User`s guide

Frequently Asked Questions 191
the updates page on our website, which
lists the latest updates. If a newer version
is available, click the appropriate link to
download the updater file.
Will future updates be free?
Bug fixes and minor feature updates to
Starry Night will be available as free
Internet downloads to existing owners.
Major feature updates will be available for
an upgrade price.
OpenGL
Do I need an OpenGL graphics card to
run Starry Night?
No. Upon startup, Starry Night will check
your hardware to see if you have an
OpenGL compatible graphics card. If you
do not have such a card, Starry Night will
automatically run the non-OpenGL
version. If for some reason, you have an
OpenGL graphics card but do not wish to
run the OpenGL version of Starry Night,
choose Preferences from the File menu
(Windows) or the Starry Night menu
(Macintosh), choose OpenGL from the
dropbox in the upper left corner of the
Preferences dialog box, and uncheck the
option “Use OpenGL”.
What differences will I see if I run
Starry Night on an OpenGL compatible
graphics card?
Starry Night will run much faster because
it takes advantage of OpenGL’s graphics
rendering technology. In addition,
OpenGL users will see much higher-
resolution solar system object surface
maps, and photorealistic panoramic
horizons. Finally, stars will look more
realistic and orbit and path lines will not
look as jagged.
I have an OpenGL card but things are
still choppy. How do I improve
performance?
Upgrading to a 64 MB (or greater) Video
Card will significantly enhance OpenGL
performance. Switching from millions of
colors (32 bit) to thousands of colors (16
bit) can improve performance, but will
reduce image quality.
I'm getting an error message when I
turn OpenGL on. What should I do?
This can happen if you are using an older
video driver. You should visit the web site
of your video cards manufacturer and
download the latest driver available for the
make and model of your card. Drivers are
usually available in the Support or
Download areas of the web site.
Time & Date
Starry Night doesn’t display the correct
time when I start up. How do I fix this?
Starry Night reads the time from your
computer clock. Make sure it is set
correctly there. On Windows, you can
access the clock by clicking the Start
button on your desktop and choosing
Settings->Control Panel, then double-
clicking on “Date/Time” in the list which
appears. On the Mac, click on the System
Preferences icon on the dock, and then
select Date & Time.