Command line options

Sidralune is normally started without arguments. For documentation, automated visual checks and demonstrations it has a screenshot mode, which opens a workspace in a chosen state, renders the window to a PNG file and exits.

Contents

• Synopsis
• Options
• Workspace keys
• Examples
• Driving the interface with a script
• Notes

Synopsis

Sidralune.exe --screenshot <file.png> [--view <key>] [--time <ISO 8601>] [--sim] [--night]
              [--size <W>x<H>] [--wait <seconds>] [--script <file.cs>]

Options

Option	Meaning	Default
--screenshot <file>	Turns on screenshot mode and names the output PNG file
--view <key>	The workspace to show (see below)	home
--time <ISO 8601>	Sets the simulated time, in UTC, for example 2026-12-14T22:00:00	Live time
--sim	Connects the simulated observatory before showing the view	Off
--night	Uses the red night-vision palette	Off
--size <W>x<H>	Window size in pixels	1500x950
--wait <seconds>	How long to let the view load and settle before capturing	4
--script <file.cs>	Runs a C# script in the Scripts workspace before capturing (see below)

In screenshot mode the window is created off-screen and not shown in the taskbar, catalogues are loaded synchronously, and your normal settings (sites, equipment) are used. The window is rendered and saved after the wait time, then Sidralune exits.

--script only takes effect together with --screenshot.

Workspace keys

Key	Workspace
home	Tonight
sky	Sky
planner	Planner
observatory	Observatory
stacking	Deep sky
processing	Process
planetary	Planetary
astrometry	Astrometry
photometry	Photometry
spectro	Spectra
solarsystem	Solar sys.
radio	Radio
databases	Databases
scripting	Scripts
settings	Settings

Examples

The Tonight page for the Geminids peak, in night-vision mode:

Sidralune.exe --screenshot geminids.png --view home --time 2026-12-14T02:00:00 --night

The sky chart at a larger size:

Sidralune.exe --screenshot sky.png --view sky --size 1920x1080 --wait 6

The observatory with the simulated equipment connected:

Sidralune.exe --screenshot observatory.png --view observatory --sim

Driving the interface with a script

--script runs a C# script (the same kind as in the Scripts workspace) before the screenshot is taken. The script can call into the views through MainForm.Instance to put them in a particular state. Interface changes must run on the UI thread:

var mf = MainForm.Instance;
mf.Invoke((Action)(() =>
{
    mf.Navigate("solarsystem");
    // select a tab, fill fields, start a calculation...
}));

Combined with --wait, this makes repeatable screenshots of any workspace, and can serve as an end-to-end test: the screenshot shows the script's output and the state of the interface. Contributors use this to check interface changes; see CONTRIBUTING.md.

Notes

• Paths with spaces must be quoted.
• The exit code is 0 on success. Errors are written to the log in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Sidralune\Logs.
• Screenshot mode uses and updates your normal settings: like a normal exit, closing the window remembers the last workspace and disconnects devices.