Re: [guide-user] Constellation lines

Bill J Gray Oct 8 7:41 AM

Hi Bertrand,

I just got an inquiry about this via private e-mail, so I can
recycle my reply.

----------

Hi Sam,

Sorry, no... right now, at least, there's no "cook-up-your-own"
constellation line method. (Except for that used by Masaki Kouda for
the Japanese constellation lines: he went into Guide's Overlay system
and made his own set of lines.)

There are two problems with doing it that way, though. First,
when you make overlay lines that way (by clicking on point A and
dragging a line to point B), you're only as accurate as your mouse
clicks. That will generally not be a big deal, as long as you don't
zoom in too far. Second, the lines won't adjust for proper motion.

Hmmmm... just looked at the code I wrote (about a decade ago!)
to create the constellation lines for Guide. It's horrendous stuff;
fortunately, I'm now an older and wiser programmer. (Though I
sometimes suspect it's one out of two.) Anyway, it occurs to me
that I might be able to come up with some sort of means for editing
constellation lines. You would be able to click on one, then tell
Guide to delete it (much as for other overlay lines.) You would
also be able to click on one star, then on a second star, then
hit a hotkey or toolbar button to tell Guide that the two stars
in question should be joined by a line. I will ponder this.

Thanks! -- Bill