TipsNTricks.txt

Here is a list of insider tips and tricks to help you use TB_CONTFIT:

GENERAL
-You can run from the command line as follows:
    tb_contfit.py '<input spectrum path/file>' '<output spectrum filename>' '<error spectrum filename>' '<chunk size>' '<output continuum ascii filename>'
This way, if you want to batch run or keep track of what files you
used, you can save this comamnd in a shell script or something.

FIT CONTINUUM
-If you click the "Fit Continuum" button by accident, or half way
through the fit you no longer like the fit and don't want to save
what you have done, just close the continuum fitting window. This 
will cancel the fit.

-If you feel like you need to see more of the spectrum before you
start fitting the chunk, click behind the big red point. This will
automatically add another chunk size until you start drawing a
continuum line.

-If the spectrum chunk is not fitting completely within the fitting
window, you can use the zoom/pan toolbar. HOWEVER only click within
the red point and your last click, otherwise you will end up drawing
where you click... Another option is to play with the chunk size a bit
until you find an apt size where you can fit enough continuum to use
those features.

TWEAK CONTINUUM
-You need to have run FIT CONTINUUM once before using the tweaker so
that you can generate the pickled spline points. If you all ready have
spline points, you can create your own pickle file. Simply run:
    cPickle.dump([xspline,yspline],open(splinefile,'wb'))
where XSPLINE/YSPLINE are python lists of the x/y coordinates (respectively)
of the spline points. SPLINEFILE should be the name of your ASCII
continuum file, with '.p' added to the end.

-Beware using the zoom/pan function then clicking add/remove points. Make
sure you hit the zoom/pan button again so you have a regular cursor to
select the point. The program will complain, and nothing will happen.

-If you accidentaly close the continuum tweaker plot window, reopen it
using the menu button.

-To exit TB_CONTFIT entirely, you have to click "Exit" button in the
continuum tweaker menu, then Menu>Exit in the drop-down menu.

-If you don't like your newest spline, don't click save spline. Upon
exiting the continuum tweaker mode, it will take whatever pickled 
spline it had last and update files.

-If you need to continuously add/remove points, select the 'continuous'
point-editing mode using the radio button.