TheSky6 can open and save a variety file formats. The follow section describes each format and how to transition your existing data to TheSky.
· By default, TheSky uses your computer’s IP address to determine your location. TheSky also has a To Google Map option that can be used verify and refine your location. If you have the GPS coordinates of your observing site, then you can enter them manually, as well as your time zone, from the Input > Location > Custom tab (page 39).
· TheSky uses the computer’s local time by default. See “Entering the Date and Time (Date & Time Control)” on page 145 for details how to set a specific date and time.
· TheSky6 stores your custom field of view indicators in a text file named Field of View Indicators.txt in the folder named <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSky6\Field of View Indicators.
TheSky also stores FOVIs in a text file of the same name, but in the folder named <My Documents>\Software Bisque\TheSkyX Professional Edition\Field of View Indicators. The format of TheSky6's Field of View Indicators.txt text file the same as TheSkyX. So, you can copy TheSky6's Field of View Indicators.txt to TheSkyX’s folder to preserve the FOVIs you have already setup.
· Telescope-configuration is a manual process. You'll need to manually set the telescope and the telescope settings (telescope type, COM port, limit settings, etc.) from TheSky.
· Use TheSky6 to park the telescope. Then connect to the telescope from TheSky and, without slewing the telescope, on the Telescope window, from the Shut Down pop-up menu, configure TheSky’s park position by clicking the Set Park Position command (page 397).
Important Note: TPoint for Windows is not compatible with TheSky Professional. TheSky Professional instead now offers the integrated TPoint module.
· In TheSky6, the TPoint for Windows pointing model is saved as part of the Sky Document (.SKY) document provided the external application named TPoint for Windows is also installed. In TheSky, the optional TPoint module can be purchased separately.
Upon purchase, a TPoint serial number is issued to your Software Bisque website account. This serial number is used to activate TPoint within TheSky. No separate installer or download is required to use TPoint.
· TheSky offers a 90-day free trial period to use the TPoint module.
1. From TheSky6, open the TPoint document by right-clicking on the TPoint icon, and then click Open. This launches TPoint for Windows and opens the .tpt document with the model.
2. From TPoint for Windows, click the Export command from the File menu, then enter a name for the text file that will hold your exported mapping data. This “pointing data” can be imported to TPoint.
3. From TheSkyX, click the TPoint Module command from the Telescope menu.
4. From the TPoint Module Setup tab, select the Import command from the TPoint Settings pop-up menu.
5. Select the text file name that holds the TPoint for Windows pointing data and then click Open.
The TPoint module now has your pointing data, and you can turn on the desired terms for your model. A recalibration (see page 501) is now required to restore the CH, IH and ID terms (the telescope’s “synchronization” information).
· The latest orbital elements and two-line elements TLEs for these objects will need to be downloaded from TheSkyX. See page 188 for details.
A folder of TheSky6 SDBs can be converted to TheSkyX-compatible Sky Database format (.SDBX) from the Advanced tab of TheSkyX’s Database Manager (page 280).
If you have created a photographic horizon for TheSky6 for Windows and want to show it in TheSkyX do the following:
1. Open the tagged image format (.tif) photograph from TheSky6 for Windows in your favorite image processing software.
2. Save the photo as a PNG (see “Tips for Creating Panorama Photos” on page 270).
3. Copy the PNG photo to the appropriate folder and select it as the current panoramic horizon (see “Selecting the Panorama Photo” on page 271).
In TheSky6, the orientation of the photographic horizon relative to the local horizon is stored in a file with the extension <Horizon Name>.horizon. If you wish to maintain this position for the same photograph in TheSkyX, do the following:
1. Manually copy TheSky6’s <Horizon Name>.horizon file for the particular photo into the Horizons folder (see “Selecting the Panorama Photo” on page 271).
When the panoramic horizon is selected in TheSkyX, the appropriate horizon photo options are set based on the contents of the <Horizon Name>.horizon file, so that the photo is oriented correctly.
TheSkyX can display custom-drawn horizons that were created in TheSky6. TheSky6’s custom drawn horizon data must be saved in a TheSkyX-compatible format first.
Here’s how:
1. Launch TheSky6.
2. Choose the Reference Lines command from the View menu.
3. Click the Edit Local Horizon button to show the Horizon Editor window.
4. On the Horizon Editor window, click the Copy button to copy the horizon’s azimuth and altitude positions to the Clipboard.
5. Launch Windows Notepad.
6. From Notepad, type the number 360 and press the Enter key.
7. From Notepad, choose the Paste command from the Edit menu.
8. From Notepad, choose the Save As command from the File menu.
9. On the Save As window, navigate to TheSkyX’s Application Support Files Folder (see page 29).
10. In the File Name text box of the Save As window, type the name custom horizon.hrz and click the Save button.
When TheSkyX is launched, and Custom Horizon is selected in the Horizon Type pop-up menu on the Horizon tab of the Horizon and Atmosphere Options window (Display menu), this custom horizon exported from TheSky6 will appear.