From: "Terrence R. Redding, Ph.D." <tredding@mac.com>

Date: September 3, 2009 8:59:40 AM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Multiple display support


Good morning Tom.


You might tell us where in Germany you are located.


Last night I spent four excellent hours with Astro IIDC in my small observatory.  My current project is learning how to image planets.


Let me see if I can help you.  Live view is not a problem.  There is a preview function that allows you to see a live view of what the camera sees.  However, it's purpose is to let you see what the camera is seeing, while you control the program.  I don't believe it can be shown at full screen.


However, you may be able to use Astro IIDC to control the camera and have the live view in another program, say iMovie active as a full screen display.  That would be ideally suited to live presentations.  I will try that tonight.


As for an external display, I believe the Apple OS addresses that issue and makes it quite easy to drive an external display from the computer running Astro IIDC which could be used purely for presentation purposes.  Last night at the Palm Beach Science Museum, we had exactly that discussion.  Their plan is to have the sessions in the observatory displayed on monitors outside the observatory, say in the hallway, on LCD monitors with speakers.  That way a larger number of people will become aware of the observatory, be able to see what it sees, and hear the discussion in the observatory that normally is only available to a limited number of people.


They will then be able to record such events, edit, and play them during the day as a way of promoting the night time observatory activities.


With the Mac computer you have the option of either using a second monitor as a mirror, or as an additional monitor desk space.  So you can control whether to display the live view, or a different screen on either monitor.  The system is quite flexible.


I am sure others will want to weigh in with their comments.  I hope you find my comments helpful.


Terry - W6LMJ - 14.287 


Terrence R. Redding, Ph.D. 

Redding Observatory South, West Palm Beach, Florida

http://olt.net/learningstyle/Site_2/Learning_Style_Research.html

How do amateur astronomers learn?


American Association of Variable Star

Observers (AAVSO): RTN http://www.aavso.org/


On Sep 3, 2009, at 7:57 AM, stuppt wrote:

Hi,
I am very interested in Astro IIDC.

What I really need is to have a live view on an external display for presentation reasons. But I neither want to miss the life view on the main display (for cam control) nor do I want to mirror the whole main disply to the second display.

Does Astro IIDC support that or are there such plans for future versions?

Thank you!
Tom