StarlightLive V3.2 Released

[Paul81]

Hi All,

StarlightLive V3.2 is now available to download from the SX website:

OSX version

Windows version

Bug fixes and some minor new features. Change log as follows:

- Renamed command line argument 'force-sx-vid' to '-force-sx-vid' for consistency with other command line arguments.
- Renamed command line argument 'force-sx-pid' to '-add-sx-vid' for clarity of the command line argument functionality.
- Added new command line argument '-exclusive-sx-pid' which allows the user to force the application to only connect to the SX camera with the matching PID. All other cameras will be ignored.
- Added FWHM limit to stacking options. Setting 'Max FWHM' to 0.0 disables this feature, otherwise if for a given exposure the mean FWHM exceeds the value specified on the user interface the exposure is dropped and not added to the current live stack.
- Added automatic dropping of an exposure if the mean alignment error exceeds 1.0 pixels as this typically means the alignment algorithm has failed to reach a sufficient solution.
- Updated QT application framework to version 5.7 for latest feature and bug fixes. For the Windows version, this has forced an update in development tool chain (Visual Studio 2015) therefore the latest Visual C++ redistributable may be required to run the application. This is available from the Microsoft web site at the following URL: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=48145
- Fixed Bug: Issues with text edit boxes on image export tab.
- Fixed Bug: Camera exposure timer was not restarted when no exposure buffers are available.

 

Windows users  - PLEASE NOTE - as above you will most likely need to download and install the VS2015 x86 re-distributables from Microsoft otherwise the application will not run.

 

As always I hope the application helps explore the magnificent skies and have fun :-)

Paul

[Martin Meredith]

As ever, thanks for this new release, which I look forward to trying soon. Coming up to 3 years using your software, I really appreciate the time and effort you put in!

Martin

[RobertI]

Fantastic, thanks Paul, look forward to trying the FWHM feature.  

[Dom543]

Thank you Paul! Thanks to your continued efforts, StarlightLive has been the model for near real-time astronomy applications. Other software makers follow your leadership and users of their cameras envy the features and ease of use of StarlightLive.

One of the very useful new features is to run multiple instances of StalightLive simultaneously on the same computer, each connected to a different camera. Since I am a very poor typist, especially in the dark, I made Windows shortcuts for each of my cameras to launch StarlightLive and connect to one or the other specific camera.  For those, who want to use this feature, here are the command lines for three most commonly used cameras.

Lodestar:      <path>\StarlightLive.exe -exclusive-sx-pid 0x0507

Ultrastar:      <path>\StarlightLive.exe -exclusive-sx-pid 0x0505

SX-825:       <path>\StarlightLive.exe -exclusive-sx-pid 0x0189

When using multiple cameras simultaneously, the cameras have to be different models. As far as I know, mono and color versions of the same type of camera have the same product ID's and hence cannot be launched simultaneously using this method.

Clear Skies!  --Dom

 

 

[Astrith]

Many thanks from myself ..Alan .

 

[Jim Smith]

On 15/10/2016 at 15:44, Paul81 said:

StarlightLive V3.2 is now available to download from the SX website:

Thanks Paul for all your hard work. I'll give 3.2 a go next time out.

Jim

[roelb]

Thanks Paul for the excellent new FWHM limit to stacking options.

[DoctorD]

Hi Paul

Thank you for all your efforts - you really have made EAA a joy for me, cannot wait to get out and try this version.

CS

Paul

[jimthompson]

Thanks Paul.  I am looking forward to having my Lodestar X2 and Ultrastar running simultaneously.

cheers,

Jim T.

[Anne S]

Has anyone managed to use Starlight Live with the older sx cameras? In particular a MX716 connected through the USB2 interface, thus making it equivalent to an SXV7. Starlight Live shows no camera connected. I can use the camera with the old MX7c software by telling the software to ignore PID. (It's now a colour camera as the ccd was exchanged some years ago!) Device manager shows the camera installed correctly.

I'm using a Windows 7 pro laptop.

Anne