Does SharpCap control ASTAP platesolve configuration?

[GOT_SC]

Hello,
I understand from ASTAP documentation - that it can be initiated by the command line - which can include specific parameters.

Here is my issue which I cannot currently resolve.

I am trying to get integration between SharpCap and ASTAP for a platesolve and mount sync process.
I have never used this feature in SharpCap before.

I am using SharpCap 3.2 in a Windows 7 laptop dedicated to astro

I start out by setting exposure to 1 second and gain to 350
I take a snapshot - and save it as a FITS file.
I open up ASTAP and perform an analysis on the file to see if ASTAP can solve it.
ASTAP can solve the file correctly - within 20 seconds - with blind-solving mode.

Ok that works!
So now we need to initiate an ASTAP plate-solve from SharpCap
I setup the correct options in SharpCap.
- Use ASTAP
- Yes re-sync the mount after a plate-solve

Now remember - I've taken snapshot images saved as FITS files and ASTAP is solving them with no problem.
So now I initiate the plate-solve function in SharpCap
ASTAP notifies me that it is taking an image - but it is not taking a FITS image
For some strange reason - it is taking a PNG image
It is saving that PNG image in the APPDATA folder as a temp file

It fails to resolve the image.
I try different exposure and gain settings - still the same thing - no plate solve!

How is it that ASTAP can resolve the fits image - and not the PNG image????
How do I know if ASTAP is not performing a 180 degree solve?
How do I know if ASTAP is using the correct FOV setting?
How do I know if ASTAP is not using the correct index files

All of those options are happening invisible to me when ASTAP is initiated from SharpCap
Is SharpCap telling ASTAP to resolve a PNG file?
And if so - why not a FITS file?

[GOT_SC]

On a fun note - tonight before I broke down the telescope to put stuff away - I took a screen-shot of my last GOTO in SharpCap
Saved saved it as a BMP in windows paint - and saved it on the desktop
Then opened up the ASTAP GUI and it solved that picture in about 10 seconds!

But it still will not successfully plate-solve when it is initiated by SharpCap
Life can sure be strange some times! :-]

[admin]

Hi,

I think the first suggestion I can make is to try bringing yourself up-to-date... SharpCap 3.2 is *really* old now, try SharpCap 4.0 or even better SharpCap 4.1 beta (which does send FITS files to Astap).

If you want to know what parameters SharpCap is sending to Astap, look at the SharpCap log, which includes the exact command line that is run when SharpCap launches Astap via the command line.

Hope this helps,

Robin

[GOT_SC]

Thank you Robin
I'm looking at the log - and I do see references to Astap - but they are only where Sharpcap is attempting to detect the installation of ASTAP.
I don't see any plate-solve commands to ASTAP in the log

I am familiar with ASTAP command-line structure
I have a BAT file located within the ASTAP folder which can initiate a plate-solve.

I know when this is successful because ASTAP will produce a wcs file in the folder where the image is located.
Unfortunately - ASTAP does not write the actual RA/DEC results it found - to the wcs file

So right now - the only way I can get plate-solve results from ASTAP is to load the images into its GUI manually.

[GOT_SC]

Robin,
Per your recommendation - I uninstalled 3.2 and downloaded SharpCapInstall-4.0.9562.0-64bit

It installed without a problem - very nice!!!

And I noticed it somehow was able to obtain the Pro license key info
I wonder where it got that from???

Anyway - I went into the settings - and plate-solve tab
I noticed it automatically found ASTAP - as the plate-solve engine - and the path where ASTAP is installed.
I needed to select ASTAP as the plate-solve option and save that setting.

Then I noticed there is a new feature - TEST PLATESOLVE
Out of curiosity I tried it
Lo and behold - it found an image somewhere ( it doesn't display what image it is using ) and it worked!

Yea!
So my next step - (unless you have more suggestions for me) is to try it out with the scope and camera on the next clear sky night.
I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks!!!
And BTW: Your programming is superb!!

[admin]

Hi,

I do try to make upgrading to the latest version as easy as possible. In fact there was no need to uninstall version 3.2... Different major versions like 3.2 and 4.0 or 4.0 and 4.1 can be installed at the same time so you can switch between them just by using the appropriate shortcut on the desktop. Also, when you uninstall it leaves all the settings behind so that if you reinstall (or upgrade) it can use the old settings including license code.

The test of plate solving in 4.0 uses a pre-captured image of some stars near the north celestial pole. The one below in fact.

vert_0001.png (447.79 KiB) Viewed 7771 times

SharpCap sends this image to the plate solving application and checks that it gets the expected results back. This is really a test of two things

1) Is the plate solving application installed correctly and working (ie proper index files installed)
2) Can SharpCap run it correctly

Unfortunately it doesn't test whether the plate solving will work correctly with your telescope/camera combination (which might have a very different field of view for instance), but at least it is a start.

Hope it all works for you when you get some clear skies!

Robin

[GOT_SC]

Thank you Robin!
I was able to see a plate-solve captured by the log file!
Nice!!

I performed an experiment.
I took a copy of the vert_0001.png file - and loaded it into a TEMP folder on the desktop.
Then I went into SharpCap and selected "Folder" as the camera - and then set the path for that folder - to the desktop and to the vert_0001.png file.

I then went to the tools menu and selected plate-solve without any sync
And it successfully solved the image again.

I did that because I was wondering if SharpCap would pass the coordinates info over to ASCOM for it to update a Stellarium telescope.
But apparently, SharpCap does not update ASCOM from that process - because I saw no change in ASCOM or in Stellarium concerning the telescope position.

I have another question for you.
Is it possible to use a sample image file - when testing SharpCaps plate-solve process initiated by the circular "PlateSolve" button located at the right hand camera menu?

I would like to test the interaction between SharpCap - ASCOM - and Stellarium - by initiating a plate-solve with a known saved image file.
Is that possible?
Sincere thanks!

[admin]

Hi,

yes, you can do that, just make sure of two things

1) That the ASCOM mount driver is connected in SharpCap

2) That the co-ordinates for the mount are within 15 degrees of the position of the image you are using. So, for example if you are using the sample image then make sure the virtual mount is reporing pointing somewhere north of about +80 declination or so.

cheers,

Robin

[GOT_SC]

Wonderful!
Thank you Robin!

I will try that! :-]

[GOT_SC]

It worked!!!
YEA!!!!

I love it!!!

Now I can create more known-good images with specific FOV parameters - and use them to ensure plate-solving will work in the field.

Thank you again Robin!!