I am not smart enough to properly save files! Help!

[rockenrock]

Hi,
I have been running a sequence saving multiple stacked images of 20 x 30sec each.
Try1, but all file names are the same
Each stack is saved in a different subfolder (by default). I want to load the stacked images into Pixinsight for image integration. In file manager I can easily search *.fit and get a nice list of the files. But they all have the same file name, and I have to append each one manually with 0001, 0002, 0003, etc.

Try 2: (See Attached)
So I go to Sharpcap's File/Settings/Filenames. I deselect "Create subfolder for each sequence", and select "Include time in filenames". Hit Append and OK
So I run my little script and Sharpcap puts every save into the same directory (as I want), but it overwrites the previous save. At the end I only have one sequence saved, the last one . There is no time in the file name.

Try 3:
I select Edit filenames manually.
Then under Live Stack I add _{Index} to the end of the file name.

What I really want :
Save a series of sequence stacks into a directory, say M31. Each saved stack will have 0001, then 0002, then 0003 at the end of the file name. It can also have Stack_16bits_20frames_600s.

How to do?

Thanks,
Roger Click the attachment to see all of it.

Trying to index file names.png (114.7 KiB) Viewed 815 times

[admin]

Hi Roger,

the {Index} tag is the index of the file written within that stack, so when you reset the stack it will reset to 1 again. If you were to save the same stack several times, you would get 1,2,3 etc. When you reset and save the next stack several times you will get 1,2,3 again.

There isn't a way to continue the numbering from a previous stack, so probably the best workaround would be to add {Time} to the end of the live stack template instead of {index}. That way the files will have different names because they are taken at different times.

Hope that helps,

Robin

[rockenrock]

Hi Robin,
Thank your for your explanation. I will add the time stamp.

Looking back at the default file/folder settings...
Is there a rationale or benefit (for other SharpCap users) for the myriad of directories and sub directories created when using the default file saving method? I spent 4+ hours hunting, deleting unused sub directories, reorganizing, re-numbering the files needed for my 60 stacks of Lights files, 50 flats files, 50 dark flats, and 20 darks. Maybe there is some benefit I can incorporate.

Thanks,
Roger

[admin]

Hi Roger,

I guess it depends on how your mind works - I tend to use the options that put the target name first in the folder name, then the date, then the time - that way all my captures of M31 are together and I can see which dates I've imaged on. There is (hopefully) enough flexibility that you can set it up to work in a way that you are happy with to avoid the need to re-organise.

In general you shouldn't get empty folders - in most cases the folder gets created when the first file gets written in to it. If you do spot a way that an empty folder gets created in a repeatable manner then let me know and I will see what I can do to fix it.

cheers,

Robin