The DrizzlePac Handbook was written for both novice users and seasoned “drizzlers.” While users are free to use this document any way they wish, the following are some recommendations:
Users new to HST data processing and analysis should familiarize themselves with STSDAS before using this handbook–the HST Data Handbook Introduction is a good place to start. For work on a specific instrument, a review of the instrument’s data handbook is recommended. After that, they may want to take a brief look at Chapters 1 and 4 of this handbook, then take an AstroDrizzle test drive using the example in Section 7.1.
There is a wide range of drizzling experience among users who are already familiar with HST data analysis.
Users new to drizzling should first review Chapters 1 and 2 to become familiar with Drizzle concepts, then learn about the DrizzlePac package in Chapters 4, 5, and 6. To get a taste of the software, try the example in Section 7.1.
Experienced Drizzlers may wish to start with learning about the differences between MultiDrizzle and AstroDrizzle (Chapters 1 and 4), learn about the new Python interfaces in Chapter 5, then come up to speed with DrizzlePac in Chapter 6. The rest of the document could be used as a searchable reference.
The user interface for the latest STSDAS software packages, including DrizzlePac, is not the same as that in IRAF. Although a few common IRAF commands have been retained for convenience, most command-line syntax is now in Python, and users also have the option to run many tasks from a GUI called TEAL that is similar to the PyRAF GUI. Additional information is available in Chapter 5.