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Capture folder name based on date of sunset

Posted: Sun May 03, 2020 5:45 pm
by Force9
Hello,
SharpCap creates a capture folder tree whose top-level folder name is based on the date created. The problem is the date changes (midnight) in the middle of a typical observing session. This means work done on a given night ends up split across two folder trees. The problem becomes especially acute when observing on multiple nights in a row.

My suggestion is to offer an option to create the folder tree based on the date of the most recent sunset. That way all the work done on a given night will be contained within a single folder tree.

Thank you
Robertson Miller

Re: Capture folder name based on date of sunset

Posted: Sun May 03, 2020 6:28 pm
by admin
Hi,

Thanks for the suggestion – that is a nice idea and I will look into it.

Cheers, Robin

Re: Capture folder name based on date of sunset

Posted: Sat May 09, 2020 8:49 am
by admin
Hi,

this will be implemented in SharpCap 3.3 - as part of the advance options around manual filename templates, you will be able to specify dates with a 'Y' format (yesterday) which will take the date of the most recent local noon.

Cheers,

Robin

Re: Capture folder name based on date of sunset

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 3:03 am
by Force9
Thank you! I'm glad you liked my suggestion.

Robertson Miller

Re: Capture folder name based on date of sunset

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 4:53 pm
by JLB-Darksky
That is a nice idea and sure hope 3.3 will allow that option regarding sundown dating. However, I have noticed that the folder dates did not change at midnight last night. I think in the past I had different folder dates once midnight happened. I am new to using SharpCap Pro v3.2.6383 and still learning the system.

Last night I started some imaging at 8:00-pm (2020-11-12) and moved to several other objects to image during the night until 2-am (2020-11-13). I do not recall during the session that I shut down SharpCap at any time. The final folder date is 2020-11-13 and it contains different subfolders, of the objects I gave a name to, and each subfolder has the images therein dated from when I started to when I shut down. Thus I was searching, when I came upon this article, on why there was not a folder for 2020-11-12 since I started on that date. I was thinking that maybe something needed to be changed in the programs OPTIONS. So, why did SharpCap not start a folder on 2020-11-12? I have learned that I should click on SAVE to not lose images either when using auto-stacking or taking individual frames.

Are there any YouTube tutorials on the general setup and use of SharpCap? I have search many YouTube tutorials and most only cover using the histogram or how to use the autostacker of multi-individual pictures from what I have found. I did not find any on saving or verifying options. I most always go to YouTube for tutorials. Reading pages of the manual is boring and many times too technical to comprehend. in person examples to me is better and I can save the video as a favorite to view again for a refresher.

Re: Capture folder name based on date of sunset

Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2020 6:40 pm
by admin
Hi,

the feature to use the date of sunset is now in to releases of SharpCap 3.3 the can download test out from the beta sub forum.

As to why you didn't see a November 12 folder, I'm wondering if you are in a US time zone and perhaps have ticked the box in the filename settings that uses UTC dates and times – that would mean that your 8 PM would be past midnight according to UTC and therefore you would get the next days date.

Cheers, Robin