Automatic plate resolution from SharpCap.

[Jean-Francois]

Hello,

It is possible with the SharpCap Tool "Goto Catalog Target/Co-ordinates" when you check the box "Refine position using Plate Solve ..."

But what you want is that SharpCap perform automatically the Plate Solve and recenter after a command from an external software.
The planetarium command the mount to move somewhere ... What you need is that the planetarium asks SharpCap to perform the Plate Solve.
So ... what you need to do is to ask the developer of the planetarium software to add this feature.

Maybe ... it is possible using the ASCOM "target" variable ... if a new target is defined by the planetarium software, SharpCap can have a look at it, if a new target is defined ... in this case when the mount stops (no more slewing) then a Plate Solve could be performed. Robin, what do you think ?

Regards,
Jean-Francois

Note ... why this message is so late (or early) ... I did this night a lot of tests of my SASPA script for the polar alignment.
It works at 90% ... that is the problem ... the last 10% will take the same time to improve as the other 90%.

[pastorgalactico]

Hello;

I use the planetarium guide 9.1, which hasn't been updated in a while, but the planetarium communicates with SharpCap via ASCOM with the ESP32GO server.
So far, I'm using SharpCap to perform plate solving by pressing the button that appears on the telescope control from within SharpCap, and it works fine using ASCOM.
What I'd like is to not have to press that button for plate solving to occur. I'd like it to automatically perform plate solving when I finish a GOTO from the planetarium guide 9.1 via the ESP32GO ASCOM server.

Is this possible with SharpCap? Yes or no?
Regards.

[Jean-Francois]

Hello,

If SharpCap will be used to re-center the target after a GOTO, then it is necessary that SharpCap knows what should be the target you want to center.
So ... it needs 2 things ... something that trigger a Plate Solve with SharpCap and then that SharpCap moves the mount to the defined target (what is coming from the planetarium software).

I guess both could be possible with SharpCap. Now do you mean that it is integrated in SharpCap non-Pro or it is fine with a script in the Pro version ?

With a script, I think it is possible to do it ... as long as the planetarium software changes the ASCOM TargetRightAscension and TargetDeclination value to the wanted target. In SharpCap, the script can check these values and perform a Plate Solve when the mount finished the slew (what can be checked in SharpCap itself).

Now the next question is ... how conform is the ESP32GO ASCOM driver of your mount to the ASCOM rules ?
Are "Target" and "IsSlewing" implemented ? And ... does Guide software do the same ?

Jean-Francois

[admin]

Hi,

the answer is that this is a feature that SharpCap doesn't have (and can't really add either).

Effectively there is no way for SharpCap to know that a GOTO has just been completed. SharpCap can monitor the 'Slewing' status of the ASCOM driver and detect when that transitions from true to false, but that doesn't just happen at the end of a GOTO. If someone uses the handset buttons (physical or a software one) to tweak the pointing then the same button would be generated, and it's not possible to cleanly tell the difference between the two.

The options here are to start the GOTO movement from within SharpCap as Jean-Francois suggested, then the option is available, or start it from the planetarium and press the button manually. In theory, the planetarium program knows when a GOTO it has started finishes, but communication to SharpCap to trigger a plate solve is not easy (requires scripts running on the SharpCap end), and I can't see any real likelihood of that being attempted (what happens if two or more copies of SharpCap are running - which one would it ask to plate solve).

cheers,

Robin

[pastorgalactico]

Hello;

When I open SharpCap, the first thing that happens is that it opens the ESP32go mount's server, which uses ASCOM.

And it communicates through this server.

Knowing this, is there any way to automatically perform plate solving?

Regards

[Jean-Francois]

Hello,

You can do a quick test/check ...

The planetarium software connected with your mount (ESP32go) and SharpCap connected too to the mount.

*In* your planetarium software, select an object and perform a GOTO to this object,
then look at the "Telescope Hardware Controls" if you see the "Target: RA xxxx, Dec xxxx".

Here an example with the ASCOM Sky Simulator (yes it is middle of the day now at home) ... after performing a GOTO to M44, the coordinates appear in the "Target: ..." in SharpCap. That means Cartes du Ciel software communicates the "target" coordinates to SharpCap.

If your driver ESP32go does not this, then you have a big problem.
If it does ... then you have a smaller problem

ASCOM_Target_coordinates.jpg (295.78 KiB) Viewed 377 times

Regards,
Jean-Francois

[pastorgalactico]

Hoka;
I'll do that test you mentioned tonight.

But I think it works as you say, but I can't guarantee it until I test it.
The planetarium program I use is GUIDE 9.1.

I'm going to try it now to see if it has the same effect even during the day.
Regards.

[pastorgalactico]

Hello;

I performed the test and it worked.

The Serber is connected to SharpCap.

The coordinates in the planetarium almost match, but that's because they mark the mouse pointer's position. However, the Serber coordinates do match because they mark the object's position in the center of the chart and within Uranus's C frame.
Now, knowing that it connects correctly, what can be done and how?

Regards

[Jean-Francois]

Hello,

Nice ... you are one step further

What you can do ? ...
Buy the SharpCap Pro version, learn Python/.net script language and write a program to do what you want.

Note that is what I did several years ago when I started to do the asteroid occultations with a QHY174GPS camera.

Regards,
Jean-Francois

(Maybe I could do it ... but it will cost something ... several Panettone or some pieces of Parmigiano Reggiano )

[pastorgalactico]

Hello;

I don't understand anything about Python/.NET scripting languages.
Would it be so difficult to write that script and implement it in SharpCap?
I certainly wouldn't be able to do it alone.
The easiest thing to do is upgrade to SharpCam Pro.

Regards.