Tutorial: Your Custom Backyard in Stellarium

[@chrislundin2943]

Excellent one! Can't wait to try it. I have a lot of obstructions in my back yard, this will help.

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks Chris! Yeah it's super helpful for planning sessions. Cheers and clear skies!! -Chris

[@ing.riccoskombar]

best tutorial on youtube regarding custom stellarium horizon, thanks!!

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks so much!!

[@score-graffix5694]

Nice to see this documented on youtube! Been doing that with every personal astro location for years ;-) BTW - you can add an alter the folders in /path/stellarium/landscapes/... directly - no need to zip up every time you edit. Also if your computer is hefty enough, try adding 4096x2048 panos - works for me and just looks so much nicer ;-)

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks for your insights! I will try both the in-folder-manipulation and/or the higher resolution. Cheers and clear skies!

[@texdoms]

I've always wanted to have this custom background! Thanks so much, Chris.

[@catchingphotons]

You are very much welcome!! Glad the video was of any help! Cheers and clear skies!!

[@hytago3338]

Love the greenscreen!

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks, me too!! Fun to work with!

[@toshal5506]

I learnt something new and important today! 😄

[@catchingphotons]

Haha, that's great! Thanks for tuning in Toshal! Have a great day and clear skies!

[@RetiredFE]

Excellent tutorial. However, it took me about 4 hours to figure out what I was doing wrong when trying to upload it to Stellarium, but I finally got it figured out. Thanks so much.

[@catchingphotons]

Glad it worked out for you in the end! Cheers and clear skies!

[@cuvarsnova]

We haven't seen you in a long time. Thanks for the tutorial! I downloaded it for, later when I do an observatory above my studio on the roof and connect the goto via Wi-Fi to the computer and the Stelarium. This was a good lesson, you helped me. Have a nice day~

[@catchingphotons]

Hey Darko, thanks for sticking around here for like from the first videos :-) Yea uploads and life and stuff.... Less time than I wished I had. But now I got the green screen going so maybe that means more tutorial-time. Keep me updated about your observatory stuff!! My dream to build myself an obsy as well!! Clear skies!

[@cuvarsnova]

@@catchingphotons And I have prepared a large Chroma key fabric and suit, for montages when this year I finish what I need for the more pleasant part of the time. mine is blue. I will certainly brag, first with the Go-to Dobson pedestal connected to the stelaium. I wish you naughty photons tonight

[@BR-vk1hk]

Very informative video, thank you for putting this together!

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks and you are very welcome! I hope this video helps people to better plan their astro session!!

[@Anthony1102www]

im afraid its not working after uploading to Stellarium it only appears to be the whole sky or ground is in purple

[@catchingphotons]

Can you provide me with some data on that issue?

[@AntoineGaltier]

Hi Chris, thank you so much for this tutorial ! Really helpful To avoid the same struggle I had when implementing into Stellarium : it seems the .ini file should be named "landscape.ini" exactly. If not the software will keep saying that there is no landscape in the zip file.

[@catchingphotons]

Great! Thank you so much for your helpful comment!!

[@matrixxletsplaysirhenrythe8823]

Hello, can we get a Teleskop for our Physik-Sammlung?

[@catchingphotons]

I'd highly appreciate having some (at least every level) telescopes in our scientific collection.... Would be great!

[@antarisindustries]

Already planned, sadly takes time and school approval :(

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

Cool Video Chris! Customizing Stellarium with your home Landscape looks very good, and can be useful in many situations

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks Ioan! For sure it's very helpful for session-planning! I got mine pinned down to minute accuracy when it comes to occlusions by neighbors houses. Clear skies my friend!

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

@@catchingphotons Clear sky budy! Here is the haze at the moment and rainy days with sun, very unstable weather

[@07lemp27]

Superbe vidéo Chris ! J'ai suivi toutes les instructions à la lettre, mais lorsque j'installe mon "landscape" dans Stellarium, mon image est rose ?? Vous avez une idée pourquoi ? Merci , Paul

[@catchingphotons]

Bonjour, je suis désolé d'apprendre cela. Sans plus de détails, il m'est difficile de comprendre ce qui se passe. Peut-être pourriez-vous décrire vos étapes de traitement de manière plus détaillée afin que je puisse vous aider. Je vous souhaite une excellente journée. À bientôt.

[@kostikos13]

Excellent work flow

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks Buddy!

[@uu_vee]

Very useful and easy to follow - thank you for doing this, appreciated

[@catchingphotons]

You are very welcome!!

[@michellafortune]

Thanks a lot! That works pretty fine for me. At last I will be able to better prepare my night astrophotography!

[@ShivamJha-zo4cl]

its not free for microsoft what to do now?

[@HarryLarsson-b2n]

ok but what if i want to get the ground too? the panorama projection isnt the same as the photo sphere projection

[@PeterMaddison2483]

I've seen two other channels show how to do this, but they never elabourated on 'zeroing' your location. Nice video

[@PeterMaddison2483]

Also, you should take the photo at the same height as where your top of your telescope would be, that would make it easier than having to raise or lower the picture.

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks man!

[@Ronbo765]

My iPhone 13 pro can’t do full 360° panoramas. I’ll have to stitch together 2 panoramas or find an app that can do a 360° panorama

[@catchingphotons]

There are apps or PC programs available for free. Use "Microsoft image composite editor" it's free and cool!

[@Ronbo765]

@@catchingphotons I purchased "DMD Panorama" for 9.99 US. I believe there's a cheaper version with less features but still works for this purpose. It's difficult to accurately create panorama images freehand with a camera and no tripod and then stitching. Thank you!

[@cdarw]

Wow, like so many things in astrophotography, good, clear instructions make life much better. This video is one such instruction. Thanks Chris! One QUESTION: does anyone know if my backyard image can be imported into my mobile version of Stellarium??

[@catchingphotons]

I haven't heard of this option up until now. If you find anything: let me know because I'd be highly interested 😄 Cheers and clear skies!

[@cdarw]

@@catchingphotons I do not think there is, unfortunately. I realize that the tall trees to my East in my pano were completely blocking everything in Stellarium, so I punched a hole patter through them in PS to make them translucent.

[@letsgofishing3249]

Thank you for a very helpful video👍

[@catchingphotons]

You are very welcome!

[@henryperez9504]

Hi Chris, Thank you very much for this video. I already did it following exactly every recommendation and my backyard looks amazing. Please could you explain how you created this video? I will want to create some personal videos like this one to explain my children and some friend's children using stellarium as background. Beforehand thank you.

[@catchingphotons]

Hey Henry! Thank you for your encouraging comment. I used a stationary grenscreen and some additional lighting and imported the video into the free software kdnlive. Under "effects" you will find "basic croma key" and in addition "croma spill". The first is used to "delete" the green background, the latter to remove green "spilling" from the background on to me. Works pretty well. Be aware that recording the grenscreen with highest resolution is recommended (4k). I just used my phone, today's phone cameras are amazing!! Cheers and clear skies!

[@diekellerwerft]

Nice Video - did it by myself with a pdf i've found a while ago. But in this topic i've a queation: can you explain it for a balkony? Ther are some weird things with the Grafics - maybe i have made a mistake?I would like to add: I have no view of the zenith and also not of the polar star. I can just about use east-southeast to west

[@catchingphotons]

You mean like taking the pic from a balkony? There shouldn't be any difference at all. Maybe can you provide an image (contact me via social media) so that I can have a look?

[@Jacobnsjd]

Hey Chris what is the editor app you use I cant find any.🤔🤔🤔and can I use gimp for the sky

[@catchingphotons]

I use paint.net (very easy, very good) to work on the image. I used my phone for capturing the panorama and yes: you might as well use gimp. Cheers!

[@wolfang4212]

Cannot get this to work. No matter what setting I put for angle_rotatez it does not put N where it needs to be...and I choose the degrees directly from what is shown in Stellarium.

[@catchingphotons]

Yeah that feature is a bit misleading. North is 0 degree and then you have to add plus (east) and minus (west) to align. I always struggle with this setting.

[@ome3nx-377]

hello, i have an issue with the land scape.. everything is pink when i load it.. can you tell me how to fix it if you know?

[@catchingphotons]

You'd need to specify the problem. Then: Yes, sure! Cheers =)

[@jswyman-ll3dr]

This guy reminds me of Alex Ovechkin...lol.. great video

[@catchingphotons]

😂😂😂

[@tullyfisher]

Planning to do this for the longest time.. too lazy, so far. ;) Very helpful. cs

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks Tully! Glad the video was of any help! Clear skies!!

[@expatca4444]

Amazing thanks !

[@catchingphotons]

No worries, you are very welcome!

[@cziteq9367]

hi i just uploaded my custom to stellarium and i got a problem because the north is in the wrong position

[@catchingphotons]

Inside the .zip file, you'll find an .ini file that allows you to reorient your landscape image. By adjusting the 'north position' in degrees, as well as the altitude and azimuth settings, you can align your image precisely with the actual background of your backyard. Cheers!

[@cziteq9367]

@@catchingphotons it worked , thank you bro😊

[@OnceShy_TwiceBitten]

WHAT ABOUT HTE ANGLE UP?> how do I know what the actual dec and ascension is?

[@catchingphotons]

I guess ... Guessing :-) Sry for my late response. I normally take a photo, then get me something like Mobile-Stellarium and aim my phone at a representative point (roof top etc). Then I take notes on RA/DEC and the date/time and then I can "recreate" the situation in PC-stellarium. Cheers!!

[@Mysteryp7]

hello, is this Stellarium live feed? how do I update livefeed? for today 2/21/2022 I heard venus jupitor and moon be a line so I am watching in live. but I think this is a recorded.

[@catchingphotons]

What are you talking about? This is a tutorial video and months old. Cheers!

[@ricardoabh3242]

I guess this also works in the App (iPad)?

[@catchingphotons]

I don't think background removal on iOS version is possible. Cheers

[@4-MinuteMiles]

i noticed "latitude" is spelled wrong - is this important?

[@Safestassets]

Which projection should I use? My background looks terrrrrible!

[@catchingphotons]

Please refine your question. What projection do you refer to? Cheers!!

[@Safestassets]

@@catchingphotons In Stellarium, open "sky and viewing options" and on the first tab called "sky" you will see a list of "projections." These include perspective, stereographic, fish-eye etc." My back ground looks terrible and I am wondering which projection you use or I should use. Thanks!

[@avt_astro206]

great Video Chris. I could Do this, However there Are lots Of Obstruction in my Place, Basically I Do all my Astro from Balcony, lol 😅

[@catchingphotons]

Then just integrate your balcony into Stellarium :-) there are a lot of great astrophotographer doing their stuff from the balcony, so don't worry about that :-D Cheers and clear skies my friend!

[@lmaoroflcopter]

Did you manage to do this? I think its so impressive if you're doing astro from a small balcony! I feel so silly putting off doing astro in my tiny backyard with people like you making do with tiny balcony locations!

[@bbllaakkeeee]

Wish I could do this just through the phone app.

[@catchingphotons]

Sadly it's not possible with the phone app. Would be cool though to include a camera feature and directly import the image ... Maybe we need to file this proposal :-) Clear skies!!

[@Priyanshu369up]

Possible in smartphone?

[@catchingphotons]

Unfortunately not.

[@Interstate66]

Super! Dankeschön für die kompakte Erklärung! :D Ich wollte das schon lange mal machen aber als ich mir die Anleitung im Handbuch angesehen habe ist es mir vergangen und ich dachte es lohnt ja all der Aufwand nicht 😅 Da waren es 200 mehr Schritte und ungefähr 3 spezielle Programme... Wieso sagen die nicht das es so einfach sein kann 🤷🤣

[@geomatrix5452]

Great video! Just a quick one: For those who have the newest Photoshop CC to edit with... Getting rid of a sky, filling in areas and resizing is amazingly so Simple now! Photoshop CC has taken ALL the hard work out of deleting a sky! For those that don't have Photoshop CC your method is really good. 👍Thanks!

[@catchingphotons]

Thanks for your insight Geo!

[@devindrasingh913]

Sadly It didn’t work for me, the app turned pink. I’m not too sure what I did wrong.

[@catchingphotons]

What version are you using & what device? Windows? Can you describe your work flow and the error a little bit more? Maybe we can figure out what's wrong. Clear skies!!

[@devindrasingh913]

I took the pano with my iPhone and edit it on photoshop the same way you described. Then I saved it a png. I copy and paste your info for the notes and write in my location and photo name as recommended. I edited the photo on a Mac and tried it on my window pc. I’ll have to redo everything to try figuring out what went wrong. But since it comes up pink I thinking something is wrong with the photo.

[@catchingphotons]

@@devindrasingh913 Did you alter the name of the image-file in the .ini-file? If this "link" is broken, the image will turn green. Other than that... something with the image-settings might be wrong?

[@devindrasingh913]

@@catchingphotons the file ends with .ini does it need the -file part? In the file I have the exact name of the image because I copied and paste it in.

[@jopss1039]

No matter what i do, stellarium says "No landscape was installed. The selected file is not a ZIP archive or does not contain a stellarium landscape." when i have a 2048x1014 72 PPI PNG file i zipped using winrar

[@catchingphotons]

The issue you're facing with Stellarium likely stems from the fact that creating custom landscapes for Stellarium requires more than just a PNG file. Along with the PNG, you also need an accompanying landscape.ini file that contains essential information such as the landscape name, type, and file references. Here's what you should do: 1. Create a folder: Inside the folder, include your PNG file and a corresponding landscape.ini file. 2. Format the PNG: Make sure your image is in the correct format for Stellarium, which typically expects a panorama image that is twice as wide as it is high (e.g., 2048x1024 pixels) with a transparent sky. This allows Stellarium to show the stars properly. The landscape should be a 360° horizontal panorama. 3. Add the landscape.ini file: This file should include basic information like this: [landscape] name = YourLandscapeName author = YourName description = Description of the landscape type = spherical maptex = YourImageFileName.png angle_rotatez = 0 4. Compress into a ZIP: Once your folder contains both the PNG and the ini file, zip the entire folder (not just the files) and install it through the "Add/remove landscapes" option in Stellarium. By ensuring both the PNG and ini file are included, Stellarium will be able to correctly interpret the landscape data and apply it.

[@jopss1039]

@@catchingphotons ye of course i have the ini file in there with all the info written correctly. I didnt know you need to format the PNG tho, i will try to figure that out Edit : Ah i thought formatting meant something else in this case, i already have the png at the right resolution and im zipping the .ini file and the png together, doesnt work

[@Astro-Omar]

I keep sending the zip file to stellarium but it says it's not a stellarium landscape

[@catchingphotons]

Then most likely the file format/pixel density or resolution doesn't fit. Any chance of uploading your zip file for inspection? Clear skies!

[@SmeeUncleJoe]

My iPhone will not take a 360 pan. Only about 180 degrees.

[@catchingphotons]

Hi @SmeeUncleJoe, Your iPhone can indeed take 360-degree panoramas, but it might require a bit more effort than a single sweep. Here’s how you can achieve it: 1. **Using Pano Mode**: The default iPhone camera app has a Pano mode that typically captures around 240 degrees. To capture a full 360-degree panorama, you’ll need to take two overlapping Pano shots and stitch them together using photo editing software like Photoshop or a free alternative like GIMP [[❞]](support.apple.com/guide/iphone/take-panoramic-photos-iph7e06402b4/ios) [[❞]](www.thinglink.com/blog/step-by-step-guide-how-to-take-360-photos-with-iphone/). 2. **Third-Party Apps**: There are also several apps specifically designed for creating 360-degree panoramas. Apps like Google Street View allow you to take multiple photos and stitch them into a 360-degree image directly on your phone. Another option is the "360 Panorama" app, which uses the phone’s gyroscope to help create seamless 360-degree images [[❞]](support.apple.com/guide/iphone/take-panoramic-photos-iph7e06402b4/ios) [[❞]](www.thinglink.com/blog/step-by-step-guide-how-to-take-360-photos-with-iphone/). 3. **Stitching Photos**: If you opt for taking multiple photos manually, ensure there is a good amount of overlap between each shot. Tools like Microsoft’s Image Composite Editor or Hugin can help you stitch these images together into a seamless 360-degree panorama. By using these methods, you can create a custom background for Stellarium. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!

[@4-MinuteMiles]

so is altitude

[@JoshuaD88]

I dont know why but stellarium on pc and on phone are giving me different places

[@catchingphotons]

In what circumstances? Cheers 🥂

[@cuvarsnova]

I miss your coffee :) ~

[@catchingphotons]

Harhar :-) I think I need to include some hidden coffee mug in my videos from now.

[@cuvarsnova]

@@catchingphotons July 12 at 15:30 UTC+1 the first web photo. There are no deep field view in the observation list. We will wait for it longer~

[@peerb6899]

My backyard looks like if you stand on top of the everest with a 360 camera and everything is soo close haha

[@catchingphotons]

Haha 😃

[@astrotherapist]

WOW! That looks really complicated and a total pain in the a**!!!

[@catchingphotons]

It realy isn't that complicated. The editing of the background image is somewhat tricky but everything else is very straight foreward. Cheers!