The first six instructions are simply to install the general shapelet routines. If you have already done that, you will only need to follow instructions numbers seven and eight.

UNIX:

Install IDL:

First make sure Interactive Data Language (IDL) v5.4 or above is installed on your system. This is bloody expensive, so if you don't already have a full IDL licence, there are a few cheaper alternatives worth considering first. You should then be able to start IDL by typing "idl" from a prompt, or "idlde" for a fancier interface with editing and debugging tools. To view IDL's built-in manual, type "?"; to quit IDL, type "exit". Although the shapelets code requires IDL to run, some of the main routines can also be accessed directly from a UNIX prompt via simple shell scripts that are provided along with the code.

Download the shapelet routines:

Download the latest versions of the shapelets source code and example data. The example file is rather large, but it will be needed in a moment for the example walkthrough of the main routines. Unpack the file into a new directory somewhere by typing "gunzip < shapelets_code+data.tar.gz | tar xfv -". I store mine inside ~/idl/. If you want to put them somewhere else, just be sure to specify their location during the next task.

Tell IDL where the shapelet routines are stored:

IDL only looks for routines inside a specified path, so you need to add your new "shapelets" directory. There are three equivalent ways to do this in UNIX, so just pick the most convenient one for you.

• You can set a UNIX system variable containing the IDL path, which will then get passed to IDL when it is run. Add the following two lines to your .csrhc file:
  if ! ($?IDL_PATH) setenv IDL_PATH \<IDL_DEFAULT\>
  setenv IDL_PATH +~/idl/shapelets:${IDL_PATH}
  where the second line should contain the path name to the directory where you uncompressed the shapelet routines. The initial "+" sign tells IDL to search the various subdirectories as well.
  
  
• You can create a batch file that runs whenever IDL starts, by adding the following line to your .csrhc file:
  setenv IDL_STARTUP ~/.idlrc
  or the following lines to your .bash_profile file:
  IDL_STARTUP = ~/.idlrc
  export IDL_STARTUP
  Then create a .idlrc file in your home directory, containing the line:
  !PATH = EXPAND_PATH('+~/idl/shapelets') + PATH_SEP(/SEARCH_PATH) + !PATH
  
  
• If you use IDLDE, you can set the IDL path or specify a batch file from its "File" ... "Preferences" menu. For example, to add shapelets to the IDL path, select the "Path" tab and click on "Insert". Navigate to the shapelets folder containing the new routines and click "OK". Move this new entry to the top of the list and make sure there is a tick in the box to its left. That tells IDL to include the various subdirectories as well. Click "OK".

Tell the shapelet routines where your data is stored:

I don't have very much space on my home disc, so I store data elsewhere. To avoid constantly typing in long file paths, the shapelet routines read and write within a directory specified in shapelets_paths.pro. (You can also disable to behaviour via the /FULL_PATH keyword). The data directory is initally set up to be ~/data/ but, if everything downloaded correctly, you should find the example data in .../shapelets/data/. Either move the data or edit the location specified in shapelets_paths.pro with your favourite text editor. Emacs is a good choice because it has a clever IDLWAVE add-on which can automatically highlight IDL syntax in a variety of colours.

The path names are strings, contained in quotes. The base IDL directory (option 0) should return the directory where you uncompressed the zip files, containing shapelets_paths.pro. Options are 1, 2 and 3 point to directories containing your data. You could just set them to call the base directory and just append "data/". It would also be a good idea to personalise the string "Shapelets export version of path names!". This does nothing important, but is printed whenever a path is requested. It will be reassuring to know that IDL is looking in the right place, and will serve as a warning if you later install an updated version of the shapelet routines and overwrite this file. Once it is correct, you could also write-protect this file to avoid replacing it by typing "chmod -w shapelets_paths.pro". More information on this routine is contained in the shapelets_paths help page.

Install SExtractor: (optional)

For the object detection routines (only), you will also need to install SExtractor by Emmanuel Bertin. The book "Source Extractor for Dummies" by Benne Holwerda is often more useful and complete that the official manual. You will need to know the full path name to the SExtractor executable file on your system. If it was installed by the systems administrator, type "which sex" at a UNIX prompt to find this path.

Try the demonstration routine:

You are now ready to try out the example walkthough of the most important shapelet routines.

Download the image simulation routines:

Download the additional file shapelets_shims.tar.gz, which contains the image simulation source code, and unpack the files into your shapelets directory, as above.

Read the detailed instructions for the image simulation routines:

Specific instructions to create a simulated image are available, along with a description of the input parameters. This should guide you through the creating of your first image. My suggested "to do" list is also available, in case you have have time on your hands after that!