Greg, have you implemented a way to grab & drag or a tool to rotate the FOV while having it displayed on the screen in an Interactive Atlas? I'm using Pro visual 4.0j R21.
Most, if not all the other astro applications I've used have some method to rotate the displayed (move the cardinal directions) chart so that N&E are pointing elsewhere. So that if I have a line of objects running from corner to corner, I can get them oriented left side to right side.
Hello,
This hasn't been a priority because SkyTools offers specialized charts. The atlas is best thought of like an atlas. An atlas has a fixed orientation, which is usually an advantage, putting some sort of cardinal at the top. Remember, SkyTools is designed for observing, so it offers features that support planning for, and the act of, observing. Arbitrary rotation of the atlas doesn't really have much practical use for observing, especially since there are other charts that can be rotated.
An alternative is the finder charts, which have multiple views, the widest of which naturally orient to the horizon, as a user would in the field. The eyepiece view is rotatable in the way you are asking. Grab the circle at the end of the west-pointing arrow and drag.
Another rotatable chart is the eyepiece view connected to the atlas. Click the "Eyepiece View" from the top of the atlas window. This view is also rotatable so you can adjust it to match what you see, or expect to see, in your telescope.
One advantage to both of these charts over the atlas is that the view is simulated: the objects drawn can be seen, and the magnitude limit of the stars matches what you would actually see. That's a big plus over what the other software you have mentioned can do.
One last thing: I suspect that you are trying to accomplish something that you didn't tell me about. Rather than asking for a feature, tell me what you are trying to do.
Okay, thanks. Got it now. Use the eyepiece view. But if I want just a big FOV, use the eyepiece view and use the zoom setting to define the width of field and then grab the eyepiece view? Okay. That works. Again, thank you.
Sorry. Thought I sort of did..... "So that if I have a line of objects running from corner to corner, I can get them oriented left side to right side".
I've always been able to rotate a printed chart at the scope.
(2023-01-13, 09:55 PM)bigmasterdrago Wrote: [ -> ]Sorry. Thought I sort of did..... "So that if I have a line of objects running from corner to corner, I can get them oriented left side to right side".
Hello,
The problem is that it all depends on context. For example, the last time I found myself thinking it would be nice to rotate the atlas was when I was making a chart for a comet trail. Some part of me wanted to rotate it so the trail would fit more easily within the bounds of the chart. I'm not sure that's actually a compelling reason though.
So what I mean by "what you are trying to do" is to provide the full context. In this case, knowing that you were were interested how things look in the telescope makes my response a fairly good one, but unfortunately I can imagine all sorts of other contexts!