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380 lines
18 KiB
380 lines
18 KiB
<chapter id="config">
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<title>Configuring &kstars;</title>
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<sect1 id="setgeo">
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<title>Setting the Geographic Location</title>
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<para>
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Here is a screenshot of the <guilabel>Set Geographic Location</guilabel>
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window:
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<screenshot>
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<screeninfo>Changing the Geographic Location</screeninfo>
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<mediaobject>
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<imageobject>
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<imagedata fileref="geolocator.png" format="PNG"/>
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</imageobject>
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<textobject>
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<phrase>Set Location Window</phrase>
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</textobject>
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</mediaobject>
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</screenshot>
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</para>
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<para>
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There is a list of over 2500 predefined cities available to choose from.
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You set your location by highlighting a city from this list. Each
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city is represented in the world map as a small dot, and when a city
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is highlighted in the list, a red crosshairs appears on its location
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in the map.
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</para>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Geographic Location Tool</primary>
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<secondary>Filtering</secondary></indexterm>
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It is not practical to scroll through the full list of 2500 locations,
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looking for a specific city. To make searches easier, the list can be
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filtered by entering text in the boxes below the map. For example, in
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the screenshot, the text <quote>Ba</quote> appears in the
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<guilabel>City Filter</guilabel> box, while <quote>M</quote> has been
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entered in the <guilabel>Province Filter</guilabel> box, and
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<quote>USA</quote> is in the <guilabel>Country Filter</guilabel>
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box. Note that all of the cities displayed in the list have city,
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province, and country names that begin with the entered filter
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strings, and that the message below the filter boxes indicates that 7
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cities are matched by the filters. Also notice that the dots
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representing these seven cities in the map have been colored white,
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while the unmatched cities remain gray.
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</para><para>
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The list can also be filtered by location in the map. Clicking anywhere
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in the world map will show only those cities within two degrees of the
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clicked location. At this time, you can search by name, or by location,
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but not both at once. In other words, when you click on the map, the
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name filters are ignored, and vice versa.
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</para><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Geographic Location Tool</primary>
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<secondary>Custom locations</secondary></indexterm>
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The <link linkend="ai-geocoords">longitude, latitude</link> and
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<link linkend="ai-timezones">time zone</link> information for the
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currently-selected location are displayed in the boxes at the bottom of
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the window. If you feel that any of these values are inaccurate, you
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can modify them and press the <guibutton>Add to List</guibutton> button
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to record your custom version of the location. You can also define a
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completely new location by pressing the
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<guibutton>Clear Fields</guibutton> button, and entering the data for
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the new location. Note that all fields except the optional
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<guilabel>State/Province</guilabel> must be filled before the new
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location can be added to the list. &kstars; will automatically load
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your custom locations for all future sessions. Please note, at this
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point, the only way to remove a custom location is to remove the
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appropriate line from the file
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<filename>~/.kde/share/apps/kstars/mycities.dat</filename>.
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</para><para>
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If you add custom locations (or modify existing ones), please send us
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your <filename>mycities.dat</filename> file so that we can add your
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locations to the master list.
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</para>
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</sect1>
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<sect1 id="settime">
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<title>Setting the Time</title>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Date and Time</primary>
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<secondary>The simulation clock</secondary></indexterm>
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When &kstars; starts up, the time is set to your computer's system
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clock, and the &kstars; clock is running to keep up with the real time.
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If you want to stop the clock, select <guimenuitem>Stop
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Clock</guimenuitem> from the <guimenu>Time</guimenu> menu, or simply
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click on the <guiicon>Pause</guiicon> icon in the toolbar. You can
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make the clock run slower or faster than normal, or even make it run
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backward, using the time-step spinbox in the toolbar. This spinbox
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has two sets of up/down buttons. The first one will step through all
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83 available time steps, one by one. The second one will skip to the
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next higher (or lower) unit of time, which allows you to make large
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timestep changes more quickly.
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</para>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Date and Time</primary>
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<secondary>Setting</secondary></indexterm>
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You can set the time and date by selecting <guimenuitem>Set
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Time...</guimenuitem> from the <guimenu>Time</guimenu> menu, or by
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pressing the <guiicon>time</guiicon> icon in the toolbar. The
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<guilabel>Set Time</guilabel> window uses a standard &kde; Date Picker
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widget, coupled with three spinboxes for setting the hours, minutes and
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seconds. If you want to re-synchronize the simulation clock back to the
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current CPU time, just select <guimenuitem>Set Time to Now</guimenuitem>
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from the <guimenu>Time</guimenu> menu.</para>
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<note><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Date and Time</primary>
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<secondary>Extended range of dates</secondary></indexterm>
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&kstars; can accept very remote dates beyond the usual limits imposed by
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QDate. Currently, you can set the date between the years -50000 and +50000.
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We may extend this range even further in future releases. However, please
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be aware that the accuracy of the simulation becomes more and more degraded
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as more remote dates are examined. This is especially true for the positions
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of solar system bodies.
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</para></note>
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</sect1>
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<sect1 id="viewops">
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<title>The Configure &kstars; Window</title>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary></indexterm>
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The <guilabel>Configure &kstars;</guilabel> window allows you to modify
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a wide range of display options. You can access the window with the
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<guiicon>configure</guiicon> toolbar icon, or by selecting
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<guimenuitem>Configure &kstars;...</guimenuitem> from the
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<guimenu>Settings</guimenu> menu.
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The window is depicted below:
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<screenshot>
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<screeninfo>Configure &kstars; Window</screeninfo>
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<mediaobject>
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<imageobject>
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<imagedata fileref="viewops.png" format="PNG"/>
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</imageobject>
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<textobject>
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<phrase>Configure &kstars; Window</phrase>
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</textobject>
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</mediaobject>
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</screenshot>
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</para>
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<para>
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The <guilabel>Configure &kstars;</guilabel> window is divided into five
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tabs:
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<guilabel>Catalogs</guilabel>, <guilabel>Guides</guilabel>,
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<guilabel>Solar System</guilabel>, <guilabel>Colors</guilabel>, and
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<guilabel>Advanced</guilabel>.
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</para>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary>
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<secondary>Catalogs Tab</secondary></indexterm>
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In the <guilabel>Catalogs</guilabel> tab, you determine which object
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catalogs are displayed in the map. The <guilabel>Stars</guilabel> section
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also allows you to set the
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<quote>faint <link linkend="ai-magnitude">magnitude</link> limit</quote>
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for stars, and the <link linkend="ai-magnitude">magnitude</link> limit for
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displaying the names and/or magnitudes of stars. Below the stars section,
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the <guilabel>Deep-Sky Objects</guilabel> section controls the display of
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several non-stellar object catalogs. By default, the list includes the
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Messier, NGC and IC catalogs. You can add your own custom object catalogs
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by pressing the <guibutton>Add Custom Catalog</guibutton> button. For
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detailed instructions on preparing a catalog data file, see the
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<filename>README.customize</filename> file that ships with &kstars;.
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</para>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary>
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<secondary>Solar System Tab</secondary></indexterm>
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In the <guilabel>Solar System</guilabel> tab, you can specify whether
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the Sun, Moon, planets, comets and asteroids are displayed, and
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whether the major bodies are drawn as colored circles or actual images.
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You can also toggle whether solar system bodies have name labels attached,
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and control how many of the comets and asteroids get name labels.
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There is an option to automatically attach a temporary <quote>orbit
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trail</quote> whenever a solar system body is tracked, and another to
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toggle whether the color of the orbit trail fades into the background
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sky color.
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</para>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary>
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<secondary>Guides Tab</secondary></indexterm>
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The <guilabel>Guides</guilabel> tab lets you toggle whether non-objects
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are displayed (&ie;, constellation lines, constellation names, the
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Milky Way contour, the <link linkend="ai-cequator">celestial
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equator</link>, <link linkend="ai-ecliptic">the ecliptic</link>, <link
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linkend="ai-horizon">the horizon line</link>, and the opaque ground).
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You can also choose whether you would like to see Latin constellation
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names, <acronym>IAU</acronym>-standard three-letter abbreviations, or
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constellation names using your local language.
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</para>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary>
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<secondary>Colors Tab</secondary></indexterm>
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<indexterm><primary>Color Schemes</primary>
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<secondary>Customizing</secondary></indexterm>
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The <guilabel>Colors</guilabel> tab allows you to set the color scheme,
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and to define custom color schemes. The tab is split into two panels:
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</para>
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<para>
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The left panel shows a list of all display items with adjustable
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colors. Click on any item to bring up a color selection window to
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adjust its color. Below the list is the <guilabel>Star Color
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Mode</guilabel> selection box. By default, &kstars; draws stars with
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a <link linkend="ai-colorandtemp">realistic color</link> tint according
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to the spectral type of the star. However, you may also choose to draw
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the stars as solid white, black or red circles. If you are using the
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realistic star colors, you can set the saturation level of the star
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colors with the <guilabel>Star Color Intensity</guilabel> spinbox.
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</para>
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<para>
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The right panel lists the defined color schemes. There are four
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predefined schemes: the <guilabel>Default</guilabel> scheme,
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<guilabel>Star Chart</guilabel>, which uses black stars on a white
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background, <guilabel>Night Vision</guilabel>, which uses only shades
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of red in order to protect dark-adapted vision, and <guilabel>Moonless
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Night</guilabel>, a more realistic, dark theme. Additionally,
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you can save the current color settings as a custom scheme by clicking
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the <guibutton>Save Current Colors</guibutton> button. It will prompt
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you for a name for the new scheme, and then your scheme will appear in
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the list in all future &kstars; sessions. To remove a custom scheme,
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simply highlight it in the list, and press the <guibutton>Remove Color
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Scheme</guibutton> button.
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</para><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Configure &kstars; window</primary>
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<secondary>Advanced Tab</secondary></indexterm>
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The <guilabel>Advanced</guilabel> Tab provides fine-grained control
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over the more subtle behaviors of &kstars;.
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</para><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Atmospheric Refraction</primary></indexterm>
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The <guilabel>Correct for atmospheric refraction</guilabel> checkbox
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controls whether the positions of objects are corrected for the effects
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of the atmosphere. Because the atmosphere is a spherical shell, light from
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outer space is <quote>bent</quote> as it passes through the atmosphere to
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our telescopes or eyes on the Earth's surface. The effect is largest for
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objects near the horizon, and actually changes the predicted rise or set
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times of objects by a few minutes. In fact, when you <quote>see</quote> a
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sunset, the Sun's actual position is already well below the horizon;
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atmospheric refraction makes it seem as if the Sun is still in the sky.
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Note that atmospheric refraction is never applied if you are using
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<guilabel>Equatorial coordinates</guilabel>.
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</para><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Animated Slewing</primary></indexterm>
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The <guilabel>Use animating slewing</guilabel> checkbox controls how the
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display changes when a new focus position is selected in the map. By
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default, you will see the sky drift or <quote>slew</quote> to the new
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position; if you uncheck this option, then the display will instead
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<quote>snap</quote> immediately to the new focus position.
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</para><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Objects in the Sky</primary>
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<secondary>Labeling</secondary>
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<tertiary>Automatic</tertiary>
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</indexterm>
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If the <guilabel>Attach label to centered object</guilabel> checkbox is
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selected, then a name label will automatically be attached to an object
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when it is being tracked by the program. The label will be removed when
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the object is no longer being tracked. Note that you can also manually
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attach a persistent name label to any object with its <link
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linkend="popup-menu">popup menu</link>.
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</para><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Objects in the Sky</primary>
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<secondary>Hiding</secondary></indexterm>
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There are three situations when &kstars; must redraw the sky display very
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rapidly: when a new focus position is selected (and <guilabel>Use
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animated slewing</guilabel> is checked), when the sky is dragged with the
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mouse, and when the time step is large. In these situations, the positions
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of all objects must be recomputed as rapidly as possible, which can put
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a large load on the <abbrev>CPU</abbrev>. If the <abbrev>CPU</abbrev>
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cannot keep up with the demand, then the display will seem sluggish or jerky.
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To mitigate this, &kstars; will hide certain objects during these rapid-redraw
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situations, as long as the <guilabel>Hide objects while moving</guilabel>
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checkbox is selected. The timestep threshold above which objects will be
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hidden is determined by the <guilabel>Also hide if timescale greater
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than:</guilabel> timestep-spinbox. You can specify the objects that should
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be hidden in the <guilabel>Configure Hidden Objects</guilabel> group box.
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</para>
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</sect1>
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<sect1 id="customize">
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<title>Customizing the Display</title>
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<para>
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There are several ways to modify the display to your liking.</para>
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<itemizedlist>
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<listitem><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Color Schemes</primary><secondary>Selecting</secondary></indexterm>
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Select a different color scheme in the
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<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu><guimenuitem>Color Schemes</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
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menu. There are four predefined color schemes, and you can define your own in the
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<link linkend="config"><guilabel>Configure &kstars;</guilabel></link> window.
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</para></listitem>
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<listitem><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Toolbars</primary>
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<secondary>Customizing</secondary></indexterm>
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Toggle whether the Toolbars are drawn in the
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<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu><guimenuitem>Toolbars</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
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menu. Like most KDE toolbars, they can also be dragged around and
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anchored on any window edge, or even detached from the window completely.
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</para></listitem>
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<listitem><para>
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<indexterm><primary>Info Boxes</primary><secondary>Customizing</secondary></indexterm>
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<indexterm><primary>Info Boxes</primary><secondary>Shading</secondary></indexterm>
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Toggle whether the Info Boxes are drawn in the
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<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu><guimenuitem>Info Boxes</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
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menu. In addition, you can manipulate the three Info Boxes with the
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mouse. Each box has additional lines of data that are hidden by default.
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You can toggle whether these additional lines are visible by double-clicking
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a box to <quote>shade</quote> it. Also, you can reposition a box by
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dragging it with the mouse. When a box hits a window edge, it will
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<quote>stick</quote> to the edge when the window is resized.
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</para></listitem>
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<listitem>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Field-of-View Symbols</primary><secondary>Description</secondary></indexterm>
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Choose an <quote>FOV Symbol</quote> using the
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<menuchoice><guimenu>Settings</guimenu><guimenuitem>FOV Symbols</guimenuitem></menuchoice>
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menu. <firstterm>FOV</firstterm> is an acronym for <quote>field-of-view</quote>.
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An FOV symbol is drawn at the center of the window to indicate where the display
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is pointing. Different symbols have different angular sizes; you can use a symbol to show
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what the view through a particular telescope would look like. For example, if you choose
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the <quote>7x35 Binoculars</quote> FOV symbol, then a circle is drawn on the display that is
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9.2 degrees in diameter; this is the field-of-view for 7x35 binoculars.
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</para>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Field-of-View Symbols</primary><secondary>Customizing</secondary></indexterm>
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You can define your own FOV symbols (or modify the existing symbols) using the
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<guimenuitem>Edit FOV Symbols...</guimenuitem> menu item, which launches the FOV Editor:
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</para>
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<screenshot>
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<screeninfo>Field-of-View Symbols Editor</screeninfo>
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<mediaobject>
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<imageobject>
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<imagedata fileref="fovdialog.png" format="PNG"/>
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</imageobject>
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<textobject>
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<phrase>FOV Symbol Editor</phrase>
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</textobject>
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</mediaobject>
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</screenshot>
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<para>
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The list of defined FOV symbols is displayed on the left. On the right are buttons for
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adding a new symbol, editing the highlighted symbol's properties, and removing the
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highlighted symbol from the list. Note that you can even modify or remove the four
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predefined symbols (if you remove all symbols, the four defaults will be restored the
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next time you start &kstars;). Below these three buttons is a graphical preview display
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showing the highlighted symbol from the list. When the <guibutton>New...</guibutton> or
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<guibutton>Edit...</guibutton> button is pressed, the <guilabel>New FOV Symbol</guilabel>
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window is opened:
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</para>
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<screenshot>
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<screeninfo>New Field-of-View Symbol</screeninfo>
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<mediaobject>
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<imageobject>
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<imagedata fileref="newfov.png" format="PNG"/>
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</imageobject>
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<textobject>
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<phrase>New FOV Symbol</phrase>
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</textobject>
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</mediaobject>
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</screenshot>
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<para>
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<indexterm><primary>Field-of-View Symbols</primary><secondary>Defining New</secondary></indexterm>
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This window lets you modify the four properties that define a FOV symbol: name, size,
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shape, and color. The angular size for the symbol can either be entered directly in the
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<guilabel>Field of View</guilabel> edit box, or you can use the Eyepiece/Camera Tabs to
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calculate the field-of-view angle, given parameters of your telescope/eyepiece or
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telescope/camera setup. The four available shapes are: Circle, Square, Crosshairs, and
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Bullseye. Once you have specified all four parameters, press <guibutton>Ok</guibutton>,
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and the symbol will appear in the list of defined symbols. It will also be available
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from the <guimenu>Settings</guimenu> | <guisubmenu>FOV</guisubmenu> menu.
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</para>
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</listitem>
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</itemizedlist>
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</sect1>
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</chapter>
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