Answered: custom fields? (not a feature at this time)

[EmeraldHillsSkies]

Brand new user. Thanks to Greg for the amazing capabilities in this application.
Curious... Does SkyTools 4 allow users to create custom fields? ... for example, a custom field to enter a catalog number in a user-specified list (like O'Meara's Secret Deep catalog/list?)?

[theskyhound]

Hello Don,

The answer is sort of. There is an extensive capability to add notes to an object, which can be any text, either type or pasted in. Usually these notes are not your own observations, but rather supporting info, maybe copied from a web site. These notes live on the Object Information window for each object. You can similarly add links to web sites and images. See the various tabs. Along with the notes you can add a 5-star rating and a short piece of text called a "Notes brief." Both the rating and the brief can be displayed in columns on the planner. If these columns are enabled you can even right-click on them in the planner to edit or change them.

This should do what you want. The only complicating that you need to be aware of is that notes/links/images are organized into folders, called attachment folders, so you need to take care which folder you select on the Object Information when you create the note brief, and then again on the Nightly Planner (it should match).

[EmeraldHillsSkies]

OK - that's the approach I'll take! Thanks!

[EmeraldHillsSkies]

Hello Don,

The answer is sort of. There is an extensive capability to add notes to an object, which can be any text, either type or pasted in. Usually these notes are not your own observations, but rather supporting info, maybe copied from a web site. These notes live on the Object Information window for each object. You can similarly add links to web sites and images. See the various tabs. Along with the notes you can add a 5-star rating and a short piece of text called a "Notes brief." Both the rating and the brief can be displayed in columns on the planner. If these columns are enabled you can even right-click on them in the planner to edit or change them.

This should do what you want. The only complicating that you need to be aware of is that notes/links/images are organized into folders, called attachment folders, so you need to take care which folder you select on the Object Information when you create the note brief, and then again on the Nightly Planner (it should match).

Hi Greg. Doug here. Still hasn't been 24 hours with your application and I'm already loving it. Quick question, when you have a moment. Would you help me think through the workflow advantages of using the "Log entry column" vs the "Observation status column?" Is it that the Log entry column is quicker but doesn't record the equipment used (if that's important to the observer) whereas the Observation status column kind of expects some kind of written note to be made? But when searching for observations, if we used one or the other, they would be searched in different criteria lists... so it's better to do *both* rather than just one? Thanks for your patience as I try to pick up the work flow. I'm hoping to do an observing session tonight so I'm trying to get the hang of this before I go "live" in a live stream for the whole world to see. (hahahaha I usually only average 200-300 views, so it's not exactly the whole world).

[theskyhound]

Hello Doug,

The observation status is super simplistic. Its just a toggle between: not yet observed, observed, and re-observe. There are no notes and nothing there isn't anything else at all really. These are meant to be used in the very short term. They do not span lists or exist beyond the list itself. Think of the observation status as a property of the list rather than of the object. I think what you want are the observing logs, which are much more powerful, and do include things like the object, instrument, observer, etc.

[EmeraldHillsSkies]

Hello Doug,

The observation status is super simplistic. Its just a toggle between: not yet observed, observed, and re-observe. There are no notes and nothing there isn't anything else at all really. These are meant to be used in the very short term. They do not span lists or exist beyond the list itself. Think of the observation status as a property of the list rather than of the object. I think what you want are the observing logs, which are much more powerful, and do include things like the object, instrument, observer, etc.

Ahhhh.... yes... You had mentioned that, but for some reason, I had confused that with the "question mark" field (for bulk operations). Now I get it. OK... I'll just kind of ignore that column then (and maybe uncheck it for now). I can see how it would be super-useful during a Messier Marathon though, ... when we were just buzzing through a list *again* to show at a glance that an object was checked - so I'm glad it's there and will remember to use it in those special situations. Observing logs it is. Thanks again for your patience. I'm hoping to try this out tonight,

Doug