Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

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Hirokazu
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:50 pm

Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#1

Post by Hirokazu »

Hi all
I am new in this forum,i used SC for several years.
Can I use the Folder Monitor Camera for polar alignment feature?
I often shoot without the guider, simple setup,(wide area pics)
If possible, I can use DSLR for polar alignment.
I think that SC's accurate polar alignment is very helpful.


Thanks
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admin
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Re: Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#2

Post by admin »

Hi,

To be honest I don't know whether this would work or not – I've never tried it. It would certainly be interesting to hear your results if you get some time to give this a try – you can test out both the folder Monitor camera and the polar alignment error measuring part of the polar alignment routine without needing SharpCap pro licence.

Cheers, Robin
Hirokazu
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:50 pm

Re: Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#3

Post by Hirokazu »

Hi Robin

Thank you for quick reply.
I tried this method with a single image.
Polar alignment tool does not advance to next stage.
Does it need changing images one after another?
Anyway, I'd like to try it next shooting.

BTW,If Sharpcap can capture DSLR images more easily,
such as the ASCOM DSLR driver,It is an even better tool for astronomical photography.
I really want it to be.

Thanks
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Re: Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#4

Post by admin »

Hi,

The polar alignment tool will certainly need a series of images rather than just a single frame, and it will only perform its calculations on frames that (from its point of view) arrive after it is activated. If you had several frame in the folder and then advanced the frame after polar alignment is active you may get a bit further.

Cheers, Robin
Hirokazu
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:50 pm

Re: Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#5

Post by Hirokazu »

Hi Robin
I understood that Polar Alignment Feature needs a continuous update image.
I will consider some tricks.
Thank you
SC_Astro
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019 8:01 pm

Re: Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#6

Post by SC_Astro »

I know this thread is several months old but I am trying to get monitored folder to work with my Canon 6d. Has a method for doing this been discovered or developed?
Thanks for your help
Randy
AussieHowie
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2017 12:23 am

Re: Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#7

Post by AussieHowie »

Re Monitored Folder working for Canon 6D ...
1. Folder Monitor works for any camera which can save frames in jpg, png, fits or tiff. Your Canon only saves in CR2 or jpg. As CR2 is not supported by Folder Monitor, then you have to shoot in jpg format.

Now ... I've told a few of my astro club members this, as well as a few on a forum, and without fail they all come back with statements like "OMG, jpg is such a lossy format ... I'm not going to bother using jpg". IMHO This is crazy talk ... live stacking is about 'observing' and 'seeing more with your scope' and not about taking NASA Photo of the day. Just try it ... set jpg and watch SharpCap stack it. You will get great images from it. The other BIG benefit of jpg is should you use filters due LP or whatever, you can shoot a digital grey card in your garage and set the image taken (using the camera menu) as a custom white balance (CWB). The jpg images will automatically have this CWB applied making it heaps easier when stacking and stuff in SharpCap - IE you do not need to spend any time correcting the color hue via sliders and R B adjustments as the CWB gas done it for you. A great time saver as well as gets you more accurate colors closer to the true color of the objects.

2. If you shoot jpg and the Folder Monitor still does not work for you, the camera capture program you are using and/or the folder permissions are at fault. I've not found what exactly the issue is but I DO have a workaround which works! Let's say you are shooting jpg and you have set your camera software to save the images into Folder_1, and you have SharpCap set to monitor that folder but it is not working. Try creating a second folder called Folder_2 and set SharpCap to monitor that new folder Folder_2. Leave your camera saving the frames to the original Folder_1. Take a shot. Your camera software will save the frame into Folder_1. Navigate to and manually cut and paste that frame from Folder_1 and Paste it into Folder_2 - which you set SharpCap to now monitor. SharpCap will most likely now find it and process it too. If so read on for the automated fix.

I had issue #2 above and created a simple batch file which uses the windows MOVE command to move any images saved into Folder_1 out of there and into Folder_2 and then automatically repeats that process every 2 seconds. It is seamless except you have to start the batch file at the start of the evening (double click the desktop batch file) - easy.
SC_Astro
Posts: 20
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019 8:01 pm

Re: Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#8

Post by SC_Astro »

AussieHowie - Thanks so much for the informative reply. I now have it reading the monitored folder as it should. The CWB idea is a good one that I will need to test out. Sounds like a real time saver in the field. Thanks again
Planetibo
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2020 7:42 am

Re: Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#9

Post by Planetibo »

Hi!
I've install Sharpcap last year but never really use; just one time to check my asi120.
I use APT with my Canon DSLR.

I would try the Polar Alignment with Monitor Folder.
My FOV of the DSLR on my 200/1000 is 1°10' x 47'.
I can take picture in jpg format and give the folder to Sharpcap, but my version haven't licence to o it.

How can i use the trial version to test this functionnality and buy SharpCap Pro if it works well?
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Re: Polar alignment by Folder monitor camera

#10

Post by admin »

Hi,

When you open the folder monitor camera without a licence you should see this prompt :
Capture.PNG
Capture.PNG (22.55 KiB) Viewed 1714 times
Just choose the first option – you will be allowed to use the camera without needing to enter a licence, including testing out the polar alignment feature. What you won't be able to do is save any images or get to the final stage of the polar alignment (the adjustment) without buying a licence. But you will certainly be able to check whether it works for you by seeing if it can accurately measure your polar alignment error during the earlier stages.

Hope this helps, Robin
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