Hmm. Applying my Numbe4s thought processes, I'd say the film shows the maximum solar elevation of 76.5 degrees on July 1st (Solar declination 23.1 degrees), so the latitude must be set to 90+23.1-76.5 = 36.4 degrees, not 34 degrees as we were shown.
Sunrise is about 04:47, sunset 22:08, so noon must be about 13:27 (GMT-07:00) so the longitude is about 126W.
So we're not in Los Angeles, but nearly 200 miles off the coast of Monterey, California! So the GPS reception must be up the spout, or we're shooting Jaws III.
and...
Did you notice the clock hands? Whacky! They gain five hours in the course of the day!
but... the time from sunrise to sunset is 17:21. That places us over 56 degrees north! Where the sun never reaches an altitude of 76.5 degrees. So, we're not on Earth! No wonder the clock gains 5 hours a day! We're on another planet somewhere, shooting Alien VIII.
 
If the actual product is accurate, I think it would be well worth $US295, though not in the UK where what you need is a weather forecaster, not a sun forecaster.
It seems to me that the ease-of-use features (GPS integration, compass variation,...) have been very well thought out and not available in free sun position programs.
 
Next time I'm directing a feature film I think I'll use one.
Cut!
 
Chris Lusby Taylor
51.4N, 1.3W, sun currently: behind a cloud.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 3:01 AM
Subject: Fw: New commercial product: "Wheeler Sunpredictor"


If you run the online demo for this software and compare the results for solar bearing and (especially) solar altitude, you'll find some significant discrepancies.
 
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2006 8:25 PM
Subject: New commercial product: "Wheeler Sunpredictor"

Good morning everyone,
 
Members of the list may be interested in a new piece of software displayed on Australian TV last night. Shown on the "New Inventors" program on the government TV channel (ABC). Basically it predicts sun altitude and azimuth for any location and date. The bloke that developed it is a film cameraman, and needed to know sun angles to set up cameras for optimal effects. Apparently architects can also use it to predict shadow angles from new or proposed buildings, etc.
 
Website of the "invention" is http://www.sunpredictor.com/
 
From what I can see, it does little more than existing software available FREE at the moment, and worse, it is selling for $US295.
 
Thinking about the price, and recalling the discussion recently about going into business making and selling dials, I wonder if Wheeler knows that the competition is essentially free!

Cheers, John
 
John Pickard
[EMAIL PROTECTED]


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