####################  ASTROLOG 5.30 UPDATE FILE  #####################

     Happy Autumn Equinox and Total Lunar Eclipse everyone! :) This
file describes the astrology software program Astrolog version 5.30
and the additions and fixes made to it, over the previous version
5.20 which was released exactly a half year ago this Spring Equinox.
This update contains tri-wheels and quad-wheels, Macintosh screen
graphics, and the standard assortment of small bug fixes.

     If you are reading this document as posted in the newsgroup
alt.astrology, this release consists the following files, each posted
as a separate article:

1. "Update.530" - A text file describing new additions to Astrolog
   5.30 made over the previous version (what you're reading now).
2. "Readme.530" - A text file describing Astrolog in general and what
   the program offers and can do, for those interested in a summary.

     In addition, there are several other relevant files, which have
not been posted so as to not waste too much newsreader bandwidth.
They may be obtained by other means which will be described:

3. "ast53win.zip" - A uuencoded, zip archive containing a Windows
   executable ready to run on any Windows system, a configuration file,
   four icon files, three ephemeris files, a Readme, small summary file,
   a comprehensive Helpfile manual, and this Update file.
4. "ast53dos.zip" - A uuencoded, zip archive containing a DOS executable
   ready to run on PC's, config file, icon files, three ephemeris files,
   a Readme, small summary file, Helpfile, and this Update file.
5. "ast53mac.hqx" - A BinHex 4.0'ed self extracting archive program of the
   Macintosh executable, config file, three ephemeris files, Readme,
   summary, Helpfile, a resource file, and this Update file.
6. "ast53src.zip" - A uuencoded, zip archive containing the source code,
   and makefiles (not necessary unless you want to compile on a PC).
7. "History.530" - A text file describing additions in all previous
   releases (only useful if upgrading from more than one version ago).

     The "Helpfile" consists of a large comprehensive documentation
file of all of Astrolog's features. The "config file" is a default
settings file called astrolog.dat (not necessary to have to run but
useful). The "icon files" are Microsoft Windows icons from the
Windows executable. The "summary file" is a file_id.diz like that
included in many zip distributions, briefly describing the program in
whole. The "Update file" is again this document. The "ephemeris
files" are three binary files used for more accurate calculations of
planetary positions (again optional but nice to have). The "source
code" consists of 28 files (23 "C" program files, four header
#include files, and a resource script file). The "makefiles" are six
files: a generic makefile for Unix systems with their "make" command,
a project makefile for Microsoft Windows compilers, a nmakefile for
Microsoft DOS compilers, a makefile for Borland PC compilers (with a
second subfile to go with it), and a command script for compiling on
VMS systems.

     All the files described above are available at the Astrolog 5.30
homepage at http://www.magitech.com/~cruiser1/astrolog.htm. All
Astrolog files are also at the alt.astrology anonymous FTP site at
ftp.magitech.com in the Astrolog directory /pub/astrology/astrolog.
All of the ephemeris files are already in the subdirectory
/pub/astrology/Astrolog/ephem. For PC's, Astrolog including all
source and ephemeris files are also available at Carl Baewer's Astro
Net-1 BBS at 414-481-9976. Expect Astrolog 5.30 to appear on SimTel
FTP sites such as ftp.coast.net and other sites soon as well.


#####################  ASTROLOG 5.30 NEW FEATURES  #####################

Here are new additions to version 5.30 that weren't in 5.20 and before:

1. -r3 and -r4 switch: Astrolog 5.30 can now do tri-wheel and
   quad-wheel graphics charts. These are like the standard and bi-wheel
   charts already in place, but with a third and/or fourth ring of
   planets. The standard or first chart in memory is placed on the outer
   wheel, next in is the second chart in memory, where the third and/or
   fourth charts are on the inside. (Note this is different from the
   bi-wheel graphic which has the first chart on the inside and the
   second on the outside.) The house cusps and the graphic sidebar if
   showing will correspond to the info in the first ring. There is never
   any aspect display in the middle of the wheel, but when the -Xi
   alternate chart display flag is set, the program will draw dotted
   lines from each planet in the outer rings to the inner one, as is
   always done in the bi-wheel chart.

   The -r3 switch, taking no parameters, will put one in tri-wheel mode.
   The -r4 switch will put on in quad-wheel mode. (You can also do -r2
   to enter bi-wheel mode, and -r1 or _r to return to the standard
   single wheel.) To set what chart info each wheel ring will contain,
   put a number after the -i switch to load the chart info from a file
   into that slot, e.g. -i3 to load into the third slot, and -i4 for the
   fourth (and -i2 will load into the second and -i1 or just -i into the
   first.)

   The Windows version has a new menu option "Charts #3 and #4" on the
   Info menu. This will bring up a dialog giving one access to all four
   chart slots, with buttons which will bring up the file open dialogs
   to load chart info into each slot, and buttons allowing access to the
   chart info dialogs to view or change the info in each slot. This
   dialog also has a radio button group to indicate what type of wheel
   and how many chart rings to display: single, bi, tri, or quad.

2. Macintosh graphics: The Macintosh version of Astrolog can now do
   on-screen graphics. Before, the only graphics option available was to
   create graphic bitmap or picture files on disk which then had to be
   viewed in another program. The Mac version still has the same command
   line interface as before, just that the -X switch instead of always
   prompting for a filename, will bring up a separate window with the
   appropriate wheel or whatever other chart displayed in it, and one
   may then press keys while the window is up to change or alter the
   display. For those familiar with them, the Mac version is now more or
   less equivalent in functionality to the DOS and X Windows versions,
   although a few things such as mouse scribbles on the screen and
   flicker free updates aren't available yet.

   MACG #define: In the source code, there's a new compile time option
   in the astrolog.h file called MACG. When set, it will compile in the
   Mac screen graphics. When commented out, it will be like before. The
   MACG define is like the MSG, BGI, and X11 compile time variables
   which turn on screen graphics for other platforms.

3. -tr switch: This switch is a quick and convenient way to compute
   solar, lunar, and other returns. Astrolog has always been able to do
   returns, as a return is when a transiting object conjuncts its natal
   position, and hence returns are findable using the -t transit to
   natal search. However to only display returns here and not every
   transit one had to restrict aspects to just the conjunction, and
   restrict objects to just the one you're interested in. (But even that
   will still show things in addition to returns if more than one object
   is unrestricted, e.g. with just Sun and Moon you'll still get Sun to
   Moon conjunctions and vice-versa.) The solution is this new return
   feature, which (without altering your aspect or object restrictions
   any) will work just like the -t switch, but display only returns in
   the transit list, i.e. conjunctions between a transiting planet and
   that same planet in the natal chart.

   -Tr switch: Related to the -tr switch above, -Tr is just like the -T
   transit influence chart, but will only display aspects between a
   transiting planet and the same natal planet. (Note it will include
   aspects other than the conjunction here.)

   Transits dialog addition: In the Windows version the Transit dialog
   has a new checkbox named "display returns only", which when set will
   affect the transit to natal search and transit to natal influence
   charts in the way above.

4. Improved glyphs: Astrolog now has higher resolution graphic glyphs
   for planets and aspects. Before, glyphs drawn at the default 200% or
   medium scale and up would look slightly blocky. Now, with a alternate
   "internal font" of double sized glyphs, the medium ones are smooth to
   the nearest pixel like the small glyphs are. (The improved glyphs are
   also used at the 400% or huge scale, and when printing.)

5. -Yb switch: This new switch, taking one parameter, specifies how
   many days to include in the biorhythm charts. It will control the
   number of days spanned in the text biorhythm listing, and number of
   days before and after the given day in the graphic biorhythm chart.

6. -k0 switch: This minor switch is just like the existing -k text
   color switch, however it only toggles whether the high Ascii graphics
   characters are used, as opposed to -k which toggles both that and
   whether Ansi colors are used. A system with a black and white monitor
   may want to use high graphics but not color, while a system with a
   foreign character set may prefer color but not graphics characters.

7. -I extension: The -I interpretation switch now uses text from the
   actual name given for a chart in the interpretation displays, instead
   of just "this person" or "person1". The string will be exactly what
   was entered for the name or title field of the chart or as passed to
   the -zi switch, and will default to the generic strings if the field
   is empty.

8. -E -r0 combination: The graphic ephemeris chart may be combined
   with the -r0 comparison feature. When both charts are active, in
   addition to the standard ephemeris lines for the first chart, dashed
   vertical lines will be drawn at the positions of the planets in the
   second chart, at the time the ephemeris is done at.

--

Here's a summary of the five new command switches in Astrolog 5.30
that weren't in previous versions:

-tr <month> <year>: Compute all returns in month for chart.
-i[2,3,4] <file>: Load chart info into chart slots 2, 3, or 4.
-r[3,4]: Make graphics wheel chart tri-wheel or quad-wheel.
-k0: Like -k but only use special characters, not Ansi color.
-Yb <days>: Set number of days to span for biorhythm chart.

The one new menu command in the Windows version of Astrolog 5.30
that wasn't in previous versions is: Info - Charts #3 And #4...


#####################  ASTROLOG 5.30 BUG FIXES  #####################

Here are problems with version 5.20, all of which have been corrected
in this release:

1. -U inaccuracy: Fixed star positions, for stars in the southern
   hemisphere, would have latitude positions on average 1 degree north
   of where they should be. This would affect their ecliptic zodiac
   positions by a few minutes too.

2. Printing bug: Printing text charts in the Windows version would
   result in very small text in the upper left corner of the page about
   1/7th the size it should be. This was accidentally caused in version
   5.20 as text printed fine in version 5.10.

3. -w overflow: The UT field in -w text mode wheel charts would
   sometimes have its hour or minute values overflow 24 hours or 60
   minutes, which required one to mentally subtract 24 hours or 60
   minutes to get the correct Universal Time.

4. -h bug: Entering heliocentric mode outside of using the -h switch
   would fail to update the names of object indexes. For example in the
   Windows version, choose Heliocentric from the Settings menu, and
   notice the sidebar has the Earth's position still labeled "Sun".

5. -Tp bug: The -Tp progressed to natal influence chart, would
   incorrectly turn on and leave on the progression flag, making future
   charts progressed charts which would cause confusion.

6. -T limitation: The -T transit to natal influence chart wouldn't
   include transiting house cusps and other fast moving objects like the
   Vertex. These objects are included now assuming they're unrestricted.

7. -K glitch: The graphic calendar chart would draw slow and with
   thick lines when the character scale was over 100%. Another thing
   that was caused in version 5.20 and didn't exist in 5.10.

8. -R0 crash: If you restricted every single object, certain text
   charts would have a divide by zero error causing the program to
   abnormally quit. These were the -a0 aspect list with summary, the -m0
   midpoint list with summary, the -l Gauquelin sector chart, and the
   -j0 influence chart with sign info.

9. -rt glitch: The graphic sidebar for the -rt transit and natal
   chart, would show the planet positions of the transiting chart, but
   use the natal restrictions. The sidebar now uses the transit
   restrictions and shows everything else based on the transiting chart.

10. -r glitch: The "Synastry Chart" command on the Info menu in the
   Windows version, would not display a check mark by it when selected.
   The synastry mode would still be entered and the chart displayed
   correctly, just the check mark would be by "No Relationship Chart".

11. -Ey glitch: The graphic ephemeris chart, when combined with a -x
   harmonic chart setting, with a large harmonic value of 12 or above,
   would sometimes incorrectly draw the lines for very fast moving
   objects like the Moon. Because the Moon at the 15th harmonic is
   moving about 180 degrees per day, and the monthly ephemeris only
   plots position once per day, the chart could miss the complete orbit
   and draw some line segments backward as if the planet were
   retrograde. Now by looking at the planet velocities, this problem is
   cut down where the harmonic ephemeris can safely handle up to the
   20th harmonic before problems start arising with the Moon.

12. -o0 glitch: The graphic sidebar would display longitude and
   latitude information for -o0 position only charts, in addition to the
   "no time or space" line. Location information is meaningless in these
   charts anyway, so is no longer displayed in the sidebar.

13. -U bug: Fixed stars, when ordered by anything other than the
   default ordering, in the standard -v text listing, would look at
   restrictions incorrectly. Restrictions would be based on the default
   ordering, so restricting a star and changing the ordering would cause
   a different star to be omitted.

14. File bug: Astrolog, when reading in a chart info or other command
   switch file, would treat high Ascii values >= 128 as breaks between
   command switches. These values are now parsed like any other, no
   longer causing problems when including special characters in name
   fields. On the event a high Ascii character was attempted to be drawn
   in Astrolog's text font, the program would display junk and bring up
   "bad draw" errors. Such characters are drawn as spaces now.


#####################  ASTROLOG 5.30 PROGRAM CHANGES  #####################

As with every release, a few changes that aren't feature additions or
bug fixes were made to this version, where certain old assumptions
are no longer valid. A list of these (which aren't useful to be aware
of unless you have used previous versions of the program) follows:

1. -h change: Object ordering when in heliocentric or other planet
   centered mode has been changed. Before, Astrolog would swap object
   indexes around by replacing wherever the central planet usually is
   with the position of the Earth. Now things are done in a cleaner and
   clearer way, where the Earth has its own position, which is always
   object index zero. This means 0 is now a valid value to pass to
   switches that take an object like -R. Charts such as the local
   horizon chart which don't include the central planet, now
   automatically skip over it even if that planet is unrestricted. (Note
   this change is generally only visible for other planet centered
   charts, where standard geocentric and heliocentric charts will appear
   entirely unchanged.)

2. -rt change: In the graphic transit and natal bi-wheel chart, the
   chart info as displayed at the bottom or in the sidebar will now
   reflect the info in the transiting chart instead of the natal or
   first one. This is more logical and useful when doing animations.

3. Default file addition: The standard astrolog.dat settings file now
   has a section for default colors, i.e. the color values for elements,
   aspects, and the general palette. The Windows version will write out
   this section appropriately when doing File - Save Settings, meaning
   it will now save out changes one makes in the Customize Colors dialog.

4. -o0 addition: The -o0 chart position files now include a -zi line
   for the name and location fields, so such information is now saved in
   these files.

5. Scrollbar change: The horizontal and vertical scrollbars in the
   Windows version now have 24 instead of 12 positions between the two
   ends. This allows finer positioning of graphics charts, and for text
   charts should prevent those cases where one couldn't see the bottom
   of extra long text charts even when the vertical scrollbar was at the
   bottom position.

6. -l -X addition: The graphic Gauquelin sector chart now has each
   sector labeled with a small plus or minus sign around the outside
   border. Before (outside of the natural sector positioning) only the
   red or green color indicated whether a sector was a plus zone or not.

7. Previous chart change: The initial contents of the "previous"
   chart as accessed with "-i set" has been changed from the
   astrological "chart" of version 5.20 of the program to the release of
   this version 5.30. This chart is now set to the time of the Autumn
   Equinox, specifically for 11:00am PDT (7 hours before GMT) on Sunday,
   September 22, 1996 for here in Seattle, WA (122W20, 47N36).

--

O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O
*       Walter D. "Cruiser1" Pullen :)       !       Astara@msn.com       *
O Astrolog 5.30 homepage:  http://www.magitech.com/~cruiser1/astrolog.htm O
* "Who am I, What am I?  As I am, I am not.  But as we are, I AM.  And to *
O you my creation, My Perfect Love is your Perfect Freedom. And I will be O
* with you forever and ever, until the End, and then forever more." - GOD *
O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O*O
