Getting Started

Table of contents

1. Installation
   1. macOS
   2. Windows
   3. Linux (AppImage)
   4. Linux (deb)
2. First launch
   1. Load an example instrument
   2. Start from scratch
3. Interface overview
4. Render modes

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Installation

Download the latest release for your platform from the Releases page.

Platform	File
macOS	SpectroForge-<version>-mac-<arch>.dmg
Windows (x64)	SpectroForge-Win-x64-<version>.zip
Windows (ARM64)	SpectroForge-Win-arm64-<version>.zip
Linux (AppImage)	SpectroForge-<version>-linux-x64.AppImage
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu x64)	SpectroForge-<version>-linux-x64.deb
Linux (Debian/Ubuntu ARM64)	SpectroForge-<version>-linux-arm64.deb

macOS

1. Open the .dmg and drag SpectroForge to your Applications folder.
2. On first launch, macOS Gatekeeper may block the app — right-click → Open to bypass.

Windows

1. Download and extract SpectroForge-Win-<arch>-<version>.zip.
2. Run the SpectroForge-Setup-<version>.exe installer inside and follow the prompts.

Linux (AppImage)

chmod +x SpectroForge-*.AppImage
./SpectroForge-*.AppImage

Linux (deb)

sudo dpkg -i SpectroForge-*.deb

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First launch

When SpectroForge opens, the browser-based UI loads automatically. You will see:

• A view ribbon across the top for switching between modes.
• A central plot panel (initially empty).
• A right-hand control sidebar with collapsible parameter sections.
• A status bar at the bottom.

Load an example instrument

1. Click the ≡ (menu) button in the top-right corner of the view ribbon.
2. Under Instrument Load / Store, click Load.
3. Select one of the bundled .toml example files (e.g. HiTMIS-A 2021-instrument.toml).
4. The layout renders automatically — spectral lines appear in the plot.

Start from scratch

Fill in the Instrument & Grating, Collimator, and Focusing Lens sections in the sidebar, then add at least one Slit.

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Interface overview

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Render modes

SpectroForge supports two render policies, selectable in the Mode Summary card at the top of the sidebar.

Mode	Behavior
Auto	Re-renders 280 ms after any parameter change. Good for exploration.
Manual	Only re-renders when you click Render. Good for batch edits.

The dirty badge next to the render policy changes from Synced (green) to Unsaved changes (amber) whenever the current parameters differ from the last rendered result. The badge can be clicked to force a re-render immediately if you want to see the effect of your changes without waiting for the debounce timer.