AC is now available for any silicon Mac

Mac (M1/M2/M3/M4), eg Macbook, Mac Mini.

If you have purchased AC on an iPad AC is free to download and free to use on a silicon Mac, eg M1. Vice versa if initially bought for Mac.

  • If I have the iPad version of AC will I have to pay for the Mac version? No.
  • If I have the Mac version of AC will I have to pay for the iPad version? No.
  • If I don’t have the iPad version of AC will I have to pay for the Mac version? Yes.
  • If I have the iPad/Mac version of AC will I have to pay for the iPhone version? Yes
  • If I have the iPhone version of AC will I have to pay for the Mac version? Yes.

Apple – Support

Some screenshots

It’s virtually identical to what you see and get on an iPad.

 

AC Mac Settings menu

AC Mac Settings menu

 

AC Mac settings – Window Size

Example screenshot, AC on a Mac (Larger (default))

AC View #2 on a Mac

AC View #2 on a Mac

Printing on a MAC:

Print icon

Unfortunately printing from a Designed for iPad Mac app doesn’t work. Waiting on Apple for a fix.

Solution: from AC ver 3.00:

Instead AC saves what would be the print-out to a PDF file eg AC Speculum.pdf which can be printed by any Mac app that can display a pdf file such as the included Mac Preview app.

Settings – A4 or US letter – landscape

Save to PDF for Mac Settings

Save to PDF for Mac Settings

This setting is saved to the AC database.

The pdf file can be found here:

/Users/yourName/Library/Containers//Data/Documents/AC PDFs

AC path for PDF's

AC path for PDF’s

Using your iPad Your Charts database files on the Mac – if you have been using the iPad AC version and have many charts that you could like to view on your Mac.

AC on an iPad uses a SQLite database. AC on the Mac uses a separate, but identical SQLite database for its saved charts. Both have the same name. A newly installed AC for Mac has no Your Charts.

Because AC uses a SQLite database to store Your Charts (on iPad) they are not available on your Mac. Neither can you sync the two separate databases. However it’s possible to simply copy the appropriate database file(s) from your iPad to the Mac – see below.

Syncing between iPad and iPhone isn’t currently possible although I will be looking into it.

Of course it is possible to export Your Charts from AC and import them into AC on the Mac, using Dropbox. Tested – works well.

Export AC Chart records to Dropbox.

Export AC Chart records

Transfer your iPad charts database to Mac – only do this if you’re happy and familiar with copying and overwriting files. Note that any charts you have created on the Mac will be overwritten. Please save prior to this procedure and the import them after.

1. On your iPad locate the file:

AstroConnexionsUser.sqlite3

This database file holds all your AC chart records.

Find Sqlite files

2. Copy to downloads on your Mac

3. Run AC on the Mac. Go to Debug Info on the Mac AC (see screenshot below)

4. Copy path and use Finder go to the folder. (see screenshot below) – the sqlite path should look something like this:

/Users/rogerpearson/Library/Containers/81565A97-B468-4E3D-8580-4360AF4DA0DB/Data/Documents/

You could also try:

/Users/yourName/Library/Containers//Data/Documents/

Mac sqlIte path

Mac sqlIte path

 

Go to folder

Go to folder

 

5. Exit AC on the Mac.

6. Paste file AstroConnexionsUser.sqlite3 from Downloads on the Mac to Sqlite folder on the Mac and overwrite (see screenshot below). Before overwriting you should save the file, just-in-case.

 

SQLite folder on the Mac

SQLite folder on the Mac

7. Done. Run AC on the Mac – all your iPad Chart files should be available.

if this results in any kind of failure you will have to re-install AC on your Mac.