Skyscript Astrology Forum

I just purchased this and the user interface is a mess ... the chart form overlaps, covering a number of the function icons and the text for icons is spilling willy nilly out of their boxes. I wrote to Matrix about it two days ago but so far no response at all.

This has me alarmed naturally, so I'm wondering how folks have found Winstar 4.0 extended to work out for them?

Tara

Tara wrote:I just purchased this and the user interface is a mess ... the chart form overlaps, covering a number of the function icons and the text for icons is spilling willy nilly out of their boxes. I wrote to Matrix about it two days ago but so far no response at all.

This has me alarmed naturally, so I'm wondering how folks have found Winstar 4.0 extended to work out for them?

Tara

Usually when text is unrecognizable it means that their custom font was not installed properly.

This is a traditional astrology forum and Winstar is a general astrology program (one of those general all purpose workhorse programs). I asked a number of astrology software companies to add traditional techniques back around the mid 90's but none of them were willing to go into this area back then except for Matrix which understood the need with a program design called "Windows on the Tradition". Unfortunately it never quite made it to market, so after waiting quite a while, I decided that I had to do it for myself.

If you were looking for something that does the older material such as primary directions, Alfirdaria, and Hellenistic time lord procedures, etc you got the wrong program.

http://www.astrology-x-files.com/delphi ... nload.html

Thanks Curtis. I have Janus on a trial basis and am going to purchase it as well. Their customer service is excellent!

I was hoping to avoid having to learn a whole new software as I've been using Winstar since the cows came home, but one look at the user interface has me wanting to run for the hills.

Maybe when I hear back from Winstar they'll tell me how to fix the custom font issue.

My friend upgraded to Winstar 4 earlier this year and she has been tearing her hair out because it is so buggy and her experience with Matrix's customer service has been far from satisfactory.

Tara

Hello,

I don't have the Winstar 4 extended that you mentioned, so can't comment directly on that issue.

I will mention that I have Janus, Solar Fire, Kepler, Polaris, Astro, and WinStar. All of them are installed on my (astrology) business computer except WinStar. There seems to be nothing that WinStar does that the others don't do better.

Solar Fire is recommended because it does several things that none of the others do. (Graphics are very amateur looking to me) I can't get Solar Fire to give a simple dual-chart with drawn aspects like is shown below (from Janus)...

Janus is highly recommended because it just looks best and is the most intuitive Astrology program that I have seen.

Kepler could be useful, but I can't find a way to make it do progressions where the Asc, MC and cusps move at the Sun's right ascension. Ecliptic longitude obviously doesn't work!

Polaris is a rectification program that also provides Topocentric Primary Directions, Secondary Progressions, and Lunar Cycles. (not to mention highly accurate birthtimes if used correctly)

Astro is a specialty program with many features, but hasn't been developed in MANY years, so is really a Dos menu-based program that is a bit clumsy to use, HOWEVER it calculates progressed/regressed, natal/prenatal aspects in the Progressed Sidereal Solar Return.

If I had to have only one program, I would pick Solar Fire, but wouldn't be happy about it. If I based the decision on how much time I am actually using the program, then it would be Janus. (In addition, Janus is the only one that I have spent the time to design my own chart wheels and text references for...)

Good luck with whatever you end up finally using...

Peace

Atlantean

Thanks Atlantean, for the thorough report on your experience with various programs. I have Solar Fire but cannot figure out how to use it. I have zero intuition when it comes to software or computers in general so I struggle along. Janus customer service has been extremely helpful and responsive to all my questions so I too heartily recommend them.

It seems that Winstar needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Frankly the fellow on the phone was kind of sullen even when I was purchasing the program! As for customer service, so far there has been none ... no response to my requests for help. Nada.

Tara

I have been a Matrix customer going back to their startup days - Blue*Star was my first astrological computer program. But I quit supporting Matrix after WinStar v. 2.4, because their programs are consistently buggy and unintuitive, and customer support is very poor. I am not surprised to hear that the fellow you spoke with when you ordered your program was sullen, as that has been my experience with Matrix right down the line.

It's a shame, because as Zoidsoft says, Matrix has always shown an interest in incorporating older and unusual techniques into its programs, and the WinStar line truly is a workhorse - when you can get it to work! I much prefer Solar Fire and Janus, and of course for classical astrology Delphic Oracle is wonderful.

You are welcome...

Most of the software companies offer demo versions. It's worth giving all of them a try, since you might find something essential that you otherwise wouldn't know existed.

One little peave that I have with Solar Fire is that on the main screen you are shown a very small version of the current chart. Since we are (mostly) astrologers looking at charts, it seems that any program should have the "current chart" large and prominent on the main page. Even WinStar got that right.

If you have any essential questions to your usage of Solar Fire, I'd be happy to try and help you.

Peace

Atlantean

If you have any essential questions to your usage of Solar Fire, I'd be happy to try and help you.

Thank you, Atlantean. I am struggling to learn Janus at the moment so I don't want to overload my fragile software learning capacity, but I will make a note of your offer and take you up on it one of these days.

Tara

Atlantean wrote:You are welcome...

Most of the software companies offer demo versions. It's worth giving all of them a try, since you might find something essential that you otherwise wouldn't know existed.

One little peave that I have with Solar Fire is that on the main screen you are shown a very small version of the current chart. Since we are (mostly) astrologers looking at charts, it seems that any program should have the "current chart" large and prominent on the main page. Even WinStar got that right.

If you have any essential questions to your usage of Solar Fire, I'd be happy to try and help you.

Peace

Atlantean

I think that this might be a vestige of a previous version left in to avoid breaking old code because if you notice, Solar Fire actually stores the data that was calculated. This doesn't make sense anymore due to the speed of calculations (with the Swiss Ephemeris), but storing the data in this way probably required old legacy code to be maintained. There is not much reason for a main window and calculated chart storage when you think about it since any retained chart or current chart can be generated on the fly, but my first versions of Delphic Oracle had a main window like this until I decided to build a new UI that included essentials up front. Instead, I've docked windows into the main UI with tabs for the most part which keeps useless floating windows down to a minimum. I've made a lot of UI improvements over Solar Fire which saves a lot of time because of an emphasis on visual functions (such as drag and drop) instead of the keyboard.

zoidsoft wrote: This is a traditional astrology forum and Winstar is a general astrology program (one of those general all purpose workhorse programs). I asked a number of astrology software companies to add traditional techniques back around the mid 90's but none of them were willing to go into this area back then except for Matrix which understood the need with a program design called "Windows on the Tradition". Unfortunately it never quite made it to market, so after waiting quite a while, I decided that I had to do it for myself.

If you were looking for something that does the older material such as primary directions, Alfirdaria, and Hellenistic time lord procedures, etc you got the wrong program.

http://www.astrology-x-files.com/delphi ... nload.html

Which reminds me, Curtis, I have to see if I need to update Delphic Oracle again, I keep forgetting to check your site.

Usually when text is unrecognizable it means that their custom font was not installed properly.

OK Curtis now you've stepped in it. You've demonstrated a good deal of knowledge about what goes on under the hood of an astrology program and you will pay.

Have you an answer for this one as well? I'm assuming this discussion centered around a screen display, but not all astrology programs are WYSIWYG (In my opinion this is a great strength of Solar Fire to be able to pull up what will print out, tables and all, in order to avoid continuously having to print out each and every chart).

Suppose however what is printed overlaps so that the printouts are unreadable. I have this problem with Placidus. The program produces enormous amounts of information but the printout is largely illegible. What might cause this and is there a cure that does not involve re-programing? There doesn't seem to be anything available to the user via the program to help with the printing.

Hate to do this to you, because it is unlikely that you are familiar with every astrology program out there, but I did it anyway.

Tom

not all astrology programs are WYSIWYG