PlanetaryImager - Windows, Linux, OSX planetary capture software

[GuLinux]

Hello,

I just finished uploading a new beta version (0.7.0-beta1) of my Planetary Imager application.

One of the biggest news of this release is the availability for all major platforms (although OSX users might struggle a bit..). But of course, we also have a few new interesting features, like a network mode (client and server), a new histogram, and profiles support. Please look the official changelog for more information.

You can download the packages from the official download page, or grab the sources directly from the github project page

(edit: reuploaded Windows package, it had a small directory layout issue preventing startup)

[rpineau]

Nice !

I was able to recompile it on OS X using mac ports and a local QT5 install I had for something else (so not using the mac ports version of QT5).

After fixing a few @rapth to have the the dynamic lib properly loading, I was able to start it

I'm not at how so I can test with my ASI 714MC but I should be able to test this tomorrow.

Thanks again for the great work.

Regards, Rodolphe

 

[rpineau]

So I did a quick test and I can connect to the camera and record.

The camera can dom up to 128 FPS in 12 bits and 164 in 10 bits.

I set the exposure to 1ms, RAW 8bit and I get between 160 and 163.67 FPS, so pretty good (bandwidth set to auto, High speed enabled)

If I switch to RAW 16bit (the camera can do 12 bits and expands it to a 16 it value), the FPS fall to about 45 FPS .. I would have expected something close to the 128 FPS the camera can do.

Enabling/disabling High speed doesn't do anything in that regards.

If I go back to Raw 8bits, i then max out at ~ 75 FPS

restarting the app is not giving me back the 160+ FPS in Ram 8bit.

I had to disconnect/reconnect the camera, then it was at 120FPS, I then disable the auto mode for Bandwidth, set it to 100% and got the 160+ fps back.

I that mode if I switch again to RAW 16bit, it falls to less than 10 FPS.

 

So a few issues but it looks good otherwise

Great job.

Regards, Rodolphe

 

[GuLinux]

Mmh, I suspected the OXS version might have had some speed issues...

Apparently there are a few problems with libusb on OSX. You might want to try a git HEAD version to see if it helps.

An example on how to compile the git version is here: https://github.com/GuLinux/PlanetaryImager/blob/master/support/docker-builds/images/commons/Dockerfile.libusb.in

Just run what's in the RUN line, and use the variable exported in the ENV line as a cmake directive:

cmake {..other options} -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="/opt/libusb-git"

 

Thanks!

Marco

[rpineau]

I can try that (compiling is no issue for me).

Right now the mac port version I have is 1.0.21_0

So I'll try with the latest git head. I probably won't have time to test before tomorrow.

I'm testing on a Macbook Pro Mid-2015 with USB3 port (The ASI 174 MC is USB3), so these issues are probably only software related.

Regards, Rodolphe

[GuLinux]

Thank you

I will probably need to find a way to package the application as I do in Linux and Windows.

The best option for me would be to cross compile it, since I don't have an OSX machine available full time... but it seems to be quite hard to achieve that (surprisingly, much harder than Windows cross compilation).

[rpineau]

Yep, cross-compiling for OS X is not the easiest thing :).

One thing would be for some low level libs to link in the static lib instead of the dynamic ones (libusb, boost, ...).

for the Qt frameworks there is a nice document about it :

http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/osx-deployment.html

They explain how to add the framework to the app so that the user doesn't need a full Qt install.

Regards, Rodolphe

 

[GuLinux]

Oh no, a static Qt build is the last thing I want!

First, I already tried that for windows... CMake doesn't really agree with a static Qt, and to make things worse, cfitsio has its own version of zlib that conflicts with the system one (which is needed by various other dependencies).

Secondly, I think plugins won't work on a statically linked Qt app (and I need plugins, this is how I load now the drivers).

And finally, that would mean I need an OSX laptop each time I release a new version/snapshot, which is really annoying for me...

I'll try again the cross compilation.. someone managed to compile Qt using osxcross, I'll see if I get lucky  

[rpineau]

I don't mean static Qt, just the other lib like libusb, boost and cfitsio...

You can still have the Qt lib (or Frameworks on OS X) as Dynamic libs.

I wouldn't want the Qt as static either  and you can add the dynamic one (the framework) in the OS X app as shown in the link from the Qt doc.

Having the other libs as static would allow a use to not have 'brew' or 'mac ports' installed to be able to launch the app.

Here is the otool output for my compiled version (otool -L <exec file> gives you the same thing as ldd on linux) :

/opt/local/bin/planetary_imager:
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_shape.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_stitching.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_superres.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_videostab.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libCCfits.0.dylib (compatibility version 1.0.0, current version 1.0.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libcfitsio.dylib (compatibility version 5.0.0, current version 5.3.39)
	/usr/local/QT5/5.6/clang_64/lib/QtOpenGL.framework/Versions/5/QtOpenGL (compatibility version 5.6.0, current version 5.6.0)
	/usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib (compatibility version 1.0.0, current version 1226.10.1)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_objdetect.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_calib3d.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_features2d.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_flann.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_highgui.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_ml.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_photo.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_video.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_videoio.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_imgcodecs.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_imgproc.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/opt/local/lib/libopencv_core.3.2.dylib (compatibility version 3.2.0, current version 3.2.0)
	/usr/local/QT5/5.6/clang_64/lib/QtWidgets.framework/Versions/5/QtWidgets (compatibility version 5.6.0, current version 5.6.0)
	/usr/local/QT5/5.6/clang_64/lib/QtGui.framework/Versions/5/QtGui (compatibility version 5.6.0, current version 5.6.0)
	/usr/local/QT5/5.6/clang_64/lib/QtCore.framework/Versions/5/QtCore (compatibility version 5.6.0, current version 5.6.0)
	/usr/lib/libc++.1.dylib (compatibility version 1.0.0, current version 120.1.0)

 

As you see I had to chabge the @rpath for the Qt lib to point to my locally installed version (which is not the one from brew or mac ports).

I built it with : 

cmake .. -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/opt/local/ -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=/opt/local -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=/usr/local/QT5/5.6/clang_64/lib/cmake/ -DQt5Widgets_DIR=/usr/local/QT5/5.6/clang_64/lib/cmake/Qt5Widgets/Qt5WidgetsConfig.cmake

Then I used the install_name_tool command to change the rpath :

sudo install_name_tool -change  @rpath/QtOpenGL.framework/Versions/5/QtOpenGL /usr/local/QT5/5.6/clang_64/lib/QtOpenGL.framework/Versions/5/QtOpenGL planetary_imager 

as I don't have my Qt libs in my LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable (DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH on OSX).

I'm not asking for these changes, just making suggestion so that OS X user can have a binary that doesn't require a full brew or mac port install with qt5 in it.

In any case, I still appreciate your work and effort on this and will do my best to help you on the OS X side of things.

Regards, Rodolphe

 

[GuLinux]

Version 0.7 beta2 just release, with lots of bugfixes

The windows version now should be stable enough for daily usage.

I also should be able to release a package for the OSX version.. soon, hopefully

[GuLinux]

And we have another beta, same page as ever

Hopefully the last until 0.7 final release

[fozzybear]

Hi,

I'm running windows 7 64bit Pro when trying to connect to camera get the following windows popup error message in Planetary imager (running as Admininstrator in windows)

Initialisation error

Error initializing imager QHY5II-M

Bad lexical cast:source type value could not be interpreted as target

 

Logfile contents

   DEBUG - void SupportedDrivers::Private::find_drivers(const QString&) Looking for drivers in  "drivers"
    INFO - void SupportedDrivers::Private::load_driver(const QString&) driver  "./drivers/libqhy.dll" loaded: "QHYDriver" "QHYCCD Cameras driver"
    INFO - void SupportedDrivers::Private::load_driver(const QString&) driver  "./drivers/libzwo_asi_imager.dll" loaded: "ZWO_ASI_Driver" "ZWO ASI CMOS Cameras driver"
 WARNING -  QWidget::setLayout: Attempting to set QLayout "" on QWidget "statsWidget", which already has a layout
   DEBUG -  file  "C:/Users/Andy/AppData/Local/PlanetaryImager/cache/PlanetaryImager.log" exists:  true
   DEBUG - SupportedDrivers::Private::instances() const::<lambda(const auto:3&)> [with auto:3 = std::shared_ptr<QPluginLoader>] Initializing driver "./drivers/libqhy.dll"
   DEBUG -  Initializing QHY Driver 0x1788
   DEBUG - void NetworkServer::listen(const QString&, int) "Listening on 127.0.0.1:19232"
   DEBUG - SupportedDrivers::Private::instances() const::<lambda(const auto:3&)> [with auto:3 = std::shared_ptr<QPluginLoader>] Initializing driver "./drivers/libzwo_asi_imager.dll"
   DEBUG -  Found device at index  0  with id= QHY5II-M-1067d61029c77a25 )
 WARNING -  QMainWindow::saveState(): 'objectName' not set for QToolBar 0xc0704c0 'Help'
 WARNING -  QMainWindow::saveState(): 'objectName' not set for QToolBar 0xc0704c0 'Help'
 WARNING -  QMainWindow::saveState(): 'objectName' not set for QToolBar 0xc0704c0 'Help'
 WARNING -  QMainWindow::saveState(): 'objectName' not set for QToolBar 0xc0704c0 'Help'
   DEBUG -  "Found 1 devices"
   DEBUG - LogScope::LogScope(const QString&, const QString&, const QString&) "Create Object: 6Imager"
   DEBUG -  Opening QHY camera  "QHY5II-M" , id= QHY5II-M-1067d61029c77a25
   DEBUG - virtual LogScope::~LogScope() "Delete Object: 6Imager"
 

 

 

 

Regards

Andy

[GuLinux]

24 minutes ago, fozzybear said:

Hi,

I'm running windows 7 64bit Pro when trying to connect to camera get the following windows popup error message in Planetary imager (running as Admininstrator in windows)

Initialisation error

Error initializing imager QHY5II-M

Bad lexical cast:source type value could not be interpreted as target

Mmh.. yes.. I was quite afraid that was gonna happen.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a QHY camera to test it (but this might change in a while).

I'll try to find an alternative for the lexical cast, and I'll post here when a new snapshot build will be available.

Thanks!

Marco

[fozzybear]

1 minute ago, GuLinux said:

Mmh.. yes.. I was quite afraid that was gonna happen.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a QHY camera to test it (but this might change in a while).

I'll try to find an alternative for the lexical cast, and I'll post here when a new snapshot build will be available.

Thanks!

Marco

Thanks Marco I'll keep an eye out

Andy

[GuLinux]

Hi,

The issue should be solved now.

You can find the updated snapshot package in the application homepage.

As a side note, I was also able to create a package for OSX, if someone is up for testing

[fozzybear]

Hi Marco,

Downloaded from dropbox and now does not detect my qhy camera?

see logfile

   DEBUG - void SupportedDrivers::Private::find_drivers(const QString&) Looking for drivers in  "drivers"
    INFO - void SupportedDrivers::Private::load_driver(const QString&) driver  "./drivers/libzwo_asi_imager.dll" loaded: "ZWO_ASI_Driver" "ZWO ASI CMOS Cameras driver"
 WARNING -  QWidget::setLayout: Attempting to set QLayout "" on QWidget "statsWidget", which already has a layout
   DEBUG -  file  "C:/Users/Andy/AppData/Local/PlanetaryImager/cache/PlanetaryImager.log" exists:  true
   DEBUG - SupportedDrivers::Private::instances() const::<lambda(const auto:3&)> [with auto:3 = std::shared_ptr<QPluginLoader>] Initializing driver "./drivers/libzwo_asi_imager.dll"
   DEBUG - void NetworkServer::listen(const QString&, int) "Listening on 127.0.0.1:19232"
 WARNING -  QMainWindow::saveState(): 'objectName' not set for QToolBar 0xa4495c0 'Help'
 WARNING -  QMainWindow::saveState(): 'objectName' not set for QToolBar 0xa4495c0 'Help'
 WARNING -  QMainWindow::saveState(): 'objectName' not set for QToolBar 0xa4495c0 'Help'
 WARNING -  QMainWindow::saveState(): 'objectName' not set for QToolBar 0xa4495c0 'Help'
   DEBUG - SupportedDrivers::Private::instances() const::<lambda(const auto:3&)> [with auto:3 = std::shared_ptr<QPluginLoader>] Initializing driver "./drivers/libzwo_asi_imager.dll"
   DEBUG - SupportedDrivers::Private::instances() const::<lambda(const auto:3&)> [with auto:3 = std::shared_ptr<QPluginLoader>] Initializing driver "./drivers/libzwo_asi_imager.dll"
 

 

[GuLinux]

Hi... mmh, that's strange.

From the log file it seems that the driver is not present at all.

Sometimes drivers might get skipped from build for various reasons, but that doesn't seem the case, it is present in the zip file.

Can you confirm that you can see libqhy.dll in the "drivers" directory?

And is the package name "PlanetaryImager-0.6.97-20170425-22a1822-Windows-x86_64_windows_x64.zip"?

 

[fozzybear]

2 minutes ago, GuLinux said:

Hi... mmh, that's strange.

From the log file it seems that the driver is not present at all.

Sometimes drivers might get skipped from build for various reasons, but that doesn't seem the case, it is present in the zip file.

Can you confirm that you can see libqhy.dll in the "drivers" directory?

And is the package name "PlanetaryImager-0.6.97-20170425-22a1822-Windows-x86_64_windows_x64.zip"?

 

Marco,

yes libqhy.dll is there and package zip is the same as you stated

[GuLinux]

Hi,

There was indeed an issue with the build system problem, it should be addressed now.

Correct version is 0.6.97-20170425-9fd0bf9.

 

[fozzybear]

Hi,

So far so good loads ok and detects camera will test out and report back.

Andy

[spillage]

HI

Just installed this remotely to my obs comp but it failed to detect my qhy5 mono that I normally use for guiding. Is the cam not supported. I realise its an old camera. I normally use a neximage5 but I was not prepared to go out in the rain and connect it.

[GuLinux]

Hi,

Well, according to QHY SDK docs, the camera should be supported.

I couldn't test QHY cameras in a long time, so I'm not expecting them to work 100% correctly, but it should at least be detected.

Firstly, did you grab the latest snapshot? It should be version 0.6.97-20170425-9fd0bf9. Previous versions had problems with the QHY driver, as reported by @fozzybear

A reboot might also help if it is the first time you try the camera in that system, to let udev rules kick off, but that's usually necessary.

The application has an entry in the menu to open the full logs, if nothing helps, could you send me a log please?

Thanks,

Marco

[meastempo]

I just wanted to say BiG thank you for your software! have recorded several takes on Jupiter with ZWO ASI 224MC last weekend with macOS Sierra flawlessly, not a single issue!

Keep up the good work Marco! 

[GuLinux]

Hello,

That's great news, thank you  Hope to seen some of these pictures soon  

[rpineau]

Hi GuLinux

I recompiled the latest v0.7 after updating my QT5 to 5.6.2 and also using the git version of libusb on OS X.

Thing seem to have improved and it's also a lot more stable.

I can get about 130 FPS in 8bit mode full res on the 174MC and 66 FPS in "16 RAW".

So not yet the advertised speed from ZWO (174 FPS in 8 bit mode and 128 FPS in 12 bit (scales on 16 bit)) but that is already a lot better.

I also saw that your repo has a v0.8, besides the scripting any significant differences ?

Thanks

Rodolphe