# Catalog

From the menu: Setup → Catalog

## Catalog

From the menu: Setup → Catalog → Catalog

Here you can add and activate all kinds of external catalogs previously built for SkyCharts with the CatGen utility. You can invoke Catgen by the CatGen button at the top right. Read more about the new creation or adaptation of existing catalogs for SkyCharts with CatGen here.

Before you can add a new catalog, you need to add a line where you will describe its configuration. (You could also remove a selected line by pressing the “Delete” button.)

Next, you need to set the path to your new catalog. Click the directory icon at the right of the line to set the path. You can have your directory with your external catalog anywhere on your computer, but it is generally a good idea to place them together as subdirectories of the `cat` directory in the SkyCharts installation directory. In the directory of your catalog there must be a `.hdr` file whith the description of this catalog. Select the `.hdr` file. In case of an error, the first cell on the line is boxed in red.

In the min field, enter the field of vision number to set the smallest fields of vision that you want your catalog to be used for in SkyCharts. (For your current FOV number settings, have a look at the bottom of the dialog box.) A good choice to start with can be to put a 0 here, otherwise zooming in can result in the loss of objects that were visible in a larger Field of vision. In the max field, enter the largest field of view number for which you want to use this catalog.

If the catalog allow for this option you can change the color of the object by a click on the icon in this column. Select a black color to return to the default color.

Some catalog allow for an update URL to reload the catalog data from the Internet. Click the circular arrow in the Reload column to download the latest version of the catalog.

Click the red cell at the left of the line to activate the catalog. If all is set properly, it will switch to green.

## VO Catalog

From the menu: Setup → Catalog → VO Catalog
By this tab you can manage any online catalog available with the Vizier Virtual Observatory interface, there are more than 9000 catalogs

This requires an active connection to the Internet to search and download a new catalog. But after you acquire the data you also can use them offline. You can copy the files to another computer, they are located in the User settings/vo directory. Locate the file name in the File column and copy both the .xml and the .config files.

Set Max rows to the maximum number of records you want to download at a time for a catalog. You can increase the default value if you want a full catalog to use offline. Or decrease the value if you suffer of slowdown when the chart is redraw. Any change takes effect with the next download.

Initially the list is empty, click the Add button to launch the Virtual Observatory interface and follow the instructions on this page.

If you want to change the settings for a catalog, like the column selection, the drawing symbol or the color, select the catalog in the list and click the Update button.

The Delete button removes all the associated files for the selected catalog.

If you are connected to a SAMP hub you have the option to send the selected table to one or all of the other clients.

Click the first cell at the left of the line to make it green and activate the catalog. Switch the cell to red when you want to disable this catalog.
To plot all this data to the map, the button on the top bar needs to be checked. This is a quick way whether to select or not all these Virtual Observatory catalogs.

If the catalog is not downloaded completely, as for a large survey that includes millions of objects, you can click the arrow at the Reload column to actualize the data for the current chart field.
Select first a narrow enough field of view on the chart, 1° or 30' is a good start. Then right click the button to open this window and reload the catalog you want.

## User defined objects

From the menu: Setup → Catalog → User defined objects
You can add here any object or point of interest you want to display on the map.

Click Add to add a new object, and select it's properties. At least the coordinates must be entered.

Then click the red dot on the left to make it green to select the object for display.

To plot all this data to the map, the button in the top bar need to be checked. This is a quick way to select or not all the objects.

You can also save and load the list of object to a file using the corresponding buttons.

## CdC Stars

From the menu: Setup → Catalog → CdC Stars
By this tab you can activate SkyCharts to display the stars from your catalogs. Simply place a check in the appropriate checkboxes. In the standard situation, SkyCharts will search the catalogs in their preconfigured paths where SkyCharts asumes the appropriate catalogs reside. If SkyCharts can't find the catalog in the configured file path, the file path input area will display a red colour. You need to set this right before SkyCharts can use your catalog.
Don´t panic if you can´t find the proper path. Because of their sizes, not all catalogs came with the SkyCharts installation, maybe you need to install the catalog. Click here for further reading about installation of extra catalogs. The Deepky 2000 is a package of catalogs that isn't available for free, you can purchase it from here.
In the min field, enter the field of vision number to set the smallest fields of vision that you want your catalog to be used in SkyCharts. (For your current FOV number settings, have a look at the bottom of the dialog box.) A good choice to start with can be to put a 0 here, otherwise zooming in can result in the loss of objects that were visible in a larger Field of vision. In the max field, enter the largest field of view number for which you want to use this catalog.
If you are using multiple catalogs, you can enhance the performance of SkyCharts by avoiding the usage of multiple catalogs in the same field of view.
Catalogs marked with “pm” contain “proper motion” information. The program uses the proper motion to calculate the position of the object for the configured date. It is possible to display the proper motion by showing the displacement for a period of 1-9999 years in the form of a line. See Display Lines.
You can configure how the stars are displayed by the tab Color from the menu by Setup → Display. You can switch the display of stars on or off by pressing the icon of the object bar.

## CdC Deep Sky

From the menu: Setup → Catalog → CdC Deep Sky
By this tab you can activate SkyCharts to display the deep sky objects from your catalogs. Simply place a check in the appropriate checkboxes. In the standard situation, SkyCharts will search the catalogs in their preconfigured paths where SkyCharts asumes the appropriate catalogs reside. If SkyCharts can't find the catalog in the configured file path, the file path input area will display a red colour. You need to set this right before SkyCharts can use your catalog.
Don´t panic if you can´t find the proper path. Because of their sizes, not all catalogs came with the SkyCharts installation, maybe you need to install the catalog. Click here for further reading about installation of extra catalogs.
In the min field, enter the field of vision number to set the smallest fields of vision that you want your catalog to be used in SkyCharts. (For your current FOV number settings, have a look at the bottom of the dialog box.) A good choice to start with can be to put a 0 here, otherwise zooming in can result in the loss of objects that were visible in a larger Field of vision. In the max field, enter the largest field of view number for which you want to use this catalog.
For a better performance and to avoid duplicates of objects to be displayed, you better do not use multiple catalogs for the same type of deep sky objects in the same field of vision. As indicated at the bottom of the tab, it is recommended to use catalogs from only one of the three catalog groups. You can choose to mix those groups, but because of the duplicates as a result of the overlapping a warning message will be displayed.
You can choose how to display the symbols of deep sky objects by the tab Deep-sky Colour by the menu Setup → Display. You can switch the display of deep sky objects on or off by pressening the icon of the object bar.

## Obsolete

From the menu: Setup → Catalog → Obsolete
If you want to use your obsolete catalogs, specify them in this tab the same way you did in the CdC Stars and CdC Deep Sky tabs.