Software SONNE.EXE

by H. Sonderegger,
Last Update: 2010/04/07

The new version 3.2 runs on all new(er) Windows systems such as XP, Vista and Windows 7.  (64-bit-systems too). Additionally to earlier versions it calculates and constructs more altitude dials and cylinder dials. The help files are changed to chm-format which is preferred and supported by the newer Windows systems. It's language is German or English. The language can be selected in the help-menu. In many cases a click on the right mouse-button shows a popup-menu in the same language. A Photo Gallery in the start window shows the different sundial types which are calculated by SONNE. 

The calculations are done for any reference year between 1300 and 2500 and for all latitudes and longitudes.

For Output all constructions are displayed on screen or can be printed on any printer installed in Windows or saved as HPGL-files (*.plt) or dxf-files (for AutoCad, DeltaCAD,...). 

The program computes
*  the time of sunset and sunrise, moonset and moonrise and twilight (civil, nautical or astronomical)
*  with time as input the position of the sun (azimuth and altitude)
*  with azimuth as input the time of this sunposition
*  the Equation of Time (EoT).
*  tables of the declination of the sun or of EoT for any reference year (between 1300 - 2500).
It is possible to printout all results and to save the tables as text file.

The program constructs for the given geographical position (longitude and latitude)
*  horizontal sundials
*  vertical, inclining and reclining sundials (for any declination)
*  cylinder sundials (shepherd's dials, azimuthal cylinder dials, cylinder dials with polar style )
*  quadrant sundials (various types)
*  azimuthal sundials (azimuthal spider dial, stereographic dial, horizontoscope)
*  "umbrella dials" (specific type of bifilar dials)
*  horizontal altitude sundials ("Basho Hidokei")
*  (simple) ring sundials (farmers rings)
*  compressed sundials by F. Sawyer (more) and the new mean time sundial by H. Hollander (more).

Type of lines computed:
*  hour lines for local time (mean and apparent) ,
*  time of zone meridian ,
*  temporal hours
In all types the time of start and end and the time interval can be selected.

In horizontal / vertical / inclining sundials, in "umbrella dials"  and some types of cylinder dials it is possible to show additionally
*  Babylonian hours
*  Italian hours
*  Lines for the sun's altitude
*  a table with the angles of the hour-lines for true solar time
Since version 2.0 the user also can fix start time, end time and interval of these lines.

In horizontal / vertical / inclining sundials and in umbrella sundials it is also possible to printout the coordinates of the constructions. Instead of sending the coordinates to the printer you also can send all data to an ASCII-text-file.