Is there any way to import observations? [Answered: coming in version 4.1]

[EmeraldHillsSkies]

I'm enjoying learning SkyTools.
Let's say I'd like to import my previous observations. How would I do that? Is there any kind of bulk import capability - say, from a CSV list from another application or even from spreadsheet records?

[EmeraldHillsSkies]

I just found the "Import Shared Data from File" menu item. I bet that's my ticket. I'll look that up in the documentation. Again, I'm enjoying SkyTools. Thanks!

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I just found the "Import Shared Data from File" menu item. I bet that's my ticket. I'll look that up in the documentation. Again, I'm enjoying SkyTools. Thanks!

OK - looks like that only imports STX format. I can't find any documentation as to how, if at all, i might convert, say, a Csv file into STX? I'm afraid I'm still coming up empty-handed after all.

[EmeraldHillsSkies]

As a background to this question, I have over 2000 observations to import... 3 Messier Marathons (110, 109, and 109), the entire Caldwell Catalog, the entire Herschel 400 list, plus O'Meara's Secret Deep, Hidden Treasures - and I'm halfway through Harrington's Cosmic Challenges. I don't mind manually copying-and-pasting these in, but it might take me a while. Yikes. : ) I've prepped them all as an Excel file - but now what do I do?

[obrazell]

what you have moved on in a week from AstroPlanner/Stellarium being the center of your workflow to SkyTools :-) , after
all the work Paul did writing a script to get your observations from DSP 8 to Astroplanner :-(

[EmeraldHillsSkies]

what you have moved on in a week from AstroPlanner/Stellarium being the center of your workflow to SkyTools :-) , after
all the work Paul did writing a script to get your observations from DSP 8 to Astroplanner :-(

I know! I feel ashamed!   I've been reluctant to say even a word about it. But - truth be known, I'm still trying to decide where I belong. What's your conclusion, Obrazell?

[theskyhound]

To answer the original question- the ability to import log entries from other software coming in version 4.1 later this year. There was a stand alone program to do this in SkyTools 3, but I am going to add it directly to SkyTools in version 4.1.

[EmeraldHillsSkies]

To answer the original question- the ability to import log entries from other software coming in version 4.1 later this year. There was a stand alone program to do this in SkyTools 3, but I am going to add it directly to SkyTools in version 4.1.

This is awesome, Greg! I'll be patient then -- to import the real observations. 
For now, I've just done a "maintenance session" in which i did "quick observations" (without descriptions) for the one-thousand-or-so objects I've observed. That will at least help me know to prioritize them less over the coming year until 4.1 releases. Thanks for your work!

[bblamo]

Is the ability to import observations in version 4.1? I've recently purchased 4.1 and I've exported all of my SkySafari observations to a text file and csv. I have not found a way to import observations to a list. For example if I have the AL Open Cluster observations exported from SkySafari can I save time by importing those to the same list in SkyTools?

Bruce

[theskyhound]

Is the ability to import observations in version 4.1?  I've recently purchased 4.1 and I've exported all of my SkySafari observations to a text file and csv.  I have not found a way to import observations to a list.  For example if I have the AL Open Cluster observations exported from SkySafari can I save time by importing those to the same list in SkyTools?

Bruce

Hello Bruce,

Version 4.1 of SkyTools Visual is still in development. By selling it to you now, you won't have to purchase it as an upgrade later. Features are coming out regularly. But I have been putting most of my effort into the new EAA support, which is a pretty big job. Look for a new feature in every update from here on out. Unfortunately, the log import is one of the bigger ones, so its going to have to wait until EAA is done. But as soon as it is, I'll get right on all of the new logging features, including the import.