Saved Snaps

Why Saved Snaps Matter

Saved snaps are the bridge between the main Astro Clock workspace and the feature modals that need a stable chart reference.

They are not screenshots. A saved snap is a stored chart record that keeps:

• the chart timestamp
• the chart location
• the chart summary used in the list view
• the chart payload used by snap-aware Astro Clock tools
• any special-degree tokens that were active when the snap was created

This is why snaps can be reused for analysis later instead of only serving as visual reminders.

Screen At A Glance

Legend

1. Saved Snaps panel
2. Refresh and Search controls
3. Saved snap entry showing label, time, location, and summary lines
4. Load and Delete actions

How To Create A Snap

Use the Snap button in the main Astro Clock chart panel.

In the current app:

• clicking Snap saves the chart that Astro Clock is currently holding
• the label is generated automatically from the current timestamp and location
• the saved snap is added to the local snap store

There is no naming prompt in the current workflow. The app generates the label for you.

What The List View Shows

The Saved Snaps list is intentionally compact.

Each row can show:

• the snap label
• the saved date and time
• the saved location
• the planetary hour ruler
• the Moon sign
• the chart sect and sect light

This summary comes from the saved chart record itself, not from a separate manual note.

Refresh, Load, And Delete

Refresh

Refresh reloads the current snap list from the local snap store.

If snaps have not yet been loaded for the current session, the panel can show a message telling you to click Refresh when needed.

Load

Load restores that saved chart into the main Astro Clock workspace.

When you load a snap, the current app:

• switches Astro Clock into Manual
• restores the snap timestamp and location
• restores the snap's special degrees when they were saved with the snap
• refreshes the main dashboard and planetary hours from that loaded chart state

This is the key handoff that makes a snap usable in the rest of Astro Clock.

Delete

Delete removes the snap from the local snap store.

This is a local delete, not an archive action.

Search Mode

Use the Search button to switch the panel from the normal list view into snap search mode.

The search index is built on demand from the full snap details. In the current implementation, the search text can include:

• snap labels
• location text
• chart sect
• sect light
• planetary hour ruler
• Moon sign
• planet, sign, and house combinations such as Sun Leo H10
• aspect phrases from the snap's top-aspect set and tightest aspect, such as Moon trine Venus

The search works as a token-based contains match:

• each word you type becomes a search token
• all tokens must be present for a result to match
• an empty search shows the first portion of the indexed snap list

This makes search useful for both broad recall and narrow technical lookups.

Where Saved Snaps Are Used

Saved snaps are central to Astro Clock, but not every feature uses them the same way.

Required

• Synastry requires two different saved snaps
• Astrocartography requires a saved natal snap

Optional But Important

• Transits can use a saved snap as the natal source instead of manual natal entry
• Election can use a saved snap as the natal source when natal-aware options are in play

Indirect But Still Important

• Trait Profile reads the active Astro Clock chart, so loading a snap first changes what it analyzes
• Forensic also reads the active Astro Clock chart, so loading a snap first changes what it analyzes

This is why loading the correct snap before opening a feature often matters more than any later modal setting.

Storage And Retention

Saved snaps are stored locally in a filesystem-backed JSON store.

In the current backend:

• snaps are written to a user-writable local store
• retention is bounded
• the default maximum is 500 snaps unless the runtime is configured differently

That means snaps are local application data, not a cloud account feature.

Practical Workflow

For most users, the cleanest snap workflow is:

1. hold the chart you want in Astro Clock
2. click Snap
3. use Refresh if you need to confirm the latest saved list
4. use Load when you want Astro Clock to return to that exact saved chart
5. use Search when you are trying to find an older chart by location, aspect, or planet pattern
6. load the relevant snap before opening Synastry, Astrocartography, Trait Profile, Forensic, or any snap-aware transit or election workflow

Notes

• Saved snaps are chart records, not image captures.
• Loading a snap changes the active Astro Clock chart by moving the workspace into Manual.
• Search is richer than label matching; it can match chart content from the saved dashboard payload.
• The snap list is local to the current machine and runtime data store.