Skyscript Astrology Forum

Hello
Does anyone know how to get the program "Valens" to run under Window (I have Windows 7, 64 bits). It looks really useful, especially for starting to use Hellenistic techniques (before perhaps going on the Delphic Oracle), it's by Rob the creator of Morinus: https://sites.google.com/site/astrovalens/

I've done all as set out below in the instructions, and it looks to be successfully installed. But when I try to start the program (last step) I just get a black command screen that appears in a flash and then disappears.
I've put both Python 3.4 for Windows and Valens are directly on my C hard drive (like Morinus, but that's binary, this is source, a bit of a mystery to me), but I've also tried putting Valens into the Python file, doesn't work either.
Many thanks for any help or suggestions. Maybe it's not possible in Windows, Rob says one element (sweapastronomy) has not been built for window, and indeed it is not "pythonised" like the other Valens files, but the rest of his insturctions seem to imply that it can be used under Windows.
Rob's instructions:

"Download valens.zip (see below) and unzip it.
Install python3 and tkinter and the font (Valens/Res/Valens.ttf).

Install font Valens/Res/Valens.ttf. Perhaps double left-click on Valens.ttf and pressing "Install" also works but I usually only copy it to ".fonts" folder in my HOME.

How to start the program (after you installed everything):
1. Right-click on valens.py file and go to "Properties"
2. Find "Permission" and enable Execute (by checking "Allow executing file as program")
3. Start program with double left-click on valens.py file and press "Run"
The first two steps only need to be done once, of course, so next time just do step 3."

Graham

The program doesn't work on windows, only Linux and Mac.

Windows
I have no Windows so I couldn't even build sweastronomy.pyd for Windows. This means that not even the source can be used on Windows.
I am not even sure if it's possible to build the Windows-binary because maybe not every necessary tool has been updated to python3.

Thanks Konrad - I'll uninstall Valens and Python, and maybe have to do a restore on the computer, as I've found that having Python causes Morinus binary to crash.
Graham

Graham F wrote:Thanks Konrad - I'll uninstall Valens and Python, and maybe have to do a restore on the computer, as I've found that having Python causes Morinus binary to crash.
Graham

No problem. I was interested in this program too and was disappointed to find that it wouldn't workon Windows. Delphic Oracle is worth the money if you are into Hellenistic techniques.

Windows version is now available on the Valens' website
https://sites.google.com/site/astrovalens/

attila.s wrote:Windows version is now available on the Valens' website
https://sites.google.com/site/astrovalens/

You could have been Knighted if you had posted before the Queen's birthday honours list came out

Commiserations.


Thanks mate, much appreciated.
PD

I got the following error when trying to install:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "valens.py", line 35, in <module>
File "valens.py", line 35, in <module>
File "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Final\Valens\vframe.py", line 95, in __init__
File "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Final\Valens\vframe.py", line 95, in __init__
File "C:\Python34\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 1805, in __init__
File "C:\Python34\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 1805, in __init__
_tkinter_tkinter.TclErrorTclError: : Can't find a usable init.tcl in the following directories:
C:/Users/zoidiasoft/Documents/lib/tcl8.6 C:/Users/zoidiasoft/Documents/lib/tcl8.6 C:/Users/zoidiasoft/lib/tcl8.6 C:/Users/zoidiasoft/Documents/library C:/Users/zoidiasoft/library C:/Users/zoidiasoft/tcl8.6.1/library C:/Users/tcl8.6.1/library

I managed to get rid of one of the errors, but this one still remains...

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "valens.py", line 35, in <module>
File "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Desktop\Final\Valens\vframe.py", line 95, in __init__
File "C:\Python34\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 1805, in __init__
_tkinter.TclError: Can't find a usable init.tcl in the following directories:
C:/Users/zoidiasoft/Documents/lib/tcl8.6 C:/Users/zoidiasoft/Documents/lib/tcl8.6 C:/Users/zoidiasoft/lib/tcl8.6 C:/Users/zoidiasoft/Documents/library C:/Users/zoidiasoft/library C:/Users/zoidiasoft/tcl8.6.1/library C:/Users/tcl8.6.1/library

Where does one find the TCL install?

I installed it on a Mac running WinXPP in Parallels and the installation was smooth with no glitches.
There is a exe file and that along with the TTF file was all that was needed.

https://sites.google.com/site/astrovale ... ects=0&d=1

PD

pankajdubey wrote:I installed it on a Mac running WinXPP in Parallels and the installation was smooth with no glitches.
There is a exe file and that along with the TTF file was all that was needed.

https://sites.google.com/site/astrovale ... ects=0&d=1

PD

Well I tried installing on a 2nd machine and got the same thing:
This is what happens after double clicking on valens.exe. Not sure what the problem is. This machine runs windows 7.

Never mind. The problem was that the directory structure was not retained in the extraction. Someone should put a readme file in there explaining that because only the programmers will understand where to put things. Now I have a mess of files to clean up from the HD.

BTW, as a technical issue I noticed that the ZR on the 3rd/4th levels didn't adjust for daylight time, which is why it is better to use UTC because unless you want to do time zone lookups for each iteration of the releasing, your times for approximately 7 months out of the year will be incorrect. This becomes more important if you go to 5th level or beyond.

Also, the "Hellenistic" chart style comes from Project Hindsight (the old translation series) which was the format that was selected for their books back in the mid 90's which I got permission to use in Delphic Oracle. I personally don't mind that it is copied, but the Golden Hind Press might think differently. There was no "Hellenistic" style in reality. It is a modern invention.