2022-04-06, 12:50 AM
Hello Greg,
yes, I noticed that concern about ST4 being self-contained :-)
I do appreciate a reasonable degree of completeness in software but since it can never be absolute (nor is there need for that) I am also looking for easy exchange of data between applications. This may just be an idiosyncrasy of mine so you may want to check with other users.
Having said that, let me illustrate one of the reasons why I like to use SIMBAD. As a QGIS user I favor the map paradigm over the list paradigm. ST4 has some great maps/charts but I cannot, for instance, see the objects in one or more observing lists mapped to the horizon of my location at a given time. With QGIS that is easily accomplished — provided that I have the coördinates. Hence SIMBAD.
For this particular purpose, all I would need in ST4 is the ability to export an observing list as say a CSV file with four columns: designation (just one, the most common), type of object, RA and DEC (both preferably in degrees).
That would be great but you may need to determine whether this if of help to others.
Mind you, even if you provide such a facility, I will continue to use SIMBAD because of all the other capabilities that it offers but I would never see that as weakness of ST4.
All the best, tiha
yes, I noticed that concern about ST4 being self-contained :-)
I do appreciate a reasonable degree of completeness in software but since it can never be absolute (nor is there need for that) I am also looking for easy exchange of data between applications. This may just be an idiosyncrasy of mine so you may want to check with other users.
Having said that, let me illustrate one of the reasons why I like to use SIMBAD. As a QGIS user I favor the map paradigm over the list paradigm. ST4 has some great maps/charts but I cannot, for instance, see the objects in one or more observing lists mapped to the horizon of my location at a given time. With QGIS that is easily accomplished — provided that I have the coördinates. Hence SIMBAD.
For this particular purpose, all I would need in ST4 is the ability to export an observing list as say a CSV file with four columns: designation (just one, the most common), type of object, RA and DEC (both preferably in degrees).
That would be great but you may need to determine whether this if of help to others.
Mind you, even if you provide such a facility, I will continue to use SIMBAD because of all the other capabilities that it offers but I would never see that as weakness of ST4.
All the best, tiha