(The Companion to Astrolog32 ~ © the Dodger 2019 - text rights reserved)

There are FIVE ways of interfacing with the program:

1.    THE MENU BUTTON-BAR  { menubar above the window - to edit, save, alter what's delivered: many settings can be altered for good here if wished }
2.   KEYBOARD SWITCHES   { faster program directing-method - edits, saves, and alters what's delivered, mainly for current session }
3.   COMMAND LINE SWITCHES,  { swiftly setting up different session, charting or printing options }                                                
4.  SET-UP OF DEFAULTS   in astrolog32.dat, the Config. file, which maintains initial, ultimately personal, permanent preferences.
5.   MACROS,     { to run a batch of actions to alter the chart or print-run: you can create them, and are increasingly an option for beginners. }

(...hey, that's a lot! - but it's just, they are available!)

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 BEGINNERS OPTION: from version 2.0x, you can switch to a Simplified Mode, where 
 the menus have been stripped of options that can only detract for the first year of use.

ASTROLOG32 is modular, served out of several auxiliary folders, all independent of each other: V1.3x releases of Astrolog sadly don't include much auxiliary content in them, though you can make a chart, or work with any chart in your \charts folder, and create charts at places local to you, - or further afield by using locational co-ordinates found online. It's left up to you to add .se1 files, from Astro.com, or .atl files from Southville.net, if you feel the need for them.

But adding the Atlases or Ephemerides adds speedy input and chart-accuracy - any needed additional content can be downloaded item-by-item from the zipfile repositories of Astro.com and Southville.net, then unzipped into Astrolog32's internal folders - (or indeed expanded folders can be copy/pasted into it from another person's installation).

A full folder-tree looks like the image to right..

With all the Atlases incorporated, you'll seldom need to Google for any place's co-ordinates (getting atlases); and with all additional Ephemeris files incorporated, you can chart back to 12000BCE! - which is overkill (getting Swiss ephemerides).
So Good News, in the V2.02+ releases, appropriate atlas files are included to suit the language you select, ephemerides and an uninstaller are included, so no compiling!

Regarding the best location for your Astrolog32, - well, with V.1.30, only old-hands will know the path re-writes necessary to install it in 'Program Files', so newbies should unzip it to C:\astrolog32 (see 'YOUR DEFAULT DIRECTORIES for FOLDERS' in 'CUSTOMIZING DEFAULTS'), - while with V2.0x, convenience may as well be your guide, - with any V2.0+ installation, 'Program Files' is now the first offered location, but any sane path you then browse to or type in will be accepted ~ Windows© doesn't care if programs run from 'My Documents', or even from a USB drive, (see ASTROLOG32 ON A MEMORY STICK).
IMPORTANT: Wherever you install to, Windows© won't let you alter or add to Astrolog folders and files at all if you install as Administrator, but then try launching Astrolog32 as 'User'; install under your 'user' profile, with any NTFS Windows© release: avoid Vista's securitisation issues at all costs.

Unless you are keen to use V2.0x's New Macros, choosing 'C:\Program Files' for V2 releases is OK; and better than 'My Docs' - for one reason, see here; and for another, programs are safer there from accidental mismanagement;   But read INSTALLING first!

Changing your settings: The default settings (colour, size, house system, location etc) define what you get at launch; immediately your session has begun, you can change these, on a per-session basis through the menus or switches, and the changes you make will stay for the whole of the live session, for all subsequent charts unless you un-make those changes, - but the defaults will re-appear at re-launch.

However, if you save the Config.file (astrolog32.dat) anytime after your changes via menus or using switches, you'll find many - not all - alterations then become your new set-up, after a re-launch. See Saving your set-up (linked also in Menu below).

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BEFORE YOU DIVE IN: Two things you should know:

When charting in a different time-zone to your own, Astrolog has an enduring quirk, that it needs a minus before an easting of hours, viz: minus seven, -7, to hop from Chicago Time to Paris; and a plus (or nothing) before a westing of hours, viz: plus seven, +7, 7, to hop from Paris Time to Chicago.

In versions up to V1.30, printing from Astrolog32 contained a major pitfall for newbies, where you're using a black or dark background for the graphical chart, because what you see is what you will get. Many beginners have wasted a blue ink cartridge on their first print. So use the option to 'Reverse Background' before you print - simply type 'x' on the keyboard, anytime, to invert colours!

  TOPICS MENU  
_

HELPFILE.HTML

& "lost" folders

LIST of COMMANDS

THE BASICS # 1 - Open chart, tips, search charts; Naming files, making a new chart; Saving, as pos_dats
& dat files, broken files; Text mode & raising data, DST, sidebar, progressing; Using 'Here & Now',
Chart #2, composite, multiwheels; Aspects, the Aspectarian, (parallels, glyphs, orbs), fixed stars.

THE BASICS # 2 - Power, Uranians, quitting program, allied data, The Helpfile; Time-animation
printing, paste-up; (De)Restrictions & 'Save Setup'; Dispositors, 'Flower', biorhythm, transits
Midpoints & Planetary Configurations; Sidereal & Vedic, Gauquelin Sectors, Synastry.

THE BASICS # 3 - Directory Paths, rising/setting, horizon; Astrograph, interpretations, globe-
& sky-maps; Calendar, ephemeris, non-Earth-centred charts; "Open with" as an option, charts db.

INSTALLING - | - ATLASES - | - APPEARANCE & IMAGING - | - JULIAN to GREGORIAN CALENDAR

ASTROLOG'S TIMEZONES and MANUAL INPUT - | - ABOUT SWITCHES - | - MACROS & HARMONICS

CUSTOMIZING the CONFIG.FILE - | - F.A.Q.s - | - PROGRAMS TO GO WITH GO WITH - | - FEATURES - | - WORD LOOK-UP

TABLES OF KEYBOARD SWITCHES

WORLD TIME-OFFSETS to U.T. + DST

ASTROLOG32 ON A MEMORY STICK

Open your Astrolog32 by clicking its shortcut ..

CAN'T LAUNCH ASTROLOG32? Find Astrolog32 folder, open
  & find 'main' folder, open & double-click "astrolog32.exe"  

To drive the menus via the keyboard:  

---

Astrolog32 displays a chart after you've browsed to its file after clicking [File] > [Open Main Chart], or keyboard-switch Alt+o, - you'll see the Charts folder-window, like the image at right; or you can go [File] > [Open Chart #2], or Alt+shift+O, to load chart #2.   NOTE: Those two different keyboard shortcuts aren't Alt+zero! that's Alt+O for orange!

  ...navigate through the folder offered to the chart you want, and go 'Open'.

If it's [File] > [Open Main Chart] you went, chart xxx.dat will load on your screen: but going [File] > [Open Chart #2], it'll load but it won't be seen - in order to see it, go shift+X to swap charts.
(For charts #3, #4, it's menu or command-line only to load them, and they too remain invisible unless called to a multiwheel).

ANOTHER WAY #1: Charts in batches can be opened in a series, through using Astrolog32's [File] > [Search charts] engine: they will picked out by some common factor or factors, see 'Search Charts'.
After putting in the parameters you want shared throughout the batch, and clicking 'Search', they can all be reviewed, one after the other alphabetically, or pick one out, to view: single charts can be hunted too, by name - but remember, Astrolog searches the 'hidden' names (see Naming files), not the Windows© names.

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ANOTHER WAY #2: where you can remember a filename, it may be opened quicker by Astrolog32 command-line: typing -i(space)filename.dat will raise filename.dat - use upper or lower case spellings - doesn't matter! but it's only the top folder specified in the path to \charts in astrolog32.dat, which will be searched, not sub-folders. See ABOUT SWITCHES.

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ANOTHER WAY #3: keep frequently-used chart-data available in Notepad, Excel, or Wordpad! The /qb lines from in any .dat files you have may be highlighted-and-copied (go Ctrl+c to copy), then pasted in some text-file (like my-regulars.TXT), or other prog (like my-qbs.XLS), - put each entry on a different line, (adding a semi-colon, then the native's name, before adding the next entry); - like this:
    /qb 5 12 1928 12:00:00 ST +6:00 94:34'43W 39:05'00N; Bacharach, Burt
    /qb 9 29 1907 12:00:00 ST +6:00 96:55'06W 33:28'00N; Autry, Gene ...
- then, when any entire line is highlighted-and-copied, and then pasted into the Astrolog32 command-line (see ABOUT SWITCHES), it is executed & the chart displayed, - only without the chart-name, - when you press Enter key. Try It - check out Burt Bacharach, for instance..
This is a very compact way of hoarding the charts which you've made already, then quickly loading data to one, or multiple, launchings of Astrolog32.

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ANOTHER WAY #4: keep key chart-data available in macros! New-style V2.04+ releases can, with the MACRO folder 'on', call charts from some of the F-keys - see New Macros; old macros too can call up charts, - see Standard Macros.

So, Astrolog has a reputation for being rather like a maze: this comes out of being originally text-only; the chartwheel and other graphics you see are an add-on! - sometimes when pressing ' v' to swap from one to the other, we find there's no relation between text and the graphics, or not at first sight.
Remember, text remains priority, and the text version reveals the program-status you have called up.
The graphic displayed (when seeing text, and hitting ' v') may just be for-want-of-something-more-appropriate.

To identify the chart's glyphs, see here.                   To identify the aspect-glyphs, see here.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Data-build-up from Astrolog's fund of calculations has no related page-maker ( but this Companion as one! - using RichTextFormat - click here to open it, only if viewing in IE7 or IE8).
For a more DTP approach, use © MSWord. Either way:
 - individual text pages can be copied for pasting, going
  [Edit] > [Copy Chart as Text], or Ctrl+shift+5, (watch Astrolog32 flip into text!) ..

  - while the graphics window, e.g. the chart, can be copied for pasting, going
[Edit] > [Copy Chart as Bitmap], or Ctrl+shift+6, (watch Astrolog32 flip into graphics!), .. and pasting the image into some MS Paint, text editor or other program.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3 TIPS FOR PROGRAM & CLIPBOARD MANAGEMENT

Global Shortcut COPY HIGHLIGHTED TEXT Hold down Control ~ Hit c

Astrolog switch SWAP BETWEEN TEXT & GRAPHICS Hit the 'v' key!

Global Shortcut     PASTE COPIED TEXT     Hold down Control ~ Hit v

These keyboard-switches are essential, to deal with address-lines, command-line, text-snippets, and image-transfers: also pasting in from LIST of COMMANDS, or pasting file-paths into the Search dialog, (which see below). Example use, watch green animated illustration here.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Looking to get into keyboard switches?.. click here, here and here for three of the most essential ones, and look up KEYBOARD SWITCHES for the rest.

Optional Tip: Make a link to your \Charts folder! - put a shortcut in the Start Menu, so you can manage your folders as you go.

    DODGE No. 1          

For the practised user - fed up with rootling about in your file-system? If you want quick access to one, or several, of the folders nested in Astrolog (e.g. 'charts\personal', 'main', 'atlas\american'), and/or to relevant docs, then create a 'Management Center' or 'Console' folder (on your Desktop or in Program Files for instance)..

Here's how: First, create & name a new folder (say) in Program Files, 'A32_RECEPTION_DESK'.
Populate it with:

• link to \charts folder
• snippets and photos
• a copy of the Helpfile
• link to \Miscellaneous folder
• a shortcut to the Config.file, astrolog32.dat
• You should put a link to the program astrolog32.exe itself here, too: see how.

Leave the folder and create a shortcut to it - put the shortcut in QuickLaunch.
Now you can fire up or modify Astrolog, inspect, corral, and load files-to-view, and handle the \charts folder, from one place!

If you have charts in the \charts folder, your program will open them when you go [File] > [Open mainchart], or [File] > [Open chart 2], both options offering a folder-view (as explained above), - though there is no constraint on you hunting them down, to open & edit them in Notepad, from your \charts folder open in Windows Explorer! ~ this is why a shortcut to your \charts folder is important! ~ to delete your charts, this is the only safe & practical way!

If you have text-files saved from your work, just skip opening the Astrolog32 program, use Windows Explorer, navigate to \miscellaneous and open them in the program of your preference: these would include aspect-lists, interpretations, help-lists, positions..

Filename searches, using 'Windows Explorer':
Given that you just want to find a chart by its filename, your operating system's Search-within-Folder is more versatile than Astrolog32's, in as much as you can switch to a different path, and a different folder, more quickly, if you draw a blank.
But then your options for getting it onscreen are three: you can, first, raise the chart by copying its /qb line into Astrolog's command line, then click 'Run'; to navigate again, but using Astrolog32's [File] > [Open Main Chart], is a second option; or thirdly, go the swish route of modding Astrolog32 so that files open in the program simply with a double click, as they do in Astrolog 6.30 - see DODGE No. 7 for how.

[File] > [Search Charts] is a small but still very useful set of filters, selecting up to five definers for a search of the charts:

• any part of the filename
• any one luminary, planet or any object, filtered by Zodiacal sign, so if you remember the Sun sign, but not the name, you can filter for that
• particular aspect between any two luminaries, planets, (& Nodes, Uranians, East or West Point, if you have them on)
• one luminary, planet or any object filtered by its House
• one luminary, planet or any object in a chosen Gauquelin sector

'Alt+s' is the keyboard switch to call this Search feature.

Note 1. there is no filter for year - unless you inserted the year in the file-name when you saved it; then you could put it in the 'search for'...'in name' field.

Note 2. Any folder can be searched, not just \charts.

Note 3. If you click 'Search', with 'subfolders' ticked, but none of the filter-lines, 'Search charts' will supply all the charts in your selected folder, in alphabetical order.

When the hourglass vanishes, any results appearing in the box on the right can be opened with a double-click, or you can flip through the series, starting with the first alphabetically, by clicking the 'OK' button, then going Ctrl+n to go on to the next.

Charts raised can be progressed/regressed with the 'p' switch, or otherwise modified, and then re-saved. ~ you can then move on to the next, or back to the previous of the listed charts, if you want to, or even interrupt your search to make a new chart, and then pick up the searched returns again.

To go to the next / go back:
  exclusively when you have called a search up, the menu-options [File] > [Open next chart] (Ctrl+n) and [File] > [Open previous chart] (Ctrl+r) will work one-by-one through your searched charts in sequence, to the first, or last, of the list that [File] > [Search charts] has provided.


NOTE: Look out for three catches:

that you must tick the tickbox to the left of each filter-line you're using;

secondly, when the 'Search Charts' dialog box has been filled in, you must click 'Search', not 'OK';

thirdly, you may need to tick the tickbox for 'Search subfolders'.

EXAMPLE: 'Who, in my 'charts' folder, has Uranus at the Vertex?'

  Go [Settings]> [Object Selections], and make sure that Uranus (in 'Planets'), and 'Vertex' (in 'Points') are ticked..
  Open [File] > [Search] - If you have a filter for timed charts, put that in a Search field;
  In the middle line of drop-downs of the five, click the tickbox, and Select [Uranus], then [conjunct], then [Vertex]; Click [Search]   Aha! John Galsworthy..

    DODGE No. 2          

The Readme.HTML which up to Version 2.04 you'll find in \main, normally opens from a link in [Help]. After unticking the 'read only' attribute in its file properties, I opened it in Notepad, and added there the paths to various \charts subfolders, inserting them after the final 'DISCLAIMER' paragraph.
Insert '<br><br>' (without the quote marks), at the start of each line.
As well, you can put there a command-switch, or several, or an interesting snippet from the Helpfile.
Save Readme.HTML.

Readme.HTML opens in your browser, and then, you only need to highlight and copy a path from the Readme file, and paste it into the 'Search Directory' address field; or, highlight and Ctrl+C a switch you like, and paste into the command-line, and things go with a whizz!   - see also Dodge No. 5, which expands on what you can put in this document.

In Astrolog32, there are file-names saved within the file-content, and file-names that you save with, into the \charts folder; often the two end up the same, but they don't have to be, and they can serve different functions.

Any searches for any part of a name which you typed only in the 'Edit' dialog Name-field will only be found in an Astrolog32 Search (see Search Charts Filter). But as for a search with Windows© "Search For Files and Folders", - such data is within the file, and Windows© will not search within .dat files as if they were text; with Windows©, only the [File] > [Save Mainchart data] names, that is the saving filenames, which will be searched for and found.

  Let's call these two the 'saving' name and the 'hidden' name.

For this reason, the name which you save a chart by (as opposed to the 'hidden' name from the 'Edit' dialog), should be the one which holds any key information for a Windows© search: e.g.
  Doe,John_1865_family,horse doctor,Ohio,unrect.dat

On the other hand, long file-names may not be accepted in folders written to CD-Rom.

Naming & saving are two opportunities to bundle information connected with the chart
- first, when giving your chart its 'hidden' name during chart-editing: you can save as many as 255 characters/spaces in the name Astrolog32 shows in the Name field - any more, and you will see, on reopening, a error notice 'Passed out of range switch "/zi"', or 'the command info file is not in any valid format (character 255)', or 'Value 0 passed to switch /M out of range. ', (or, the files may end up broken!).   ..and a down side is, long 'hidden' file-names look absurd when incorporated into Valja's alternative-interpretation readings.

  - secondly, you can save more data by choosing to type in different information, when it comes to saving into the \charts folder. Windows© has a different allowance - it will allow 140 characters maximum - but it depends on the length of the full address path to your \charts folder whether it displays correctly: if it's as long as the path to \My Documents, the names may be foreshortened, like this SHORTE~1.DAT..
And for this reason, I don't keep my \charts in My Documents.

[Edit] > [Edit Main chart data ..] pulls up the dialog needed to make a new chart, modifying the 'Here-and-Now' data seen at your launch.
Equally, it's the same dialog-box you need, to re-edit the chart in front of you in order to rectify it, or enter data for another.

Each field needs a typing-in, or the drop-down of a pick-list: after the ten fields (see right) are filled in, and 'OK' is clicked, this will be the datum that Astrolog32 retains as The Radical, to show, to save, to deliver all the other viewable options for your new Mainchart.
The keyboard shortcut to edit the current chart, or create a new chart, is Alt+z.

You only need to type the first three letters of the month in the first field, and after that, the 'tab' key carries you through the fields in order. At 'Time', 'Daylight Saving' and 'TimeZone', the down arrow-key spins through the options; or you can put these three fields in manually - it's maybe quicker.

After selecting the timezone, click 'Call Atlas' for giving Astrolog32 the location, (about, see THE ATLASES); then, location and co-ordinates are automatically filled in, (though you can insert them manually).

Click OK!

It may be you need not type anything in: to raise a chart for the present moment, just click 'Here & Now'; to call back a chart you sent to the 'Astrolog clipboard', click 'Recall Data from memory'. & click OK.

This new 'Main Chart' you see is on chart-thread #1, - this is the principal working chart-thread, seen, and doing the bulk of the work where there's no call for accompanying charts in Relationship Mode, and as well, the only one that can be copied or saved.

   At this stage it's time to verify, and maybe proceed to saving the chart.

When you fill [Edit Mainchart Data] again, and 'OK' new input, then the first Mainchart data will be dumped; whatever data-fields you don't change will carry over - so, unless you are careful, data from the previous chart you may find unmodified, in the new chart!!

~ And all the other chart-threads are editted similarly, ~ overwriting the data found in their respective "Edit Chart" box

Opening [File] > [Save Main Chart data] is the menu-path for saving the Main chart as a .dat file (the keyboard switch Alt+w opens the same dialog window) - these .dat files are Astrolog's standard format for saving and view.

Going [File] > [Save Chart Positions] is the menu-path to saving the Main chart as a _pos.dat file (the keyboard switch Alt+shift+w opens the same dialog window). These also are .dat files and Astrolog's alternative format for saving and view (why, see here).

By default, these all save to \charts folder.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Apart from .dat file saving, there's [File] > ([Export to] >) [Save chart as Textfile], and [Save chart as Bitmap], to save chart-data as a .txt (textfile) or in image media formats, using the appropriate program (Notepad, Paint) to retrieve and open them subsequently.

By default, these save to \miscellaneous folder.

With a Save chart as text save, the @0102 header in the file is absent: it's just a list of positions as text, saved to \miscellaneous by default - you can publish the object-positions in Word, Wordpad, or Notepad. (BTW, this save will bounce Astrolog into text-mode).
An advantage of this data-only format is, that the text's contents are searchable via Windows© Search.

An image-save is tidier than a screenshot, (see below: APPEARANCE & IMAGING); and [Save chart as bitmap] will send the captured chart to \miscellaneous; but, being a .BMP file, a chart will take 200kb, and probably more unless you shrink the Astrolog window using the window pullhandle beforehand - a reason, then, to prefer to choose [Edit] > [Copy chart as bitmap], paste it in an image-editor, and save it as a smaller file-type.

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NOTE: as long as the file starts with @0102 and is in the unique layout as shown in the section below, Astrolog32 will open it as a chart even were you to save it with the suffix .txt; and other file-suffixes will be accepted, if they're other text-file formats, but you must remember to pick 'All files' in the 'files-of-type' field, for Astrolog32 to browse them if they're in your \charts folder....

The program's software is designed around translating letters into charts, so these .dat files are just text-files that drive chart-creation in Astrolog32.
Here's an example, as seen in Notepad (panel to right).
This is an older (Astrolog 5.40) chartfile, with letterspaces in blue. These are Astrolog32-compatible, as are Astrolog 6's .as files.

Saving from Astrolog32, there are another three lines put in, the middle line being a prompt for when you edit your charts in Notepad, to use American format dates:

@0102 tells the program it's a valid chart.
third line is an advice line, as it follows a ";".

The fifth and sixth lines have the data: in /qb, ST is standard time, DT tells Astrolog to take off the hour added.
After /zi, "internal name-data" "placename" follow.

    DODGE No.3          

If you want to bundle a lot of text with a chart you have already made, a quick way is to go [Open] > [Open Mainchart] and locate the chart; right-click on it and force Windows© to open it in Notepad, (or Word if pictures are to be incorporated): then proceed to open the chart normally in Astrolog, (this for safety's sake.)
Now, in your text editor, delete the text-version's contents, and paste in your gathered-up notes and pictures, saving with the same name, but as .txt or .doc., in the same folder.

[File] > [Save Chart Positions] sets up the save as a _pos.dat, which, like .dats, save by default to the \charts folder.
This is Astrolog's other format, for saving charts that are less simple, viz:

• A composite chart
• An harmonic chart
• A multichart
• A progressed chart
• A midpoint chart
• A Kensky flipped chart
• .. and others

The letters @0203 tell the program it's a valid chart.

When accessed using Notepad, these 'Chart Positions' lists declare no time, and no co-ordinates, but they detail the positions of every planet, Luminary and Point that is normally listed in the info sidebar; also they do not itemise what kind of derived chart it actually is! which made you select a _pos.dat rather than a .dat - so you must stipulate, in the file-name, all useful source-data, and the tweak(s) that made you choose _pos.dats as a solution, e.g:
  COMPOSITE_Felix(prog.)&Ludmila(prog.)_pos.dat
 or,
  FOURTH_Harmonic_Elise_pos.dat

Re-opened in Astrolog32, _pos.dats that host multiwheels must be reset to the appropriate number of charts, (i.e. Relationship Mode ON), to see the full multiwheel, so be sure to indicate in the file-name the number of charts incorporated, for example:
4CHARTS-Sonia-William-Jasmine-Leo_pos.dat.

• _pos.dats will not re-set with any planet at the centre other than Earth.
• progression will not work in any way, but will usually crash the program!
• Most other [Chart] options won't work; they will make the program do funny things..

You may find a .dat chart-file which won't open; I mean those which show up as files which can't be deleted, nor can they be modified even in Notepad.
For these, you must highlight all files in the relevant folder, then de-select the broken file concerned; now cut the rest and put them all elsewhere. Now delete the folder.

This is the first switch to learn: switching to text is most simply done by typing ' v' (without quote marks) at the keyboard, though there's the menu option [View] > [text mode] as well.
This 'v' is a toggle, and will switch you out of whatever graphical window you have, to a version as text, or, out of some of the text mode pages back to the nearest graphical option - map, aspectarian or chart. (If ' v' doesn't go all the way, then go shift+V, or Alt+shift+V, then ' v' again, should get you back to the chart.)
Image to left shows the text-mode for [Charts] > [House Wheel].

By default, you will see the [Standard Wheel], - see right.

Astrolog32 provides far more data by way of text pages than graphically, so you sooner or later find, when you come to need or print some non-default data, that the use of switches, maybe macros, becomes key to getting work out; (that said, I got along for a decade without switches).

Text-mode differs from the graphical chart's data in one important way, the harmonic status is not given onscreen; nor is the Julian Day.

Whatever you call up, shift+V is the usual switch to revert to your main chart datum: the exceptions being:

• no harmonic settings are reverted; for these, it's easy to use command-line (see end of MACROS & HARMONICS).
• The following groups of command switches:
  'Switches which affect how a chart is computed' ~ (see LIST of COMMANDS).
  'Switches which affect how the chart parameters are obtained' ~ (see LIST of COMMANDS).

All the data-pages accessed by the [Lists] menu are texts, as well.

Custom lists of data can be raised, appended each to another and viewed, exported, or printed off in a single run, by using the command switches (which you can copy-paste from the LIST of COMMANDS daughter-page of this guide, into the command-line), or by using macros. See examples of both there.

  EASY EXAMPLE: to add Objects' angles to Local Horizon, and add Parts, set the following

[View] > [text-mode]
[View] > [monochrome] ..optionally set background to white, text black
[Settings] > [Object Selections] optionally select the planets/points you want
[Run] > [Open command line], & enter this command
/Z
and Go 'OK'.. the data will be added to the positions already on view.

...enter this command
/P
and Go 'OK', Arabic Parts' positions appear.

To switch them off again, enter
_P _Z & press Enter;
...or just go shift + V, to revert to the core data.

  TOUGH EXAMPLE : to print off an ephemeris, set the following

[View] > [text-mode]
[View] > [monochrome] ..optionally set background to white, text black
[View] > [Print nearest second], if you want high accuracy
[Settings] > [Object Selections] select the planets/points you want.

[Run] > [Open command line], & enter one of the following commands

• -E , for current month ~ according to the chart you have up..
• -Ey , for current year ~ according to the chart you have up..
• -Ey n , where n is the year/ span of years you want ~ I can't make this switch work..
• -qy n , for year n, year starting on Jan. first
• -qm m n, for year n, year starting on month m ~ e.g. 2 for Feb, 3 for Mar, etc..

Optionally add, after a letter-space

• -sr , data in Right Ascension, rather than ecliptic longitude
• -gp , data in equatorial declination, in the grid of aspects
• -ap , data in equatorial declination, in the grid of parallel aspects

Press Return key.

In V1.3x, when you have the lists you want, press the Return key again;

• Type '/o YourChosenName.txt' in the command line.., and go 'OK', or press the Return key again.
  The file will be created and sent to your \main folder

In V2.0x, use [File] > [Export] to save the data.

Your text, retrieved and opened in Wordpad, can now be editted to ensure the font is small enough for each day's data will print all on one line, then printed.

If your clock-time advances during summertime, you may well consider it worthwhile to change Astrolog32 to be one hour ahead, as the clocks are. If the charts you make are usually close to the present date as well as confined to your DST zone, as in Europe & U.S., - then toggle the little 'Summertime' switch you'll find in [Edit] > [Set Default Location, Timezone..] (Alt+shift+D opens the same dialog) .. your keyboard's 'down' arrow does this switch; OK it   then go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], and Save it.
DST will then be applied to all charts after you re-launch, and in the [Edit] > [Edit Main Chart] and [Edit] > [Edit Chart #x] Summer-Time fields, it will show 'Yes', and Astrolog sets the charts for an hour earlier than your time-datum.
Otherwise, Astrolog32 remains on your Standard Time.

On the down-side, you will notice there's scarcely a change visible in the sidebar - it says 'DT' instead of 'ST' (standard time) - and you need to be sharp on the look-out for a possibly-wrong time setting when erecting a non-DST chart, so as to pick up on any mismatch between what you see and what you intend.

    DODGE No. 4          

If you make worldwide charts as well as domestic and 'Here & Now's, you could deploy two Astrolog32 installations, one for current events during your DST summer, but the other permanently at your standard time; my two versions have to look quite different, so I know which Astrolog version I'm in. To do this yourself, see the very last article here.

Seen when in 'graphic' mode, this is the vertical panel on the right of the chartwheel, detailing planets' and cusp positions. It cannot be moved, but it can be hidden.
[View] > [Show chart info] (little t, a toggle) has various effects: it hides the sidebar, while also hiding the chart-data subscript at the bottom of the non-chartwheel graphics. It calls graphics mode, if you're in text mode. And it makes the chart oblong!
as does [View] > [Show info sidebar], Alt+t..

..you will need to follow either of these toggles with shift+Q, to make the chart-wheel square again. Otherwise this view will print oblong - another reason to follow up with shift+Q. Alt+t is the Hide-Info-Sidebar-&-Show-Data-Subscript toggle.

TAKE CARE! - In older releases of Astrolog32, pressing 'q' without holding down 'shift', means you will close the program immediately!

To see chart-data progressed from the start-time, here are two routes that Astrolog will compute for you. The first route offers more options as to the exact lapse of time for reckoning one 'day'.

[Charts] > [Progressed (Single Wheel)] opens a dialog box so that you can put in the time-data to progress to; then Astrolog will re-make the Mainchart so that the planets, houses and points are progressed according to the formula chosen in the dialog box, (Settings), - by default, 'day-for-a-year' up to 'Here & Now'. Note: there is a little tickbox top left ('Do Progression') in the 'Progressions' dialog box, - this must be ticked.

• The second choice is 'custom' - you choose the day-length per year lapsed, then years and parts thereof will be calculated pro-rata.
• The third choice is Solar Arc Directions: a 'mean' day is reckoned for each year lapsed, and the chart progressed by such days or parts thereof.
• The first choice progresses by gearing each year (month, etc) lapsed to the actual day-lengths (hour-lengths, etc) succeeding the natum.
  But for this method, which is default, 'Progressed & Natal' does a similar thing and, to my eye, offers more visual cues as to upcoming aspects-by-progression.

Getting out of your progressed chart to the Radical again: open the 'Progressions' dialog box again - where you'll see the data you entered is still resident - uncheck the 'Do Progression' tickbox and 'OK' it.

-----------------------------------------

[Charts] > [Progressed and Natal], Alt+shift+N: this creates a bi-wheel, setting the progression to the date of chart #2, using secondary progression/regression. It only requires that you set up chart #2 appropriately and go Alt+shift+N.
Note: On the setup in V2.05, the trans-Saturnian outer planets are restricted in Chart#2... a tidier display, but.. you have then to remember they are thereabouts. Find advice on regressing the chart at 'Astrolog_List' group - (about, see elsewhere here).
To escape the bi-wheel, use 'c' without the quotes.

--------------------- --------------------

Other Way Round?: If you see a pending aspect-by-progression in the natal chart, and want to reckon the actual year/month when the effect is actualised, Astrolog can't help, and so it's still a pen-and-paper job, though once you have noted days, hours and minutes from the birth-time, Animation will hop through the equivalent years, fortnights and six-hour intervals; just count each click of the animation, using different jump rates.
These progressions will not be dumped in dual- or in multicharts.

As well as being presented at launch, 'Here and Now' chart can be called up at any time simply with an 'n' (without quote marks) at the keyboard, or alternatively use the [Charts] > [Here and Now] link, or the [Edit] > [Enter/Edit mainchart..] dialog box link... handy, so long as your pc's time and date are correct.

'Here & Now' is automatically loaded to all chart-threads (Main, #2, #3, and #4) at launch, remaining till you edit them.

'Here & Now' clears all fields to default including the DST field but excepting the Name field (this remains unaltered).

As well as just pointing to a narrative for the day at hand, 'Here & Now' can come in useful, by using it in a synastry chart (i.e. with the /r command switch, /r mychartname.dat now' will compute today's transits for file mychartname.dat) to display today's planets in my own houses.   This is easy: launch Astrolog32, set your own chart as Mainchart, and click [Charts] > [Synastry].
Press 'c' to revert to a single chart-wheel.

Using chart #2's default 'Here & Now' also serves for making a comparison chart (go Alt+c), which ends up showing today's transits around the Mainchart, and is a very useful switch.
Press 'c' to revert to a single chart-wheel.

Loading or entering data for Chart #2 you use similar dialog procedures as the Mainchart, - it's [File] > [Open chart #2] or [Edit] > [Enter/Edit chart #2]; switches, Alt+shift+O, Alt+shift+Z, respectively. After 'OK'ing your data, Chart #2 is created and lurks out of sight - Chart #1 is still visible, and Chart #2 will only appear by selecting the bi- (Alt+c), or Multi-wheel.
To inspect it then by itself, there's this valuable option only:
Chart #2 data can be viewed or copied or printed just by itself by making it the Main chart! - transfer it by going [Edit] > [Exchange main chart and #2], and then, now as Mainchart, you can pursue all options with it. (Quicker, go 'Shift+X' to swap them).
This 'v' is a toggle, and will switch you to-and-fro, so you can edit, and later switch back.

Using this option, which is in [Charts], sets the window to showing the midpoints of positions taken from two time-data, presented as a single chart. The two time-data are whatever are entered at Chart #1, and at Chart #2:  so given that you have a mainchart loaded, enter the other data into [Edit] > [Edit chart #2], and 'OK' it (it won't appear), or use Chart #2's 'Here & Now' chart: then, selecting [Charts] > [Composite] (the shortcut is 'Alt+shift+Y') will create and show virtual planets and points, at the midpoints for each planets' (or objects') pair of positions across chart #1 and chart #2.

[Charts] > [Two Wheels], or Three Wheels, or or Four Wheels maximum, (called multiple charts, bi-wheels, synastry charts, in the Helpfile) ~ with these choices, you can pool two charts or more in a single ring.

Load data to each chart-thread you want as well as Mainchart, using [File] > [Open Chart #x], ([Edit] > [Enter/Edit Chart #x data] in V2.05); when they're loaded, then to view them as a multiple chart, go [Charts] > [Two Wheels], [Three Wheels], or [Four Wheels].

A multiple chart is great if one of the charts is your own or a client's, as, using today's positions as the other chart, it reveals what characteristics will be well-met-with, what will not. ~ Or, you can riffle through charts you have searched out, and with Alt+c, compare each with whatever's at chart #2. Find out who's to cultivate, who's to avoid!

Of the multiple chart data, when in Standard Wheel mode you can only see in isolation Chart no.#1 or Chart #2 (view each as mainchart by swapping them via [Edit] > [Exchange mainchart and #2] - a recent, very useful adaptation). Charts #3 and #4 can only be viewed in the Multiwheel.
If you want to compare more than two charts, but want more control and less fuss, the difficulties mentioned with Multiwheel are an argument, maybe, for launching more instances of the program, and either using Alt+tab to view them alternately, or tile them.
Or, temporarily use a switch/macro to cut out the points from the data, so only the planets are shown (as -YR 11 21 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1).

NOTE: This sets Astrolog32 mode to [Charts] > [Relationship Mode ON]. Switching it off (little 'c' without the quote marks), will hide charts #2, #3 and #4. The keyboard switch to invoke #1 & #2 alone is Alt+c.

--------------------- --------------------

[Charts] > [Synastry] doesn't look like a multiple chart, - it displays the planets of chart #1 in the houses of chart #2, so it's a virtual chart.

[Charts] > [Aspects Midpoints grid] serves two-chart data, the 'bi-wheel', see Aspects & the Aspectarian

[Charts] > [Date Difference]: this also is a combination chart, (as well as flipping to text), and it needs 'c' to exit it.

• Date Difference text-page
• Multiwheels
• Composite
• Synastry
• Midpoint, or
• 'Progressed & Natal' chart and text offerings

Aspects for any chart can be displayed listed only as text, either by closeness of aspect to exact (in °,',''), or with + for applying/- for separating; choose [Lists] > [Aspects],or Alt+l, (which is not a toggle).

Go Ctrl+x for ordering them 'according to power' according to Astrolog's algorithm. (Ctrl+x is a toggle, which will return you to 'according to closeness').
Alt+k renders the list in colour, which may help for picking out a particular object..

To return to the graphical, hit the 'v' key.

To view aspects in an 'aspectarian', the Aspects & Midpoints Grid, as Astrolog32 calls it, is, like the chartwheel, shown as a graphical grid or a text-grid: go [Charts] > [Aspects/Midpoints Grid], or take the shortcut, shift+A. Where the object a's row and the object b's column intersect, the aspect-glyph marks the aspect: - these glyphs occupy the left and lower part of the grid.

In the upper-right area, the sign of the nearer midpoint between each pair is shown; ~ the text version gives those midpoints in degrees & minutes. At font size 3 and above, the graphical also shows these midpoints in degrees.

Going [Edit] > [Copy chart as text] sends the grid to the clipboard, to paste into a document, or it may be sent straight to printer, with usual caveats regarding Character Scale. (see 'Preparing to Print' below). Switch is Ctrl+shift+5.
[Edit] > [Copy chart as bitmap] sends an image of the Aspectarian to the clipboard, to paste up. Switch is Ctrl+shift+6. [File] > [Save chart as bitmap..] will send an image of the Aspectarian to the \astrolog32\miscellaneous folder. Switch is Ctrl+6.

It's according to the aspects chosen in [Settings] > [Aspect Selections, Settings] , whether you see more or fewer aspect-glyphs on the grid (for a guide to them, see right). For this dialog, the keyboard toggle-switch is Alt+shift+A, where ticks in boxes will switch them on.
Alternatively, run a switch or macro in [Run] > [Command Line] for a different selection.

Change your Orbs-of-Aspect at [Settings] > [Aspect Selections and Settings], or go Alt+shift+A.
Alternatively, run a switch or macro in [Run] > [Command Line] for orbs appropriate for transits, progressions, - or use New Macros.

There are two modes for stars now, either:

• The Default: what Stars you get when going [Settings] > [Include Fixed Stars.. ] (or shift+U - a toggle) depends now on which, of them all, are actually aspecting planets at the time-datum; also, by default, Fixed Stars are always 'off', and so must first be toggled 'on'; (this option for viewing leaves [Star Selections], and Alt+shift+R which opens this selection popup, redundant).



• Old-Style, or Alternative: it used to be that a personal selection should be made at the start of each session, as just switching Fixed Stars 'on' meant, if 'all' were selected, the entire batch of available stars used to appear in your chart, and it was a messy sight; on the other hand, if [Settings] > [Star Selections] were all 'off' when you clicked [Settings] > [Include Fixed Stars.. ] (or, go shift+U), then this feature seemed not to work.
  Now, it's: [Settings] > [Star Selections] (Alt+shift+R) first, - select - and then the stars appear without more ado (this makes [Settings] > [Include Fixed Stars..] redundant.)

The latter option, lets you keep track of particular malefic or benefic stars, can have quite a set-up then at the start of each session, - the Config.file has no entries for Fixed Stars; and a command-switch cannot do it (though I think once it could).

Values to all objects per se can be conferred as defaults, in the Config. file, in the -Yj, -YjC and -YjA lines; also, through the [Object Settings] menu; (in both, Astrolog calls power 'Influence'); and, power when-in-transit has defaults in the YjT lines, or [Aspect Settings] menu.
To do this, users of Astrolog32 can apply power-numbers piecemeal to each aspect, orb and object, either as in the past through amending the Config.file lines, or now, through these menus:

• [Planets & Minors Settings] > [Minors] or (Alt+j),
• [Cusps & Uranians Settings] > [Uranians], or (Alt+shift+J),
• [Settings] > [Aspect Settings], or (Alt+shift+A).

higher numbers signify more power, on a scale from 0 to 50, but at default, 'influence' was always at 10 for the major planets and the house-cusps, less or none for minors. With V2.02, more detailed values obtain. Or you can open [Edit] > [Edit configuration file..] to inspect/alter 'Influence' settings in the Config.file, and Ctrl+s to save file.

To see the current chart's values for the objects and aspects, in text-mode go shift+J. (shift+V to return to locations).

Far more values are allocated, for House, for dignities and accidental dignities, if object directly disposits many planets, by ratios inside the program, and these, and your planets' defaults are totted by math, and displayed in '-j', '-j0' text-lists, using these switches in command-line. Fullest explanations are in Helpfile.TXT and Helpfile.html, where Walter Pullen calls power 'influence', Val Abramov calls it 'power', and both have made copious explanations there dispersed in the text, so seek:
W.P:
" -j: Display astrological influences of each object in chart. ",
" -j0: Like -j but includes. ",
" -D: " - to list power in the aspects,
" -T, -T[p]n : " - to list power in the transits,
then
" Determining the strength "
" Weighted chart. "
" -Yj "
" For each of the 18 aspects "
V.A:
" 4. Power Calculations - overview "
"   EXPLANATION of POWER CALCULATIONS  "

Power/Influence values that you choose have a great bearing on Astrolog's Interpretations output.

Because this feature does not differentiate kinds of power which in my experience have no overlap in their different trajectories, and as the user controls call first for a Delphic knowledge of the ratios, I am not yet served by the product of these calculations, so leave the topic to the motivated enquirer.
Note: As planet Earth is not included in Power calculations, Astrolog cannot reasonably estimate relative power in non-Earth-centred charts.

These are a set, not unique to Astrolog, of non-existent objects in defined orbits, the product of some bygone dippyness. See seorbel.TXT, in \main for more.
(But these are useful, as their orbits can be redefined in much older editions of Astrolog32; recent times have brought the discovery of real objects beyond Pluto, and if an agency is found in them, each's orbit can be given to an Uranian; or, if you want a fixed object in the Cosmos, an Uranian would serve, (but only with Astrolog32 V1.10, an older release. See FAQs here.)
By default, though, these are restricted from view and calculation. Select them via [Settings] > [Object Selections].

[File] > [Exit] used to kill Astrolog32 immediately without any invitation to save charts; since V2.04, there's a dialog to confirm quit.
Hitting letter q, or Esc key, operates in the same manner.

Accessible from the open program, Astrolog32 V1.3x has only the Helpfile in .TXT format, and the Readme in .HTML format, - only these two editable files can host a users' custom data, or some of it; more recently, version V2.05 has just the Helpfile.TXT, and Companion.HTML which has an editable .RTF file (for older I.E., try Paste-in,then_Save-As_Sample.RTF). Of these, .HTML is useful as you can call up hotlinks or pictures. Here's how..

    DODGE No. 5          

HTML accepts hotlinks, or pages, maps or pictures, all of such pages or pictures being created then saved in, for simplicity, the \main folder. If you have installed V2.05, open \main, \companion_files, and open noconfig.HTML with Notepad (where you'll find instructions, in capitals); but with earlier releases, open Readme.HTML in Notepad, and scroll to the Disclaimer.

You need to insert lines into the bodytext, hotlinking to your site, home-made HTML or .DOC, or an image: 'mypage.HTML'; mydoc.DOC'; OR 'mypic.PNG'.

A typical hot-link to raise a local webpage out of the \main folder:
    <a href="mywebpage.HTML" target="_blank">my webpage</a>   easy!   ..on the same line, add <br> <br> if there is another..

Here's my Astrolog32 Readme link, in V1.30, to raise a copy of the Companion saved in \main:
    <a href="companion.HTML">The Companion to Astrolog32</a>   and add <br> <br>

Here's a link to raise an image, 'British DST table' out of ...\main:
    <a href="DST-table-image.PNG" target="_blank">DST table</a>   ..and, add <br> <br>

Online, for linking to a website, it could be like:
    <a href="http://www.southville.net" target="_blank">Link to Southville for atlas, etc..</a>

INSTEAD: in Astrolog32 V2.05, Readme.HTML is no more! - For paths, snippets and switches, the easiest dodge is to use the top of the Helpfile.TXT, (which you'll find in \main), as image to right .. but you can't put hotlinks to images or websites.

The Helpfile is a cornerstone to understanding how Astrolog works, and how adaptable it is. Both HELPFILE.TXT and Helpfile.DOC present you with the same information - a library of command-switches, - Helpfile.HTML, a little more.

After a thorough listing of command (and keyboard) switches which alone used to control the program, then the more informative part of 'Helpfile' follows, in 'DESCRIPTION OF EACH COMMAND SWITCH', explaining what each switch does (and sometimes how).

After that section, there's a by-the-way explanation of the [Menu] options in "MS WINDOWS FEATURES"; after that, Astrolog's compiling data; and sundries are at the end.

It needs a long familiarisation, - there's a lot of technical information which for the new user is gadabout and hard to navigate; me, in seventeen years, I had not read the half! - nowadays I open a Find box (Ctrl+f), then type in one word or, better, a switch that may lead me ultimately to a paragraph on the topic I want; that's why I re-wrote the Helpfile as HTML: if you have HELPFILE.HTML bundled, click here..

Valentin Abramov's additions to the end of the original Helpfiles (re. 5.41G, and in 1999) are in my opinion an more expansive read, but so are "X WINDOW GRAPHICS FEATURES" and "MS WINDOWS FEATURES", too, and the latter section I recommend to menu-users.

Users of this key document need to understand:

1. a little bit about program routines, and, having an eye to how to undo any changes you raise, e.g. by using shift+V, or 'kill' switches, etc., - about, see in ABOUT SWITCHES.
2. drilling down for the first time, you can pick a listed topic in SECTION 2, in the "List of Commands" - each is then expanded on in "Description of Each Command Switch" further down the document; (and SECTION 4, "Data Entry And The Main Display" is a technical look at how data goes in).
3. command line switches were the anticipated way of working, and info is listed by each switch, - its action will be listed both in brief, then in detail, see here. Consider this list as now referring to the equivalent and extensive menu options of Astrolog..
4. tag-brackets like < and > are used to enclose where a number or name is required, but you are not expected to use the tag-brackets in your switches, nor square-brackets, nor the semi-colons, which just mark where the working code ends and the explanation begins (see section below ABOUT SWITCHES > 'Switch Parameters').
5. In both documents, 'printed' often means 'displayed onscreen', not at the printer!, Options for printing text out are barely covered in the Helpfile.
6. HELPFILE.TXT and Helpfile.DOC were both inside the \main folder, and opened via the [Help] menu as standalone windows. With V2.05, only TXT remains, along with 'The Companion'.

A number of online resources for Astrolog32 are listed here.

--------------- -----------------

[Help] > [Browse Astrolog32] - seeks an net connection to a homepage of Astrolog32:
v.1.30, http://uk.geocities.com/astrolog32/ (defunct)
v.2.02, http://www.orionsoft.cz/astrolog32/ (moribund)
[Help] > [Browse Astrolog home] - seeks an net connection to Walter Pullen's frequently-updated home-page, http://www.astrolog.org
[Help] > [Browse Astrodienst Atlas] (shortcut is Ctrl+shift+W) - enter your birth-town in an online searchfield, at http://www.astro.com/atlas
[Help] > [Signs] (Alt+2) gives each's modern ruler, part of human affairs associated, and which House has similar qualities (hides chart)
[Help] > [Objects] (Alt+3) - lists all available objects and the Fixed Stars, with, in the case of the planets, their Fall, Debility and Exaltation signs (hides chart)
[Help] > [Aspects] (Alt+4) - lists the aspect glyphs, with the orbs you have set (hides chart)
[Help] > [Constellations] (Alt+5) - their names and significance (hides chart)
[Help] > [Planet information] (Alt+6) sizes, distances, moons & solar year (hides chart)
[Help] > [General Meanings] (Alt+7) - a very basic steer to the kernel of astrology (hides chart)
[Help] > [Keystrokes] (question mark) lists the older single keystroke toggles. (hides chart). Note: to 'animate chart', ENGLISH A32 uses 'p',others, 'N'.
[Help] > [Switches] (Alt+8) lists the Command Switches, not keyboard switches! (hides chart)
[Help] > [Obscure switches] (Alt+9) lists the latter group of Command switches (hides chart)
[Help] > [Program Status] tells you what charts are loaded (hides chart)
[Help] > [About Astrolog32]: (Ctrl+shift+O), is a potted history, now with 'cold' weblinks for current release sites, opens in a separate window

* * NOTE: (hides chart) - Press 'v' key, without the quotes, to return to your chart from these options.

* * NOTE: Have these listings open while you work, by saving pages you like with [File] > (Export) > [Save chart as text].

Living with a hyperactive keyboard!

Astrolog being, from its beginning, a keyboard-driven program means accidental key-strokes in an Astrolog32 session can really spoil your day! - (the 'Esc' key used to be the worst, as it closed the program, in versions before v2.04, without even a 'by-your-leave'). Followed closely by 'h' - Heliocentric, and 's' - Suddenly in Sidereal!
Old-school users will be used to such brinkmanship in an end-user program. Newbies are warned - be ready for the unexpected, working to save promptly any unsaved charts.

It may help to have an steeply-raked keyboard.

Failing to clear each keyboard switch may provoke unwanted overlays of text and graphics, - the 'Backspace' and 'Spacebar' keys may only offer a short respite if this arises.

One of Astrolog32's greatest features has been its ability to advance and regress charts in different steps; see it by simply pressing 'p', it will show the default advance, - every second, it will advance the chart-datum one day; every time you hit 'r' , it reverses; and when you hit 'p' again, animation stops.

At [Animation] > [Jump Rate], each hop can be set from a second, to a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a year, a century+.

At [Animation] > [Jump factor], any Jumprate you choose can be multiplied.

Shortcuts to all these jumprate options can be found in the page TABLES of KEYBOARD SWITCHES.

This animation feature works not just with charts, but in horizons and map views, ephemerides, lists and the calendar, and continues to shift the chart through time even when Astrolog32 is the inactive window.

Pressing [Animation] > [Timed exposure] (little j) during the graphic of [local horizon] or [Orbit], e.g. see here, each interval will 'leave trails of positions', which illustrate the apparent trajectory and speed of objects in the night sky over days.
Pressing 'backspace' key will clear the screen at any point.

At the 'Here & Now' chart you start with, press shift+1 (which makes !), then p: the chart will update by tiny steps each second, and you can, among other things, monitor aspects making and breaking (shift+A), or view your local horizon (shift+Z; plus, in the Northern Hemisphere, i), with the planets' relative dispositions in the sky, or watch globe-rotation in real time.
This relies on your animation-update-rate remaining at one second, which the shift+1 switch set.
Press p again to stop the animation, and $ to reset animation jumps to 'days'.

[File] > [Print...] (the keyboard switch is Ctrl+p), opens the 'printer' or 'choose printer' dialog box to print directly: but you may want a 'landscape' print-off: go Ctrl+q first! ~ Astrolog32 has its own Postscript setup, that can be managed in the [Settings] > [Miscellaneous] dialog box.

Prior to printing text or a graphic, the Character scale will affect the font-size - 'Ctrl+2' is default, and 'Ctrl+1', ... 'Ctrl+3', and 'Ctrl+4' are other switches for glyph-size that can be set, no matter whether in Graphical- or Text-mode, though in your text outputs, only the lettering and numbers will be shrunk or enlarged.

Alternatively, [Edit] > [Copy chart as text] sends a text-version to your clipboard, so you can paste and format in a text- editor. (this will bounce the chart-view into text-mode anyway). This clipboard item can be pasted into Wordpad or other editor. This routine allows you to copy all textlists, like Interpretations, or Aspects, and format them into MS Word, or a publishing software of your choice.
The shortcut is Ctrl+shift+5.
For set-up of text outputs, see APPEARANCE & IMAGING.

[Edit] > [Copy chart as bitmap]: this makes a copy of the chart image, or any other graphical display (& if you are in text-view, it will bounce you into graphical mode), available in the Windows© Clipboard, which you can paste straight into Wordpad (here, if you are viewing this in an older I. E.); or it can then be pasted into any image-editor that will host bitmaps: you can then save in any format.
With V2.04 and V2.05, the shift + Q switch shrinks the size of the graphic before copying. ~ to get it back to size, use the pull-handle.

But compare [File] > [Save chart as bitmap], (now in [File] > [Export]), where you can save a bitmap image straightaway, in four actions, using the shortcut Ctrl+6.
For set-up of graphical outputs, see APPEARANCE & IMAGING.

Getting things the way you like it, you can follow two avenues: tweaks for the present session only, and permanent tweaks, such at setting things up.
The session tweaks are best left to command switches and keyboard switches, or using the menubar until the switches become memorable; the permanent tweaks have to be made at a time when a beginner is unsure about method - they're covered in Core.

Session

Objects

See More

Rare

Core

& Save

For Sidereal users, in Astrolog it's a snap to call Sidereal (toggle 's'), Decans (toggle 'g'), or Navamsa (toggle 'y'), or Domal (toggle 'f') - - these are all simple keyboard switches. Heliocentric is easy, too (toggle 'h'). (See Sidereal, Vedic).

Unhappily for workaday Tropical users of Astrolog, our least-used adjustments to the program (after setup) were assigned many of the simplest keyboard switches (e.g. h, g, s, y, f - all Sidereal tweaks); this means that for our typical everyday, say for viewing aspect lists, dispositors, colored text or transits, shift-key keyboard switches do much of the heavy lifting; and for delivering some newly-available lists like Major Configurations we must dig into [Settings] > [Chart Settings] and tick boxes.. (see Midpoints & Planets' Configurations for that journey!). To redress matters, here's a Remedy..

--------------- -----------------

These 'lets' and restrictions cover most options:

[View] > [Colored Text], Alt+k, 'Colored Text' is applied to text not to graphics: (it bounces you into text-mode when set, so to get straight back to the graphic, type v). Your preferences can be made default, - see Core.

Hiding the program!:   There's a way to hide everything leaving a plain empty window: hitting the 'Backspace' key does this, and [View] > [Window Settings] > [Clear screen] does too.
Pressing 'Spacebar' calls Astrolog back again,as can its menu equivalent [View] > [Window Settings] > [Redraw screen] - and this last tweak eliminates any on-chart marks, accidental or otherwise.

Hiding planets/ other objects:   going [View] > [Show glyph labels] (toggle little l - l for 'lunch') will hide/show all planets, luminaries and calculated points, like the nodes - just the aspect-lines remain; this is how the chart will print. It will call the graphic-mode, if you're at a text window.

Hiding aspect-lines, not so easy, but see how-to in About Switches. But Bonus Mode hides lines in Gauquelin Sectors.

[View] > [Show border] (b is the toggle):   this hides, or shows, the border around the chart, - this will call the graphic-mode. You can't make this a default feature, except by making the colour parameter for the lines the same as the background colour ~ which is a dodge! ~ achieved by altering astrolog32.dat, at Main Colors (the -Yk 0 8 line), or through modifying [Settings] > [Color Settings].

[Extra] > [Bonus Mode], (toggle i): Bonus Mode has different operation, according to your display: (in text charts, Bonus Mode calls graphical)

• In chart-wheel: hardens the main aspect-lines, thins out the minor ones
• In Aspectarian, the midpoints and the glyphs are swapped
• In Astrograph, it shows when MC sweeps each planet, on a given day (useful)
• Hides the Moon's course, in the graphical-ephemeris

Beware: setting 'i' in Combination chart, means 'c' to return to chart #1 doesn't work

  With [Extra] maps and constellations:

• flips Show/hide planets in [Show Globe], or amid Constellations
• .. other effects are negligable

NOTE: [Extra] > [Constellations ON], (shift+F) swaps between 'looking at the sky', and 'looking at the globe'.

[View] > [Reverse Background], little x, inverts both your text and graphics colours, (follow it maybe with m for monochrome) - fine if you chose a dark background, but want to print black on white. In earlier versions of astrolog32, you can opt for 'reversed colors' at launch, and simply save astrolog32.dat.

[View] > [Graphics Mode], [View] > [Text Mode] - (it bears repeating) - swap between seeing a graphical chart, and seeing chart data as text: much quicker typing little v.

[Settings] > [Calculation Settings] - this dialog avails to set harmonic charts and opting for another planet at the centre of the chart - but it's quicker by command-switch.

You can set up Astrolog32 to display and give data for at least 117 objects & points, including cusps; 127 if you include Arabic Parts in the available text list. By default, only some 24 objects are shown, or listed in text-mode, from a given chart-time-datum.

You can include or exclude objects or points on a per-session basis according to the nature of your work, by using the dialog boxes itemised below: you can make more objects (like cusps, minor planets, etc, but not Fixed Stars), appear every day by default in your text- or graphics-views, by saving the Config.file (astrolog32.dat) after you have expanded or restricted what you want.
Each link ending in "...Selections" in the [Settings] dropdown menu will open a dialog-box, (though there are quicker ways).

  1. By way of [Settings] > [Object Selections], all major and minor planets, also Uranians, and the cusps, can individually be restricted from view and calculations. (the keyboard switch for this dialog is Alt+r).

  2. By way of [Settings] > [Transit Selections], all major and minor planets, also Uranians, and the cusps, can individually be restricted/reset in calculations when transitting. (the keyboard switch for this dialog is Alt+shift+F).

  3. By way of [Settings] > [Progressed Selections], all major and minor planets, also Uranians, and the cusps, can individually be restricted/reset in calculations, when progression dialog box is used. (the keyboard switch for this dialog is Alt+Ctrl+p).

  4. By way of [Settings] > [Aspect Selections and Settings], Alt+shift+A: this important dialog allows to reset the Orbs and any Influence for each of the Major and Minor planets and Points used: tick-box the ones you want 'on', untick those you want 'off'.
If you need to alternate between two (or more) aspect-sets, I suggest to use macros to reset, and then to return to default (MACROS & HARMONICS).

  5. By way of [Settings] > [Planets & Minors Settings]: this dialog allows to reset the Orb-Additions and any Influence (Power) of the Major and Minor planets, and Points used. Again, macros allow different addition-sets to be called ad hoc.
See that a maximum Orb (defaulted 360 degrees) exists for each, - which means you can 'clip' accumulating Orb Additions, e.g. at 15.
Under "Add" and "Influence", a "0.0" here indicates that the objects have not been weighed for more orb, nor as to 'power' - those numbers can be upped to your choice, such as extra two degrees for the Sun.

  6. [Settings] > [Cusps & Uranians Settings]: as '6' above, to trim orb of cusps and Uranians

To make your selections permanent, now go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file]; Save astrolog32.dat and close.

THE FOLLOWING CANNOT BE MADE DEFAULT, ONLY SESSION:

7. [Settings] > [Star Selections]: here, select your preferred Fixed Stars, (and, in V1.30, go [Settings] > [Include Fixed Stars], shift+U): they will appear for the session only.

8. [Settings] > [Calculation Settings], planets can be locked on a chart's Ascendant Degree, or at Midheaven.

9. [Settings] > [Calculation Settings], any Central Planet instead of Earth can be selected, with the exception of Moon.

'Beginner's Option' - see below

Display more accurate positions of Objects and Points, as a permanent feature: either
1, in the Config.file, set -b0 to =b0, then:
 [Edit] > [Edit configuration file]; Save it and close.

Or, 2. go Alt+b, then:
 [Edit] > [Edit configuration file]; Save it and close.
o
Or, 3. in [Settings] > [Chart Settings..], on the right of the dialog, together with Scientific Notation of degrees in decimal. OK it, then:
 [Edit] > [Edit configuration file]; Save it and close.

Switch off redundant Aspects/Change the Orbs: go [Settings] > [Aspect Selections & Settings] which calls the reset-fields for all aspects (bar any orb additions), including if they are to be listed for 'applying' and 'separating'. Astrolog reckons orbs in decimal: in this Companion in ATLASES, there is a converter from minutes of arc to decimal. (Alt+shift+A also calls this). See BASICS # 1 > Aspects to identify the aspects available, and the symbols used.

Showing Other Aspects: Going [Settings] > [Parallel Aspects] (toggle is Alt+shift+X) hides the general aspects and shows instead the parallels and contra-parallels, for view, list-view, calculations and printing - you can't set this as default.

In some situations, the switch -gp will present as text, the Midpoints Grid, plus parallels listed. It's unreliable, and not a toggle.

Quintiles and Septiles are maybe best called with a command-switch which switches them on while switching Major Aspects off. Try -YAR 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 -YAR 6 11 1 1 1 1 0 0 -YAR 12 18 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 ;

These and other small aspects also may be in Configurations but not noticable in the chart, because the planets are apparently randomly placed around the Radical: use harmonics 2 or 5, to see such things.

[Settings] > [Calculation Settings], (Alt+shift+S), is important for making very major in-session alterations, but only choice of Nodes, Sidereal Houses, Sidereal Offset of objects' positions, and your settings for Lilith (Dark Moon) can save to become default: heliocentric, or any planet-at-centre (except Moon) charts can be opted for here for the session, and harmonic charts derived from the basic chart data. Opt here for equatorial positions instead of ecliptic. But these latter cannot be made the default status for Astrolog32.

[Settings] > [Chart Settings], (Alt+shift+C) is a portmanteau dialog box where
1. the default 'Alternative stars' can be switched so that the new-style view of those-currently-aspecting is shown as default. A tick in the box will reverse this, and vice-versa, to make Alternative Stars default. Also, here are various different additions to text-lists.
2. summaries of major aspects
3. planets' speeds compared with mean velocity
4. include aspects to midpoints, among many. (It is often necessary that the appropriate text-chart be called.)
Here too..
5. you can add the immediate-dispositors' glyphs to the Signs in the wheel. This is a cabinet of assorted fixes, and includes how
6. 'Flower' graphics are displayed.

Command Switches offer a rapid path to many of these re-settings, see ABOUT SWITCHES.

[Settings] > [Arabic parts Settings] is a dialog where you can define different calculation formulae and inversions, and the circumstances where Astrolog32 will list any Part's aspects. There's no shortcut.

[Settings] > [Graphics Settings] - You can alter your standard animation delay (in milliseconds) here, for the duration of your session.

Otherwise, see APPEARANCE & IMAGING for this dialog's other tweaks, and those of [Settings] > [Color Settings].

[Settings] > [Special] > [solar chart] (Alt+1) puts the Ascendant at the dawning Sun.

[Settings] > [Special] > [Flip signs houses] (f), this creates a Kensky chart, useful to think about a chart, as if things were otherwise.

[Settings] > [Special] > [Geodetic houses] (Alt+shift+H) houses of interest to 'quake analysts.

[Lists] > [Arabic parts] tells the program to serve the Arabic parts text-list. Alt+p is the shortcut.

[View] > [Sort aspects by power, or orb] (Ctrl+x is the toggle) re-sorts the aspects list (see [Lists] > [aspects], Alt+l), accordingly.

[View] > [Show Aspect Info], (shift+I, a toggle), shows or hides a power calculation derived from the aspects in the chart - this only affects the graphic chart-wheel. If you're in text-mode, this will flip Astrolog32 into graphics-mode, with the calculation added.

Beginner's Option
You can opt for Simplified Mode, (only available with V2.04 and after), after your first launch - it's in [Settings], - where you can return to 'Advanced' at any time. This tidier window means a beginner can concentrate on chart-making (and viewing and saving), learning Astrolog32's way-of-working.
Before opting into Simplified Mode at all though, you need, while in Advanced mode, to set-up any basic requirements, like Sidereal or Tropical?.. chosen House System?.. and, do you want Objects' locations to-the-second? anything else? ..(see below).. - and then be sure to go:
 [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], and save file; Close ; next, go [Settings] > [Simplified Mode] and then again  [File] > [Save current settings], and save file and close it, if you mean to keep wth this choice for a while.

Altering date format:  D-M-Y (Europe/Russ/Afr/N.Z) or M-D-Y (US/Can), ~ find this choice in [Settings] > [Miscellaneous Settings]; and change here the number of columns'-width of text-data, whether onscreen or to print.
This dialog, (Alt+shift+B), has a field to add or remove cells in the graphics-mode aspectarian grid, to accomodate more, or less, points or objects, as you make them default or necessary in the [Settings] > [Object Selections] dialog.

Press 's' without the quotes, to switch between Tropical and Sidereal view of the Zodiac's offset to the Cosmos. Setting your preference during a session and, before quitting, saving the Config.file, makes your choice your new default.

([Settings] > [Calculation Settings] sets a different Zodiacal Offset for Sidereal charts).   Then, [Settings] > [House Types] sets a different Tropical or Standard Sidereal house system.
At the same dialog box, restrictions or lets can be applied to the 'Angles' cusps' data appearing too. Positions for ASC, DESC, M.C, and I.C are not in the chart info, because Off by default, and here this default can be altered - just save the Config. file.

Also, you can reset what interpretations you want to see, or chose 'None'; and maybe add more columns for text to display, as suit widescreens nowadays, - and tackle your Postscript paper settings for printing.

Your choices of glyphs for Pluto, Uranus, and Capricorn, also Lilith, are in [Settings] > [Graphics Settings].

[View] > [Colored Text], Alt+k, is applied to text not to graphics: you can abandon this default, by altering astrolog32.dat, (change -k to =k). Save the file.

Hidden from us while we change our settings, the astrolog32.dat file in computer memory isundergoing constant re-drafting.. so when we decide to Save Settings, it is the exact current setup which over-writes the astrolog32.dat you launched with. A link to do this is in [File] menu.   Then re-launch Astrolog32 to see it's true; but you can also go Ctrl+s with the file, opened by [Edit] > [Edit configuration file].. Which is preferable?.

For example, defaults at installation are: white background (version 2.02 on), locations in minutes of arc, graphical chart, Tropical signs, .. and of course your default location, .. yet it is a one-minute job if you are an old hand, to change three of these so that you have new defaults. (Changing default location takes a little time .. see below for how.)

NOTE: Any changes you save are reversible.

A. By keyboard switches: To set Astrolog32 to, say, 'print nearest second', text, and Sidereal,   go Alt+b; then go 's', without the quotes, then 'v' likewise..
or, if you have version V1.30 or before, go 'reverse all colours',.. 'x', without the quotes (In V2.0x, you must go via menus, CL, or Config.file to permanently abandon white).

Or B. By menus: To set the program to, say, monochrome, and treat cusps as 'objects', go [Settings] > [Object Selections..], find 'cusps' and click 'Select All', then go 'OK'; then go [View] > [monochrome]...

Then C. ..NOW THIS WILL OVERWRITE YOUR CURRENT SETTINGS! -ALSO ANY OLD-STYLE MACROS!
  go [File] > [Save current settings], and 'Save' ~ OR ~  [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], then Ctrl+s, then close.

Close Astrolog32 and re-launch it.

Changing default location/timezone/DST:
Go [Edit] > [Set default location/timezone], or (Alt+shift+D), to call a dialog for changing:

  1. Annual DSTs ~ type 'yes' if it is DST currently.
  2. Home timezone. ~ ..find your off-set to UT here.
  3. Degrees Easting or Westing) - obtain via [Call Atlas] if your country's included, or....
  4. Degrees Northing or Southing) - or via Google, via GPS phone (type in to replace defaults)
  5. Home location name ~ type in if atlas doesn't insert; ...
- if online, go astro.com/atlas.

After edits,  go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], and 'Save'.

Close Astrolog32 and re-launch it.

For instance, to set Astrolog32 to Earth, Sun and Moon only at every launch, open the Config.file, find
  -YR 0 10   0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
and change to
-YR 0 10   0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Save the file..
Launch Astrolog32. To reverse this, revert to the upper entry, and save.

Or, to set Astrolog32 permanently to the display of, say, the derestricted display of all 'minor planets', and true nodes rather than mean: find the line starting -YR 11 21 ..and change all the ones that follow to zeroes;
find _Yn, and change it to =Yn.
Save the file with Ctrl+s
Launch Astrolog32. To reverse this, revert to the upper entry, and save.

Save the file with Ctrl+s ? - OR -  go [File] > [Save current settings], and 'Save'. ?
one doesn't wipe old-style macros you have in astrolog32.dat, one does. details here.

For an in-depth explanation, try the section dedicated to manual editing CUSTOMISING DEFAULTS via CONFIG.FILE.

Things that can't be made default are:
1. The Fixed Stars: they won't appear until called.
2. The harmonic that Astrolog32 launches with: that's Harmonic 1 only.
3. Astrolog32 can't launch with other than a one chart graphic complete with info sidebar; or with a text-list of positions.
4. Anything on the [Extra] menu.
5. Chart at launch cannot be other than Earth-centred.

-------------------------------------------

• if you backed up a recent copy of astrolog32.dat, find it and import a copy of that backup file into the Astrolog32 \main folder, where you will be asked 'Do you want to over-write?' - go yes, and overwrite your broken astrolog32.dat.
• failing that, deleting the original astrolog32.dat, then going [Edit] > [Edit configuration file] will open a new Config. file, but you'll have to re-personalise it, then 'Save'.

The Mainchart's dispositors can be seen - in various hierarchies - by typing shift + J (not a toggle), or clicking [Charts] > [Dispositors]; use Graphics mode (If you're in Text mode, a grid laid out in text used to appear - now it is a list of Pullen's power estimates.)
NOTE: using the keyboard shortcut shift+J, a bug was apparent in v2.04, - text and graphics can overlay, and the background change - it's fixed now: using the 'Chart' menu method is safe.

The planets higher in each cell disposit the lower ones. Incidentally, the layout of the Sign Dispositors can indicate, to a seasoned user, whether a chart has 'good yoga' - i.e. most planets being sole occupants of the Signs they fall in.

As in other modes of the program, pressing 'p' makes it update by progression.
Use shift+V to return to the chart-graphic.

The descending order of planets-by-Sign (left) is a schematic of the chain of dispositions of a chart of W.H.Davies (right).

Springing from an idea from Theodoros Natsinas, and getting away from the Radical's aspect-display, this chart is an analytic of significant degrees of a given chart, expressed in the chart circle as a petal-shape, radial from the centre, toward degrees that are 'trigger points', i.e. sympathetic/antipathetic to the planets' positions as an whole; with waves or spikes at the circumference.
It looks for two kinds of point, those that accentuate tension, and those of most benign aspect - 'Harmonic' here means harmonious.

Opening [Settings] > [Chart Settings], (Alt+shift+C), is the only way of opting for this graphic, or switching it off.

[Charts] > [Biorhythm Chart], (shift+Y), sets up a sine-wave chart showing three varying qualities at a glance - "Intellectual", "Emotional" and "Physical" assessments; note that these are reckoned for the chart #2 birth-datum, on the day of the Mainchart, so, either both chart#1 and chart #2 need to be set up or if only the first, then by going shift+X then shift+Y, 'today's evaluation' for the Mainchart can be seen. Shift+Y is not a toggle.

The waves' low points reach -100% (said to be a low ebb), .. +100% (said to be buoyant).

The graphical shows month to view, the text version gives the biorhythm percentages for the seven days before (T-7 days) and the seven days after (T+7 days) on the date cited as chart #1.

The command-line switch is -rb, and needs the files to be specified in the command-line.
-r0 <file1> <file2> ;
will keep the charts separate in comparison.

There is a distinction between any of the above types of particular relationship charts and the actual comparison between two separate charts.
The -r0 <file1> <file2> option is used to generate actual comparison charts.

For example, to see what your biorhythm is like for the beginning of December, do "astrolog -qm 12 1998 -rb nul yourchart" on the command line and no further input is needed.

For example, combining -r0 with the -g switch will cause a full grid chart of the aspects between all the planets of the two charts (with person1's planets on the vertical axis and person2's on the horizontal) to be displayed.

The -yb <file> switch will display the person indicated in file's biorhythm for today. The -yd <file> switch will display how many months, days, etc old the person in the file is right now.
There are also switches -yp[0] and -yt which similarly behave like -rp[0] and -rt above but automatically compare to now.

-Yb <days>: Set the number of days to span for a biorhythm chart.

[Lists] > [Transits] opens the 'Transits' dialog box so you can input a point in time ahead of the Mainchart's, (of course), so as to to see any particular day's (month's, year's) transits to the Mainchart which you have running. The 'hits' are displayed as a list.
('Here & Now' button selects 'now, today', for any hits to the Mainchart.)
Keyboard switch is Alt+shift+T - press v to return.
This input dialog also appears when using V2.04+'s 'General' & 'Particular Planet' transit Macros - Ctrl+F1 to Alt+F1, - these allowing the display of transits under any custom parameters of the macro.

(NOTE: You can use this dialog to set a progression target-date, as well).

Both V2.0x & V1.30 have another option [Transit & Natal], in [Charts]; this works in graphic mode as a bi-wheel, when you have set your chart#2 as the future day you are enquiring into: chart#2's positions surround chart#1: the Moon is restricted in all versions of Astrolog32, (but can be seen if you go shift+X, or v for text - both toggles).

[Lists] > [Midpoints] offers a text-list of the mid-span positions between every pair of planets, points & angles between the Mainchart and chart #2, so it's a two-page printoff of some 112 mutual midpoints of all objects. Going [Edit] > [Copy chart as text] sends the list to the clipboard, to paste into a doc., or it may be sent straight to printer, with usual caveats regarding Character Scale, or appended to other text output.

See also, in the Aspectarian grid, the midpoints' Signs are displayed in upper right half, both in the graphical and text display.

You can append a list of all Planets' Configurations! - both to the Aspectarian (text version - see right), and/or to the Aspect List.

First, click on [Settings] > [Chart Settings], and tick the box for "Text Aspect Grid Shows Aspect Configurations, (text)".

Also, click on [Settings] > [Aspect Selections], ticking the box "Text Aspect Lists show Aspect Summary": the configurations will appear after the text-list of aspects, too.

It seems these appendices cannot be made default.


Configurations reckoned are: Dish, Grand Cross, Grand Rectangle, Grand Trine, Kite, Stellium, T-Square, Yod. Before reviewing the Configurations present, restrict Points which are not planetary in [Settings] > [Object Selections]; or run a macro to suppress them. For pictures, see WORD LOOK-UP.

Clicking [Settings] > [Sidereal Zodiac] relocates the zodiac according to its antique linkage with the constellations, named for the Signs: you can use the keyboard letter 's', a toggle which switches in/out of Sidereal/Tropical; saving the Config.file will make this choice your default charting mode.

For a familiar thirteen-box chart, choose 'text-mode', and perhaps Alt+shift+V.

Reversing the sequence of the signs in the zodiac, Vedic orientation is called by the letter 'z', (this is a toggle), or by altering [Settings] > [Vedic wheel Display] (which is like [Settings] > [House Types] > [Whole House] - the house divisions each appear 30 degrees across the zodiac, so there are no intercepted signs). Now, Lagna is top-left. [Settings] > [House Types] > [Shripati Houses] will adjust objects' positions from any default Western house-system.

Otherwise, [Settings] > [...Calculations Settings] is an essential point-of-visit for Siderealists, being a portmanteau dialog box for setting up a number of features (the switch is Alt+shift+S - it is not a toggle); under Zodiacs, there are seventeen Ayanamsa settings ~ find here Fagan-Bradley, Hipparchos, Sassanian, & others.

The trans-Saturnians can be suppressed from their default appearance by de-selecting them in [Settings] > [Object Selections], made permanent by going [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], and saving astrolog32.dat. Saving the Config.file, astrolog32.dat, (go Ctrl+9), saves any other alterations you have chosen, too.

Or keep your options open: press ' v'. then 'Alt+shift+V', then just run a macro like /s 24 /YR 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 /J /c 13 ;, when you want a Sidereal perspective, without making Sidereal charting your default.

Harmonics can be set in [...Calculations Settings], too, and can be raised without reference to the Sidereal elements in the dialog box, simply by entering a number in the relevant field, and OK'ing. In order to go from one harmonic to another, simply alter the 'Harmonic chart factor' again - the numbers will not compound, it re-calculates from the Radical.

Decans, (which are not the third harmonic), can be called by [Settings] > [Special] > [Show decans], or by keying letter 'g' (a toggle).

Similarly, the Navamsa is three clicks away, via [Settings] > [Special] > [Show Navamsas], or, type letter 'y' (also a toggle).

These re-divide the House-Wheel, nine unequal sectors to each quadrant, interpolated without respect of House Division's irregular spans-by-latitude, apparently according to some exponential scale. They serve to fraction areas of charts for comparative analysis of planets' positions (whether high or low, east or west), set against people's professional career choices, or their lifelong debilities. Charts with their Gauquelin Sectors must be time-exact.
Keyboard switch is shift + M.

The sectors (there are 36) are numbered clockwise from the Ascendant.

Michel Gauquelin conceived this division of chart areas, which has no burden of past associations, and used France's timed birthcharts to build huge databases. 'The Mars Effect' caused ripples, and drew the 'skeptical' part of the science establishment into a shameful attempt to shut him down, by bogus peer-review.

This feature uses chart #1 datum and chart #2 datum, but makes just one chart, using the House alignment of the Mainchart, chart #1, but displaying the planets of chart #2.
The keyboard shortcut is Alt+y.
Use shift + X to put the planets of chart #1 in the House alignment of chart #2 or press c to revert to Mainchart.

In terms of use, generally, expect to experience your susceptibility to their planets appearing in your 3rd, 4th and 5th Houses; your adjustment to their planets in your 6th, 7th and 8th Houses; your forbearance with their planets in your 9th, 10th and 11th Houses; and your identification with their planets in your 12th, 1st and 2nd Houses.

Even although it is a chart 'Having No Time or Space', Interpretations can be run on this chart, as Astrolog doesn't forbid even quite pointless exercises!

To see hits between the two charts, though, you need a Comparison Chart - see Multiwheels.

The Synastry chart may equally just rely on a 'Here & Now' chart at chart-thread #2 to supply a display of transits; check out 'Here & Now' and Chart #2 section, if you need to set up #2.

    DODGE No. 6          

Largely, these fields are for reassurance, or, the analysis of any failures to send and fetch stuff in Astrolog's folders: these fields are editable: each defines how Astrolog32 accesses one folder in its folder-system, and not in any way how the chart-making and calculating-engine works.
These fields replicate the last section of the Config. file, which does the same job (where, equally well, you can edit these paths).

If you need to modify these fields, either:

   1. you have trouble getting Astrolog32 to find its charts, atlases, interpretations, miscellaneous or ephemerides folders..

2. you are setting up a new install, and want to direct its calls for atlases, ephemerides, charts, etc, to an earlier install or program, or another location for the folders.

IN LATEST VERSIONS. the Directory-fields in the image above are the default paths in Astrolog32 V2.02, and all versions after. Though by default it goes to 'Program Files', C:\Program Files\Astrolog32\.. (as seen), these versions should adjust to any location, and they will direct calls to folders, having amended these paths automatically. (but see third 'Directories' image)

Unlikely, but if you have moved your Astrolog32 V2.0x after install, (and certainly if you have installed V1.3x other than at C:\astrolog32), you will find you have to change these paths and save the Config.file (or, of course, move the Astrolog32 folder back to where you first chose, maybe C:\Program Files\.., or in the older version, to C:); then it can work.. (and you may need to re-make shortcuts to astrolog32.exe, to launch the program).

So, to change what's in these fields, you cannot browse to your intended paths, you must find the paths and insert them, and go 'OK'. (See the very end of the CUSTOMISING DEFAULTS WITH CONFIG.FILE section, for how). Then you must save the Config.file.

IN EARLIER VERSIONS. note the difference with this set of Directory-paths (at right) - these are the default paths in Astrolog32 V1.30, and all versions before. These versions expect the program to be installed to a folder called \astrolog32, at the root C:, and they direct calls to the modular folders there.

If you have your Astrolog32 V1.3x anywhere else, you will have to change these paths and save the Config.file. Or, move the \Astrolog32 folder to the root C:, so it can work (you'll need to re-make shortcuts to astrolog32.exe, to launch the program).

Lastly here are the paths for an english-language V2.04/5 install at C:.

Note that although the installer suggested the \astrolog32 folder would be at the root, in fact another folder, called \astrolog, needs to be interposed by you, or macros will not work.

Ideally, the extra folder is made by the Astrolog32 V2.0x installer during installation, but you can successfully create it now and park \Astrolog32 within it; but make sure the directory paths in your personal astrolog32.dat are correct.

There is a graphical & a text version, and only the text option is in [Lists]. The graphical, which is called by going [Charts] > [Local Horizon] shows the spread of the luminaries & planets around the ecliptic, pointing up their rising, setting and culmination, also quadrant and conjunction, - pressing 'p' for progression becomes a demonstration of the changing night sky, if Jump Rate is 'Hours'. As well, Fixed Stars can be incorporated in the image, and any planet bar the Moon set as the hub to the 360-degree view.
The text-list details angular position and time, rising, culmination and setting.
Fixed Stars can be included individually, or by [Settings] > [Include Fixed Stars], so can Uranians (this will be a very full list!)
You can call these pages via Alt+shift+L (not a toggle) for text, or shift+Z (not a toggle) for graphics.

This uses the world map to illustrate the culminated position of planets and points through the day in question. [Extra] > [Bonus Mode] shows longitudes where, at the chart's time, planets are at zenith.
The text version spells out the longitude of where, at the time in question each planet was on the midheaven and on the nadir, and the latitude of where the planets actually appeared at zenith.
The keyboard switch is shift+L.

Astro-graphology is a big topic, but curiosity's arrow has led me in other roads. It is extensively covered in HELPFILE.TXT, (as 'astro-graph' - note the spelling), and Wikipedia's Astrocartography page explains the topic too.

This feature is a text-file generated ad-hoc by Astrolog32 to describe personality traits that would arise, if the mainchart data was a birth-chart.
What interpretation-set you see is controlled by [Settings] > [Miscellaneous], where there are two permutations of interpretation-sets to choose from (on the right of the dialog's window). (With V1.3x, seeing any 'alternative' interpretations at all depends on whether you have downloaded the 'Interpretations' zipfile and extracted it to where Astrolog32 expects it to be, \interpretations.)

• The standard interpretations are a list of planets read according-to-Sign-and-House, without regard to aspects. These are the Interpretations presented by default: clicking [Lists] > [Interpretations], (Alt+shift+capital I), will put up a copyable text-list.
  


• Alternative interpretations are only available on request, then, and include an automated estimation of relative power, and adjustments for the effect of major aspects - these come from files you can edit to your own purposes: they rely on Valentin's sequencing, which is hidden in the program. Files pl01.dat thro' pl10.dat reference Sun thro' Pluto, I discover, and pl22.dat, pl25.dat, pl28.dat, pl31.dat cover Ascendant, 4th, Descendant, 10th.

If you select 'alternative' in the [Settings] > [Miscellaneous] window, you can choose one of six different levels of editable alternative interpretations, and going 'OK' to an option will deliver your selection during the current session, choosing from:
1. default - 'Info Only'.
2. Each planet's quality defined individually.
3. Each House's quality defined individually.
4. Each House's quality defined in terms of its dispositor.
5/6. All Houses' and planets' qualities defined individually, and default readings, less/with their dispositions.

It isn't possible to make the alternative selection the default selection.

[Extra] > [Constellations On]
This sets the maps on, but with an outward perspective: so does shift+F, a toggle that thereafter only switches from skymap to earthmap.

Other triggers for maps are shift+G - delivers Equatorial Globe or Equatorial Constellations, and shift+P, [Extra] > [Show Polar Globe] / [Polar Constellations], sets to the South Pole - press i for North Pole.

In all cases, shift+F switches from looking in to looking out.
All these maps can be modified, by going little 'i', or little 'p'. Bonus Mode incorporates the planets, in graphics mode, with these [Extra] options ; it is a toggle more handily driven by the keyboard switch letter 'i'.

[Extra] > [Modify Chart], (number 'zero') functions differently in different modes: Specifically, if in wheel chart mode it will toggle between the standard wheel and the house-emphasized wheel.

In addition, it will toggle the "horizon chart displays with polar center" flag from the Chart Settings dialog, with the "world map in Mollewide projection" flag from the Graphics Settings dialog.

Toggle 'p', and trying [Extra] > [Globe Tilt] > [any value to increase, ] [ to decrease, ] can have the globe rolling everyway, as well.

[Extra] > [Calendar] leads to two options for viewing: relevant Month or relevant Year. These pages have scrollbars, but do not scroll in this option, so if you are (say) counting days beyond a year's end or start, you can't scroll to the next/previous year. Instead, progress the calendar, using the ^ keyboard switch (shift+6) for 'progress by years', then the 'p' keyboard switch.
The keyboard shortcut for Calendar is Shift+K, which then also toggles between the 'Month' and 'Year' view.
Escape by way of shift+V.

[Charts] > [Ephemeris] - this displays a text or graphic page - the midnight positions of planets and points for each day in the month which the Mainchart-data falls in.
Shift+E calls the same thing. The toggle ' v' switches to/from a 'graph' version which itself is handy for a overall, if simple, take on the month's conjunctions.
For years rather than months, only the command-line will serve - go [Run], type in -Ey, press Return

For controls of what gets displayed, see example of switches for printing off the ephemeris here; it shows midnight positions.

For years where the quality Swiss Ephemeris files are not installed, less accurate databases (Moshier - 3000BC to 3000AD - the Matrix routines which generate the Asteroid data anyway), will fill in the planets' positions on all versions of Astrolog32.

EPHEMERIS SOFTWARE:

TROUBLESHOOTING EPHEMERIDES:
Because other (hidden) ephemerides step in when the relevant Swiss Ephemerides are absent for a particular era), there's no real way of knowing if your chart has been served by those hidden files, as they are wrapped within the executable astrolog32.exe; although you may see the Swiss .se1 files in \ephemeris folder, any error in the Config. File's path to that folder will interrupt their use.

OBTAINING EPHEMERIDES:
Clicking DOWNLOADS (link also at the head of this guide), and clicking the 'click here for English' flag, can lead you ultimately to Astrodeinst's 'sweph' page, for Swiss Ephemerides, where, click on zip-files you want, download them to your desktop, and unzip the contents (.se1 files) into the folder \ephemeris.

Of interest for charting the past, the following zips create the files you see on the right:
sweph_00.zip, & swephm_00.zip : 2BC to 599AD.
sweph_06.zip, & swephm_06.zip: 600 to 1199AD.
sweph_12.zip, & swephm_12.zip: 1200 to 1799AD.
sweph_18.zip, & swephm_18.zip: 1800 to 2399AD.
sweph_24.zip, & swephm_24.zip: 2400 to 2999AD.

But remember, you already have the contents of sweph_18.zip, & swephm_18.zip, covering 1800CE - 2399AD.

[Calculation Settings] > Central Planet...(Sun, Mars, Venus or other...) renders data as centred elsewhere in the Solar System, (with the exception of 'Moon' as an option). Type the planet's name in the field where 'Sun' is shown, or use the following numbers:
0 for Earth, 1 for Sun, 3 for Mercury, 4 for Venus, 5 for Mars, 6 for Jupiter, 7 for Saturn, 8 for Uranus, 9 for Neptune, 10 for Pluto.
.. this illustration charts the craft "Curiosity" landing on Mars, and is a 'Null' chart as far as any zodiac goes.

.. such charts will print and copy for export OK, and will save as a .dat file or image or text, but not usefully as a _pos.dat: when a saved chart is re-opened, the central planet or luminary, where it's not the Earth itself, must be re-set via [Settings] > [Calculation Settings] and this won't work with _pos.dats, so only .dats should be used.

Even if you have astrolog32.exe as a right-mouse click option, Astrolog32 won't open with the chart you've highlighted in a folder window, as other programs do. You can only open & alter .dat-files using Notepad, from your right-click options list; unless, that is, you want the ability to open .dat files with Astrolog32 enough to jump through hoops to obtain it; I am much endebted to Michael Rideout at 'Astrolog_List' forum, for explaining this dodge:

    DODGE No. 7          

If it weren't that Astrolog32 uses .dat files, - an universal text-format used by Windows© and countless other applications, this would be just a case of setting the executable astrolog32.exe as a right-click option for .dat files, then making all .dat files amenable to it.
It woud be rash to suggest such a radical action, because .dat files are used by many other programs.
Instead, this dodge entails using a new suffix, not .dat, then tweaking Windows© to accept it.

To benefit, you will have to save in future using the new suffix, also choosing "All Files" in the "File of Type" field; and optionally, duplicate all your old Astrolog32 .dat files to a new folder, and, as a batch, convert their file-extension to, say, .A32 - .. then, populate your \charts folder with these A32 versions.
Or you might just keep your .A32 option for special charts! - you can put them in any folder & open them with a right-click "Open with.."!

This is the procedure in Xp:

Decide on an unused file-extension, such as Michael's .A32 ending (lists are available on the web of file-extensions already in use).

1. create a duplicate of a .dat file, on your desktop, rename it yourchart.dat, and change the name to show the new file-extension (this example uses .A32 ~ so, yourchart.A32).

Next the executable:

2. Double-click 'yourchart.A32', to try to open it - a dialog box appears ;
3. Click 'Select program from a list', and click 'OK' ;
4. Make sure the 'Always use the selected program to open this kind of file' tickbox is checked ;
5. Click 'Browse..', and navigate into \main folder within Astrolog, and highlight the astrolog32.exe file there ;
6. Click 'OK' ;
7. Close Astrolog32! - it will have opened with an 'Here & Now' chart ;

Last, the new type of file's properties are altered:

8. Open 'My Computer' ;
9. On the menu, select [Tools] > [Folder Options] ;
10. Click 'File Types' ;
11. Select 'A32', and click 'Advanced' ;
12. Highlight 'Open..', then select 'Edit..' ;
13. Put your cursor in the 'Application used to perform action' line, press 'end' key. Leave one space after "..olog32.exe", adding "-i", (with the quotes), & leave another space before "%1". (Image below) ;
14. Save, and exit ;
15. Double click on yourchart.A32, and it will open in the program.

The 'Celebs' download consists of a starter pack of charts, 1724 currently, of mostly Italian, United States', and International notables - all .datfiles with with good time data, at least at first appearance - however, with a large number, the timezone has not been set right or at all (correct some with my World Time-Offsets page).
All charts are named surname-first, so that they can be made alphabetical order lists in a Windows© search. Find them at Robbie Luporini's site here.

There's a potential nuisance value to putting them into \charts as .dats: in mingling with your charts, they take over the \charts folder, - anything newly created by you won't be found among them, except when listed in time order: better in their own separate or sub-folder!

Pretty good chart data of well-known people can be browsed at Rodden's Databank at Astro.com, but charts there are not .dat files.

V2.0x_A New Style   <Pick Your Release>   V1.30_Standard

If you need an install that's a breeze, and want to avoid any likelihood of re-writing paths, it takes only five minutes to have running R. Luporini's latest version, currently 2.05. It downloads in a compressed, self-extracting/installing file called Astrolog32_v2_05_setup.exe.
Click the A32 DOWNLOADS link at the head of this guide, choose 'click here for English', scroll down and click on the links in blue, "Astrolog32 V2.05".
If you do your computing offline, you can import the self-extracting installer on removable media.

 Runs on Win'98, Millenium, 2000, Xp, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1.
Under Xp, Vista, 7, 8, be wary of installing as Administrator.
..if you want to run Astrolog32 as a user..

In the package you will get the program, the ephemerides for our current era, macros to seek out, one sample chart, this guide and the old helpfile, and the atlas files for U.K./Commonwealth countries, plus Ireland. Because the U.S. atlas files are so big, state .atl files must currently be sourced separately and dropped into A32's folder ..Astrolog32\atlas\american.. after your install is done.

TIP: have this check-list open as you install!: double-click on Astrolog32_v2_05_setup.exe...

This is a software that customises itself to your choices, so the installer hits you with 'Wheres?' almost straightaway as it configures itself:

• 1. pick your native language ~ easy... & a Setup wizard appears
    Welcome to the Astrolog32 setup Wizard!     ~ [Next]..


• 2. License Agreement ~ choose 'Accept' button ~ [Next]..


• 3. accept, or browse to, a destination for the install ~ C:\Program Files is a safe choice but if you like running macros (about, see MACROS section), you must instead create a folder at "C:", named astrolog, (a little compiling!) - then navigate the Setup to that C:\\astrolog - (go [Browse]), - - and maybe re-write the filepath to read C:\\astrolog ...
  At CONFIRM (step 5 below), installer will come back with the right path C:\\astrolog\astrolog32.   ~ [Next]..


• 4. accept, or browse to, a destination for the program's shortcut ~ easy ~ [Next]..


• 5. Both paths CONFIRM..INSTALL? ~ [Install]
• ...  installs...
    Alerting Dialog, preparing you for the next option, states

  Important notice
  
  In the following setup, to set the default town use the installed atlases; but if your town is located outside these countries,
  then to use the appropriate atlas file you will need to download it and unzip it into the correct one of the two 'atlases' folders - either
  ...\Astrolog32\atlas\american (USA states only), or
  ...\Astrolog32\atlas\international (everywhere else).
  To get atlases files or folders, go to
  <http://www.southville.net/astrolog32/en/atlas.html>

  If you run a black background, this message WILL NOT APPEAR unless you highlight it! ~ [Next]..


• 6. choose a town you make most charts in ~ unless you chart in London, click Call Atlases, and select 'International'.. see here for a guide to working the atlases' window.. but U.S. users! either 1. just click 'London' for now, collect your state-file later, and amend! ~ see what's involved, first here, Obtaining Atlases...then, next here, Changing defaults OR 2. if online right now, Google-for-and-enter co-ordinates for your home-town..'XX:xx'xxW( or E)', 'XX:xx'xxN( or S)' in the appropriate fields, type your town's name in 'Location'; OR, browse to www.astro.com/atlas and use Searchbox, picking 'the USA', then 'Birth town', for your town's co-ordinates.., then ~ [Next]..


• 7. what timezone you are in ~ Brits installing V2.0x! you are NOT in zone -1, change to 0! - that -1 is a European default!
  .. if not in the default timezone, open 'Times' page, to find how many hours, + or -, to enter ~ [Next]..


•   Directories' paths offered for checking ~ [Next]..


• 8. simplified or advanced mode? ~ you choose, you can change later ~ [Next]..


• 9. click [Finish] and it launches, with a pop-up; when you click 'Save', all your choices are written to astrolog32.dat ~ for future reference; do that, and the install is complete. (..It is a weird feature of this legacy-ware - so accept the proffered astrolog32.dat. If you don't, you will still have to on re-launch!)

--------------- ---------------

V1.30, latest of the V1.3x releases, is typical of the programs pre-V2.02, - it downloads as a zip file, Astrolog32v134en.zip which with Win'98 will need to be extracted with a program like Winzip©. And here the difficulties arise: unless you know how to re-write the paths in astrolog32.dat (not a hard thing to do, but unfamiliar!), then it must unzip its contents to the folder it regards as default (a situation which modern users may be caught off-guard by because Winzip© offers the choice of other destinations..).
Even with modern Windows©, I advise to make that default folder now, at the root folder C:, viz:
  C:\astrolog32

 Runs on Win'98, Millenium, 2000, Xp, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1.
Under Xp, Vista, 7, 8, be wary of installing as Administrator,
..if you want to run Astrolog32 as a user..

Your download site is southville.net, but first, take in the clear advice in the Readme that Chris provides in the Readme - essentially, you must make the folder beforehand to hold it, at C:, unzip it there, and find your own atlas-file(s) after install.
NOTE: a 'Chrome' browser may, spuriously, flag this zipfile as a possible malware vector! ..take no notice, and do read any "You are about to download" dialog-box target-line carefully; I write this because what may happen (using WinZip) is that the unzipped files may otherwise go, with a mind of their own, to the root folder - you will find the root folder C: in 'My Computer', - and they'll hide at the bottom of the list, (and, as I never expected it to go there, I never did find my first Astrolog download! -it sat there, unpackaged, for years).

Double-clicking on the zipfile in Xp and after in the absence of Winzip© and the like raises an 'Open With' dialog box - choose 'Compressed (zipped) folders' and go OK - another window opens with the contents in a sham folder - go Ctrl+a, Ctrl+c, and then paste the three folders in the 'Astrolog32' folder. This is easy; a Good Result! Open \main, and double-click astrolog32.exe...see on: Welcome to Astrolog32!, below..

Just to digress regarding Winzip, double-clicking on the zipfile calls Winzip© in my pc, ( in WIN98 and before, no unzipper means you will get 'Windows cannot open this file' warning..); using Winzip's 'Classic' mode, it shows me the contents; clicking 'Extract', an 'Extract to..' path is displayed (see right), and with Winzip, it's almost always the wrong path: it may need to be changed. Here's how to get it right..

..'Browse' is the little icon to right of the path, and clicking it, a small 'Browse' window opens, choose My Computer, click on C:, and locate and highlight \astrolog32 (which you have created), as your target, ...then click 'Extract':
... in a moment, three folders are created, with the contents you saw in Winzip's preview, but all in their right folders:\main, \atlas, and \interpretations... no others yet.
Nevertheless, the copy of astrolog32.dat dormant in V1.30 is ready to be written to \main when you click [Finish], and then click 'Save astrolog32.dat'; - the \charts, \ephemeris and \miscellaneous folders will there-and-then be added.

Open \main, and double-click astrolog32.exe....

  Welcome to Astrolog32!   ~ it continues with geekspeak the Configuration files could not be found ~ which, ignore..

This is a software that customises itself to your choices, so the installer hits you with 'Wheres?' almost straightaway as it configures itself: read each dialog carefully, making the best you can, for the present, of 'Default Location & Timezone' (if online, enter your birth-town in the searchfield at this page, for your co-ordinates); now you'll see Alerting Dialog, preparing you for the next option, - it states

Important notice

In the following setup, to set the default town use the installed atlases; but if your town is located outside these countries,
then to use the appropriate atlas file you will need to download it and unzip it into the correct one of the two 'atlases' folders - either
...\Astrolog32\atlas\american (USA states only), or
...\Astrolog32\atlas\international (everywhere else).
To get atlases files or folders, go to
<http://www.southville.net/astrolog32/en/atlas.html>

If you run a black background, this message WILL NOT APPEAR unless you highlight it! ~
Accept 'Directories' (by default, they should look like these); when you click 'Finish', all your choices are written to the yet-to-be-born file astrolog32.dat ~ for future reference; you are asked to OK that, and the install is complete for now. (..It is a weird feature of this legacy-ware - so accept the proffered astrolog32.dat. If you don't, you will still have to on re-launch!)

Opening \atlas, the two folders inside hold only the reference files, country_list.atl, and states_list.atl. There are no atlas files in the download, so get your home's co-ordinates, or look up a city near you - either below, or if abroad, in 60 CITIES - so you can insert them either during the initializing of the software, or through [Settings] > [Set default loc.] menu later.

  UK timezone = 0 | London 51.30N 0.10W | Cardiff 51.30N 3.12W | Manchester 53.30N 3.15W | Glasgow 55.50N 4.15W  

Durham 54.46N 1.34W | Dublin 53.20N 6.15W | Ottawa 45.25N 75.42W | Adelaide 34.56S 138.36E | Dunedin 45.52S 170.30E

After the install, or even before, go to atlases at southville.net and download atlas zip-files one-by-one as required, ready to be unzipped into their appropriate \atlas folders.

ONE FOR U.S. STATES, ONE FOR EVERYWHERE ELSE

Both of these service the filling-in of new chart-data, when you have the [Edit] > [Edit chart data..] dialog box open. Also they are on call when resetting your own default location in [Default Info], (arriving from [Settings] > [Default Location/Timezone], Alt+d).

In [Edit] > [Edit chart data..], when you click on a [Call Atlas] box, it presents you with fields to to click on, then fill in.
Then, so long as you have the two Atlases installed, the Longitude, Latitude & Name fields will be filled in for you.

At 1 in the image below, default search is USA, so if you want International, click to that choice first-off, then select the Country. For USA, it's State that must be selected first. Continue to follow the arrows..

NOTE: the atlases are quite unconnected with the timezone selection, which must be done manually.

At 2, jumping to the Country, or State (US). The lists of all countries (states) are too long to scroll, and keying the first letter of the country's (state's) name in the field makes the list scroll down closer to your target: the 'down' arrow-key take you the rest of the way. Proceed to 3...

At 3, to browse for a placename (city, town, village), try the first few letters only, and the atlas will filter you a manageable selection. Further clues in the listings may include the zone of the country (international), or state county zone (american), - each atlas has also its own filter, in 'Advanced Settings' (more, see below). If this doesn't unearth your place, you can browse all the locations in any State or Country in Blocks; that you may start with the First Block, the Middle, or the Last, is an useful option when, in Texas, the First Block only runs from 0 thru' B!

Hitting the Return-key to OK your "first letters" of some town or city, will bounce you out of the Atlas!
  , at 4, you must use the 'Search Atlas' rectangular button to raise the list of possibles.

To finish: after highlighting the location you want in step 5, you click 'OK' (6); - the "Use first part of feature name as Chart name" box (top right), can save a bit of typing.


Both Atlases are very extensive, and, if you have TimeZone data to hand as well, you have a terrific tool for chart-making. Much credit to Antonio Ramos!

    DODGE No. 8          

HAVING A LOOK INSIDE AN .ATL

Atlas files in \international begin with @0500 - you will see this if you open one in Notepad - and if a nation has administrative regions, these are then listed, with their two-letter codes; below, each actual location starts with size-indicators (N,V), dashes, then co-ordinates; any admin. code; only then the locations' names are gazetted, alphabetically.

Atlas files in \american begin with @0600. Digging into the 'state' file of a typical U.S. location, uprights and separators in the string give an order for the program's routines to follow:

• type of Feature | Feature Name | Cell Name | County Name % Search field @ longitude latitude | altitude

.. where, "Feature" is a place in the atlas. It can be a town, village, hospital, school, etc..  "Cell " means a geographical region where the feature is found.

To add a location, - say you are monitoring lightning strikes on Pikes Peak, just west of Boulder, but closest is 'Gillett' - use much of Gillett's string, change the co-ordinates, and the name, but above all, keep the number of separators, viz:
ppl|Gillett (historical)|Pikes Peak|Teller|105w07.22|38n46.55|3029
loc|Pikes Peak|Pikes Peak|Teller|105w02.39|38n50.26|13895

TYPICAL ATL FILE


--------------------- --------------------

COUNTRY FILES: HARD-TO-FINDS

My Hard-to-Finds include: Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) is listed in the country No Mans Land, but it's not a primary location in Israel; many parts of the city are however listed in Israel file. Also, Babylon is absent when so spelled: it's "Babil", the in Iraq country file. Nuremberg, so spelled, is not in the Germany file, where it is Nurnberg.
Nizhne Novgorod fails to appear in the Russia file, but other spellings do, e.g. Nizhniy Novgorod.
The Baikonur Cosmodrome is at 45n58 63e18, the Kennedy Space Centre is at 28n35 80w40; the Wenchang Space-Launch site is at 19n41 110e57, .the Xichang Launch site is at 28n15 102e02.
Crna Gora is also called Montenegro, and its locations are in 'Serbia and Montenegro.atl'.
In Brazil alone there are 36 locations called Sao Paulo; mostly though, it's the mega-city that's at issue, which is at 23s32 46w37.

Channel Islands: two of these islands (Guernsey and Jersey) appear listed separately in atlas\International, reflecting their largely-autonomous status. Alderney's locations are in 'Guernsey' file: Sark is 49n26 2w22.
Isle of Man: towns and villages are, like the Channel Islands, listed separately in atlas\International.
Holy Island, (Northumb. UK), is absent: Lindisfarne Abbey, the only location, is 55n39, 1w36.
Ulster: towns in Northern Ireland are in the United Kingdom atlas file.
Isle of Wight, Scottish Western Isles, Orkneys, Shetland, and Scilly Isles are represented in the United Kingdom atlas file.
Ireland: locations do not include the Aran Isles: Inishmore, 53n09, 9w40; Inishmann, 53n05, 9w38.

Corsica: in the France country file; e.g. Ajaccio.
France: locations include some islands' villages: Noirmoutier, Ile de Batz, Porquerolles, Oleron, Sables d'Olonnes, Bel-Air, Groix ..(search both Ile, L'Ile,); ~ but not, apparent to me: Belle-Ile, 47n20 3w11; Mont St. Michel, 48n38, 1w31; Ile de Re, 48n46, 1w25, L'Ile d'Yeu 46n43 2w21, Huelgoet, Verdelet...
Elba, Sicily, Sardinia: in the Italy country file.
Azores, Madeira: in the Portugal country file, e.g. Lajes; Funchal.
Balearics: in the Spain country file; e.g. Santa Eulalia, Palma de Mallorca, Mahon.
Canary Isles: in the Spain country file; e.g. La Palma, San Cristobal, Las Palmas de G Can., Puerto del Rosario.

The Greek Archipelagos: some names of towns differ from common English usage, but islands can be pinned down by their main towns, all in the Greece country file: Amorgos: Katapola ; Andros: Andros; Crete: Irakleion; Karpathos: Karpathos; Khios: Chios; Kos: Kos; Lesbos: Molyvos; Limnos: Myrina; Mikonos & Delos: Mykonos; Milos: Adamas; Naxos: Naxos; Rhodes: Rodos; Samos: Samos; Sifnos: ?; Skiathos: Skiathos; Skiros: Skyros; Skopolos: Skopelos; Siros: Ermoupoli, Syros; Thera: Akrotiri; Thasos: Thasos.
Cyprus is neither in the Greece nor Turkey country files, but listed as a separate country.

U.S.A.: Johnson Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Baker Island are listed under "Minor Offshore islands of the U.S.A.", in atlas\American.

NOTE: Recent political changes: South Sudan has come into existence, but its towns will be found still in Sudan country file. Parts of Ukraine have been absorbed into Russia, but will still be listed in Ukraine. Kosovan towns are still listed in Serbia. Absent from \international listings are Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten ~ pre-2010, all their towns were parts of "Netherlands Antilles" (which is in the countries_list - find there also the remaining municipalities, the so-called "B.E.S Islands", which remain under the Dutch government.)

--------------------- --------------------

Users of versions V2.05, V2.02, and before, may need to populate their atlas folder with at the least their preferred country's file before they can abandon the 'nearest choice' offered in the installation's setup.
Users of versions V2.05 have five Anglophone country files all ready to choose from, but it may not be their country of residence, so again a visit to Southville will fix it.

NOTE: English-speaking users still in fact have the Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Monaco, Switzerland & Italian country-files, with V2.05, as the installer serves these users as well; just self-extract Astrolog32 again to the Desktop, choosing 'Francais' or 'Italiano' language, delve into the '..atlas/international' or 'atlante/internationale' folder it has created, and copy/paste the fr.atl or it.atl file you find in there to your english 'atlas/international' folder. Delete the install from the Desktop. (To the curious - the french & Italian keyboard-shortcuts differ from ours, and the Czech installer is problematic).

Users of versions V2.06 onwards are set to have ALL U.S. files and anglophone countries' files.

--------------------- --------------------

  60 CITIES
If short of a country-file, these locations might approximate:

TROUBLESHOOTING ATLASES:
If clicking the button "Call Atlas" (in the [Edit] > [Main Chart Data] dialog box) doesn't work, either the program is looking for \atlas on the wrong path, or you haven't got the right files in the folders:

• 1. be sure that there is at least country_list.atl file and one other .atl file in the \international folder; and, at least states_list.atl file and one other .atl file file in the \american folder.
  Older releases came with nothing! NOTE that without the country_list.atl or the states_list.atl, the atlases cannot work however many other .atl files you install.
  
• 2. see if one of the last lines of astrolog32.dat steer the program to those folders (read the lines which start with :DIA and :DII ); see the [Directory Settings] section in BASICS #3/Directories. Or read CANNOT FIND CONFIG. FILE help-page.

OBTAINING ATLASES:
NON U.S.: for individual 'country' .atl files, open ..\Astrolog32\atlas, open your \international folder, open country_list.atl in Notepad, and look up the code for the country-file you want, always somename.atl; check that it is absent from the \international folder.. if country_list.atl is absent, download that first!

U.S.: for individual 'states' .atl files, open your A32 folder, open ..\Astrolog32\atlas, open \american folder, open states_list.atl in Notepad, and look up the states-file you want, always somename.atl; check that it is absent from the \american folder.. .. if states_list.atl is absent, download that first!

  Now Southville hosts an excellent 'Atlas' helpfile, here, a must-read to help you..

then navigate to Atlases at Southville.net, and pick your state's or country's file. Download and unzip to the correct atlas folder.
Another site is Astro.com's atlas, available through the [Help] menu in V2.05.
Or finally, try Roberto's site, and click on Atlante mondiale, (International), or Atlante USA (American), or both, select language and download a .zip of all countries or all states to a \downloads or \temp folder: then unzip their contents, each batch into the appropriate \atlas folder; (but these batch-downloads, both together, will take up 172MB!)

GEOMETRY: in graphical mode:

[Extra] > [Modify Chart] shifts the Chart Angles, squeezing some signs within the Zodiac circle, and stretching others, so that the Vertical appears at right-angles to the Horizon. A toggle switch does this as well, a zero ('0'). The two options in [Charts] menu, [Standard Wheel/List], and [HouseWheel] toggle the same difference.

Colour

Size

Fancy

Saving

Printing

& Text

Other

--------------------- --------------------

COLOUR: in graphical mode:

All windows now appear by default with a white background but, before v2.02, Astrolog32 has a blue background.

These and all other colours can be changed in the Configuration File, in the ;DEFAULT COLORS listings, (but back up astrolog32.dat first, into \miscellaneous).
Check out the Colour Numbers, (image to right), for use with command switches and in Config. file.
  Otherwise, use the more modern [Settings] > [Color Settings] dialog - see 'CHANGE MAIN COLORS via DIALOG BOX' below.

Colour Selection groups of the chart and text, as managed in the Config.file, are:

• 'Corner Decoration'. Off by default, see here to reset. For a taster, try altering this first, using Colour Numbers (image above) in the -Ykc line.
• 'Main Colors', at -Yk line: see below
• 'Planets and Points', according to 'Element' (Airy, Earth, Fiery, Watery): line -YkC, see right..
• 'Aspect-lines', according to choice; for their sequence: line -YkA, see right..

CHANGING THE 'MAIN COLORS' etc via CONFIG. FILE:

This example involves editing the 'Main Colors' line, after -Yk 0 8 , saving, then re-launching, so this method can't be an in-session tweak.
Pre-V2.00, the default '4' (after the -Yk 0 8(twocharacterspaces)15 ), in 'Main Colors', is responsible for that dark blue background; back up first, then change '4' to '2' .. That '2' is a dark green, ..

...rather hohum..
.. maybe black? For black, put a zero. And save astrolog32.dat.
With this dark background, you will need to change the other default items' colours which are set already to '0', or else they'll disappear; and save astrolog32.dat.

That suggested setting of the background to '2' would make any green objects on it already defined as '2' disappear.. so, the 'Default Colors' are best changed after due consideration of all the element-colours of objects and points.

In V.2.02 onwards, the numbers differ, but the procedure is as above; and the same suggestion - back up first: in the line beginning -Yk 0 8(twocharacterspaces)0 15 7 8.. ..skipping the initial 0 8, then 0 sets the lines, then 15 the white background, then it's degree markers, then lettering..

  The image above, right, is of a very modified DEFAULT COLORS configuration - it will result in the chart at left.

..the Yk, Yk0 and YkA lines are similar: the first two numbers in each string are skipped because they are range parameters, (about, see WORD LOOK-UP).

CHANGING 'MAIN COLORS' etc via DIALOG BOX:

Go [Settings] > [Color settings] to alter the chart-colours you presently have, swapping any choice of drop-down colours (right columns) to replace the defaults (written on left); - this is a good choice in the situation where you haven't already changed the defaults (such as after an installation). A tip is, - you can take a screenshot of Color Settings dialog-box after you've modified it, and before you go 'OK', so that you have a papertrail of changes. Your changes appear immediately on 'OK'!

Any new colours you choose will not subsequently update to become the default colours on the left; Black, White & Red, the first three for instance, are just reminders of the installation-defaults: the first three are always 'lines-colour', 'background-colour', and 'degrees-colour'.

However, you must go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], and save, to make the change permanent.

CHART SIZE: in graphical mode:

If you want your chart bigger, or smaller, the default size can be altered in Config.file, or in [Settings] > [Graphics Settings], and OK'ed.

For clearer charts, set your resolution higher if you can. Then, a vertical size of 701 makes a big chart if you have a 768 x 1024 screen.
For 800 x 600 resolved screens, a vertical size of 528 takes up the whole screen. (The dialog boxes are bigger at this resolution.)

When these dimensions are reset, you must save the Config. file, then re-launch, that will be your new default size.

NOTE: Chart dimensions are not a session tweak, and cannot be altered in-session, except by distorting it with pull-handles, or as outlined below.

A NEAT TRICK in V2.04, 2.05

With these releases you can 'shrink-graphical chart' on the spot, by repeatedly using the shift+Q keyboard switch - but be careful! - you can only resize it back up again with pull-handles (at the mid-sides of the window).
In doing this, press < key to make glyphs smaller: this allows shrinkage of all the graphics, too.

CORNER DECORATION SIZE:

When the coloured corners are switched on to 'moire', (change :YXC 0 80 60 to :YXC 1 80 60, & Save Config.file), the moire must in fact be scaled down to :YXC 1 33 33 if on a standard-sized chart - which makes an appealing 'spider-web' surround as well.

FANCIER IMAGING: in graphical mode:

Depends on your imagination! - but Astrolog only supplies the images and text. After going [Edit] > [Copy chart as bitmap] in the graphical mode, then the chart, astrograph, dispositor page, map, aspect grid or any other chart can be pasted into MSPaint or other suitable image editor, for subtler colours or special arrangements for your gallery, or to print off.

PLAINER, INVERSE and PRINT IMAGING:

The keyboard switch 'x' inverts all colours, for each colour has an assigned opposite colour. See left, and right its inverse.
Clicking 'm' reduces the palette - only three colours, those you have defined as the default's 'white' and the default's 'blue' or 'black', plus any corner decoration, will be used. See below.
(In these images, light blue had already replaced default 'black' planets, and black had replaced the default (V1.30) 'dark blue' background, so - on inversion, 'my' blue planets swapped to red, as 'my' black swapped to white, and 'my' red corners became green.)

Monochrome, 'm', uses just three colours; two, if Corner Decoration is switched off.

[Extra] > [Bonus Mode] offers all the aspect lines thicker, - the shortcut is little i, which is a toggle. This improves the definition of aspect lines, but cannot be incorporated as default.

[Settings] > [Miscellaneous Settings] has fields where you can set the choice of 'landscape' or 'portrait' on paper, and define what paper-size you employ, when printing from the program.

Printing text, [Settings] > [Chart Settings], like astrolog32.dat, hosts your choice for number of text-screen columns, - that number has to suit views onscreen (like [Lists] > [Interpretations]), and [Edit] > [Copy chart as text] outputs as well: with the latter, going Ctrl+1 will paste into a page without overruns (probably!).

TEXT-MODE PRESENTATION:

In text mode, pressing Alt+k will colour-enhance the lists. [View] > [Character Scale] offers you a way to re-size text - the switches 'Ctrl+1' for smaller, 'Ctrl+3' or 'Ctrl+4' for bigger, biggest, perform this alteration quicker - at best sizing, each line in lists will not over-run to the next line..
Chart data from the graphical option shift+V is a positions list; from the option Alt+shift+V, the House Wheel, it's a chart executed in a text form.

--------------------- --------------------

OTHER TEXT & GRAPHICAL TWEAKS:

Controls for these are not all gathered in one place, but [Settings] > [Graphics Settings] controls the chart-size (see above), globe-tilt, decorations at corners, and glyphs can be exchanged a for others which you prefer.

To expand the aspect-grid to embrace more 'objects', [Settings] > [Miscellaneous Settings] has that option.

[View] > [Character Scale] offers you a way to re-size the glyphs and planets, smaller or larger, to suit the chart-size you've chosen; this also re-scales text before output.
The switches 'Ctrl+1' for smaller, 'Ctrl+3' or 'Ctrl+4' for bigger, biggest, perform this alteration quicker.

These are changes you can make stay for keeps by saving the Config. file.

Sweden, then reigning over Finland, started to change from the Julian calendar in 1700, but it was decided to make the (then 11-day) alteration gradually, excluding the leap days (29 February) from each of the eleven leap years, over 1700 to 1740 - the difference would not be constant, but change every 4 years.
But the leap days that should have been excluded from 1704 and 1708 were not excluded - they were still in fact 10 days behind. King Charles XII abandoned it - it was decided to revert to the Julian calendar. This was achieved by introducing the unique date 30 February in 1712, adjusting the discrepancy in the calendars from 10 back to 11 days. Sweden and Finland finally adopted in 1753.. Wednesday, 17 February, was followed by Thursday, 1 March.

Much of above data, from calendopaedia.com.

An online Julian-Gregorian converter S.Gibbs' site .

For DST adjustments, click APPLYING SUMMERTIMES, 'DST'.

--------------------- --------------------

Roman, Muslim or Babylonian charts are an extra few pen-on-paper calculations away, unless you luckily know the Julian Day of the event: to get to the exact day in these calendars often involves counting the days from a month's start, which itself is defined by a moon-phase (livius.org, numachi.com and tyndalehouse.com have good information on their diverse counts - sometimes the whole year must be reckoned), but, with Astrolog32, you can find by inspection new moons after an equinox; and most ancient day-counts were reckoned from the sighting of such new moons. ~ But see below ...

If you use the Julian Calendar across or before the start of the Christian Era, note that you have to deduct one year from the negative numbering since there's no Julian year 0 BC or 0 AD, ~ but Astrolog is math-driven, and has a Zero AD! (and a Zero BC - same chart). So Astrolog's Zero AD is in fact 1BC.

      So, Astrolog's -2 will give you a 3BC chart!

This may seem an insupportable nuisance, but ...
This remains an unfixable situation in Astrolog, but it also reflects a longstanding duality in historians' usual Pre-Christian chronologies. Since 1BC in the Julian Calendar is 0 AD/-0BC in Astrolog, to raise a chart dated "105BC" would require the input "-104". This adjustment must be remembered for charts throughout the five hundred fifty years BC in which epoch some good data are in fact available.

- THE START OF THE CIVIL YEAR, c.1200AD (C.E.) to 1752 -

Across Europe, choices of New Year's Day were shaped by states' regard for Papal Edicts advocating Jan. 1st, weighed against long-standing custom: Tuscany and The Venetian Empire were reluctant to adopt Jan. 1st, while Sweden was compliant by the 1530s. In France, it took the Edict of Rousillon (9 Aug.1564, OS) to promote it; the Florentines still held to tradition until 1749, when Granduca Francesco III di Lorena forced everyone to recognize the 1st of January only. Venice only capitulated in 1797!

This brought to an end a Italian local difference, too, in the year-count, because North Tuscany (Pisa) started their year of 1748 on (modern style) our Lady Day March 25th 1747, while South Tuscany (Florence, Lucca, Prato, Siena, and also some Papal documents) started their year of 1748 on (modern style) Lady Day March 25th 1748; while Venice started their years on Mar 1 from 1522 until 1797, (and so, their 1748 began on (modern style) March 1st 1748).   Note: in Europe, the 'Dixneuvieme Siecle', 'XIX Secolo', refer to the years 1900 - 1999 and so before, whereas the 'Nineteenth Century' in English-speaking countries refers to 1800 - 1899 and so before.
  See https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stile_dell'Incarnazione
  and https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primo_giorno_dell'anno
I have learned to be most careful of calendaring and even hour-counting, when raising North Italian charts between 1300 and 1749: it varied pretty much to choice, and hour-counts often began at sunset.

Meanwhile, Byzantine Rite Orthodox countries used March 25th, same fashion as Pisa did (see above), but days behind, because they would not abandon the Julian Calendar until the 1910s and after.

And for Lazio & the Curia, the New Year began on Dec 25th (Nativity Style) until around 1800. This style of New Year pre-dates most other styles.


Britain & her dominions were also very late both in adopting the New Style (NS) calendaring and the year-starts on Jan 1st, clinging to March 25th, Lady Day, for the latter, on all legal documents; and so recorded dates from Oct 5th, 1582, to Sep 2nd 1752, across the British Empire (barring Scotland), may need to be corrected for use in Astrolog, on two counts: to add missing days from being behind the Gregorian calendar: but first, to locate any OS dates between Jan 1 and Mar 24 in the appropriate NS year! - and this latter catch applies, absolutely, before 1582 too, -   See 'SWITCHING JULIAN TO GREGORIAN DAYS' image above.
However, during our Seventeenth Century, at least domestically, people began calling Jan 1st the 'New Year', e.g Pepys' diary 1667, - yet two decades later, Aubrey quoted his birth-year Old-Style, without remark, so basically, mid-1600s, it's your call!   Find below Britain's old, then official, year-starts, by group. (all years are inclusive)

| Yrs c.1250 - 1582: all ran from March 25, OS |

| 1583 - 1599: All Britain   years ran from March 25, OS (April 4, NS) |

| 1600 - 1699: Scotland years ran from Jan 1st, OS (Jan 11th, NS) |
&
| 1600 - 1699: England, Wales etc, officially, years ran from Mar 25th, OS (April 4, NS) |

| 1700 - 1752: Scotland years ran from Jan 1st, OS (Jan 12th, NS) |
&
| 1700 - 1752: England, Wales etc, ONLY officially, years ran from Mar 25th, OS (April 5, NS) |

| 1753 on: All Western Europe bar Venice ran from Jan 1st, NS |

You can reckon to gain or lose two hours for each 30 degrees of 'easting' or 'westing', from your pc's time. So, if it's 9am in Cairo, and Beijing being 90 degrees east of Cairo, then it's 3pm in Beijing..3 x 2 hours ahead (each line on map marks two hours' rotation).

So, how to apply a timezone adjustment in the 'TimeZone' field, by entering additional or subtracted hours manually, - useful where the drop-down timezones are not available: bear in mind that your Astrolog32 is already set up to your local or preferred time-zone, and the shift you make is with reference to that timezone.
But first, an easy pitfall, which is, failing to remember if you have DST set as default, or a summertime addition already set in your current session.. (if you have this, the 'Summer Time' field will say 'Yes').

You must first:

• If you have DST 'on', and it won't apply in this case, take it off!


• Look up/reckon the time difference - in the WORLD TIME-OFFSETS TO UT, & DST daughter-page some timezone info sites are listed besides the timezone data you'll find there, and most of them give the time difference from UT; the chances are, some math will be involved to work out the correct number of hours for you to apply the difference in time as an 'easting' or 'westing'. Then type the number-of-hours shift in, if necessary with a minus before it, and Astrolog will make the adjustment. Only remember, Astrolog is quirky! - the following explains..
  
  
  EASTING:

  to apply a gain of x hours from your home timezone, (i.e. for timezones ahead of yours,- that is, for places east of where your Astrolog32 is set), you enter like this:   minus 1 hour (put -1:00) for places a single time zone away; minus 2 hours (-2:00), two zones away, and so on. From UT here in the UK, it's generally minus 3 (-3:00) for Baghdad, minus 10 hours (-10:00), for Australia NSW;
  from Pacific Standard Time (PST) in USA, it's minus 3 (-3:00) for EST New York. This is for guidance only - these examples take no account of any local Daylight Saving adjustments.

  WESTING:

  to apply a loss of x hours to your local timezone, (i.e., for timezones which run behind your local time,- that is for places west of where your Astrolog32 is set), you will enter hours without the minus: e.g 3 hours (3:00) for California, if you're on Eastern Standard Time. So, from UT+1 in the Netherlands, apply 6 hours (6:00) to locate yourself in Eastern Standard Time US, or apply 9 hours (9:00) for Los Angeles, (that's a 1 hour westing to London Time, and 8 hours westing, London to L.A.). Again, this example takes no account of local Daylight Saving adjustments.

-----------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------

Local Mean Time (LMT) Note: the special time zone setting "LMT" allows you to do charts at times given in Local Mean Time, a time-reckoning used where the Sun is the only clock, where time-zones are ignored, or before they were invented. This is the one code that you can't set as a default in [Edit] > [Set default location, time-zone..] menu.
When the code LMT is selected, a local time will be reckoned for that exact longitude, doing the "subtract four minutes for every degree west of your time zone's standard meridian" arithmetic, to make it work for that specific longitude's local-time. This is handy for countries where time is a local matter still, or Western dates pre-1850, when towns had their own local times.
You can create a rough chart for an unfamiliar place using LMT, without ever troubling with time-zone input!

You will see that after the chart is made, the difference between LMT and your default timezone is shown in the TimeZone box. Unlike any other timezone input, LMT refers to a particular location: it does not refresh itself, so has to be reset at the next chart you make (re-select, or type, 'LMT'), unless the location remains exactly the same.

NOTE: Astrolog32 does not make any automatic DST adjustments, - they must be made manually. See WORLD TIME-OFFSETS TO UT, & DST for relevant data.

The DST option will be set for your next chart, or the whole of your session, by selecting 'Yes' in the 'Summer Time' field visible in [Edit] > [Enter, edit mainchart data] dialog, and this will insert a one-hour docking for when hours are shifted ahead in summer; useful as the Zones drop-down doesn't include any summer-times..   the next time you launch Astrolog32, it will have gone.

To make Astrolog dock one hour by default as standard, during the months your clocks are advanced ~ go to [Settings] > [Set default location, timezone..], and change the top field, (the same place to take it off again). Go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], save, and re-launch; then make an 'Here & Now' chart. The 'DST' field will register [YES], but you can turn it off for non-DST charts, for the rest of the session.

The summertime addition field has to be re-thought for each new or foreign chart, or the setting will carry over to a chart where an adjustment is not called for... it won't drop out after you have made your first DST chart in your session ~ I've been caught out many times!

<<<<         >>>>

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COMMAND SWITCHES: WHAT THEY DO:

Command-line input remains the most potent and fast interface to Astrolog32 (though a very few switches may have lost or changed functionality in successive incarnations of Astrolog).

Essential if you want to quickly flip to a setup which only a command switch accesses, or is a bother by other routes...

  To use them, you must call the command-line box (go [Run] > [Open Command Line]):

 What it's asking: "Enter the commands (i.e. switches), and (any required) parameter(s), in the field below" 

Try typing -c 2 and 'OK'ing it, - Astrolog32 will bump the chart into Equal House; however, note that many, many useful options which the command-switches can access will not appear unless you are in text-mode, so select that beforehand or after, by typing letter v.

To revert the change, you need to know that switch too (..and here's my difficulty with explaining switches - I don't know your starting-point; was it Placidian? Koch? Other? - you could close the program and re-launch, to revert, )   but anyway, try -c 0 reverts to Placidian, -c 1, to Koch.

NOTE:

typing -c does the same as typing /c
.. / and -, either, as suits you

The command-line is opened more simply by pressing [Return] key! - once, to open the Command-Line; then type in the switch(es), then hit Return again (to make it happen).

This swift altering of the program is possible because every object, every aspect, each colour, and every House System has a reference number, referred to in the Helpfile as an <aspect>, an <objnum>, a <color>, or <value>; you will find some of the objects' numbers here, colours' numbers here, and House Systems' numbers here. A Fuller listing is at the end of the LIST of COMMANDS page

The source for all the command-switches, detailing what each does, was for a long time just the 'Switches' page in [Help], and Helpfile.TXT bundled with the program; but these lacked much searchability .. now either HELPFILE.HTML or LIST of COMMANDS is available to browse.

Remember, many results are displayed only in text-mode.

Getting back to your point of starting, try shift+V; it is best practice to clear each switch or macro back to the core data; shift+V clears some; other commands need 'kill' switches to revert them, namely:

• Switches which affect how the chart parameters are obtained.
• Switches which affect how a chart is computed.
• harmonic switches.

A 'kill' switch is my term for a switch written specifically to revert another.

EXAMPLE
To hide aspect-lines, put in   -YAR 1 5 1 1 1 1 1 -YAR 6 11 1 1 1 1 1 1

'kill' to recall aspect-lines
put in   -YAR 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 -YAR 6 11 0 0 0 0 0 0

EXAMPLE
To invert colours, and Switch off decoration, put in   -Xr -YXC 0 32 32

'kill' to revert colours, set deco to web, '64'
put in   -Xr _YXC 2 64 64


ELABORATE EXAMPLE
to see the shape of meetings and friendship over the next 52 weeks...
Assuming you have your birthchart in your \charts folder, "mychart.dat": (replace "mychart" with the name yours goes by)..
put in -R 2 5 7 8 9 10 11 16 17 19 20 21 -r0 mychart.dat nul ;
~ (I'm guessing you have nodes (16,17), Chiron (11), East Point (21), Vertex (20) ON: if they're OFF, they'll toggle ON..) ~
press Enter key ~ and now, at keyboard, type Alt+c, i, $, 7, p... and p again, to stop.

'kill' to revert to 'as you were'
-YR 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -n ;
..now, at keyboard, type c, i

Writing 'kill' switches as well is a chore, but V2.04 and later releases have the answer! - see the invoked Macros Resetter BACKtoMAIN, here.


 Peek here at my SWITCHES list; or dig in to the mine of info that is

Sometimes, as in horary or mundane charting, it's valuable to rotate the chart away from native' or 'querent' to left, so as to get another's perspective: or, to put it another way, re-number the Houses: this is a defined option, using the -X1 and -X2 switches (which make great macros - see F.A.Q.s here):

-X1 places the following cusps to left, if their object-number follows the -X1 after a letter-space:

22 for Ascendant, 23 2nd Cusp, 24 3rd Cusp, 25 I.C., 26 5th Cusp, 27 6th Cusp
28 for Descendant, 29 8th Cusp, 30 9th Cusp, 31 M.C., 32 11th Cusp, 33 12th Cusp.

-X2 places the above cusps to top, if their object-number follow the -X2 after a letter-space.

A TASTER OF SIMPLER SWITCHES

SWITCH	FUNCTION	EXAMPLES TO TRY	TO REVERT..
-a	textlist of aspects	-a -ga -g ; app/sep aspects	-v
-i	display chart x.dat	-i mychart.dat	no revert with V1.3x
-r	compute ...	-r3 ; for triwheel	-r1
-d	show text-list of aspects..dy,month,yr	-d 1 or -dm 5 or -dy 2020	-v
0X1	FORCE TEXT-ONLY	- -	no revert
-X1	Put Obj to Ascendant	-X1 sun	-X1 ASC
-g	text aspect-grid	-g -YR 11 21 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1	-v -YR 11 21 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0

Introducing nul and tty..not switches, but two 'placeholder' parameters to insert where some <file x> is normally specified., when using -i & -r commands.

nul tells Astrolog, 'just use the data currently on this chart thread..'

tty tells Astrolog, 'prompt the user for the info..'

    DODGE No. 9          

--------------------- --------------------

..JUST ABOUT SWITCH PARAMETERS: or, WHAT THESE BRACKETS, DOTS etc IN THE COMMAND-SWITCH LIST SIGNIFY in the LIST of COMMANDS..

don't type them in!


EXAMPLE
..here's a switch which, in its bracketed bits, has a guide as to its due parameters:   /t <month> <year>: (Compute all transits to the Radix, in month/yr.)

Here's what you might put:/t 2 1956

Parameters give 'specific things' for a switch to operate, a group of objects, or years, or charts, and the kind of 'thing' is always indicated between some brackets, - you can see them in the [Help] > [Switches] page, or LIST of COMMANDS page, or the Helpfile, -but you don't put the brackets, commas, ellipses in!

Another example: the available parameters for the -Xs switch are -Xs <100,200,300,400>, - meaning the -Xs switch can be followed by any one, (but only one), of those possible options, as: -Xs 100, -Xs 200, -Xs 300, or -Xs 400 - no tags, no commas.

SO NONE OF THESE MARK-UPS GET TYPED INTO A SWITCH:

< and >,

(tag brackets), are commonly used to wrap & indicate a command switch parameter which you should replace by the appropriate value.. (The Helpfile's 'Description of Each Switch' will tell you the kind of value..)

[ and ]

(square brackets), are used to wrap & indicate an extra command switch parameter which is optional.

...,

(an 'ellipsis'), within some brackets, generally refers to a variable length list of values, - up to you what you include, so see helpfile for relevant info..

, , ,

(commas), are used to separate either/or parameters: choose one, or another; so commas don't get typed in!

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MACROS: WHAT THEY DO:

Macros are just frequently-used switches (often chains of them, so they change lots of things all at once); too long to type, you could just store frequently-used switches in any handy document-page open at the same time as Astrolog32, then 'highlight', copy & paste them into the command-line; but there's a more elegant way.. call them from Astrolog32, with one touch of an 'F'-key. (About switches, see above).

After you have assigned uses to the function keys "F1, F2, .." through to "F11, F12", (and subsequently there's Shift+function-key, then Alt+function-key.., and so on to call up higher numbers - but in V1.3x, they fail generally beyond M0 48), you will have created 48 'Fx' macros - there's always the Menubar way of running them, too - see an image of the v1.3x [Run] drop-down here, showing the [Run] macro-menu: it shows each macro in its dropdown of links & fly-outs. (From the keyboard, 'Enter' will open the command-line, but not the [Run] menu).

With V2.04+, clicking [Run], the 'Portal' link [Open Command File] is a new option: it offers two new configuration files, - either MACRO_default.dat or MACRO_personal.dat - either one, when double-clicked, will activate the new-style caches of (potentially) 120 pre-written macros, each of which you can try out, or modify to your own purposes.

A macro can load a chart the moment you launch Astrolog32: using an V1.30 macro (for an instance), the F2 key would call a birth-chart for 'John Bull', where you have a final astrolog32.dat entry like this:

-M0 2 "/qb 6 1 1900 12:00:00 ST +0:00 1:37:00W 52:26:00N" ;
-WM 2 "John Bull" ;

In this 'new cache of macros', macros using the F-keys mostly have pre-written functions, in anticipation of your preferences, and are run-ready, though this macro-module is a work in progress.. Many of these macros run from .dat files in \MACRO, which you can edit in Notepad, and all macros become available if the cache is invoked as follows..

So long as you are in Advanced Mode, then when you have clicked [Run] > [Open Command File..] and double-clicked either MACRO_default.dat or MACRO_personal.dat link, the [Run] drop-down will 'go live', - either choice creating the self-same (and editable) drop-down of macro-links, but delivered through two different portal files, MACRO_default.dat and MACRO_personal.dat.
Clicking any of these macros onscreen, or with an 'F' key, executes a switch-line, summoning up tweaks to the data served, or to configurations, appropriate to the chart in question and by-passing your astrolog32.dat defaults, as the portal files make datfiles in the MACRO folders run.

MACRO_default.dat and MACRO_personal.dat

These two files are the Portals to access the 'live' Macro Menu: SUGGEST: do not choose MACRO_personal.dat until you have personalised a file that it calls, personal.dat! If you treasure your usual astrolog32.dat settings, try out MACRO_default.dat.
At first, with both, if you press Shift+F8 'RESET', they reset orbs-of-aspect very tight!

BACKtoMAIN.dat

This is arguably the most important macro in the 'live' drop-down..As each macro must be cleared before another is run, the most used and important macro here is at shift+F7, BACKtoMAIN.dat: it will clear ANY macro, ready for a next one,.. (There are also three macros to turn off interpretations and combination charts, not yet written!).   Shift+V still also works as normal.

ALSO NOTE shift+F8, RESET.dat, when you need to return to the chart via the 'New Macros' proxy alternatives to astrolog32.dat (files called default.dat or personal.dat), - RESET.dat does not exit the New Macros however.

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CURRENTLY, with New Macros activated
F1, F2, F3 - call charts to suit couples in a partnership - over-write ad lib.. The third, (3.dat in ../CARTE) is a _pos.dat composite of 1.dat; 2.dat
F4 is unallocated - you can create a macro at F4 immediately!
F5 & F6 call older / modern dignities, through TRADIZIONALI.dat, MODERNE.dat
F7 -  F9 restrict to our modern planets, only ancient, or only Luminaries.
F10 calls asteroids, through the filter of PIANASTE.dat
F11 - F17 shift+F5, switch orbs for different situations.
F18, shift+F6 is unallocated - you can create a macro immediately!
F19, shift+F7 - abandon last macro, ('BACKTOMAIN').
F20, shift+F8 revert program to Config.file's and 'New Macros' defaults, ('RESET')

F21 - F24, shift+F9 to shift+F12, unallocated at present
F25 - F38, Ctrl+F1 to Alt+F1, call transit dialogs for each planet
F39 - F46, Alt+F2 to Alt+F9, unallocated at present
F47 - F49, Alt+F10 to Alt+F12, and beyond, are some Planets' Returns...from this point, functions are indicated, but only some are defined, and they only work with a mouse-click ~ many potential macros are sacrificed to make explanations, e.g. macro 61.

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To learn to edit these datfiles, look in \Miscellaneous folder and open the Portal files which list the macros. These, when clicked, in turn run switches, or more often, datfiles from folders in the \Miscellaneous\MACRO folder. The paths to the datfiles, and those files' streams of unfamiliar switches within, are daunting at first glance: if a beginner writing switches, you will need the at your elbow!   Put simply:
any -M0 lines including "-i C:\Astrolog\Astrolog32\miscellaneous\MACRO\..." are not just switches, but steer to datfiles in the folders.

THE LOCATION OF THE ENABLING FILES..

MACRO_default.dat, MACRO_personal.dat, which make the [Run] Menu, live in ..\miscellaneous, and present the 'new macros'...

default.dat and personal.dat live in ..\miscellaneous\MACRO\PERSONALE

BACKTOMAIN.dat, and the two RESET.dats, live in ..\miscellaneous\MACRO\DEFAULT

1.dat, 2.dat and 3.dat, (F1, F2 & F3), are in ..\miscellaneous\MACRO\CARTE: overwrite 1.dat, 2.dat with your own choices of charts.

 THE RESOURCE FOLDERS HAVE ITALIAN NAMES..

PLANETS - various selections, DIGNITIES - as different options, ORBS - for varied situations,
PROGRESSIONS - for various periods per planet, TRANSITS ditto, INTERPRETATIONS; ..ALL IN miscellaneous\MACRO. ..of special note, macro 64, automatic 'Secondary Progressions', in PROGRESSIONI, conveys objects to today, by 'one day's travel for each year' or part thereof pro-rata.

 PATH 

To view all these files and macros,  click 'My Computer', click Local Disk 'C:', click astrolog, click astrolog32, click miscellaneous... and you're there.

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CUSTOMIZING, EXAMPLES:

Seeing that Robbie's choice of macros are NOT SET IN STONE! - YOU'LL WANT TO CHANGE THEM; but to grasp the working of Robbie's macro-sets, get a little practice first - tinker a little with the older macro-making-method, as old-style macros can still be used (any you have are written at the end of astrolog32.dat, and can indeed be simply typed in there. Use astrolog32.dat macros as a sandbox! - bound to add, back astrolog32.dat up first! - and only save the file with Ctrl+s, (why?) .. - see how old-style macros work here).

To edit these pre-defined New Macros, a very thorough grounding in Astrolog32 switches and Windows' address-paths is useful to avoid messing up - open either Portal file, MACRO_default.dat or MACRO_personal.dat in Notepad, (or better, an editor like 'Gedit' with coloured markup BibTex or CG, because New Macros are unforgiving of error - you may see the standard error message "Value 0 passed out of range" on running the Portal file).   * * BACK UP FILE, FIRST * *

NOTE: After each edit, you can keep the program running, and refresh your 'MACRO_personal' drop-down, by flipping to [Run] > [MACRO_default] then back again to see your newly-written macros listed.. and try them out! Also, the same trick editing MACRO_default.dat! (Better you edit just the one first, as the other will serve as a backup version).

Rather than writing your own, you can insert specimen 1 - 18 macros by highlighting and copying off this page; ~ as pic, right

Ultimately you can adapt all MACRO_personal.dat to offer a custom list of macros and settings, like, or different to MACRO_default.dat and to your astrolog32.dat, while still retaining these two unaltered. And you can alter personal.dat, the config.file which MACRO_personal.dat runs - me, I just hacked my old, customised astrolog32.dat data into place within personal.DAT, as I couldn't stand the multicolours, and wanted my preferred orbs; and, liking a black background, I removed the line -Xr         ;inverted colours. (See STANDARDISING PERSONAL.DAT AND ASTROLOG32.DAT ).

Finally, if you prefer your new settings via ..[Open Command File] > [MACRO_personal], rename MACRO_personal.dat as autorun.dat and ever after, when you open Astrolog32, all the V2.05 macros will be available without clicking anything.

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You can chop & change macros' positions, in the list, to bring your favourites to the low F numbers. Here is a simple edit to MACRO_default.dat, to make F4 (unallocated) set the chart to Harmonic 4 (with Null Houses):

EXAMPLE
1. Open MACRO_default.dat in Notepad, to get to alter the -WM 4 name-line, and add a -M0 4 instruction-line,

-WM 4 "-> Set harmonic 4 & Null"
-M0 4 "-i C:\Astrolog\Astrolog32\miscellaneous\MACRO\ARMONICI\h4.dat"

Save file.

2. Now go to folder ..miscellaneous\MACRO\ and make a new folder 'ARMONICI';
in it, create a new empty text file, renaming it h4.dat
Open it and type in just the following:

@0309
-x 4 -c 14;
; set to harmonic four

And save file.

Test, by calling [Run] > [Open Command File..], click MACRO_default.dat, press F4 key...

'kill' to return to harmonic 1:
press shift+F7, to run BACKtoMAIN.dat.

 The names in the drop-down menu of [Run] will update after you re-name them & save, depending on whichever 'Portal' file you edit.

Looking through what New Macros default choices at F1 through F12 currently set, there's a lot as a modernist I'd change, because I'm very happy with Astrolog32's dignity choices, and feel Traditional methods chase the wrong hare - so for fellow-modernists, here's some 'New Macros' suggestions, F4 to F8, F10 & F11, for MACRO_personal.dat (or MACRO_default.dat substituting RESETDEF at F8), which may better suit Tropical users wanting single-key presses:

MACRO No.   (Revert)	/M0 number (& switch in inverted commas)	/WM number (& name in inverted commas)
F4    (Use Reset)	/M0 4 "-Yk 0 8 9 4 3 15 11 11 11 11 11";	/WM 4 "Mystery Blue Background"
F5    (Use Reset)	/M0 5 "-YAR 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 -YAR 6 11 1 1 0 0 1 1";	/WM 5 "Seven Major Aspects"
F6    (Use Reset)	/M0 6 "-c 12";	/WM 6 "Whole Houses"
F7    (Use Reset)	/M0 7 "-I 80";	/WM 7 "Call Interpretations"
F8	/M0 8 "-i C:\astrolog\astrolog32\miscellaneous\MACRO\DEFAULT\RESETPER.dat";	/WM 8 "RESET"
F10   (Use Reset)	/M0 10 "-gp";	/WM 10 "Set Aspects to Parallel"
F11   (Use Reset)	/M0 11 "-YR 11 21 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1";	/WM 11 "Restrict Points from view"

All of this has a point if, ultimately, you feel able to rename MACRO_personal.dat as autorun.dat.

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STANDARDISING ASTROLOG32.DAT and PERSONAL.DAT: .. MAKING THE LEAP 

  Let's assume you like your astrolog32.dat configuration as it is; it's in \main.. you want the same config. with 'personal' ..

The V2.0x 'personal macros' configuration file, personal.dat is in:
C:\astrolog\astrolog32\miscellaneous\MACRO\PERSONALE\

Open your astrolog32.dat file in Notepad, (Gedit, Vim..)

Highlight everything from:

_s ; Zodiac selection ["_s" is tropical, "=s" is sidereal] .. ..yours may be different where italics

down to:

:YXC 1 33 33 ; Corner Decoration <0 = none, 1 = moire, 2 = web> ..yours may be different where italics

go [Edit] > [Copy];

Open C:\astrolog\astrolog32\miscellaneous\MACRO\PERSONALE.. and open personal.dat

Highlight everything from:

_s ; Zodiac selection ["_s" is tropical, "=s" is sidereal]

down to:
:YXC 0 66 66 ; Corner Decoration <0 = none, 1 = moire, 2 = web>

go [Edit] > [Paste];

Go Ctrl+s, to save personal.dat. Close astrolog32.dat.
Job done.

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V1.30_Standard
In all versions before V2.04, no
macros were defined - so, up to you!

Defining your own macros, old-style:

To set what any macro is to be, we used to just use the command-line itself, using these two special switches:

1. ..Go [Run] > [Open Command Line]

2. ..type in special switch -M0, then a space, then the number of the macro that you want to use, another space, then the command-switch or string of switches you have in mind IN QUOTES, like this: -M0 7 "/somestring /some other string". press Return key, to send the macro to RAM...

...Up till this point, pressing the 'F7' key, you will get the warning "Macro number seven is not defined".

3. To finish, now define the macro's name (the name that will appear in the menu to designate it), using this special switch:

.type in -WM, then a space, then the same number of the macro that you want to use i.e.7, another space, then your title IN QUOTES, like this -WM 7 "Sets something & something else...", - press Return key.

NOTE: Once defined, macros would be found, hopefully, written at the bottom of your astrolog32.dat - they may be available after a re-launch, or re-save.

  THIS PITFALL OF THIS METHOD IS [SAVE CURRENT SETTINGS] 

MUCH SAFER: If you prefer, simply type your macros into astrolog32.dat, then save the file with Ctrl+s.
NOTE: saving with [File] > [Save current settings] wipes all the old-style macros out; the nuclear option
to avoid this is to make astrolog32.dat read-only, which is my choice, but will only suit if you'll never change astrolog32.dat again.

As with the all versions, some macros can be set off successively, but generally, macros should be reverted before another is used, and the keyboard switch shift+V does this for many things, but not House systems, harmonic commands, 'Switches which affect how the chart parameters are obtained', nor 'Switches which affect how a chart is computed':...for these awkward macros, you can and should make a 'kill' macro that reverses the change.

e.g. for reverting harmonic charts to Radical, make an unused macro just set switch x 1, and name it 'Radical', in the manner described above.

A few sample macros to try, in any version of astrolog:

1.
Person's chart saved as macro 11:
after the DII line, type:
/M0 11 "/qb 4 21 1926 2:40:00 DT +0:00 0:10:00W 51:30:00N" ;
Press Enter key. Type...
/WM 11 "Queen Elizabeth" ;
Save Config file with Ctrl+s.

'kill' to return to 'Here & Now'
Open Command Line, type -n ; Press Enter key.

2.
Major Aspects only (i.e. Ptolemaic), as macro 4:
after the DII line (and any previous macro), type:
/M0 4 "-YAR 1 5 0 0 0 0 1 -YAR 6 11 1 1 1 1 1 1" ;
Press Enter key. Type...
/WM 4 "Major aspects" ;
Save Config file with Ctrl+s.

'kill' to return to Astrolog32 Defaults, as macro 5:
after the DII line (and any previous macro), type:
/M0 5 "-YAR 1 5 0 0 0 0 0 -YAR 6 11 0 0 0 0 1 1" ;
Press Enter key. Type..
/WM 5 "Default aspects" ;
Press Enter key. Save Config file with Ctrl+s.

Rather than writing your own, you can insert 1 - 12 macros on this page; ~ see pic, right, for where.

my own experience of switches has been brief, preferring astrology over geeky, but

• trying them in an adventitious way, I may not find my way back, but then, 'BACK TO CHART#1' seems to fix things in v2.04+, if I've got 'New Macros' triggered.
• A few of them don't work any more; notably for me, Fixed Star derestrictions, (love my Galactic Centre! and miss a working /Xw switch!)

• They pay off, with perseverence, but first you must learn the runfiles' structure. The new V2.04+ switch 'BACK TO CHART#1', BACKtoMAIN.dat is a great safety-net! but what you have to learn first to master V2.04+ macros may need a lot of patient 'figuring-out'. Take your time doing a first one!

HARMONIC SWITCHES:

These are accessible quickly in both text and graphics mode, via the command line in [Run]; typing 'x 2' in the box (without the hyphens), will raise the second harmonic when you click 'OK'. For the third harmonic, it's 'x 3' and so on. Note the space between the x and the figure. The chart's orientation remains as the Radical chart, (although you could choose 'Null' Houses, Ctrl+shift+N, or do other tricks).

Default on a re-launch remains Harmonic 1, but if, during one session, you have set the Harmonic at a particular value in a chart - all subsequent charts you move on to will be shown at the same harmonic (even charts #2, #3 and #4), until you go back to harmonic 1 via the command line, or via the [Settings] > [Calculation Settings] dialog.

In the Command-line, type 'x 1' (without the quote marks), and click 'OK' to return to the First Harmonic, i.e the Radical.

Saving harmonic charts: charts at any harmonic other than 1, the Radical, can be saved/re-opened at that harmonic by using the [File] > [Save chart positions...] option, a _pos.dat; - otherwise, only an image or text file will serve to capture the chart.
What will be saved, when you go [File] > [Save Mainchart data], is a timed .dat file at Harmonic 1.

Config.file is a short text-file. At every launch Astrolog32 reads this file once, and does what it says, presentationally. Called astrolog32.dat, it is most easily viewed while the program is open (keyboard switch is Ctrl+shift+0 (zero)), or by going [Edit] > [Edit Configuration File].
Or without opening Astrolog32, if you navigate to the \astrolog32 folder and open it, then open the \main folder: locate the file, then Notepad can open it - ('though Windows© may tell you it can't: go 'pick program from a list > Notepad').
Excerpts from each part of a not-untypical astrolog32.dat are explained in detail below.

The Config. File is editable (which is what this section is about); it is also swappable: to see this, remove your current astrolog32.dat from \main to somewhere SAFE, and then open and save the following file, different.DAT, back to \main, as astrolog32.dat. Then run Astrolog32 - green and yellow, right? - Quick, swap back in the original! or maybe not!   ~ It's set to American defaults, EST TimeZone, &includes Trump's chart, a macro at F2.

The file's working sections set:
1. your time and place. 2. display formats, and kind of astrology defaults. 3. various choices of objects and orbs. 4. which objects are shut off.
5. which are shut off in transit. 6. which are shut off in progression. 7. aspects on or off. 8. size of orbs. 9. limit of accumulated orbs.
10. 'influence' values. 11. 'influence' values in transit. 12. chart colours. 13. text or graphics. 14. the paths to its folders. (15. any macros).

Each line controls a separate topic, and changes need to be done with full attention not to disrupt the order of 'flags' and spaces.
The lines start with a line-flag, (which you may be able to alter to 'off', or to 'on' - see on..). Sometimes the next bit is a 'range parameter' (not to be altered) - about, see WORD LOOK-UP.
Then a string of numbers or zeroes follow, called 'flags'. A semi-colon marks the end of the working code, and the start of a comment about it.

The changes you make need to be saved, in order for them to become the new defaults. After saving, your alterations will appear at the next session.

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From the section DEFAULT RESTRICTIONS; here is line 2 (and yellow dots mark the spaces between flags):

  What this line declares is:

  first, the code YR that says it's an Overall Restriction / Allowing-of-Objects switch-line: it has the line 'switched on'; (to switch it off, you can put =YR, at the front, instead of -YR).
  there's a space, then, second, there's a range-parameter 11 21, (MINORS & POINTS), and tells Astrolog32 it is the minor planets & points to be switched in this set, for calculation and showing.
  Last, and after TWO spaces, the place in the string of 0s & 1s that follow, defines which minor planet or calculated point you are switching into use, or off: minor planets & points are always in this order:

Often, an initial underscore (_) toggles the line's status from (=) , and an 'oh' (o) toggles the line's status from (-) ; ..these are Astrolog's most common 'flags' for signalling on/off of a particular entire entry-line.

ALSO, Where there is a range parameter after the letter-code, then (except in DEFAULT GRAPHICS & one or two other sections), there are usually 2 LETTER-SPACES between the 'range parameter' and the string of 'flag-parameter' numbers.

At any stage in the evolution of your own distinctive astrolog32.dat file, in fact, you can save backups from the Notepad window it's in by opening [File] > [Save As ..] (say for instance.. astrolog32_beforeIalteredit.dat), and save it where you like, then close the window.

~ BACKING UP FIRST... As the program relies expressly on this file's instructions and where you've no backup of your chosen set-up in your system, safety suggests, before doing anything to it, to make a backup of astrolog32.dat in its present state by A:- going [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], and in the Notepad window, going [File] > [Save as ..](for instance) astrolog32.old; then, doing the edits you want, and re-saving as astrolog32.dat Or better, B:- via Explorer window by copy/pasting a copy of astrolog32.dat from the \main folder, into the \miscellaneous folder (and you could rename it), before going ahead and making changes. You can then proceed with confidence. (TO ROLL BACK to the BACKUP VERSION: open the folder where the backup was stored, find your backup file, (change your chosen backup file's suffix to ....dat, if that's missing), then open it in Notepad, not in order to alter it but just so as to re-save it under the title that Astrolog looks for, astrolog32.dat, saving back in \main folder. You may be asked "Do you want to overwrite?" - go "OK".)

If I haven't decoded the particular line that you are interested in, please scroll up or down other sections, to find entries doing something similar, and use them to decipher the appropriate string, and reckon what kind of changes to the string you can best make.

Otherwise, read the HELPFILE.TXT, using Ctrl+F and searching for the letter codes that begin most lines in astrolog32.dat.

• Rule 1 - backup astrolog32.dat to a remote folder!
• Rule 2 - open the astrolog32.dat file maximized, in Notepad: don't use Word or Wordpad.
• Rule 3 - don't insert returns - let the text scroll off to the right, if you're adding comments after the semi-colon

Open your own astrolog32.dat, and compare with this annotated version - though your astrolog32.dat WILL be different, reflecting either the defaults, or your past choices:

@0307 ; Astrolog32 Version: 1.30 ; File Name: astrolog32.dat ; NOTE: Everything from a semicolon (;) until the end of the same line ; is considered a comment, and is disregarded by the program. BASIC SWITCHES ~ four examples, from the many entry-lines: line 1: "Daylight Saving" -z0 1 ; here it's on DST [After the space that follows the -z0 code, 0 is standard, 1 is DST - hour added]. For old-schoolers, this would be re-typed twice a year, manually. line 2: "Default Time Zone" -z -2:00 ; Default time zone shown here is minus2 (2:00 hours before Universal Time, which gives East European Time, as a correction to GMT/UT.) (If leaving New York and charting with New York standard time on your pc, you would reset this from -z 5:00 ; to -z 8:00 ; , if you want to shift the time-zone for the program to suit the US Pacific coast's time on a permanent basis.) Setting a + figure to lose hours, & a - figure to gain hours, is a quirk of the program. line 8: "House system" -c 1 ; where: 0 = Placidus, 1 = Koch, 2 = Equal Houses, 3 = Campanus, 4 = Meridian, 5 = Regiomontanus, 6 = Porphyry, 7 = Morinus, 8 = Topographic, 9 = Alcabitius, 10 = Equal (MC), 11 = Neo-Porphyry, 12 = Whole, 13 = Vedic, 14 = None. line 16: "Calendar formats" _Yd ; where =Yd sets to day/month/year, _Yd sets to month/day/year (U.S. style, as here). SWITCHES NOT SUPPORTED BY ORIGINAL ASTROLOG ~ one example, from many entry-lines: line 10: "Aspects Display -detail" =YSa ; in the Sidebar, to either show aspects as 1, or 2: 1. if applying-or-separating, "=YSa ;" 2. if difference-in-deg./minutes, it's "_YSa ;". Default is _Ysa, which will show, in the right-hand panel of each graphic chart, the degrees/minutes between aspecting pairs of objects. YOUR DEFAULT RESTRICTIONS FROM CALCULATION & VIEW ~ one example, from four entry-lines: line 1: "Major Planets" -YR 0 10  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ; In the last string of eleven numbers, the flag-parameter '1' switches each planet in a sequence OFF from all calculation, while '0' is ON. Here, the sequence is of eleven Majors, which, (after the Majors range-parameter 0 10 ) is: Earth, Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto; and all are 'on'. YOUR DEFAULT TRANSIT-RESTRICTIONS ~ one example, from four entry-lines: line 4: "Uranians" -YRT 34 42  1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 ; Only in transit charts, this line controls whether Uranians are calculated and shown. As usual, the flag-parameter '1' switches each planet OFF in turn from all calculation, while '0' is ON. The sequence of nine Uranians after the Uranians_definer 34 42  , is: Cupido, Hades, Zeus, Kronos, Apollon, Admetos, Vulkanus, Poseidon, and Proserpine. And here, all barring Kronos are 'off'. YOUR DEFAULT PROGRESSION-RESTRICTIONS (FOR DUAL CHARTS ONLY) ~ one example, from the entry-lines: line 2: "Minor Planets, & chart points" -YRP 11 21  1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 ; Restrictions/derestrictions here means you can switch 'off' things you don't want, or 'on' things you do want: in this case Minors & Points, within dual charts..  the flag-parameter '1' switches each item OFF from all calculation, while '0' is ON. Here, the sequence of eleven Minors after the Minors_definer 11 21 , is: Chiron,Ceres,Pallas,Juno,Vesta,N.Node,S.Node,Lilith,Pars,Vertex,East Point: where those flagged '0' (N.Node,S.Node,Lilith,Pars,Vertex,East Point) are 'on' and will appear. YOUR DEFAULT ASPECT-RESTRICTIONS ~ one example, from three entry-lines: line 3: "Obscure Aspects" -YAR 12 18  1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ; Restrictions /derestrictions of aspects you do or don't want. Here again the flag-parameter '1' switches each aspect OFF from all calculation, while '0' is ON. These seven aspects are: SemiQuint., Septile, Novile, Binovile, Bisept., Trisept., Quadrinovile, in that order. And here, all obscure aspects are off, and will be neither listed nor shown. (For the sequence of the Minor and Major Aspects entry-lines, they are the same as you can find in the example further down ~ the " -YjA group" in "YOUR DEFAULT INFLUENCES of OBJECTS".) YOUR DEFAULT ASPECT ORBS ~ one example, from four entry-lines: line 1: "Major aspect -orbs" -YAo 1 5  12.0 8.0 8.0 10.0 6.0 ; Here after the range-parameter 1 5   , the five flags, each inserted to one decimal point, - and each number separated by a space, - are my current default orbs for each of the Major aspects, in this order: Conjunction, Opposition, Square, Trine, Sextile, in that order after the Major Aspects-Definer-YAo 1 5 . Astrolog's default values, though, are 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 6.0, or even less. Further extensions of orb, as in the case of the Luminary to Luminary, are done in 'YOUR DEFAULT ASPECT ORB-ADDITIONS', and can be applied to any object or point. q.v. below ~ YOUR DEFAULT PLANETARY-ASPECT ORBS ~ one example, from the entry-lines: line 2: "Minor Planets, & chart points" -YAm 11 21  360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 ; After the range-parameter 11 21  , the string of flags, divided by single spaces, here indicate the Minors, (see above for their order), and each can be set at any value from 0 to 360. Pullen's helpfile says ~ "This is like -Am but sets the maximum aspect orbs allowed to a range of objects... the first two parameters are the lower and upper object indexes, followed by the list of max orb values." from what I can fathom, these 360 degrees are place-holder values. If you reduce the angle-value from 360 to, say, 10, any orb-additions will be trimmed at 10: and choosing 0, although an object (or point) will appear on a chart, no aspect-lines will appear. The first entry-line sets max. planet orbs for the Majors - for order, see sections above. The third entry-line is House cusps, and the fourth is Uranians, - all exactly in the orders as they are presented in [Settings] > [Object Selections] menu. YOUR DEFAULT ASPECT ORB-ADDITIONS ~ one example, from three entry-lines: line 1: "Major Planets" -YAd 1 10  2.0 2.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 ; On this line as it is here, a customary addition of 2.0 degrees or more can be routinely added to the orbs of Sun and Moon, (they being the first two of the 'first to tenth' string which follows on after the Majors range definer 1 10   and the double space). Similar enhancements of orb can be added for any object or point, in any of the other entry-lines -- for their order, if you want to set other orb additions to what's offered, see sections above. To see more, open HELPFILE.TXT and type -YAd in a 'find' box. The second match usually gives the information. oYAd 1 10  0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 ; switches off all additions. YOUR DEFAULT INFLUENCES of OBJECTS ~ four examples,.. one from the first four entry-lines: line 3: "Cusp Objects" -Yj 22 33  10 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 ; After the definer(22 33 ) and the double-space that follows, the string of numbers divided by one space each, refer, first to twelfth, to the Cusps, First to Twelfth, and "..set an amount of influences for cusps." ~ so these are values on a scale of 0 to 15, not on/off flags, and "influence" here means 'relative power'. An 'influence' may be set to any one of 16 values, represented by the numbers 0 to 15, (15 highest). In the example here, the First, Fourth, Seventh & Tenth cusps are set at value 10. But if you think cusps exert no characteristic 'power' through aspect, set all at '0', or switch off the line. To see more, open HELPFILE.TXT and type -Yj in a 'find' box; the second match gives the information. oYj 22 33 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ; will switch them off. -------------------------------------------  Three more examples: the last three entry-lines: lines 6, 7, 8: "Powers of Aspects" -YjA 1 5   1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 0.500 ; the -YjA entry, having regard to how powerful an aspect is reckoned. This first line is the five major aspects, in this order: Conj. - Oppos. - Trine - Square - Sextile -YjA 6 11  1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 0.400 0.400 line 7 deals with: Inconj. - SemiSext - semisq. - Sesq. - Quint. - BiQuintile -YjA 12 18  0.200 0.100 0.100 0.100 0.100 0.100 0.100 line 8 is for the smaller aspects, in order: SemiQuint. - Sept. - Novile - Binovile - Bisept. - Trisept. - Quadrinovile -- As -Yj above, an 'influence' may be set to any one of 16 values, represented by the numbers 0 to 15, (15 highest)...   To switch this last line off, oYjA 12 18  0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ; that 'o' at the beginning switches them all off. YOUR DEFAULT TRANSIT INFLUENCES ~ two examples, from the four entry-lines: line 1: "Intrinsic-Powers-during-Transit, Major Planets" -YjT 1 10  10 4 8 9 20 30 35 40 45 50 ; After this Intrinsic-Power-during-Transit flag -YjT, the range-definer 1 10 refers to first to tenth planets (i.e., Majors_definer 1 10 ); then, after the two spaces, there follows the sequence of flags for sun, moon, mercury, venus, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune, pluto in that order, and these flags set the transit-influences for this range. An influence may be set to any one of 50 values - strongest influence represented by high numbers; so these are values on a linear scale; these are not on/off flags, and "influence" here means 'relative power'.. oYjT 1 10 etcetera; turns them off ------------------------------------------- line 4: "Influence in transit" -0Yj0  10 10 10 10 ; this line covers relative 'influences' given to planets when transitting, according to final four factors: ruling sign, exalted sign, ruling house, exalted house, in that order. The degree of 'influence' of each of these is flagged by numbers 0 to 15, (15 highest), and each here is set at 10. YOUR CHART COLOURS ~ three examples, from the five entry-lines: line 1: "Element Colors", - this colours the planets and Luminaries -YkC  14 14 14 14 ; "the numbers after the line-code, each divided by spaces, specify the coIours, first to fourth, of fir(e) objects, then ear(th) objects, air objects, and lastly, wat(er) objects - like Neptune";. - here I have applied the same color (14, = Cyan) to all planets, irrespective of they're regarded as fiery, earthy, airy or watery. ------------------------------------------- line 2: "Aspect Line colors" -YkA 1 18  3 15 9 10 14 13 13 3 3 11 6 6 1 5 5 1 1 5 ; the numbers after the -YKa 1 18   and a double space, each define the colour for a different kind of aspect-line in turn. What's different here is that in this string, all the three ranges of aspects (major, minor, and small) are strung together in one line. So, (ignoring the code and range-definer -YKa 1 18  ), the 3 means orange (for Conjunctions), 15 means white (for Opposed), 9 means red (for Trines), and so on, .. so each aspect can be coloured individually, as you choose. here's the order that the 1 18 string of aspects are in:- Conjunction, Opposition, Square, Trine, Sextile, Inconjunct, Semisext., SemiSquare, Sesquiquad., Quintile, BiQuint.,SemiQuint., Septile, Novile, BiNovile, Biseptile, Triseptile, Quatronovile. Below are the colour numbers, which are standard throughout Astrolog: ------------------------------------------- line 4: "Main Colors" -Yk 0 8  4 15 7 8 1 2 6 4 13 ; the numbers (flags) after the -Yk 0 8 and the double-space, are colour-values and, in this particular set-up, make it as follows: dark blue (is 4) for lines, white for background, light gray, darkgray, maroon, darkgreen, darkcyan, darkblue, magenta In all these entry-lines, a visual may be set to any one of 16 color values, represented by numbers 0 to 15, so that a: 0 =Black, 1 = Maroon, 2 = DkGreen, 3 = Orange, 4 = DkBlue, 5 = Purple, 6 = DkCyan, 7 = LtGray, 8 = DkGray, 9 = Red, 10 = Green, 11 = Yellow, 12 = Blue, 13 = Magenta, 14 = Cyan, 15 = White. To see more, open HELPFILE.TXT and type YkC in a 'find' box. The second match gives the most information. oYkC  14 14 14 14 ; switches them off. YOUR DEFAULT GRAPHICS SET-UP ~ four examples, from the nine entry-lines: line 2: "Default X / Y resolution on-screen" :Xw 631 631 ; (Installed default was 461 x 461). These two numbers should be the same, even though the graphical display is oblong with the info bar included.. There's no dividend in making the numbers not match, if your aim is to distort the window to compensate for the monitor resolution, because Astrolog then defaults to one number or another. ------------------------------------------- line 3: "Bitmap filesize & type" :Xbb ; The last 'b' indicates a colour bitmap, - this is no longer a variable. ------------------------------------------- line 6: "Use Actual Fonts" :YXf 0 ; Setting the 0 to 1 will prompt Astrolog to use actual fonts, including Mr. Hirst's Astro font. Setting it to 2 will use Courier and Wingdings, but not Mr. Hirst's font. ------------------------------------------- line 9: "Corner Decoration" :YXC 2 60 80 ; the numbers, divided by a single space, refer firstly to whether there's no decoration (0), a moire (1), or a web (the default option, a (2), as here). After that, size is defined, (here 60). then number of lines (80). Choosing 'moire', the size should be smaller - 33 33. Not covered in HELPFILE.TXT. YOUR DEFAULT DIRECTORIES for FOLDERS ~ two examples of the one typical entry-line, directing to the 'Ephemeris': the two paths differ according to which A32 release you have - line 2: "Ephemeris" :DIE "C:\astrolog32\ephemeris" ; This defines version 1.x's default path, where Astrolog32 tracks along and, in this case, is expecting the Swiss Ephemeris folder to be located. OR line 2: "Ephemeris" :DIE "C:\Program Files\astrolog32\ephemeris" ; This defines version 2.x's default path, where Astrolog32 will track along and, if you opted for a default install, will expect the Swiss Ephemeris folder to be located. If the unzipped folders' locations match these 'address paths', all works well; if not, the atlases and ephemerides will not work normally, and the \charts and \miscellaneous folders will not be found during work, - though Astrolog32 v1.x, as programmed, may create for you new empty folders, at the C: root: (in this event, confusion arises) - see the "Cannot find Astrolog32.dat, & other fluffs" page here. With Astrolog32 V2.x, if you unzipped all its contents to an \astrolog32 directory-system at whichever location on your pc, no mods should be necessary!  Re-writing the paths between the inverted commas then saving the file, means you adjust Astrolog32 to find   its folders wherever they may be - for reading its atlases, for saving to the right folder, and importantly, to   contact its own folder, \main. EXAMPLES --------------------- UNDER WIN98, MILLENIUM -------------------- Taking 'ephemeris' as an example folder which needs its path to be changed, ~ if you set up Astrolog32 V1.3x at "C:\Program Files\astrolog32", or moved it to there, then at the DIE: line, you would substitute this edit :DIE "C:\Program Files\astrolog32\ephemeris" ; ------------ ------------- ~ if you set up Astrolog32 V1.3x at "C:\My Documents\astrolog32", or moved it to there, then you would substitute the following edit: :DIE "C:\My Documents\astrolog32\ephemeris" ; ------------ ------------- ~ if you set up Astrolog32 V1.3x at "C:\astrolog32", you would probably not need to make this edit: :DIE "C:\astrolog32\ephemeris"   ; --------------------- UNDER XP, VISTA, W7 -------------------- ~ Taking 'ephemeris' as an example folder which needs its path to be changed, ~ if you if you set up Astrolog32 V1.3x at "C:\Program Files\astrolog32\..", or moved it to there, you would need the following edit: :DIE "C:\Program Files\astrolog32\ephemeris"   ; ------------ ------------- ~ if you set up Astrolog32 V1.3x at "C:\ "C:\Documents and Settings\YOURUSERNAME\My Documents\astrolog32\..", or moved it to there, you would substitute the following edit: :DIE "C:\Documents and Settings\YOURUSERNAME\My Documents\astrolog32\ephemeris"   . where the path is so long you may have to look the folder up in a folder-properties info box! (See below, on getting the ABSOLUTE PATH). .... for all the other lines in your DIRECTORIES section, a similar substitution of the middle part of the 'path' will mean that Astrolog32 can properly find its moved or unzipped folders \miscellaneous, \interpretations, \charts, \main, atlas\american and atlas\international by following, respectively, its :DIL, :DIN, :DIC, :DIM, :DIA, and :DII instruction-lines. <<<<      SAVE CONFIG.FILE, & CLOSE     >>>> ------------------------------------------- DODGE No. 10   GETTING THE ABSOLUTE PATH FOR YOUR DIRECTORIES: Open My Computer, and navigate to a folder view that includes where your Astrolog32 is; open the Astrolog32 folder, (where you will find some or all of \atlas, \miscellaneous, \interpretations, \charts, \ephemeris, & \main). Open a folder, right-click on one file, and select Properties; Find 'location' and insert your cursor left of the 'C:\..' (see image, right). Drag the mouse over the address till it is all highlighted; go Ctrl+c. Paste this 'absolute path' between the inverted commas in the DIRECTORIES lines, for the folder in question. WHY NOT AT THE C: ROOT? Not that the root isn't a fine place for Astrolog32 to work from: rather, that the root is not, for me, a place to put a folder I'm likely to mess with frequently. Folders can be far from the folder holding the program! Here's one way I found to avoid diving to the C: root: cut/paste the \charts folder to a more accessible location - (e.g., Program Files): find & copy the full path to a file within it: open astrolog32.dat, and, among the Config.file directory-paths, find the \charts line; copy/paste the correct path into :DIC "C:\Program Files\charts"!.. and Save Config.file! Equally good, you can re-write paths in [Settings] > [Directory Settings], then go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], and save it. ------------------------------------------- Making a new link to your program, Astrolog32.exe: whether you want a link on your Desktop, in a 'console' folder, or in Start Menu, do this: Find the Astrolog32 folder, open \main, and highlight, then right-click astrolog32.EXE: select 'Create shortcut' (this will create a link at the bottom of the list of contents of \main called shortcut to Astrolog32.exe); tile the \main window with the target window, and drag it from the one to the other, or onto the 'Start' button, and it will work.

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  # 12

- F.A.Q.s and ABOUT -

About   Old dates   Chart-shape   Won't save   Chart-size   Rotate Houses   Which version?   Vanishing macros   No Config.   Bi-wheel   D/M/Y   Change defaults   <objnum>, <aspnum>?   Uninstall   Min Requ   Commercial   Save ink!   Co-ordinates   List mycharts   Excel   Harmonics   Back to 'Home'   Transits, relative   Get animated   Add non-default obj.   Stability   Least angles   Eris   List today's transits   Chart-readings   Help

What is Astrolog32?
Free to download & use but with the restriction that it's not for financial gain, Astrolog32 is a largely open-source program which accurately charts the planetary and star positions, as seen from every Solar System planet (but not their Moons).
It is constantly updated, and can give positions (degrees, minutes, seconds), relative to the Zodiac and between planets. It has been ported to Linux (Kastrolog, Skylendar), and translated into Chinese, Czech, French, Italian and Spanish. Extended world-gazetteers and ephemerides (12000BCE - 4000AD) can be added, seen and printed; and for astrologers, short interpretations are made. Full details see FEATURES.

I have an Old-Style chart datum to raise; can Astrolog32 do it?
Yes, automatically, if the datum is pre-1582 (on or before Oct 4th, 1582 to be precise), Astrolog32 will recognise it as such, and make the chart correctly.
For chart-data after that date from those countries which persisted with OS, you must add the appropriate number of extra days when making your inputs, so as to make the datum New Style,- see JULIAN to GREGORIAN CALENDAR section.
Reverse-wise, if you browse Astrolog32 for an solar-system event between 1582 & 1752, then to find the Old-Style day for that event, the day it would have been called at the time, subtract the said number of days.
For a super-accurate chart (pre-1800), be sure you have the appropriate ephemeris files for this..

My chart isn't round!
Your monitor may have a distorting resolution, and a regular circle really shows this up! - set your graphics card to deliver 800 x 600, 768 x 1024, or 1600 X 1200, if you have a 4:3 monitor - Astrolog's anticipated format - and all should be well. Most widescreens have at least one resolution which renders a round chart, but with others the effect is sometimes inevitable, especially if there's a mismatch between graphics card and monitor. The good news is, the charts may print round if this is the case, but modern business printers seem to care nothing for aspect-ratio, and still deliver ovals.
Efforts to compensate by setting different dimensions (which in the Config.file, are :Xw Default X and Y resolution) is profitless, as Astrolog32 uses only one of these, and reckons the other to suit.

Check that the chart hasn't been pulled out-of-round by happenstance - press a capital Q, to check.

[File] > [Save Main Chart Data] won't save!
The reason for this is always that in the saving-name, there is a forbidden character: colons, slashes, double-inverted commas, and tildes-over-a-letter are not accepted, / \ : * ? ! " < > are all forbidden, - but the acute (aigu), over a or e is OK.

My chart's too small/ large!
You can make the chart smaller or bigger with the pull-handles that appear at the edges: then, if you press a 'capital Q', the chart-frame will 'square up' from oblong; and that's the size it will then print, or copy at, for the duration of your session. If you go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], and go 'File', 'Save', and the new size will appear in future.

The chart can be made permanently larger or smaller by altering the dimensions in the Configuration file, (at the third typed line below ";DEFAULT GRAPHICS" - in other words after the :Xw.)
To up the size, on a 1024 x 768 resolution, try :Xw(2spaces)630 630, or bigger, till the scrollers appear.
On 800 x 600, try :Xw(2spaces)540 540, or bigger, till the scrollers appear.
Now, go 'File', 'Save'. The bigger the chart, the bigger the bitmaps it creates. In similar fashion, you can reduce the size to that of a beermat, with a 387 387 chartsize for a 1024 x 768 screen, 276 x 276 on an 800 x 600 screen.
You can do it via the menus too: Go [Settings] > [Graphics Settings] for the dialog, and alter Horizontal Chart Size - the other dimensions will correct accordingly; again, don't forget to over-write astrolog32.dat.

How do I Rotate Houses?
This can be done of course, but at present you must set up twelve macros to flip to the twelve Houses: choose the macro-numbers you want - a complete 'shift+Fx' set of 12, or an 'alt+Fx' set of 12, seems perfect - and write the switches that follow the twelve -M0 x name-lines, as follows:
"-X1 22", "-X1 23", "-X1 24", "-X1 25", "-X1 26", "-X1 27", "-X1 28", "-X1 29", "-X1 30", "-X1 31", "-X1 32", "-X1 33".
Apply appropriate names to the the twelve macros, e.g. -WM x "Turn Descendant to left". (See how here).

Which version? - what site?
The chart-making of all english versions of Astrolog (from Astrolog 6.30, to Astrolog32 V1.20 to V2.05) is really equally good, though Astrolog32 uses the premium ephemeris for accuracy: the main differences IMO lie in the help-files (still geeky in 6.30, better in V1.30, integrated in V2.04, V2.05; may be better still in V2.06), and in the presence of World Atlases backing up input in Astrolog32, (all versions).
Walter Pullen's V6.30 is small and easy to install; has interpretations, excellent graphical extensions; 'as' files open with a double-click.
Astrolog32 Versions 2.04 and onward have a beginner's mode, and if you are an astro-newbie it's recommended as less bewildering - when you are ready, you can switch out to Advanced.
Another consideration might be - where you want it installed, and all the V2 versions excel in allowing you to install it anywhere.

How to download Astrolog32: To pick which release, first, read 'Installing'! For the V2.0x versions, click the A32 DOWNLOADS link at the head of this guide - at astrolog32.altervista.org, choose 'click here for English', scroll down and click on the links in blue, "Astrolog32 V2.05".
More conservative versions of Astrolog32 are downloadable at the A32 official site, and at southville.net, a helpful site in English. Also to be found at Southville, a CLI version, for keyboard and command-line operation. Check out the A32 official site for some screenshots.
Compiling data can be found both at Southville and Altervista.

My macros in astrolog32.dat vanish!
From time to time, when you save the Config.file using [File] > [Save current Settings..], the program will wipe the macros off the file. Better to go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], reinstate your macros, and always save with Ctrl+s. As a fix, when you are content with what your delivers, including your macros, then find the file in \main, alter the properties of the file by right-clicking it, set it to 'read-only'.

I've just installed Astrolog32: - what's this about "cannot find configuration file"?
If you have seen this in the course of the installation, don't panic - a Config file is generated at the very end of installation.
If, however, the program is run and this warning appears, then in this guide's TOPICS MENU is a clickable link - 'Cannot find Configuration file' - this will call a help-document on this subject; here's a direct link.

I've set up charts #1 and #2: how do I get my bi-wheel?
It only remains then to go [Charts] > [Two wheels] or > [Bi-wheel].
To turn multiwheels off again, go [Charts] > [Relationship mode OFF] or > [Standard Wheel], or type c.

How do I display dates as D/M/Y, or M/D/Y; also 24-hour times, instead of am/pm
Go [Settings] > [Miscellaneous], and make the change. Go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file] and save astrolog32.dat.
Otherwise these can only be altered by editting the config.file - lines 26 and 27, changing the prefixes to ' Yd' and/or ' Yt' - an explanation is provided there.

Program opens with original defaults, although I change settings each session!
Those changes aren't overwriting your defaults - after you have set it up in your current session as you want, go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file] & save astrolog32.dat NOTE - if this doesn't work, this may be an indication that the astrolog32.dat which you are saving to, is not in the \main folder: more likely, there is a \main folder that is not in the Astrolog32 folder.
If, as well, you can't save charts at all, this suggests that the install was done under " Administrator" mode, on NTFS Xp, Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8; open Astrolog32 as "Admin", and try accessing/saving files; to enable as "User", try accessing all the files & folders of Astrolog32, and re-setting 'Properties' of each and all, unticking any 'Read-only' attributes.
Otherwise, re-install under "User" mode.

Some settings can't be made default, see here.

What's an <objnum>?, <aspect>? - where are colour numbers?
For command-line input, every point, planet, aspect and colour has an unique reference number - lists of all three are at the end of LIST of COMMANDS; plus, planets and aspects listed in [Help] > [Planets], [Help] > [Aspects]; or, check out objects' numbers here and colors' numbers here - (both in CUSTOMISING the CONFIG.FILE), and view the end of WORD LOOK-UP for example uses.

Is uninstalling Astrolog32 a big deal?
Quite the opposite: just navigate to the Astrolog32 folder, right-click it, and go 'Delete'. Everything will go, as Astrolog doesn't touch the Windows Registry. Only the shortcut, (in Start Menu or Desktop), will remain to be deleted.
The latest releases of Astrolog32 have an uninstaller, which you will find in your Astrolog32 folder, (click on unins000.exe).

What is Astrolog32's minimum hardware?
Old stuff will do, concerning the program: a 4:3 monitor, big or small, plus a quiet machine - 500 Mhz processor I would call adequate but could be down to 120 Mhz on Win98; 200 Mb hard-drive space at the very most (at the least, with V1.30 just after install, only 4.2Mb!); a USB slot (it's handy); a keyboard and mouse. Only with working online, reading 'Companion' or calling up page documents like the Helpfile.DOC will a slow processor/lack of RAM become major irritants.
I suggest running it on NTFS Windows systems, and not Win98 or Millenium, only because of the latters' issues with fragmenting and lack of driver support.. if like me you run a tiny Toshiba Libretto though, Win'98 it has to be.
Try setting your screen resolution to 800 x 600, if you want big lettering. And if you're keen on your astrological work, a dedicated pc is a nice option.

Can I use Astrolog32 for clients' charts?
It's a condition of all Astrolog releases is that they are not used for monetary gain. See the intro to HELPFILE.TXT for details.

How should I make my chart printable, not wasting a lake of ink? (applies versions before version 2.00)
Go [View], tick [Reverse background] and tick monochrome .. WYSIWYG! Or, better, simply hit the m key, then x, on the keyboard; or just go x key, and send to the printer, letting it greyscale the colours.

How do I change my default location co-ordinates (Lat. & Long)?
1.Go via menus: [Edit] > [Set Default Location/ Timezone..] and alter the co-ordinates, by browsing the atlases offered; go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], then save astrolog32.dat.
or...
2a. Find your intended co-ordinates by browsing online for them, and write down the co-ordinates.
2b. Go [Edit] > [Edit Configuration File], alter line 13 of astrolog32.dat, after -zl ; and in line 14 type in the Location's name, e.g.
-zn "Somewhereville"; Save.

How can I print off a list of all my charts' names?
Windows© can do this, with an old command, using the command-line:

• In folder window, navigate to the \charts folder, and right-click any folder or file within it: choose 'Properties'.

• Find and highlight all of the path, in the 'Location' field. (see image, right). Go Ctrl+c.
• Paste the path (it will end ...\charts) in a new Notepad page, and close the folder window.
• Open Prompt window with [Start] > [Programs] > [Accessories] > [Command Prompt].
• Tile windows
• At the blinking cursor at the end of the opening line, in Command Prompt window, type:cd, then a space, then the whole of the address path, letter by letter, from the Notepad page. Press 'enter' key.
• At the new Prompt, type:dir /s > print.txt and press 'enter': this will send the list to the \charts folder, as print.txt (omitting /s excludes subfolders).

For best view, open print.txt in Wordpad or Word.

Can I make an Excel spreadsheet of ephemeris positions?
Yes, once you have made a text-file of the ephemeris, and then, having spent a little time inserting commas in each line of data to demarcate the columns in their order and number, saved it as a .csv or .txt file. (To create a more personalised text-file of ephemerides, see above in Text mode & raising data.)

To make the text-file, be sure first that, in [View], you have selected "print nearest second", (alt+b). After, maybe, typing 'v' to abandon the graphic view, then go shift+E to raise the month's ephemeris, and save those positions, as a textfile, to the desktop (in v2.02+, it's [File] > [Export..>], or Ctrl+5; earlier,it's [File] > [Save 'chart' as Textfile]).

At Yahoo's Astrolog_list forum, the suggestion is to open this text-file using a text editor like Notepad++, from Notepad-plus-plus.org, so as to use its 'Find & Replace' option, in order to insert the essential commas, and remove slashes and quotemarks - these will otherwise prevent the grid from transferring properly. But first, cut out any unnecessary data, and manually edit the first line, of 'Dy/Mo/Yr' and names-of-objects, removing those forward-slashes, & adding commas, after 'date', and after each 'object', so as to mark off the columns.
The remaining columns can be prepared automatically in a good text-editor, and inverted commas replaced, using 'Find & Replace' in three passes: the first, to replace -15   i.e. the year-ending in my 2015 example, with -15, - so adding a comma; next, to replace ' with m. (for minutes of arc), then to replace " with s. , (for seconds of arc, while at the same time inserting a separating comma after each Object or Node).
(Csv can't handle those inverted commas.)
Alternatively you can open your ephemeris text in MSWord, (set to landscape view, set font to small, like Courier New, 8), and open the Find & Replace dialog which is probably in [Edit], if it's an older 'Word'; the routines are the same, but remember to save as Plain Text .txt, (or .csv if that's an option), back to the desktop.
When it's as tidy as is necessary, save the file as a .csv file, (comma-separated-values). Open the spreadsheet program, and go [File] > [Open], or use 'import csv file, using comma-separated-values'.

How do I raise an Harmonic chart?
1. Either press the return key, or Go [Run] > [Open Command Line] : now type '-x 4' (without the quote marks), you'll get to the Fourth Harmonic when you press 'OK'. Type '-x 1' (without the quote marks) and 'OK' to return to the Radical chart.
2. Another way, open [Settings] > [Calculation settings], and highlight, then change the number-value in the 'Harmonic' corner. go 'OK'.
3. Or go [Settings] > [Special] > [Show Navamsas], (or 'little y'), for the ninth. See also 'F.A.Q - smallest aspect' below.

I'm lost! How do I get back to the vanilla chart?
If only there was one switch for that! - the only 'but' is, if you progressed or regressed the chart by animation, your initial data will be lost unless you clicked little 'o' to save it to memory before you started your explorations, progression or rectification - (you can recall it in the [Edit] > [Enter/Edit Mainchart] > [Recall chart data from memory].. you will get either the text, or the graphic).
Otherwise your Mainchart data is safe still: try doing these:

• First, press little 'c' to dump combination chart-data;
• Go shift+V, go little 'v'. - should clear any keyboard switches..
• If things remain strange, inspect the various menu-buttons' drop-downs - are wrong modalities ticked in the [Settings] menu first seven options, for instance?
• But [Lists] > [Arabic Parts] used to be particularly sticky... Alt+shift+V is your get-out-of-jail card often.

MACRO NOTE: using the V2.0x macros you have a single click to undo many macro switches (shift+F7), making V2.0x macros an attractive way of modifying the chart. Exceptions are listed here

• Switches which affect how the chart parameters are obtained.
• Switches which affect how a chart is computed.
• harmonic switches.

PROGRESSION NOTE: After using [Charts] > [Do progression (single wheel)], - there's no undo, you'll have to un-tick 'Do Progression' in [Charts] > [Progressed], then go 'OK'.

Can I view transits in a bi-wheel chart, objects moving relative to the fixed natal positions? Or progressing planets, relative to natal?
Yes, as in surveying a life's ups & downs: first choose your step-interval: 9 minutes?, 3 days?, 2 months?, by altering [Animation] > [Jump Rate] ..[Jump Factor].
As your Mainchart, raise the chart that is not to alter (and go little 'o' to save it to memory); now setup the chart that is to alter as your "chart #2" e.g. go Alt+shift+Z, (and for another Radix, - click 'Recall chart data'), otherwise, enter a start-date. go 'OK'.
Now go [Charts] > [Biwheel/Comparison Chart]; when you press little 'p', the outer chart, (chart #2), will progress by the Jump Factor till you press it again. See next answer for how to set Jump factor quickly.

Can I view a given chart move 'across the sky' as time ticks forward?
Yes, but first choose your interval: minutes?, days?, months?.. Go [Animation] > [Jump Rate] > [Minutes] (for rectifying a birth, for example), then go [Animate]. There is a [Reverse direction] toggle in the Animation menu. Clicking [Animate] again turns the time-shift off at the point you choose, though you need to be cat-quick, and the keystroke control of this, with p and r, is far more handy.
This animation works to visualise the sky in [Charts] > [Local Horizon], and [Charts] > [Solar system], also [Extra] > [Constellations ON] with [Extra] > [Bonus Mode] too.
When animation is running, pressing numbers 2 through 9 will multiply the Jump Rate - it can gallop forward, or back, till you press 1 again.

Where can I incorporate some Uranian objects?
Go [Settings] > [Object Selections] and check if there are ticks by the Uranians - add all or some.
Go [Settings] > [Cusps & Uranians]; see that Orbs are 360 degrees, and under "Add" and "Influence", "0.0" here indicates that the objects have not been weighed for more orb, nor power - those numbers can be upped to your choice.
To make your selections permanent, now go [Edit] > [Edit configuration file], and save, overwriting astrolog32.dat.

Is Astrolog32 stable?
Fairly so: I've had two A32 break-ups in ten years, each remedied by finding a fresh copy of the \main folder, and overwriting the one that was defective (having first taken out the old astrolog32.dat that I liked, and kept it aside during the replacement, to go back then and replace the default version in the new \main.)
But first, check your astrolog32.dat file is not corrupt.
  potential indicators of a dodgy \main folder..

The 'Dispositor' window alone calls buggy behaviour in my pc.

What's the smallest aspect Astrolog32 calculates?
Can I hide major angles?
Semisextile. 'Half-a-SemiSquare' is not listed as an aspect, but can be seen in its Harmonic Realization, by going [Run] > [Open Command Line] > type 'x 8' (without the quote marks). Then, half-a-semiSquare appears as an opposition.
Type 'x 1' (without the quote marks), 'OK' to return to primary chart. A similar technique will reveal any small aspect.
I mention this because I find these little aspects (there are eight points where they may occur, 2 @ 22.5*, 2 @ 67.5*, 2 @ 112.5*, 2 @ 157.5*, from any given object) work to 'afflict' in natal charts, as a want of reciprocal involvement between the two objects, just like major aspects (but the orb is tiny).
To hide particular aspects, go [Settings] > [Aspect Selections] (Alt+a), where you can 'restrict' them for your session; or better, create a macro that shuts them off on demand!

Does Astrolog32 calculate Eris/TransPluto?
No, but there is a way to make Astrolog32 adopt Eris, though it's an involved business, and is limited to Astrolog32 V1.10. A Swiss Ephemeris file of Eris is available, and so an Uranian or asteroid you don't give any significance to, can be 'kidnapped' - its orbit instead defined by the Eris ephemeris, once you have downloaded that and installed it in \ephemeris. An amended seorbel.txt is provided from the site mentioned below, as a template, wherein the Uranian identity 'Vulkanus' is hijacked. Afterwards, that 'Uranian object' must be thought of as Eris, as none of Astrolog's 'objects' can be renamed by the user.
For the how-to of incorporating Eris, see the end of J.M's article at Bonniehill.net. It's a plunge in the deep end of program tweaking.

How do I get a list of current transits to my chart?
Go [Lists] > [Transits]: opens a small window where the day for the transits can be inserted. The list is then presented in text form, and this list should be saved under some name to distinguish it from the chartfile, if that's saved as text also. These save to \miscellaneous by default. For House cusps to feature in this list, then in [Settings], '[Objects Selections > all Cusps]' must all be ticked.

Does Astrolog32 do chart readings?
In a minor way: going [Lists] > [Interpretations] from the standard House Wheel sets a page listing the Luminaries' and planets' conditions by House and Rulership, and a selection of 'alternative' in [Settings] > [Miscellaneous] yields a different set which you can modify. See Interpretations. For birthchart reading, you only benefit if you have a time-accurate chart!, and it pays to have set up Rulership and Influence(Power) Settings to your satisfaction.

Is there help online?
Information on particular themes in the use of Astrolog is scattered about the WorldWideWeb, diversely and according to the version and language you use.

There are several versions of the Helpfile, in HTML; search "Astrolog HTML helpfile" on the web..
In English, salient features of the Astrolog32 atlases are simply explained at Antonio's 'Southville' site - details are here; he also has an 'advanced' page.

See also,
  http://www.zodiacal.com/astrologFAQ.html, one of the oldest Astrolog pages.
  http://www.bonniehill.net/pages.aux/astrology/astrolog/parallels.html
  http://www.bonniehill.net/pages.aux/astrology/astrolog/ephem.html - details of the backup ephemeris.

Otherwise, as guides to the whole of Astrolog32, there's these:
At Philippe Epaud's site, a guide to Astrolog32, in French, here, - very clear illustrations, good on orbs, progressions, orientations.
At astrolog32.altervista.org, here, besides links to downloads and this guide, Roberto Luporini has a Pdf manual - in italian.
By Petr Trnka, there is an .RTF manual, available at Robbie's site for the Czech version of Astrolog32 V2.05; it translates, via Google Translate, into curious English, and among other things, covers the geometry of House Division.
A warning with all the foreign-language guides - one keyboard shortcut in these versions of A32 does differ from the one driving chart-animation in our English version: namely, English A32 uses 'p' to animate, all others, 'N'.
.

There's a members' forum at Yahoo's global 'Groups' page, - its web-address now is https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Astrolog_List. You don't need to sign in, in order to browse 'Conversations' - some very advanced tweaks are discussed at length there - but you sign up to contribute.

A newer forum has sprung up on Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/astrologprogram thanks to the redoubtable Michael Rideout; you must sign up, to post.

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- ABOUT THE ASTROLOG PROGRAM-MAKERS -

Initial programming was by Walter Pullen in 1990-'91. (X Window graphics initially programmed 23-29 Oct 1991; PostScript graphics initially programmed 29-30 Nov 1992; ). He published it with the provision that it is not to be used commercially (and finished development of Astrolog 5.40 for Windows© 16-bits on 20th December 1998). Go to astrolog.org for details of his latest version, Astrolog 6.

Modifications from version 5.40 to 5.41 were by Alois Treindl, who added support for Swiss Ephemeris to 5.41.
Valentin Abramov made many improvements to Windows© 16-bit versions from 5.30a through 5.31g and 5.41a through 5.41g (up to 26th April 2002.)

Antonio Ramos created Astrolog32 (Windows© 32-bits version) based on 5.41 (version 1.0 was released on 5th March 2004, V1.30 on 3rd Dec 2005, with help from Philippe Epaud, 'Francoise', 'Dennis' and Michael Rideout; currently at V1.30). Thanks to Antonio's efforts we have the atlases to supply locations. V1.30 and this 'Companion' are here.

Tomas Kubec built the original V2.00 self-installing version, now V2.02 (here) and this is the current official site of A32; and the V2.05+ versions, by Roberto Luporini, are here, where this 'Companion' is available too.

Seek out 'History' and 'changelog' files in the \main folder, they detail each improvement.
The onus for further improvement falls on us... Interested? See the English compilation page on the developer's page Altervista.

<<<<         >>>>

---

  # 13

- PROGRAMS TO GO WITH ASTROLOG32 -

MS Paint: Paint is likely present on your Windows© pc, and while it has no layering way of working, the 'Paste Transparent' feature allows one mask or image to be embedded onto a chart, or, a chart can be integrated into a large Paint canvas, which can include lists, an aspects grid, - even a biography, given the ability to paste in text in any font.

SE Aspectarian.: To avoid moving away from the Astrolog32 window, this freeware will establish when an aspect perfects. The Swiss Ephemeris is used. To avoid duplicating the Swiss Ephemeris, install SE Aspectarian first and expand your ephemeris files to there, as you can steer Astrolog's directories to SE Aspectarian copies, not the other way round. The helpfile hasn't worked for me - just kills the program - but it is straightforward to understand The link here.

Irfanview is a famous freeware for handling images, always available here. You can paste bitmaps into it, size them to a given height or width precisely, change colours, and save, in most formats, to any folder. The reducing or enlarging of images can be very clean, and greyscale is available, which is absent from Paint. Charts can be finely rotated, with slight loss of colour.

Considered a second install of Astrolog32? A proxy version will only take up 2.6 Mb, as you can you can use the directory fields in the Config file, to send calls for \charts, \ephemeris, and \atlases to the first install. And, this copy can be a smaller size, for making charts to paste into a document; or, with different aspects set to appear, or, running at a time difference. Here's how to put one on the desktop: Create a folder on the desktop, called, say, Proxy. Now open your current Astrolog32 folder, highlight the \main folder, go 'Edit' > 'Copy', and paste it in your new Proxy folder: now right-click this new \main folder, and open 'Properties': put your cursor just left of the C:\.. in Location field, and sweep right to highlight the address: go Ctrl+c. In your new \main in Proxy, locate and open astrolog32.dat in Notepad, go Ctrl+end, and find the first line (:DIM) in DIRECTORIES. Between the inverted commas that follow, highlight the old address, from the left up to (and leaving intact) the final subfolder which is \main, then paste in the folder's address you copied previously. viz: "C:\Documents and Settings\yourname\Desktop\Proxy\main" Save your new astrolog32.dat. Make a shortcut to astrolog32.exe - and put it in ..'Accessories', so as not to overwrite any previous shortcut. DONE.

  END of GUIDE  
I would like to thank Roberto Luporini for answering my dumb questions,
Michael Rideout for his useful suggestions, & the departed J. S. Bach, for the music.

FEATURES
  A list of all the main features in Astrolog:
created by Walter Pullen

Position calculation features:
Positions of Sun through Pluto and the house cusps. Positions of Chiron and the four main asteroids. Positions of True and Mean nodes, Part of Fortune, Vertex, and East Point. Positions of Lilith. Positions of the eight Uranian planets. Positions of over 40 fixed stars. Positions of over 170 Arabic parts and their formulas. Option to use any or all of accurate 8400 year ephemeris.

Computation features: ~ mostly in [Settings]
Fourteen house systems. Tropical and sidereal zodiac. Specify zodiac starting position / ayanamsa. Heliocentric and other planet centered charts. Applying and separating aspects. Parallel and contraparallel aspects. Harmonic charts. Solar charts with objects on Ascendant or Midheaven. Decan positions. Specify your own positions for planets. Positions relative to ecliptic or equator. Local horizon positions in prime vertical coordinates.

Display formats: ~ mostly in [Charts]
Generic position listing. Wheel charts. Aspect and midpoint grids. List aspect configurations such as Yods. List aspects sorted by influence. List midpoints sorted by position. Local horizon positions. Times of planets rising and setting. Solar system orbit charts. Gauquelin sector charts. Astro-graph charts. List latitude crossings in astro-graph charts. Generic monthly and yearly calendars. Ephemeris tables. Biorhythm charts.

Transit and progression features: ~ in [Charts], [Lists], [Run] > [Macros]
Secondary progressions and solar arc progressions. Specify your own progression rate. Times of exact aspects among transiting planets. Times of planets changing sign or direction. Times of lunar phases and season changes. Times of exact aspects in a progressed chart. Times of exact transit hits. Times of transits to house cusps. Times of solar, lunar, and other returns. Times of exact transits from progressed planets. List transits to natal planets within orb in influence order. List aspects within orb among transiting planets in influence order. Transits to composite and other no-time charts.

Relationship chart features: ~ in [Charts]
Synastry charts. Chart #1 planets in the houses of Chart #2. Composite charts. Time space midpoint charts. Weighted relationship charts. Display elapsed time between charts. Aspect and midpoint grids between two charts. Aspect and midpoint lists between two charts. Automatic progressed to natal comparison chart.

Interpretation features: ~ [Lists]
Influence charts sorting planets and signs by power. Interpret natal positions and natal aspects. Interpret transits and midpoints. Interpret transiting aspects and sign and direction changes. Interpret aspects and midpoints between charts. Interpret synastry charts.

Graphics features: ~ in [Charts], [Extra], [Animate]
Graphic wheel chart. Graphic bi-wheel comparison / transit chart. Graphic tri-wheels and quad-wheels. Graphic aspect / midpoint and relationship aspect / midpoint grids. Graphic astro-graph chart on a map of the world. Graphic local horizon, polar horizon, Gauquelin wheel, and orbit charts. Graphic ephemeris tracking chart. Graphic calendars and biorhythms. Dispositor graph chart. Plot positions among the astronomical constellations. Smoothly animate charts through time at varying rates. Continuously update chart to current moment now. Animate a rotating globe. Timed exposures for horizon and orbit charts. Create PostScript graphic files. Create graphic X11 and Windows bitmap files. Create Windows metafiles.

Customization options: ~ in [Edit], [Settings]
Initialization file for default settings, called astrolog32.dat. Choose what transiting and natal planets to include in charts. Choose among 18 major and minor aspects, or define your own. Specify aspect orbs. Specify the maximum orb allowed to a planet. Specify wider orbs for any planet. Display zodiac positions to the nearest second. DMY & MDY date formats and 24 hour & am/pm time formats. Display locations in hours & minutes or 360 degree form. Customize interpretation strings. Customize colors. Define your own orbital elements for planets. Choose among graphic glyphs for certain signs and planets. Specify influence of planets and planets when transiting. Specify influence of houses and aspects.

Chart access features: ~ mostly in [File]
Quick charts for the current moment now. Save and load chart time and place to file. Save and load chart positions to file. Save text output directly to file. Relocate charts. Cast a chart a specified time ahead of any chart.

System features:
Display text charts in Ansi color. Paging for when text charts are more than a screenful. Access environment variables. Define macros for your most common operations. Easy to use menu and dialog interface in the Windows version.