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Atik camera software?


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Atik cameras have asked for customer feedback regarding their software so we thought we'd post their questions here on SGL :)

Specifically they ask:

1) What software do you use for imaging?

2) What are your favourite features of Atik software?

3) What additional features would you like to see in Atik software?

There is a strong chance feedback gained here will result in positive changes and improvements so please take a minute or two to share your thoughts :)

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1 Artemis 3.09

2 The sequencer for taking the flat frames for each of L,R,G,B,Ha etc

3 An indication of cam temp on top of the thermometer on the tool bar when the cooler is on.

I also have Nebulosity but have stuck with Artemis.

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Totally disagree. I find Nebulosity a darned nuisance. The screen stretch takes ages to tease into producing an image I can see. I faff with the black and white points for precious minutes while in Artemis Capture I can see just what I need to see on the autostretch. Nebulosity does not show the bin mode on screen so there is the potential for disastrous error in forgetting to go back to bin 1.

Fine focus in Nebulosity behaves oddly sometimes and has blackouts.

I hate having to go through 'Abort' for every operation change.

It falls over every night, usually when I try to change a filter.

Artemis Capture is a seamless dream and gives me just what I want, when I want it. The only trap is forgetting to check autosave, so maybe a warning of some kind as a prompt would be worth having.

I consider one (of many) good reasons for buying an Atik camera is the superb software. I love it.

I'd love them to add a star marker so you could re-frame quickly from a previous image.

Olly

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1) What software do you use for imaging?

2) What are your favourite features of Atik software?

3) What additional features would you like to see in Atik software?

Imaging = Capture + Processing

Capture with Nebulosity 2. Although I find it an annoying experience (slow with 17MB images, modal, ..). Guiding with PHD. On the PC at the moment (I find sometimes I have to reboot after it gets it's knickers in a twist).

If Nebulosity really annoys me then I'll switch to Artemis Capture.

Processing using Pixinsight64 on the Mac.

Favourite feature of Artemis Capture - it's reliable. Although I'm not a great fan of it's UI which I find unintuitive (just me perhaps).

Features I would like to see:

* Continued Reliability

* Focus support for imaging and guide cams

* plate solving of the images

* UI usability update.

* Guide cam image capture.

* live stacking

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1) Artemis

2) I like the screen view and the fact that you can see what's going on straight away, unlike the 'clunkiness' of Maxim. I find it an easy programme to use and it does what I want it to do - Capture images

3) I've never yet thought 'Oh I wish it had this feature'

Just as an aside - I've never ticked the autosave box and I've never missed an image yet. It always saves them for me.

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1) For CCD image capture Artemis but I find it much easier to check focus with Nebulosity.

2) I like the fact that is so simple to use and I really like the sequencer.

3) I would like to see Artemis be able control an Ascom or non-Atik filter wheel, I have an SX FW and have to use a seperate prog to manually change filter when the sequence has ended. I'd also like to see a better frame & focus routine, Artemis is very slow. Maybe a simple framing mask.

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1) Artemis capture

2) Simplicity

3) An "auto centre" button that takes you back to the centre of the reticle, fix the cooling window (to stop runaway cooling if you close it), maybe docking some of the tools into a sidebar so the screen isnt so cluttered. Dont try to upgrade the GUI too much, it neeeds to remain a resource-light piece of software.

oh, would also like a function that gives an ADU reading for when youre taking flats.

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I am a fan of Atik / Artemis cameras and so may be biased but I stick with something that works.

1 Artemis capture. (alongside PHD)

2 Simplicity - it just works. I like that there is no post processing and that it concentrates on capturing only.

3

An integrated sequencer (I know it interfaces with sequence generator but I would prefer a simpler way)

Guiding with Dithering support

Plate solving and move to coordinates

Multi star guiding

Cooling status indicator on toolbar

I do think it's a good program though and believe they should keep it to Artemis / atik cameras only.

Regards

Rob

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1) Nebulosity 3.0. I love Nebulosity, so clean, easy to use, friendly and great support from Craig Stark, who responds quickly and personally to emails, and has implemented requested changes or updates if necessary. If you are looking for a model to work to, look no further :(

2) N/A

3 N/A

A feature I would like to see is a "Finish exposure NOW" button which could be clicked to save and download from camera the current exposure, even if the initially allotted exposure time wasn't completed. This would be useful for long duration exposures which are suddenly affected by clouds etc.

Cheers

Tim

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1) What software do you use for imaging?

Artemis Capture for taking the photos, DSS/MaximDL/CS4 for processing.

I'd love to give Dawn a chance, because the workflow dealy looks like a good idea. However, since the most recent version of Dawn can't even open the FITs files on my PC (i7 2600K 3.4GHz @ 3.7GHz / 16GB RAM / Win7(64) - hardly a slouch), so it fell at the first hurdle. Pretty disappointing considering the images were taken with one of their cameras. :D

2) What are your favourite features of Atik software?

I like Artemis Capture, but I've not used anything else yet. MY LEAST FAVOURITE feature is that it writes the aut stretch into the FITs files. I don't care what the guys at Atik insist, this DOES make a difference to how the images are treated by processing software. I've got nights of data that are a total pig to work with because of this ridiculous feature.

When I discussed it here, Atik insisted that the auto stretch was a display-only feature, but it isn't: I have a lot of BIAS files with thumbnails to prove it. Why was auto-stretch switched on during bias? Because I was told it didn't affect the final saved images, so I didn't think it matters. I now have to remind myself to switch it off and return the sliders to 0-65535 every time I start the final imaging. What a pain.

Auto-stretch itself is useful, for finding faint fuzzies on the screen during 1sec looping subs when you're framing, etc. But please, Atik, don't write that into the file. You don't write the reticle into the file, so don't write this into the file!

3) What additional features would you like to see in Atik software?

A sensible auto-stretch. Did I mention that? ;)

There is a strong chance feedback gained here will result in positive changes and improvements so please take a minute or two to share your thoughts :p

I really hope so, because other than that I like Artemis. And Dawn just needs...to work? I can't comment further than that because I haven't got further than that! :(

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3. Maybe a warning to check autosave as in Ollies post, second time I lost a run I stopped using Artemis.

Took me more than twice to learn that lesson, and I still forget from time to time. I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, clearly.

Just as an aside - I've never ticked the autosave box and I've never missed an image yet. It always saves them for me.

Then I hope you don't loop short exposures for framing, etc. Presumably your computer is full of those!

A feature I would like to see is a "Finish exposure NOW" button which could be clicked to save and download from camera the current exposure, even if the initially allotted exposure time wasn't completed. This would be useful for long duration exposures which are suddenly affected by clouds etc.

Hey, I really like that idea. My Nikon DSLR does that - switch it off half way through a long exposure and it just saves the image as far as it got. That would definitely make me more confident about longer exposures.

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Then I hope you don't loop short exposures for framing, etc. Presumably your computer is full of those!

Yes I do loop for framing and focus - In fact I tend to leave it looping for ages. Not a single frame saved. Then, no autosave checked, just using the image sequence box and run and also I make sure that the file is saved to the right place under the right name and ....presto!!

Autosave button NEVER ticked and images ALWAYS saved when I go through the image sequencer.

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I use Artemis Capture, though I am fairly new at it.

First observations are:

1. As stated above an autosave warning, and I personally find it annoying if autosave is ticked when you're looping and I get hundreds of images I don't need. So a warning to switch it on and a warning to switch it off in my case would be useful. :(

2. Being able to dither would be good.

3. Still haven't quite fathomed out file naming, there seem to be several places to name the file.

Carole

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I did reply to Atik's email, but for completeness my suggestions were

a) Artemis - Might be nice to have a reframing alignment tool (using frame / output from previous filter/session)?

:D DAWN - If it came with "templates" of "default" stacking models it might be more user friendly(?)

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatwoul viewpost.gif

Then I hope you don't loop short exposures for framing, etc. Presumably your computer is full of those!

Yes I do loop for framing and focus - In fact I tend to leave it looping for ages. Not a single frame saved. Then, no autosave checked, just using the image sequence box and run and also I make sure that the file is saved to the right place under the right name and ....presto!!

Autosave button NEVER ticked and images ALWAYS saved when I go through the image sequencer.

Although I always try to remember to check/uncheck the autosave, that's my experience too- Although I always try to remember to check it, if I DO forget to check autosave, it somehow saves anyway... :( (Maybe everything taken using the sequencer auto-saves?)

I must admit, I still don't trust the autosave is working when it's switched off - My heartrate always increases when I notice it off and I go to see what's in the images folder...

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...through the image sequencer.

Ohhh yes when you use the sequencer. Got you now. Yeah I never have it switched on for sequencer either. I guess it's a sensible assumption on Capture's part - who would do a sequence and not save it?

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Ohhh yes when you use the sequencer. Got you now. Yeah I never have it switched on for sequencer either. I guess it's a sensible assumption on Capture's part - who would do a sequence and not save it?

...... do you not use the sequencer all the time then? I've never taken an image any other way. I frame and focus with the camera looping, then capture data with the sequencer. Never ticked the autosave button and never a) ended up with hundreds of framing / focusing shots saved and :D never missed an image.

I thought that was the way that everyone did it!! :(

If you use the sequencer, why would you ever check autosave?

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I'm baffled by Fatwoul's stretching experience. I'm quite certain that my saved FITS are linear and that, as Atik say, the stretch is screen-only. That's on my computers, of which there have been four running XP and Vista. Maybe something rum is going on somewhere?

Olly

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A feature I would like to see is a "Finish exposure NOW" button which could be clicked to save and download from camera the current exposure, even if the initially allotted exposure time wasn't completed. This would be useful for long duration exposures which are suddenly affected by clouds etc.

Cheers

Tim

If you are near the scope during a long exposure and a cloud is heading your way, just slip the lens cap on and let the exposure finish normaly.

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...... do you not use the sequencer all the time then? I've never taken an image any other way. I frame and focus with the camera looping, then capture data with the sequencer. Never ticked the autosave button and never a) ended up with hundreds of framing / focusing shots saved and :D never missed an image.

I thought that was the way that everyone did it!! :(

If you use the sequencer, why would you ever check autosave?

Sometimes I prefer mono images of objects in HA, and if I'm using my Geoptik adapter and a Nikon lens, then the focus etc needs to be redone between each filter anyway and there isn't really a "sequence" as such to create. So in either case, I just set the time, the binning, switch on autosave (SWITCH OFF AUTOSTRETCH!!), and let it go.

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