Galaxy Affectionados: Automag ON or OFF?

Post #1by **t00fri** » 21.05.2007, 22:17

Hi all,

it would be useful for us to know whether many users prefer to have the automag option [CTRL+Y] activated, notably in the context of galaxy display. Let me know what your habits are...

My opinion is that due to their excessive range of brightness, galaxies NEED something like an automag.
Moreover, for less experienced users it is e.g much harder to find dim galaxies like NGC 4 (appMag=16.9) without the automag.

Let me know how you feel.

Bye Fridger

Hungry4info · Post #2by **Hungry4info** » 21.05.2007, 23:10

I agree completely.

LordFerret · Post #3by **LordFerret** » 22.05.2007, 05:21

Yes, I have automag "on" all the time.

Andy74 · Post #4by **Andy74** » 22.05.2007, 09:08

Hi,

usually I also explore the Celestia universe with activated automag.

Andy

ajtribick · Post #5by **ajtribick** » 22.05.2007, 09:55

I generally prefer AutoMag ON as well.

Post #6by **t00fri** » 22.05.2007, 09:56

Did you enter your vote? ;-)

cheers,
Fridger

FaLLeN_SOuL · Post #7by **FaLLeN_SOuL** » 22.05.2007, 10:18

i have automag turned off, since i have a quite powerfull graphics card i want to see as many stars as possible

Post #8by **t00fri** » 22.05.2007, 11:16

FaLLeN_SOuL wrote:i have automag turned off, since i have a quite powerfull graphics card i want to see as many stars as possible

When turning up the brightness to the utmost level ( ]-key =max) with automag=OFF, you will be literally /swamped/ by stars at larger fields of view, unless you reduce the brightness by hand each time. The automag would take care of this unpleasant effect automatically.

So in your case, what I would do is to turn the 'automag-brightness at 45degrees' to something like mag=10, but leave automag active. Then you would never see an unnatural accumulation of stars for fields > 50 degrees and still have all the sensitivity for displaying weak stars at smaller fields or hunt for weak galaxies at small fields.

But of course, it's the purpose of this poll to find out about people's habits and the reasons for their habits.

Thanks,
Bye Fridger

Cham · Post #9by **Cham** » 22.05.2007, 15:25

In my case, AutoMagn is always ON, but I'm always using the same FOV of about 38 degrees. I rarely change the FOV.

LordFerret · Post #10by **LordFerret** » 22.05.2007, 23:47

I very rarely change the FOV, but as Fridger suggests - I have brightness set at mag=10, leaving automag on at all times. Even on my not-so-great-graphics-quality pc, and using the updated 2.1m stars addon, the result is very nice.

Post #11by **t00fri** » 23.05.2007, 07:56

Are you both saying that you rarely use movements with SHIFT+mouse_left (changing FoV, distance=const) ??

I know the MAC mouse is peculiar, yet I could really not imagine how I would display a galaxy in "kingsize" without the interplay of CTRL+mouse_left (distance) and SHIFT+mouse_left (FoV) movements...

Bye Fridger

LordFerret · Post #12by **LordFerret** » 24.05.2007, 02:05

Basically - yes. I keep my 3-page list of keyboard commands handy, and I use the mouse to select objects (as well as left and right click-drags). I don't recall ever changing the FOV, it's been left at the default.

Perhaps I need to experiment a bit more. :oops:

Post #13by **ElChristou** » 24.05.2007, 11:03

t00fri wrote:Are you both saying that you rarely use movements with SHIFT+mouse_left (changing FoV, distance=const) ?? ...

It's what I fear during the dev of the Galaxies templates, many people just "Go" to the objects... and actually this is not the best way to see galaxies in Celestia...

(BTW, ON for me)

Post #14by **t00fri** » 24.05.2007, 11:20

This clear poll-result concerning peoples' "automag=ON habits" means that we shall set automag=ON by default as of the next (1.5.0.pre4) version also for the Windows binary distribution.

Bye Fridger

Post #15by **t00fri** » 24.05.2007, 11:23

LordFerret wrote:Basically - yes. I keep my 3-page list of keyboard commands handy, and I use the mouse to select objects (as well as left and right click-drags). I don't recall ever changing the FOV, it's been left at the default.

Perhaps I need to experiment a bit more.

I would really advise to do so. It's worth some experimentation for sure. Notably since the best close-up display of galaxies requires a combined set of adjustments using SHIFT+mouse_left AND CTRL+mouse_left AFTER hitting the G key.

Bye Fridger

Andy74 · Post #16by **Andy74** » 24.05.2007, 11:45

t00fri wrote:
LordFerret wrote:Basically - yes. I keep my 3-page list of keyboard commands handy, and I use the mouse to select objects (as well as left and right click-drags). I don't recall ever changing the FOV, it's been left at the default.

Perhaps I need to experiment a bit more.

I would really advise to do so. It's worth some experimentation for sure. Notably since the best close-up display of galaxies requires a combined set of adjustments using SHIFT+mouse_left AND CTRL+mouse_left AFTER hitting the G key.

Bye Fridger

Fridger,

I know mainly three situations, where a change of the FOV is useful:

1) generally when viewing from the surface of a planet ("planetarium mode")
2) observation of eclipses
3) as you said above: for a good display of galaxies

From your experience: Are there other important situations, where the FOV setting should be checked (in your opinion)?

Thanks
Andy