INSTALLATON

Q: How do I install Olan?

Go to the Installation page and click install. The software self-install everything automatically, including Microsoft .NET 2.0 which is required.

NOTE: Currently, you must use Internet Explorer to install. Even if you use IE but have Firefox as the default browser, you may have problems and will have to first install .NET2.0 and then run olan.appliation directly through IE.

Q: What are the system requirements for running Olan?

Olan is a "dot NET" or C# (C-Sharp) program that requires .NET 2.0 to run. This generally means that you need to run Vista, Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP. As far as disk space and memory, Olan requires a bare minimum. For CPU, a modern AMD processor or Intel Pentium 4 would speed up the redraws.

Q: What is Microsoft .NET? Why do I need it and how do I install it?

Microsoft .NET is a part of the system that supports modern software, similar to the "Java virtual machine". With Windows XP SP2, .NET 1.1 is pre-installed. With Microsoft Vista, .NET 2.0 is pre-installed. Many modern programs require .NET to run, although 2.0 is quite new.

Since .NET 2.0 is basically a "sub-system" it is not going to affect your system or other software unless you run a .NET program. Furthermore, Microsoft future is heavily based on this technology and it is very well tested.

You need to download this free Microsoft add-on before you can install and run Olan. When you install Olan, it will auto-install .NET 2.0 if needed, but you may prefer to download and install it directly from Microsoft. Do a Google Search for "dotnetfx.exe".

Q: When I try to install Olan, it says "Unknown Publisher"

Don't worry. This only means the software is not digitally signed by a "known authority". It is still being downloaded from the correct place and the message does not mean it is harmful. The cost for me to remove this warning is to shell out $500/year for a verisign.com's key, something I (and many other small developers) not too happy about.

Q: Can I install Olan on a computer without internet access?

The file Olan.Zip contains a zip of the whole installation. You can download this file and transfer it with a CD or other means to a non-internet computer. However, this is not supported. You will have to pre-install .NET 2.0 yourself.

Note that, once installed, you may use Olan without internet access.

Q: I'm using Olan on Vista and it say "unable to set file association"

Olan attempts to associate .seq files with itself, so that if you double click a sequence file, Olan will auto-start and show it. If you're not using this feature, you can ignore the message and Olan otherwise works just fine. If you want to setup file association, Go to the menu->Help->About and click the "installed at" link. You will see the olan.exe program icon. Right click it and give it admin privileges, then restart the program.

Q: Can I use Olan when I'm not connected to the internet?

Yes. Simply press Start->Aerobatics software->Olan to run it directly from your start menu. You only need the internet for the installation phase.

Q: How do I uninstall (remove) this program?

Press Start->Setting->Control panel->Add or Remove Programs, select all the Olan and/or "Aerobatics Software" and click Remove. You can also uninstall Microsoft .NET 2.0 in the same way, although there is no reason to.

Q: I have two copies of Olan in my start menu. How do I fix this?

press Start->Setting->Control panel->Add or Remove Program,  select all the Olan versions and remove them, and then install it again from the Installation page.

Q: How do I check for and install new versions?

Olan will auto-check and install a new version by itself! You can also go to the site and press install again - if there is a new version it will auto-install, else it will simply run your current copy.

Q: What if the software doesn't run or always show an error screen and abort?

Uninstall it by going to Start->Setting->Control panel->Add or Remove Programs,  selecting the Olan and/or "Aerobatics Software" and clicking Remove. Then, re-install the software. This will ensure a "clean sweep"

Q: Why doesn't the program come with any sample files?

Check out the "demo" menu. you can also download olanseq.zip zip file of many sequences.

GENERAL

Q: How is Olan related to the Aresti Catalog?

The Aresti catalog is (by their own words) a "dictionary of aerobatic figures".  Olan is a software for the design and display of an aerobatic sequence. Most, but not all, of the figures of Olan have a catalog number as reference. Most, but not all, of the figures drawn by Olan are drawn similarly to the catalog's display. Note, however, that the roll, snap and spin indicator as well as lines and loops have all pre-dated the catalog! The software cannot be used for the display or print of a catalog or a sub-catalog and is organized in a completely different way. In fact, the catalog displays figures with optional roll symbols. Olan has no such display or symbol. As such Olan does not infringe on the copyright of the Aresti catalog more than any single aerobatic sequence drawn and flawn by any pilot, which, of course, is either not related to the dictionary copyright, or falls under "fair use".

Please note that Olan was written by Michael Golan but is distributed only by the Aerobatics Association of Israel, a non-profit organization, for free. Further,  the software may not be downloaded or used in Spain.

Q: Why can't I modify the figures with the mouse?

Olan is not a classic graphics tool. You can click a figure to select it and drag it to reposition, but you can't move or change any part of the figure itself by using the mouse. Instead, use the left panel as seen here to select base figures, rolls, and any other aspect (entry/exit line lengths, size, etc).

Q: What is this talk about "the language"?

At its heart Olan uses letters for figures and numbers for rolls. In fact, Olan stands for One Letter Aerobatic Notation. This sequences of letters is displayed and can be modified in the top edit box. For example, enter the 2004 Sportsman sequence as: o h 2t d 5s j m2 2a 22 - the h is a hammerhead, m2 an immelman(m) with half roll(2) on the top, etc.

Olan is based on a language notation to describe figures and rolls. This can be useful even when not using Olan. You can think of 4h instead of a hammerhead with a quarter-roll on the upline. It helps with sequence memorization, standard naming of figures, etc. See the reference of Roll Elements and the base Figures reference.

Q: Who wrote this software and how much do I need to pay for it?

The software, language and this web site were designed and written by Michael Golan. The software is freely available without any charges, but I always welcome donations in the form of AvGas (you can also donate by sending money via paypal)

Q: I hate this program. It is very confusing and seems to do what it wants instead of what I tell it to do. Can you fix it?

Well, you got what you paid for ... Seriously, you need to read a little about the language and play with the software for at least an hour before you can form an opinion. If you still don't like it, there is other software available for drawing aerobatic figures.

It is very important to first concentrate of entering all the figures and rolls, before you start to "beautify" the way it is displayed, even if the automatic placement of figures is confusing or to your disliking at first.

If you've maximized the window or made the drawing area very wide, Olan may attempt to place figures on the same line. Reduce the window size (width) and you may well get better automatic placement of figures. Press F4 for width of 480 or F6 for 640. You can always click a figure and than drag it anywhere, but it is better to do this only after you're certain the sequence is final.

The automatic positioning of the figures also means that Olan sometimes "does what it wants". This is because every figure is drawn relative to the previous figure. You cannot "pinpoint" a figure to the page. However, once you insert a new figure at the top, you'll appreciate how everything below it is re-arranged automatically. Especially, don't try to move the first figure around - Olan reposition everything in relative terms to maximize page space and so it doesn't seem to have the effect yo