Astrophotography in SL

When we take a picture using the Simulator Telescope HUD we have to do it in first person, as if we looking through the eyepiece of the telescope, and we need putting it in "mouselook" mode, so we will explain here commands to get it.

## Keyboard shortcut keys

* M : change to mouselook
* Ctrl+Shift +S: take a snapshot
* Ctrl+9: reset the zoom to normal view (or 0x zoom)
* Ctrl+0: zoom in or increase (each click is an increase of one point or 1x): for example, clicking five times is same to 5x zoom. The maximum increase is 14x.
* Ctrl+8: zoom out (each click decrease one point or -1x); for example, clicking two times is same to -2x zoom. The maximun decrease is -3x.
* Tab: with this button we can move, from top to bottom, for all the tabs in the options of photography, while we are in "mouselook".
* Enter: when pressing this button, we accept what is put on the appropriate tab.
* Arrow up or down: with these buttons we go up or down within the selection in a tap.

## How take a photo in mouselook

If we are to start a photo session, we must first have a folder where we go to put them; in my case I have a folder on my desktop called "SL Astronomy" where I put the pictures and I have several folders with different projects that I go creating.

* When we have a folder for storing photos, we perform a first photo shot in SL; when the box options open we can see our picture, and here we have to make certain choices; where it says "HUD's", mark and select this option; the following is click "Save to disk", and here are two options: one is to take the photo in "Current window" which gives us a complete takeover of the display (the HUD buttons are visible) and the another option is to select a setting of 1600 x 1200 (in this case, the buttons of the HUD are invisible).
* In the next tab we put a type of picture in PNG, which has very good quality. Finally we keep the picture, and this is where we are asked where to save all the pictures that we take in this session (in my case, in the folder SL Astronomy); we can let the generic name that comes by default (Snapshot) or put one who we choose (eg "stars - 09/01/2015"), and all the photos will be saved with a serial number (001 to 999) .
* Now is the time to start using our "Simulator Telescope HUD" in mouselook mode; and from here we must be careful and not to move the mouse when we selected an area of the vault of heaven, taking a photo using only the keyboard and shortcut keys combination of the following manner,
	1. Put in the info box who we are going to do (investigate the sun, stars, etc., and put a serial number, for example: Test stars color 001), the increase that we will put (8x zoom, for example) the filters we will use, the day setting (Dark Sky, for example), type of display (Alchemy viewer), and other important aspects of the research you want to put. When finish, click submit button, and then appear the text to your left.
	2. We now put in mouselook mode, and once we have centered the image we want to photograph, we put the mouse motionless and stable; then we use only the keyboard, and press Ctrl + Shift + S to take a photo; then will open the photo editing box; press the Tab key until you reach the "Save to disk" tab and we press the enter button; will open a new tab where we configure the size of photo (1600 x 1200 is fine) using to make it the up and down arrows, and Enter button to accept the selected; If you have not selected the file format PNG, select it (use the same way as above); press the Tab button three times from here, down to the "Save" tab, and click the enter button, saving the photo in the selected folder.

I put here a video with all the explained above.

PREVIUS PAGE \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ MAIN PAGE\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ NEXT PAGE