Extra files create during dithering.

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m32guy
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2019 9:11 pm

Extra files create during dithering.

#1

Post by m32guy »

Hi Robyn, I've just started using the latest version of SharpCap and have run into a strange bug. While grabbing frames during a live stack, it now appears that SharpCap is saving the short 1s subs that are taken during dithering. This didn't happen in the past. The only two changes I've made are to install the latest version and to also append some additional items like temp and gain in the file name templates. I've attached a copy of the resulting file list from last night's run.

I'm currently running SharpCap Version 3.2.6281.0
Using a ZWO 294mc Pro with Windows 10

Let me know if you need more info
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SnipDitherExtraFileBug.PNG
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Re: Extra files create during dithering.

#2

Post by admin »

Hi,

It looks like you are only getting a single one second frame in between each image frame. This is problem manifestation of the bug that I'm aware of but haven't been able to fix yet where the live stacking resumes while a short frame is in progress and that frame can get through to the saved raw images even though it doesn't make it to the stack.

I'm reluctant to make an attempt on fixing this at the moment because it would require quite a big change in the way the dithering is handled and I'm worried that I might end up breaking more than I fix! To me this is something that I will try to fix in the beta versions for the next major update to SharpCap unless I think of a simpler approach to the problem than the one I have worked out so far.

Cheers, Robin
m32guy
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Re: Extra files create during dithering.

#3

Post by m32guy »

No worries. It's manageable. Just wanted to make sure you were aware.
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Re: Extra files create during dithering.

#4

Post by admin »

Hi,

Please try the very latest version you have some time – thinking about this again gave me an idea for an easier fix which I am implemented. Basically rather than trying to stop it from saving the 1s image file in all possible circumstances, it spots that it was saved incorrectly and delete it again – this approach turned out to require much less in the way of change and therefore didn't have the same risk of breaking other things.

Cheers, Robin
m32guy
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Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2019 9:11 pm

Re: Extra files create during dithering.

#5

Post by m32guy »

I will give it a whirl toward the end of next week when the clouds clear. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks, Robin.
m32guy
Posts: 25
Joined: Sat Sep 21, 2019 9:11 pm

Re: Extra files create during dithering.

#6

Post by m32guy »

Robin, tried the latest build last night but ran into some problems. I was dithering every frame after a 210 second exposure. What seemed to be going on is that the exposure wouldn't reset back from 1 sec after completing the dither. Don't have a log as I had to rollback the software so I could finish my imagining session. Hopefully will have a chance to try it again Friday.

Thanks.
DaveSD
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2020 11:41 pm

Re: Extra files create during dithering.

#7

Post by DaveSD »

Robin - I also encountered this issue, a 1 sec dithering frame was saved with each 120 sec exposure. I have the issue with the current/latest 32 bit version - did not with the prior versions.
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Re: Extra files create during dithering.

#8

Post by admin »

Okay, so the consensus is that the underlying issue isn't fixed and there are new issues too :-( not a good week…

Can someone please try to get me a log file so that I can work out what is going on. All your logs should be saved on the PC, so should be available even if you have changed back to a previous version. You can find them in

C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\SharpCap\logs

Cheers, Robin
NeilG
Posts: 106
Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2017 9:36 pm

Re: Extra files create during dithering.

#9

Post by NeilG »

Robin,

Also noticed this issue with latest version. Hope this log file helps. Checking back I definitely had a 1.0s file @22:20:08. There were others

Hope this helps
Regards
Neil
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Re: Extra files create during dithering.

#10

Post by admin »

Hi folks,

Thank you for the logs – the ones I've seen so far point to a bug with identifying the last short frame at the end of the day the period before the long frames begin again. I was not spotting this in my testing because I was working with SharpCap's testing camera (to allow me to test during daylight). The testing camera had an odd way of dealing with exposure changes – on most cameras if you increase the exposure then the current frame finishes straightaway and the new longer frame starts. On the testing camera the current frames length gets extended to the new longer exposure time. This odd behaviour prevented me from seeing the bug that has been affecting the rest of you :-( I have now adjusted the testing cameras behaviour so that it works in a way that is very similar to the way that real cameras work when the exposure is changed to avoid (hopefully) any repetition of this sort of problem.

I've also been looking for a bug that might be preventing the full exposure time from being restored at all – the only one of those I've been able to find involved resetting the live stack while dithering was in progress. I have corrected this issue, but I'm not sure if it was the one that was affecting @m32guy.

I have a new build in progress now and will post the link here shortly – I would very much appreciate feedback.

Cheers, Robin
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