*** Note: there are two files attached to this KB article (courtesy of Jim McIntosh) that can be used as examples for testing. ***

Originally from ticket #21189.

I still cannot find detailed instructions for adding a custom photorealistic horizon to SNPP 7. I had no problem with this in earlier versions. In April of last year (2014) soon after receiving SNPP 7 I had an online conversation with Keiron Smith about various bugs in the the application and at that time he said he would be writing instructions for adding custom photorealistic horizons soon, but I have heard nothing more and can find no up-to-date instructions for this - all the help files describe procedures for old versions of the software. I would REALLY like to do this. PLEASE help me on this issue.

Jim McIntosh

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Hi Jim,

Take the 2 attached files and drop them in here:

/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Simulation Curriculum/Starry Night Prefs/Sky Data/Horizon Panoramas

Then Open SN7 and go to Horizon Panoramas and choose your pano. It will take about 30 seconds to load the first time. Thats okay. Next time it will load faster.

Please let me know what you think.

Keiron Smith
Starry Night & Sky Safari Software Support Team

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Hi Keiron,

Many thanks! That seems to work, or rather it does after I edited in my old values for various parameters in the .txt file (such as fixing the N,S,E and W in SNPP so that they are actually on the panorama’s horizon rather than up in the air). I’ll check it out carefully in the morning when it is light and I can confirm that N, S, E and W in SNPP are where I know them to be on my surroundings outside!

Are you going to tell us all how to do this? :-)))

I’ve attached the corrected txt file so you can see how it ought to be.

Kind regards
Jim

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Thats great, Jim!

Really all you need in order to do this again is the text file. In the text file is the following:

// Pano name - you see this in menus, etc. This should be unique for each pano
<SN_VALUE name="PanoName" value="Your_Pano_Name">
<SN_VALUE name="ImageFileName" value="Your_Pano_Name.png">

This is really the only code that must be edited in order to use a new pano.

As you know, the text file and the panorama must have the same name. And placed in the same location here:

/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Simulation Curriculum/Starry Night Prefs/Sky Data/Horizon Panoramas

So, if you have another panorama please give it try. Just duplicate the "00_Earth_Wellington.txt" and then rename the file "Your_Pano_Name.txt" (make sure your new panorama matches in name). Then edited the text in this file (as discussed above). Add it to the folder.

Tell me how it goes :)

Keiron Smith
Starry Night & Sky Safari Software Support Team

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Thanks for that Keiron. I don’t have another panorama to try at present but if and when I do I’ll follow your instructions.

I dont understand the folder of DDS images - are they fragments of the full panorama? It seems they were generated from my panorama on the first loading - is that correct?

Kind regards
Jim

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You're right about the DDS folder. Starry Night 7 now streams/downloads panoramas. The process involves streaming the panorama in sections (as you've probably seen in use). The in-app panoramas are downloaded as .dds files.

Now, in order to make a user-created panorama PNG readable Starry Night must first cut up the user created panorama PNG into .dds files.  This "cutting" of the PNG into .dds files happens automatically the first time a user loads their own panorama.  After loading the panorama one time the .dds files will be found in a DDS folder next to the original PNG.

Please keep me updated on your experience with Starry Night 7. Your feedback is most welcome.

And, thanks sooo much for all your patience.

Keiron Smith
Starry Night & Sky Safari Software Support Team