Finding the Information You Need

If you are new to the Solar Fire program, then you should first read the sections Installing Solar Fire and Finding Your Way Around Solar Fire. This presents some basic information about the manner in which the program operates.

If you are familiar with the basic concepts and method of operation, but you wish to find out how to achieve a specific task, then refer to the relevant chapters in the body of the User Guide as the need arises (see below).

If you are upgrading your version of Solar Fire from earlier versions, then you may wish to refer to the section that contains a summary of differences between this version and older versions, and Importing Charts, Files and Settings.

 

>> To get context sensitive information or help anywhere in Solar Fire

•Windows: Press the F1 key on the keyboard. This opens an online Help topic related to your current location in Solar Fire.

•Function keys on a Mac: On the Mac, you may have to change the settings to use the F1 key and other function keys in this way. Choose Apple menu > System Settings then click Keyboard in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) Open Keyboard settings. Click Keyboard Shortcuts, then click Function Keys in the sidebar. Turn on “Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.”

The offline Help supplied with Solar Fire contains very extensive and detailed information about all aspects of using Solar Fire. While the context sensitive help invoked by using the F1 key will probably provide immediate help for the task at hand, it will rarely be the last word relevant to the task you are performing. To gain a full appreciation and understanding of the operations you wish to perform in Solar Fire, and the most effective and efficient ways of carrying them out, progressively read through the "Contents" of the offline User Guide, or use its "Index" to scan for a variety of information based on your need.

This offline Help (User Guide) you are reading now can be a powerful tool for assisting and enhancing your use of Solar Fire (see Getting the most from Offline Help for more information).

 

>> To get access to the full online User Guide

•Pressing the F1 key from anywhere in Solar Fire, as above, opens the User Guide.

or...

•Select Solar Fire User Guide from the Help menu