SharpCap Forums

OK, here me out

I'm really into full disk solar animations, and this would probably only work for this. But it would automate things, and save a lot of time!

Currently, I use Sequencer to take 500 frames every 30 seconds. Works like a charm! BUT it takes up A LOT of space if you image for hours and hours. Not to mention the time it takes to stack all these movies in AutoStakkert!!!

So what I'm thinking is this; what if we could use SharpCap's Live Stacking option in combination with Capture Limit?

You would set up Capture limit to run Live Stack every 30 seconds. Live stack would then take the number of frames you have selected (lets say 20), and save those as a stacked image. You will then use these stacked images in your animation, avoiding the AutoStakkert step.

Sure, you won't be able to align these frames as you take them. But with todays high speed cameras, just stacking them should be fine. At 100+ FPS, taking 20 frames will take no time at all, freezing the seeing.

Also, the short focal length we use for full disk imaging, is more forgiving when it comes to turbulence/seeing.

What do you think? Doable?

Thanks!

- Chris

Hi Chris,

some sort of auto stacking of high speed imaging is definitely 'doable', but the current live stacking code isn't capable of it. Live stacking is built around relatively low frame rates and detecting stars for alignment, neither of which suit the sort of stacking you are hoping to achieve.

I think that means that this sort of feature is a 'fairly far future' thing - certainly SharpCap 4.1 or 4.2 or 5.0, rather than something that can be done quickly in 4.0. I already have the idea of high speed imaging stacking in my todo list of possible features, although that doesn't include the sort of sequencer support you envisage.

cheers,

Robin

Hi Robin,

Like I said, a specialized request! But one can only ask, and hope it might be considered down the road!

No way to use scripts to achieve this for now? Not that I know anything about coding, but someone might make something.

I just went through 339 movies taken over 6 hours. Each one of them took over 7 minutes to stack in AutoStakkert... So you can see how big a game changer live stacking would be!

- Chris

Hi Chris,

not really any help from scripting - you could perhaps make things simpler (slightly) by using the planet/disk stabilization feature in SC 4.0 (see https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#!2!Pre-processing) and the seeing monitor (https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#!2!Seeing%20Monitor) to keep the image steady and only capture in periods of good seeing.

I believe that planetary/lunar/solar stacking appications like AS!2 deal with flexing of the image (stretch/distortion) as well as alignment - doing something like that is going to take quite a lot of work, especially if it is supposed to happen in real time!

cheers,

Robin