STAR Atlas:PRO frequently asked questions - FAQs


How Do I Attach My Own Pictures To Celestial Objects And How Many Can I Add ?

One of the major benefits of STAR Atlas:PRO is its great flexibility. In the question posed here, this flexibility can be demonstrated once again, with the capacity to attach Images of many types to the program to enhance the data available to the viewer. You may add as many images as you like to any deep sky object.

(Note: This attachment process differs from the downloaded images discussed in FAQ - How to use the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) Interface ? where it is possible to attach images from the on-line Palomar Digitized Sky Survey to the area in the sky where the viewer is working.)

Here is a description of how to attach your own Images to celestial objects.

  1. Open Star Atlas: PRO.
  2. Click on [Locate] on the main menu and locate the celestial object that you wish to add your image too. In the following example, we will pick on IC-15.
  3. Click on [Item 5 � NGC/ IC and Messier Objects].
  4. This brings up the NGC/ IC and Messier Catalogue menu.
  5. Click on [List] (bottom, left) � this gives a list of objects available from this menu.
  6. Select any object of interest � say IC 15, then click [Select] (bottom, right).
  7. This brings the viewer back to the catalogue menu � notice that there is a button, (bottom, centre) which is labelled [No Pic].
  8. Click on this button and the Image window appears which says {No Image}.
  9. Click on the button [Add Image] (bottom, centre) and this now allows the viewer the option of finding an image anywhere on his or her computer and then attaching it to the Astro Object selected. This image can be any one of many types of graphics image as shown on the menu when attaching the images (eg .jpg, .gif etc).
  10. Once the image is attached, notice that there is a [+] at the top of the graphic. Clicking on this [+] allows the viewer to insert notes into the image in the scrollable space provided � many pages of notes may be entered.  When finished click [-] and the notes are then protected.
  11. You may now proceed to attach another image, or many as you like, by returning to Step 9.
  12. Once you have several images attached, you may then use the [Next Image] and [Previous Image] buttons to scroll through each Image.
  13. Click the [Close] button (bottom right) and return to the NGC / IC Catalogue screen. Notice the [No Pic] button has now changed to [Picture] alerting you that one or more images are attached to the NGC/IC object.

This capacity to attach graphics to objects of interest is a great way to add to the data already available � the authors hope that you will have fun with this option.

Any Image that you have attached may also be automatically loaded into your favourite graphics application such as Paintshop Pro, Photoshop, Microsoft Paint and many others. 

[External Image Viewer] -  This button can automatically load your image into an external graphics application. This then permits you to alter or print the image. Note: To use the external graphics program, you must have already setup the External Image Viewer program that you wish to use. To set up the Viewer Program:-

  1. Click on [Chart Prefs] on the main menu.
  2. Select [Regional Settings], (bottom left).
  3. Click [...] next to External Image Viewer Program, (bottom, left).
  4. Explore your way to the relevant graphics program, and then select the External Image Viewer Program of your choice eg. C:\Windows\System32\mspaint.exe.
  5. Then close out of the [Regional Settings] and back to Star Atlas: PRO desktop.

 

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