Index: trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimMakeStars.c
===================================================================
--- trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimMakeStars.c	(revision 41173)
+++ trunk/ppSim/src/ppSimMakeStars.c	(revision 41331)
@@ -39,13 +39,8 @@
     if (isnan(scale))    ESCAPE("PIXEL.SCALE is not defined");
 
-    bool flatLum       = psMetadataLookupBool(&status,recipe, "STARS.FLAT.LUM"); // were real stars generated?
-    float flatNum      = psMetadataLookupS32(&status, recipe, "STARS.FLAT.NUM"); // were real stars generated?
+    bool flatLum       = psMetadataLookupBool(&status,recipe, "STARS.FLAT.LUM"); // use a flat luminosity function? (dn/dmag = const)
+    float flatNum      = psMetadataLookupS32(&status, recipe, "STARS.FLAT.NUM"); // amplitude of flat luminosity function
 
-    float skyRate = psMetadataLookupF32(&status, recipe, "SKY.RATE"); // Sky rate
-    if (isnan(skyRate)) {
-	float skyMags = psMetadataLookupF32(&status, recipe, "SKY.MAGS");  assert (status);
-	skyRate = scale * scale * ppSimMagToFlux (skyMags, zp);
-	// skyMags is in mags / square arcsec, so scale must be in arcsec / pixel
-    }
+    float skyRate = ppSimGetSkyRate (recipe);
 
     // Size of FPA