SharpCap Forums

Hi All,
I poked around the tutorials and posts with regard to two questions but did not find an answer to either question. First question, is there a right and proper way to exit live stacking at the end of your capture session? I understand that the save button should be clicked and the format(s) that you want saved to be executed but what is the next correct step if you want to either shut down or head to another target and begin a new capture session? Second question, is there a way to have the stacked image fill the screen (no visible histogram or camera controls) and then be able to just go back to the default screen? Sometimes it would just be nice to watch the image build on the full screen but then if you wanted to go back to adjust something, hit a key like ESC and get back to the default screen. The feature may be there, I just haven't been able to find it and I have been traumatized after watching War Games so I don't want to hit the wrong key and start a thermonuclear war or trash my data, both are bad to varying degrees! Any help would be most appreciated!

Reid

Hi Reid,

there are a number of different ways to handle the ending of a deep sky live stack - I tend to have the 'auto save on clear/close' option ticked and then also tick the formats I want to auto save to in the right hand settings tab of the live stacking area. That means that you get saved files automatically whenever you shut down live stacking or reset it. Of course you can also save by hand in the formats you want, or use the 'power user' trick of pressing CTRL and clicking the live stacking save button - that does a 'bulk save' in the formats ticked in the right hand settings panel.

If you use SharpCap to GOTO your next target via the Tools->Goto Catalog Target/Co-ordinates menu, that will also automatically handle finishing and saving your current stack (if live stacking is active) - that is the most streamlined way of moving to a new target while live stacking.

To get a full screen image, you have two options...

1) If you have a second monitor, select 'Two Monitor View' from the view menu, or turn it on with CTRL+F12 - you get a full screen image on the second monitor and the normal view on the first. If you are live stacking then the live stacking area expands vertically when you do this to allow multiple tabs to be visible at once.

2) With a single monitor, unpin the camera controls on the right and the live stacking area at the bottom - they will then slide away automatically to the bottom/side of the screen (and re-appear when you move your mouse over the remaining label for them). You can also make the menu/toolbar similarly hide itself by toggling 'Full Screen' in the view menu (or using F11 to toggle full screen).

Hope this helps,

Robin

Hey Robin, Thanks much for that info, spot on to know what I need to do to get the job done. I have done a couple of polar alignments with my CPC800 and the Hyperstar, really cool but you have to have the very lightest touch to get the numbers down to where we would like them. Practice, practice, practice...but the nuts and bolts of the process is pretty straight forward. Every time I go out or post on here, I learn a little more. By the time I'm done I will have the patience of a monk! Thanks for your great guidance!

Reid