>In re: FSAutoStart - if you set it to call AutoStar instead>of MSFS - if AutoStar exits immediately after launching MSFS,>then FSAutoStart would detect this and start re-starting all>the services and programs.>>However, I put a workaround for this in FSAutoStart. In the>readme file there is a Q+A section, and the first question is>how to get a program called SplashScreen to work. >SplashScreen launches MSFS in the same way AutoStar would, so>if you follow the directions I specify, AutoStar will work>also.Hi Ken,Your suggestion works fine. However, I have noted a wee problem:If you add 'MainAppExe=fs9.exe' to the Configuration section of FSAutostart.ini everything works as expected until, that is, you next hit the 'Save' button in the Configuration page of the FSAutoStart program. This action appears to wipe out the added line and to restore the correct behaviour you have to re-enter it manually. You did state that this was a 'workaround' so perhaps you are already aware of this issue.Any chance of a further update or maybe, for ease of use and optimum flexibility, the option to add the line (MainAppExe=) could be included on the Configuration page of your program? Just a thought.Regards,Mike

We should rename this the "ask the programmers" thread! ;) I had the same thought but was afraid to ask...Best,sg

Hello Mike, very glad to hear it's working okay now. Have fun.... With a bit of luck the second update will be out today. Among other things it adds comets. Best regards, Chris

Chris,Great utility - I didn't even know your program was out there! Great job!I was looking at the stars.dat file while editing it per your instructions, and noticed that a few constellations are listed; is there any need to turn this feature on? If I'm using RealStars, do I have all the stars I can have which, I presume, would mean I have the constellations by default?Thanks!Mark

That option connects the stars with a cute white line for just those 2 constellations.Hope this helps,JimActiveSky Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/as2004proudsupporter.jpg

I was wondering if that little 'feature' could be used to enhance the appearance of the planets and/or comets by connecting the dots...Best,sg

Hi, sg, speaking of comets, here's the second update, which does add comets. Sadly the quality is limited by that annoying FS limitation. If Microsoft could be persuaded to take that limitation out (should be very easy) then hopefully we could have extremely realistic comets in FS2006! Best regards, Chris http://www.kline.demon.co.uk/autostar_update_2.zip A couple of screenshots:http://www.kline.demon.co.uk/comet2.jpghttp://www.kline.demon.co.uk/comet3.jpg

Great stuff! Looking forward to it.For anyone interested, Comet 2002/Q4 NEAT is currently visible as a barely naked eye comet after sunset. It's magnitude is ~3.1 with little or no tail...kind of a disappointment. You might want to add that one to FS anyway, turn the 'density' setting way down, and put it at a location in the sky according to the date, use the table below, derived from the comet observation homepage at JPL]. I've included data since predicted peak brightness for this comet - 07MAY04. In the table below, columns 1-3 are the date, 4 and 5 are RA (right ascension) and 6 and 7 are declination. 4-7 are the data the AutoStar needs to place the comet.bmp file. Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 2004 05 07 07 27.70 -16 49.2 0.321 0.975 74.7 86.8 0.92004 05 08 07 37.69 -11 35.9 0.324 0.972 74.1 87.2 0.92004 05 09 07 47.06 -06 28.8 0.329 0.970 73.6 87.4 1.02004 05 10 07 55.85 -01 33.7 0.337 0.968 73.2 87.3 1.02004 05 11 08 04.07 +03 04.9 0.349 0.966 72.8 87.1 1.12004 05 12 08 11.77 +07 24.3 0.362 0.964 72.4 86.7 1.12004 05 13 08 18.97 +11 23.2 0.378 0.963 72.0 86.1 1.22004 05 14 08 25.72 +15 01.3 0.396 0.963 71.7 85.4 1.32004 05 15 08 32.04 +18 19.3 0.415 0.962 71.3 84.5 1.42004 05 16 08 37.97 +21 18.5 0.436 0.962 71.0 83.6 1.52004 05 17 08 43.53 +24 00.3 0.458 0.962 70.7 82.7 1.62004 05 18 08 48.76 +26 26.4 0.481 0.963 70.3 81.6 1.72004 05 19 08 53.67 +28 38.5 0.505 0.963 69.9 80.6 1.92004 05 20 08 58.30 +30 37.9 0.529 0.965 69.6 79.5 2.02004 05 21 09 02.66 +32 26.2 0.554 0.966 69.2 78.4 2.12004 05 22 09 06.79 +34 04.6 0.579 0.968 68.8 77.3 2.22004 05 23 09 10.68 +35 34.2 0.605 0.970 68.4 76.1 2.32004 05 24 09 14.37 +36 56.1 0.631 0.972 68.0 75.0 2.42004 05 25 09 17.87 +38 11.0 0.658 0.975 67.6 73.8 2.52004 05 26 09 21.19 +39 19.8 0.684 0.978 67.1 72.7 2.62004 05 27 09 24.34 +40 23.2 0.711 0.981 66.7 71.5 2.72004 05 28 09 27.35 +41 21.7 0.738 0.985 66.3 70.4 2.82004 05 29 09 30.22 +42 15.9 0.765 0.989 65.8 69.3 2.92004 05 30 09 32.96 +43 06.1 0.792 0.993 65.4 68.2 3.02004 05 31 09 35.58 +43 52.9 0.818 0.997 64.9 67.1 3.12004 06 01 09 38.09 +44 36.4 0.845 1.002 64.5 66.0 3.12004 06 02 09 40.50 +45 17.1 0.872 1.007 64.0 64.9 3.22004 06 03 09 42.82 +45 55.3 0.899 1.012 63.6 63.8 3.32004 06 04 09 45.06 +46 31.0 0.925 1.018 63.1 62.7 3.42004 06 05 09 47.21 +47 04.7 0.951 1.023 62.6 61.7 3.52004 06 06 09 49.30 +47 36.3 0.978 1.029 62.2 60.7 3.62004 06 07 09 51.31 +48 06.2 1.004 1.036 61.7 59.7 3.72004 06 08 09 53.27 +48 34.5 1.030 1.042 61.3 58.7 3.72004 06 09 09 55.17 +49 01.2 1.055 1.049 60.8 57.7 3.82004 06 10 09 57.02 +49 26.5 1.081 1.056 60.4 56.7 3.92004 06 11 09 58.83 +49 50.6 1.106 1.063 60.0 55.8 4.02004 06 12 10 00.59 +50 13.5 1.131 1.070 59.5 54.8 4.12004 06 13 10 02.31 +50 35.3 1.156 1.078 59.1 53.9 4.12004 06 14 10 04.00 +50 56.1 1.181 1.086 58.7 53.0 4.22004 06 15 10 05.66 +51 16.0 1.206 1.094 58.3 52.2 4.32004 06 16 10 07.29 +51 35.0 1.230 1.102 57.8 51.3 4.42004 06 17 10 08.90 +51 53.1 1.254 1.110 57.4 50.5 4.42004 06 18 10 10.48 +52 10.6 1.278 1.119 57.0 49.6 4.52004 06 19 10 12.04 +52 27.3 1.301 1.128 56.6 48.8 4.62004 06 20 10 13.59 +52 43.4 1.324 1.136 56.3 48.0 4.72004 06 21 10 15.12 +52 58.9 1.347 1.145 55.9 47.3 4.72004 06 22 10 16.64 +53 13.8 1.370 1.155 55.5 46.5 4.82004 06 23 10 18.14 +53 28.1 1.392 1.164 55.2 45.8 4.92004 06 24 10 19.64 +53 42.0 1.414 1.173 54.8 45.1 4.92004 06 25 10 21.12 +53 55.4 1.436 1.183 54.5 44.4 5.02004 06 26 10 22.60 +54 08.4 1.458 1.193 54.1 43.7 5.12004 06 27 10 24.08 +54 21.0 1.479 1.203 53.8 43.0 5.22004 06 28 10 25.55 +54 33.2 1.500 1.213 53.5 42.4 5.22004 06 29 10 27.02 +54 45.0 1.521 1.223 53.2 41.8 5.32004 06 30 10 28.49 +54 56.5 1.541 1.233 52.9 41.1 5.32004 07 01 10 29.96 +55 07.7 1.562 1.243 52.6 40.5 5.42004 07 02 10 31.42 +55 18.6 1.581 1.254 52.4 40.0 5.52004 07 03 10 32.90 +55 29.2 1.601 1.264 52.1 39.4 5.52004 07 04 10 34.37 +55 39.5 1.620 1.275 51.9 38.9 5.62004 07 05 10 35.85 +55 49.6 1.640 1.286 51.6 38.3 5.72004 07 06 10 37.33 +55 59.5 1.658 1.296 51.4 37.8 5.72004 07 07 10 38.83 +56 09.2 1.677 1.307 51.2 37.3 5.82004 07 08 10 40.32 +56 18.6 1.695 1.318 51.0 36.8 5.82004 07 09 10 41.83 +56 27.9 1.713 1.329 50.8 36.4 5.92004 07 10 10 43.35 +56 37.0 1.731 1.340 50.6 35.9 6.02004 07 11 10 44.87 +56 45.9 1.748 1.352 50.5 35.5 6.02004 07 12 10 46.41 +56 54.6 1.765 1.363 50.3 35.0 6.12004 07 13 10 47.95 +57 03.3 1.782 1.374 50.2 34.6 6.12004 07 14 10 49.51 +57 11.7 1.798 1.386 50.1 34.2 6.22004 07 15 10 51.08 +57 20.1 1.815 1.397 49.9 33.8 6.22004 07 16 10 52.66 +57 28.3 1.831 1.409 49.8 33.5 6.32004 07 17 10 54.26 +57 36.5 1.846 1.420 49.7 33.1 6.42004 07 18 10 55.87 +57 44.5 1.862 1.432 49.7 32.8 6.42004 07 19 10 57.49 +57 52.5 1.877 1.444 49.6 32.4 6.52004 07 20 10 59.13 +58 00.4 1.892 1.455 49.6 32.1 6.52004 07 21 11 00.78 +58 08.2 1.907 1.467 49.5 31.8 6.62004 07 22 11 02.45 +58 15.9 1.921 1.479 49.5 31.5 6.62004 07 23 11 04.14 +58 23.6 1.935 1.491 49.5 31.2 6.72004 07 24 11 05.84 +58 31.3 1.949 1.503 49.5 30.9 6.72004 07 25 11 07.55 +58 38.8 1.963 1.514 49.5 30.7 6.82004 07 26 11 09.29 +58 46.4 1.976 1.526 49.5 30.4 6.82004 07 27 11 11.04 +58 53.9 1.989 1.538 49.6 30.2 6.92004 07 28 11 12.81 +59 01.4 2.002 1.550 49.6 29.9 6.92004 07 29 11 14.60 +59 08.8 2.014 1.562 49.7 29.7 7.02004 07 30 11 16.41 +59 16.3 2.027 1.575 49.8 29.5 7.02004 07 31 11 18.23 +59 23.7 2.039 1.587 49.8 29.3 7.1[/fontBest,sg