ZET - What's New

ZET Astrology Software
What's New in ZET 8

Main features

- 'Complex charts' - display up to 7 rings of planets (instead of 2) of any type of chart on the wheel. E.g. display concentrically the following 5 rings: natal, transit, equatorial direction, secondary progression, minor progression - and animate them. There are now 3 kinds of chart wheel: single, dual, and complex. As before, though, two sets of event data are operative in chart calculations: core data for natal planets in the 1st ring, and background data for the external ring(s). See example Screenshot 1.

- 'Fixed charts' - any type of horoscope can be put on the wheel, independent of the current event data. These charts must be calculated beforehand and saved. Complex charts can contain fixed charts in their rings. This feature makes it possible to combine charts for different events with a natal chart e.g. a triple chart containing natal-man, natal-woman, and transit-wedding.

- Chart Type Selector window, invoked from the Toolbar or using or F5 key, lists available chart formats and horoscope types (transit, progressed, directed, ...), and complex and fixed chart types defined by the user. This window allows charts to be customized on-the-fly: select the chart format, the number of rings, and the type of chart for each ring.

- Composite charts (a type of relationship chart).

- Coalescent charts (a type of synastry for couples).

- Aspect Direction matrix for quickly setting the aspects vector in dual and complex charts, invoked with Alt+A - one click selects the pair of planet rings to use in the aspectarian and listings.

- Primary Directions have been implemented.

- Configuration Manager for handling the new ZET 8 wheel features in chart configurations. It allows the following types of linkage between chart type and configuration (appearance and settings):
  1) Configuration can be independent of the chart type (as was the case in ZET 7).
  2) Single (natal and horary) charts, and dual type chart formats, can be assigned a configuration automatically when selecting the type of chart (dual types have a common configuration).
  3) Each dual chart type can have its own configuration, automatically set when choosing the type of chart. (This correspondence is created in the the Dual Chart Editor window). If no specific correspondence is in place for the chart type, Variant 2 is used.
  4) The History of calculations automatically includes a reference to the current configuration. When a chart is selected from the History list its original configuration can be reused.
  5) When a chart is restored from a Shortcut icon, its original configuration can be reused.
  The Horoscope Wizard does not utilize the Configuration Manager.

- The option of using TrueType fonts for glyphs, in addition to ZET fonts. [screenshot].

Rectification

- Trutina Hermetis.
- 'Condensations' method - automatic scanning of a specified interval around the birth time, and chooosing a time which maximally satisfies certain criteria.

Affetics

- Display additional receptions by Triplicity, Term and Face (previously only by Sign, Rulership and Exaltation).
- Display chains of Disposition and Detriment.
- Facility to define your own main rulerships and main detriments (used to determine the dispositor chains).
- Rulers table of 10 planets (for the Avestan affetic - 16).
- Rulers table synchronizes the Ruler-Detriment and Exaltation-Fall relationship, i.e. changing a Ruler automatically also changes the corresponding Detriment.
- Alternative Rulers of Triplicity: Dorotean, Ptolemy, Morin, custom.
- Alternative Rulers of Term: Ptolemy, Egyptians, Lilly, custom.
- Lilly's affetic: separate display of essential and accidental status values.
- Calculation and display of House Almuten in the Planets List of the tableau.
- Almuten Figuris.

Interpretation, Astroformulas

- A system of 'Universal interpretation' utilizing the astrological formula description language for selecting specific texts from custom themes created for interpretation (e.g. astro-aphorisms),
- 'Astro-formula Check' function for querying the correspondence of the current chart to some criteria, specified using the astrological formula description language.
- The astrological formula description language has been enhanced - you can now refer to planets in midpoint; planets, houses, almutens of the outer chart ring (for interpretation); declination aspects (e.g. antiscion, parallel); cusps; separating and applying aspects.
- The option of House Headers (for interpretations by Houses) as separate library texts.
- Moon Houses and Moon Mansions [screenshot].
- Revised look-and-feel Library of Interpretation Texts window [screenshot].

Database, History

- A new hierarchic (subfolder-based) structure for databases [screenshot].
- Photos in database records - include the following textual string in the comment field, e.g., PHOTO: Queen Elizabeth II.jpg.
- History log retrieval functions "Get first data", "Get second data" to extract data from a History log entry to the core and background data entry forms without erecting the chart (the Event Data window should be open).
- Record the event data for the current chart to the History log using the Alt+S hot-key (when the "Execute" button of the Event Data window is clicked, data is recorded to the History log only if the option "Automatically save..." in General Settings has been checked).

Uranian Astrology

- Improved design of the Uranian Limb, now includes a digital scale.
- Option to switch on/off the pointer and the current tree of half-sums.
- Control panel for stepping the limb pointer - move to next/previous planet, move by 1 degree intervals, move by 1 arc-minute intervals, move to the resultant of a selected formula.
- Calculate a specified formula.
- Interactive Uranian glossary (Rules for Planetary Pictures on Toolbar Help menu).
- Uranian table - displays the hits of 21 Uranian points to houses for all six Uranian house systems.

Asteroids

- Optimized operation with large numbers of asteroids (with ephemeris files). Calculation requires an explicit command, and is not performed when the catalog is opened.
- Save the calculated data for some date to file, and load from file.
- List of aspects between the planets and all asteroids in the catalog.
- Optional sub-folders of the Swiss folder for asteroid data files: ast0, ast1, ast2, ast3...
- Option to display simultaneously all asteroids in the catalog on the Cosmos and Sky tableaux.
- Asteroid numbers up to 99999

Astronomical features

- Improved realism of planet images in the Cosmos tableau.
- Optional Hipparcos catalog of stars (200 000 stars).
- Option to label selected objects in the Cosmos tableau.
- Sky tableau: popup menu option for the description (interpretation) of stars, astronomical data, star catalog.
- Sky tableau: option to display the coordinate grid (for any of 3 systems); also on-the-fly display of the coordinates of objects at the mouse pointer.
- Sky: new 'landscape' mode with horizon.
- Solar and Lunar eclipses - precise calculation, listing of eclipses for any period, display lines of totality for solar eclipses on the map, shadow spot of total solar eclipses, local circumstances, jump to the Sky tableau to display the solar eclipse maximum.

Options, Settings

- Simplified chart settings, optimized planet glyph placement on the wheel.
- Visually set size and locations of the chart wheel and planets list.
- Separate Chart tableau regions (for planets, houses, midpoint trees, aspect configurations, receptions, and rulership chains). Set the size of these fields and scroll them using the mouse or keyboard (PgUp, PgDn, Up, Down, Shift+Up, Shift+Down). The option of visually demarcating the fields, using the "Delimiters" option in Chart Settings.
- When turning a chart using the Sun glyph, only the day changes; using the Moon glyph, only the hour changes.
- Tables customization - switch columns on/off, select the order of columns, optional grid lines.
- Shortcut Key Manager - create your own hot-keys to execute any command or toggle any setting.
- Security function:
  - ZET access password.

Astro*carto*graphy

- Map display of constellation figures.
- Map display of the names of countries and regions.
- Parans marking (line intersections in ACG), paran lines (horizontal lines of equal latitude for parans), list of parans for the latitude of a selected city within range of a specified orb, stars in the list of parans.
- Contour map (for print-out)
- Map: create real-time world clocks for cities.

Tables

- Bindhu table.
- Uranian table - hits of 21 Uranian points to houses for all six Uranian house systems.
- General House Table - hits of all selected planets, asteroids, and pars into the houses of all or any of the 26 house systems. The house systems for display can be selected.
- Tables of rising, upper culmination, setting, lower culmination for planets, all asteroids in the catalog, all named stars in the catalog.
- Tabulation of Planet nodes and apsides - aphelia of Earth (Sun). Mean, true, true barycentric. Second focus of orbit. Geo- and heliocentric.

Graphics

- Aspects Diagram - redesigned, removing some restrictions on planets that can be used in certain time intervals
- Dynamics Diagrams include maximum and average speed, scaling of the calculation interval, and hints.
- Tabular Ephemeris - option to output various coordinates of the positions. Option to use the Julian Date when creating ephemerides.
- Aspects Diagram timelines can now include progression and direction chart house cusps.

Printing

- Direct printing of the Geographical Map with astro*carto*graphic features.
- Optimized Print Preview.
- Use a TrueType font for print-out.
- Choice of printer font.

Miscellaneous

- Custom line styles for aspect lines.
- ZET Message now has relevant eclipse information.
- Interactively change the current event time by dragging any planet glyph, not just Sun or Moon.
- Additional virtual objects: Point of Life (0° Aries, moves 1 sign for every 7 years of life) and Point of Death (0° Aries, moves backwards thru the zodiac by 1 sign for every 9 years of life).
- Display of planet speed as a percentage of average speed.
- Calculation of stationary planets can be customized.
- Dynamics of Time: save and restore the set interval of time. Specify an interval in Julian days. Step to next/previous solar return, lunar return, phase lunar, or planet return (depends on current chart type).
- Degree Overview window now displays not only Sabian symbols in the zodiac degree, but also Arabic Parts and all asteroids in the catalog (when the appropriate options are selected).
- Specify any virtual planet, asteroid, or prenatal syzygy (New Moon/Full Moon) in the formula for a Part.
- Encyclopedia of Astrology by DeVore.
- 'Time Calculator' utility cam be invoked from the Tools item of the main menu.
- Joint mode of working when several instances of ZET are running - changing data in one instance results in changed data in the others, with synchronous redrawing of screens.
- Added Morinus house system.
- Notepad window for quick notes. Facilities include page and folder control (create, rename, delete), an encrypted mode, a read-only mode.
- The 'East point' of the wheel is no longer limited to 1st House cusp or to a specified degree, but can use the true Asc (for the corresponding house systems).
- Unlimited range of calculation dates (several million years tested). Outside the range of the Swiss Ephemeris, the expected accuracy of calculation is:
  - for Sun (Earth) - acceptable (degrees),
  - for planets from orbital parameters - acceptable (degrees),
  - for planets and asteroids - low (should be considered conditional only),
  - for virtual objects in geocentric and stars - good (within a degree),
  - for virtual objects in heliocentric - high.
- Gauquelin sector calculation.
- Maximum number of objects calculated increased from 41 to 99 (i.e. planets + virtual objects + asteroids + pars).
- Upgraded functionality for creating Big Atlases.
- Upgrade functionality of the Glyph Editor. The format for ZET font files has changed.The previous three separate font files - Font16*.fnt, Font32*.fnt and Font16*.txt - are now combined into one *.zfn file, and the name of the font file is specified in General Settings (default is Font.zfn). Added import/export of a single font's symbols (file *.zsb). Optimized editing of asteroid glyphs (file AsterFont.dat), and added import/export of a single asteroid's glyph (file *.zsa). Optimized editing of star glyphs (file StarFont.dat), and added import/export of a single star's glyph (file *.zss).