AstroTortilla - won't load saved settings...

[Alveprinsen]

I've just configured AstroTortilla and saved the settings to a .cfg file.

When I restart AstroTortilla and load my settings, it doesn't load squat. Only loads its default settings.

Would suck having to re-enter the values every single time I want to use AT.

Anyone got any experience with this?

Alveprinsen

[Skipper Billy]

You have to click 'load' then navigate to wherever you stored the config file when you 'saved' your settings.

Next time round it should remember the location but you still have to double click on the config file you want to use.

By default it loads its own basic settings at start up.

[Alveprinsen]

You have to click 'load' then navigate to wherever you stored the config file when you 'saved' your settings.

Next time round it should remember the location but you still have to double click on the config file you want to use.

By default it loads its own basic settings at start up.

Thats what I did...

"load", and then klicked my 200PDS - EOS 600D.cfg file, and ok. Also tried just double klicking it. Same results. It just returns me to its default settings.

I've re-entered and re-saved my values twice now. Same result. Just keeps loading its default values....

[Skipper Billy]

Thats weird - try moving the config file to a different location eg Desktop and see if that makes any difference  - failing that re-install the programme (just the prog - not the enormous data files !!)

Beyond that I am outside my comfort zone sorry but someone more knowledgeable may well be along soon.

Good Luck !!  (BTW - its wonderful when it works!!)

[Thalestris24]

Thats what I did...

"load", and then klicked my 200PDS - EOS 600D.cfg file, and ok. Also tried just double klicking it. Same results. It just returns me to its default settings.

I've re-entered and re-saved my values twice now. Same result. Just keeps loading its default values....

Hmm... yeah does sound like it's a problem with the file location - maybe! The default file is called 'AstroTortilla.cfg'. On my system, that's stored in AppData/Local/astrotortilla.sf.net/AstroTortilla.

If you somehow had duplicate default config files, that might cause a problem. If all else fails, try deleting the default config file. I think it should create a new one automatically.

Louise

[Skipper Billy]

Did you rename the config file when you saved it ??? EG ED80 with Atik etc ???  Try navigating to the config file and rename it then look for it in AT and see what happens??

[Alveprinsen]

Going to try your suggestions once I get back home from work Thalestris and Billy.

[Alveprinsen]

Ok, last night I tried your suggestions:

1. Saved in another folder: Still only loads defaults.

2. Saved under a different filename in three different folders: Still only loads defaults.

3. re-installed AstroTortilla and left everything else in place: Still only loads defaults.

4. Removed AstroTortilla, restarted computer, and re-installed: Still only loads defaults.

When opening the .cfg file with notepad, is it suppose to only say something like ==astrotortilla== ?

If not, then it seems that my configuration is not SAVED, and that there is no problem with loading the file, the problem is rather saving the file.

5. I removed that annoying admin-permission thingy in order to change files and stuff in Win8.: Still only saves/loads defaults.

so I am at a loss here. do I have to actually plate-solve with AT before I can actually save the settings?

you'd think it would be possible to do a dry-run and set it up with the correct field of view etc. in anticipation of a cloudless night wouldn't you? ...

Could someone send me / linke me an AT config file so that I could edit it manually and see if it would load it?

Sincerely, Alveprinsen.

[Skipper Billy]

PM me your email adress and I will email  *.cfg file to you.

[Thalestris24]

Hiya

Hmm... that's mysterious. You have Windows 8 or 8.1? Wondering if it's a Win 8 problem... FWIW, here's a copy of my default .cfg file. You can edit it manually with a text editor outside of AT, rename it, and copy it to the appropriate location: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0j33upia5rxvrke/AstroTortilla.cfg?dl=0 though I can't imagine it's a cfg file problem, per se.

Maybe make sure you only have one copy of the default Astrotortilla.cfg and that it's in the right place. I'm not sure how it couldn't be unless it's a weird Win8 problem. The second line in the file has the settings path i.e. the location where AT expects to find the .cfg file. You really shouldn't need to uninstall/reinstall AT etc - it's only a text file, lol

Hth

Louise

Edit: Wondering if Win8 has a different installation/settings path to that in my file - you probably need to check that.

[Alveprinsen]

PM me your email adress and I will email  *.cfg file to you.

Thank you, but Thalestris24 just beat you to it with DropBox.

[Alveprinsen]

Hiya

Hmm... that's mysterious. You have Windows 8 or 8.1? Wondering if it's a Win 8 problem... FWIW, here's a copy of my default .cfg file. You can edit it manually with a text editor outside of AT, rename it, and copy it to the appropriate location: https://www.dropbox.com/s/0j33upia5rxvrke/AstroTortilla.cfg?dl=0 though I can't imagine it's a cfg file problem, per se.

Maybe make sure you only have one copy of the default Astrotortilla.cfg and that it's in the right place. I'm not sure how it couldn't be unless it's a weird Win8 problem. The second line in the file has the settings path i.e. the location where AT expects to find the .cfg file. You really shouldn't need to uninstall/reinstall AT etc - it's only a text file, lol

Hth

Louise

Edit: Wondering if Win8 has a different installation/settings path to that in my file - you probably need to check that.

thanks allot!

Ok, I've just downloaded the file. I am at work atm, but I will mail it to myself and load it with AT when I get back home.

Judging from how the file looks when opening it in notepad, it seems that my problem with AT is indeed not loading, but saving. It seems that when I select save settings, enter filename and presses "save", it just makes a new file with no content, or rather [astrotortilla] followed by absolutely nothing.

Gonna try to modify Louise's .cfg file and load that. Or rather, I will load it, then change the settings in AT, then re-save it, and see if it overwrites with just blank space. Which I suspect it will.

Oh, and I am running Windows 8.1 .. I didnt know there was a big difference between 8.0 and 8.1.

Alveprinsen.

[Skipper Billy]

Just for comparison - mine reads -

[AstroTortilla]

settings_path = C:\Users\David Banks\AppData\Local\astrotortilla.sf.net\AstroTortilla

log_file = 

log_level = ERROR

[bookmarks]

count = 0

[session]

iterlimitarcmin = 1.0

iterlimitcount = 5

solver = AstrometryNetSolver

syncmode = 0

exposure = 5.0

mainplacement = (2, 3, (-1, -1), (-1, -1), (892, 147, 1302, 551))

bmeditorwindowx = 577

bmeditorwindowy = 332

bmeditorwindoww = 316

bmeditorwindowh = 158

camera = APTCamera

[solver-AstrometryNetSolver]

shell = C:\cygwin\bin\bash.exe --login -c "%%s"

xtra = --sigma 70 --no-plots -N none -H 3.96 -L 0.88 -r --objs 100

scale_max = 3.96

scale_xrefine = 0

downscale = 0

configfile = /etc/astrometry/backend.cfg

scale_low = 0.88

shell_hide = True

searchradius = 15

year_epoch = JNOW

scale_units = degwidth

[Telescope-ASCOMTelescope]

propertyagelimit = 1.0

syncaccuracy = 1.0

lastselection = EQMOD.Telescope

syncmaxwait = 2.0

slewsettletime = 0.0

[Camera-APTCamera]

hostname = localhost

port = 21701

binning = 1

[Thalestris24]

thanks allot!

Ok, I've just downloaded the file. I am at work atm, but I will mail it to myself and load it with AT when I get back home.

Judging from how the file looks when opening it in notepad, it seems that my problem with AT is indeed not loading, but saving. It seems that when I select save settings, enter filename and presses "save", it just makes a new file with no content, or rather [astrotortilla] followed by absolutely nothing.

Gonna try to modify Louise's .cfg file and load that. Or rather, I will load it, then change the settings in AT, then re-save it, and see if it overwrites with just blank space. Which I suspect it will.

Oh, and I am running Windows 8.1 .. I didnt know there was a big difference between 8.0 and 8.1.

Alveprinsen.

Ah, when you save a modified file, you can save it with a different name e.g. myastrotortilla.cfg. However, it should always automatically save whatever the current configuration is to 'Astrotortilla.cfg' and that's the file it loads when you next start AT. In other words, any changes you make during a session are automatically saved - you shouldn't have to explicitly tell it to save unless you want to save an edited version to a different file name. You can manually load a particular cfg file from File -> Load Settings and select one. The idea is that you can have several cfg files for different scope/camera combos. 

Louise

[Alveprinsen]

Ah, when you save a modified file, you can save it with a different name e.g. myastrotortilla.cfg. However, it should always automatically save whatever the current configuration is to 'Astrotortilla.cfg' and that's the file it loads when you next start AT. In other words, any changes you make during a session are automatically saved - you shouldn't have to explicitly tell it to save unless you want to save an edited version to a different file name. You can manually load a particular cfg file from File -> Load Settings and select one. The idea is that you can have several cfg files for different scope/camera combos. 

Louise

I see.

Every time I close and start AT again - its blank. Or rather, has AT's default settings. And it stays blank even afte I manually "load" my saved file.

[Alveprinsen]

Just for comparison - mine reads -

Thank you. That will probably prove quite useful.

Btw, what is the difference between JNOW and J2000 ? My stellariumscope uses J2000. I dont know why, but I selected that because a tutorial a couple of years ago told me so. But to this day I dont know why... hehe

[Thalestris24]

Hiya

JNOW is more up-to-date, I think  J2000 is obviously 14 years old... It's best to use the same system across different apps.

Hmm... I'm wondering what changes exactly you're trying to make? AT is very sensitive to parameter formats i.e. you have to get the -- and - and spaces etc exactly right though I don't see why any such errors would stop it saving. As I say, it's just a text file.

I think AT saves the .cfg on exit. You should easily be able to check the contents of the last saved Astrotortilla.cfg by simply loading it in a text editor e.g. Notepad++. You can also check the date and time of the last saved version to make sure they match up to what you think they should be.

Um, I take it you have the latest 64 bit version of AT (v0.7)? http://sourceforge.net/projects/astrotortilla/files/AstroTortilla-0.7/ I'm not aware of any config problems in other, recent versions anyway.

There's a discussion forum and bug reporting forum :- http://sourceforge.net/p/astrotortilla/discussion/

Louise

[Thalestris24]

Oh, here's my current settings for use with a canon 1100d and ST-80 (fl=400mm):

The only value I tend to vary is the sigma which allows for seeing conditions e.g. light pollution, atmospherics. It will see fewer stars with higher values and more with lower, but too low and it will have trouble distinguishing stars from noise. If I'm solving in a heavy star field then I'll raise the sigma to 100 or even higher.

Hth

Louise

[Alveprinsen]

Ok Louise... I just got home from work.

Seems I had the 32 bit version of AT installed.

Not that it mattered. I just installed the 64 bit version, and keep getting the same problem.

AT loaded your settings file just fine btw. I saved it to and overwrote my old file, closed AT and attempted to load the file I just saved. Result? = blank... nothing...

And if I load your config file, close AT, then re-open AT... it has not remembered the settings, but is displaying its own default settings.

So, my problems summarized:

1. AT will not save my settings.

2. AT will not remember my last settings when re-opening AT. If AT is closed - I need to re-enter everything.

[Alveprinsen]

Gonna give up on this for now, and go whine about it on the AT forum after a while.

Right now I want to eat, and with some luck the sky will be cloudless enough for me to at least do some serious aligning and perhaps even test my brand new 7nm Ha filter.

Oh, and my finder-guider adapter ring from ModernAstronomy just arrived too, so gonna stop by the post office and pick that up before I head down to the obsy. Finally I can remove that improvized T-adapter wrapped in masking-tape-tube of mine and replace it with an actual machined part that fits.

[Skipper Billy]

Try uninstalling the prog then reinstall it. Just the prog. not the enormous data files !!

[Thalestris24]

I think he's already done that and anyway he just installed the 64 bit version...!

Alve - does the AT settings_path correspond to where the file is that you're editing?

It has to be something simple like that! Else your cfg file or folder is set to read-only...

Louise

[Thalestris24]

Gonna give up on this for now, and go whine about it on the AT forum after a while.

Right now I want to eat, and with some luck the sky will be cloudless enough for me to at least do some serious aligning and perhaps even test my brand new 7nm Ha filter.

Oh, and my finder-guider adapter ring from ModernAstronomy just arrived too, so gonna stop by the post office and pick that up before I head down to the obsy. Finally I can remove that improvized T-adapter wrapped in masking-tape-tube of mine and replace it with an actual machined part that fits.

Any luck with AT yet?

Louise

[Alveprinsen]

Any luck with AT yet?

Louise

I've given up.

I did a 17 star alignment last night instead. No need for AT. Whatever I aim at... I hit.

Gonna add more stars to that alignment as soon as the clouds break. I was only able to access the southern parts of the sky last night.

I even missed the moon on my first attempt. But now stars are dead centered in the crosshairs of BackyardEOS.

and I must say... Astrophotographytool is absolutely awesome. No need for stellarium of ASCOM interface or anything. Controll camera and mount directly from the software. And that Bahtinov helper... priceless!

[Thalestris24]

Hiya

Tut! After all that! It's not an AT problem - it must be a system/file location problem or something similar.

You have your rig permanently setup don't you? I have to admit that AT is more useful if setup is variable. With multi-star alignment you'll have a good pointing model. Hope you don't feel you've wasted money on the new laptop...

All the best

Louise