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    Exporting (from Solar Fire or Astro Gold) a SFcht file and Importing a SFcht chart file into AC

    © Roger Pearson, 23rd Sept 2017. Revised 25th Sept 2017, 19th July 2018. Revised Jan 7th 2023.

    Astro Gold is an iOS astrology app. Solar Fire and Solar Fire Gold is an astrology Windows program. These applications save their chart files with the extension SFcht. These files can hold information for one or more charts.

    These SFcht files (eg ‘my charts.SFcht’) can be exported from Astro Gold and Solar Fire via email or copied from your Solar Fire Charts folder. The files can then be copied to the AstroConnexions app folder in

    Dropbox. Then they can be imported into AC.

    AC = AstroConnexions

    SF = Solar Fire or Solar Fire Gold (MS Windows program)

    The following screenshots show a method of exporting SFcht file via email using the Solar Fire Windows desktop program. To keep things simple, only one chart is selected for export/import.

    The following animated GIF’s show an alternative method.

    If a particular chart cannot be imported straight away into AC a procedure that uses forward geocoding retrieves the unresolved details, usually the latitude and longitude of the chart. This allows the chart to be saved to AC. The charts without any problems are automatically saved to the AC database. More details below.

    The AstroConnexions folder in your Dropbox is automatically created by the AstroConnexions app so that you can place your exported chart files there. Please note that only you have access to that folder.

    The AstroConnexions folder, and the Apps folder is created by AC via the Dropbox api. Do not create these folders yourself.

    Note: Currently the import routine cannot handle SFcht files available from the Databank ADB database These SFcht files can be very large and hold thousands of charts which may cause AC to crash with an out of memory error. Therefore you are advised to only use the method outlined here to create SFcht files for export to AC. 

    (Scroll down for iOS Astro Gold routine)

    Email SFcht files to yourself – this us the Windows Solar Fire procedure.

    Export a SFcht chart file- select a chart 1

    Exporting a SFcht chart file – selecting a chart. Note many or all charts can be selected for export/import. (Fifty approx max)

     

    Export a SFcht chart file- select email menu option

    Export a SFcht chart file – select email menu option

     

    Export a SFcht chart file-email charts window

    Export a SFcht chart file – email charts window

     

    Alternative Method 

    1. Select the charts from the SF Chart Database , eg Business SFcht – see animated GIF below
    2. Copy to a new SFcht file in the SF Chart Database – see animated GIF below
    3. Copy the SFcht file to your Dropbox AstroConnexions folder

    Path to the your (new) Solar Fire chart files is:

    C:\Users\XXXX\Documents\Solar Fire User Files\Charts      (XXXX is your Windows user name)

    Solar Fire files and folders – SF Help file

    Animated GIF – Creating a SFcht file from a selection of chart files.

    Select the SF Chart Database from the Open file – second icon from top left.

    Solar Fire Gold ver 9 is used.

    Solar Fire SFcht files

    Solar Fire SFcht files

    A similar method – animated GIF – from the SF Calculated files list.

    Solar Fire Gold ver 9 is used.

    Solar Fire SFcht files from calculated files

    Alternative SFcht files path

    SF chart files

    SF chart files

     

    Path: C:\Program Files (x86)\SolarFire8\User Files\Charts

    The above files can be safely used to import SF charts into AC.

    Astro Gold Export (iOS) – iPad.

    The procedure to email Your Chart Files from Astro Gold is not too complicated.

    1. email the SFcht to yourself.

    2. Open Dropbox app on your iPad if not done so already. Save attached SFcht file (from email app) to Dropbox AstroConnexions folder.

    3. Connect to Dropbox if not done in AC. Tap import SFcht charts in AC. See below…

     

    Astro Gold - Selecting Export

    Astro Gold – Selecting Export

     

    Selecting MyCharts for Export by email

     

    Astro Gold export - Selecting MyCharts

    Astro Gold export – Selecting MyCharts for Export by email

     

     

    The procedure to copy the SFcht file into you AstroConnexions Dropbox app folder is shown below. I use Spark (email app) on my iPad. Screenshot from standard iOS Mail app shown too. Use the share button/selection in your email to copy the SFcht file to the AstroConnexions Dropbox app folder. The procedure is identical for Solar Fire Sfcht files and Astro Gold SFcht files.

     

    Email procedure on my iPad

    iOS Mail app.

     

    Exported charts from Astro Gold App

    Exported charts from Astro Gold App. Long- press over the attached file, and save

     

    Exported charts from Astro Gold App - save

    Exported charts from Astro Gold App – Save to Dropbox

     

    Using Spark email

    Email with the SFcht file attchment

    Email with the SFcht file attachment

     

     

    Selecting a method to put the file into Dropbox

    Selecting a method to put the file into Dropbox. Select Save or Share.

     

     

    Select DropBox

    Selecting Dropbox from the resultant Save selection.

     

    Dropbox folder procedure

    Selecting the correct folder. Please note the AstroConnexions folder, and the Apps folder is created by AC via the Dropbox api. Do not create these folders yourself.

     

    Select the Apps Folder

    Select the Apps Folder

     

     

    Select the AstroConnexions Folder

    Select the AstroConnexions Folder

     

    Save your file

    Save your file here

    Save your file here

     

     

    A similar procedure can be followed if you have a Mac.

    Importing the file into AC

    Note that the first time you connect to Dropbox the import table may be blank so you may have to exit the AC Import form and open again to refresh the Import table – your SFcht file will then be displayed.

     

    Import SFcht files

    Import SFcht files

     

    Use SFcht file preferences where possible – get House System and Rodden Rating from the SFcht record

     

     

    All done importing

    All done importing

     

     

     

     

    Import Analysis Table

    Import Analysis Table. Tap the record to proceed.

     

     

    Forward Geocoder

    Forward Geocoder, and analysis of the date/time etc.

     

     

    Forward Geocoder result

    Forward Geocoder result

     

     

    Saving the Chart

    Saving the Chart. The chart is automatically saved to AC.

     

     

    Stonewall Jackson Rodden Rating

    Checking that the Rodden Rating is correct.

     

     

    AC Stonewall Jackson Chart. After importing the SFcht file.

     

    AC Stonewall Jackson Chart

    AC Stonewall Jackson Chart

     

    Solar Fire Stonewall Jackson Chart

    Solar Fire Stonewall Jackson Chart

    Solar Fire Stonewall Jackson Chart

     

    AC Stonewall Jackson. Plain Chart style

     

    AC Stonewall Jackson Plain Chart style

    AC Stonewall Jackson. Plain Chart style

     

    An example of a list of successfully imported SFcht files

     

    List of successful imported SFcht Files

    List of successful imported SFcht Files

     

    An example of a listing of already imported SFcht Files

     

    Already imported SFcht Files

    Already imported SFcht Files

     

    Notes:

    SFcht chart files can hold more than one chart record. AC can handle more than one chart at a time, ie it’s possible to import more than one chart at a time if a SFcht file holds more than one chart record.

    SFcht chart files are binary and cannot be examined like a CSV file.

     

    Astro Gold SFcht files – they always state (last time I examined them) the Placidus house system. No Rodden Rating is given. Therefore when importing Astro Gold files Rodden Rating is taken from the Rodden Rating on the AC Import form.

    Solar Fire files – have an entry for the House System and Rodden rating.

    To use the Rodden Rating and House System on the AC form switch off the ‘Use SFcht file preferences where possible’.

     

    AC recognises Solar Fire chart files as

    • Natal
    • Horary
    • Solar Return (natal location)
    • Lunar Return (natal location)

     

    AC recognises Astro Gold chart files either as

    • Natal
    • Horary

     

    Transit, progressed or other charts are ignored if importing them.

    Batch Geocoding

    Why doesn’t AC process geocoding as a batch? This would make the AC import process much faster. Apple applies a restriction:

    The geocoding service which supports CLGeocoder is not meant to batch geocode locations, but is meant to be used as necessary as the device moves, and places and addresses need to be shown to the users. Selectively and sparingly. If you must, the general rule of thumb is to not send more than one geocoding request per minute.

    Video

    Here’s a video that shows part of the process of importing quick*charts. This is very similar to the process of importing SFcht charts.

    Importing Quick Charts

    iPad used for Video: iPad Air 2.