[APBeta] 2 Observing Form Suggestions

[Dan Kuchta]

If I'm not using my computer for a session I like to print out  
observing sheets, but I'm usually frustrated by the object/page  
alignment.  I don't really want to have just one object per page, so I  
try to size my prints to get a couple on a page if I'm printing  
images, more if not.  The problem is that I can't get page breaks to  
occur on an object boundary unless I'm just very lucky.

Take for example Saturn followed by a list of DSOs.  Since Saturn has  
no photos, it takes up a very small part of the page.  The first DSO  
takes up most of the rest of the page, and the 2nd DSO starts on the  
first page but continues on the next.  All the remaining pages  
maintain this out-of-sync alignment where the page break occurs in the  
middle of every other object.  When observing, I really don't want to  
be flipping back and forth between two pages when dealing with a  
single object.

So this brings up 2 suggestions.

First, It would be nice to see an option option called something like  
"No page breaks within an object".  This could probably be right under  
the "New Page per object" option.  Of course, if the user has selected  
a large number of fields to print, or has a large number of pictures  
for an object, the "No page breaks within an object" may not be able  
to be honored because the object simply may not fit on one page.  But  
I think this would still be a very useful option most of the time.

Basically, the algorithm would be:
1) If the object starts at the beginning of the page, print it  
normally regardless of how many pages it takes up.
2) If the object starts after the beginning of the page, and will fit  
on the page, then print it on that page
3) if the object starts after the beginning of the page, and will not  
fit on the page, the start it at the top of the next page.

Second, this particular example kind of raises the question, why is  
there no image for Saturn?  When I'm looking at the Objects screen, I  
see a nice graphic of Saturn and it's moons.  I'd love to see that  
printed on the observing sheet in black on white with the names of the  
moons next to the moon images.  That would be VERY useful in the field.

So I thought I'd pass these along as potential features for this or a  
future release as you see fit.  Thanks!

-Dan Kuchta

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If a tree falls in the forest and lands on a mime, will either one  
make a sound?