sgp v3(sequence generator pro) any better

[iwols]

hi all see there is a version 3 of this software ,is there much difference between this and the latest v2 cheers

[RayD]

There are a number of differences, with the main one being the subscription model (you have to pay for it annually).  The major functional change is the addition of the planning tools, which are pretty good.

It's worth having a look at the Main Sequence website and forums to see the change list, but it's up to you if you feel you want to go the subscription route.  They will only be providing major updates now for 3.X, with only critical updates being applied to 2.X

Edited March 2, 2018 by RayD

[iwols]

thanks ray so its not a one off payment then and what are the planning tools? already have v2 licence

[RayD]

16 minutes ago, iwols said:

thanks ray so its not a one off payment then and what are the planning tools? already have v2 licence

I think they will still do a discount if you have the 2.X license, so worth checking.  No it is now an annual subscription which seems reasonable as the guys do need to support it, but with full time jobs I think they struggled with the income stream the way it was.  I believe it is $99 per annum, but that includes all the optional add-ons that you had to pay for separately in 2.X.

The planning tools are quite good, and let you see the altitude of your target with a graphical curve complete with the dark periods shown for your location, and you can then plan, start and stop an imaging session accordingly.  There are some pretty good details on it on the MS site, but I have used it and it is excellent, a really nice addition.

[iwols]

just started a post on their forum thanks ray

[souls33k3r]

6 hours ago, RayD said:

There are a number of differences, with the main one being the subscription model (you have to pay for it annually).  

I'm sorry but I think you're slightly wrong here Ray. You don't have to pay annually but for every major release (v3, v4, v5, v6 etc etc)  you will have to but for the minor release (v3. 1, v3.2, v3. 3 etc)  you don't. 

[RayD]

45 minutes ago, souls33k3r said:

I'm sorry but I think you're slightly wrong here Ray. You don't have to pay annually but for every major release (v3, v4, v5, v6 etc etc)  you will have to but for the minor release (v3. 1, v3.2, v3. 3 etc)  you don't. 

Ah yes that was it.  

You are right and I do apologise for giving the wrong information.   @iwols it is the major releases, which from memory Jared said they are expecting one a year which is why I had in my head annually.

 

[gazza]

However they do refer to:

"We are working to provide more major releases of SGPro! SGPro, going forward, will release somewhere around one major, cost-bearing, release per year. It is important to note that we are not moving to a subscription based system! Once you buy SGPro, you own it and can use it forever. Incurring the cost of an upgrade means that you get new features and bug fixes."

This means that you will have to pay a yearly fee to keep up with the latest releases...

cheers

Gary

[RayD]

10 minutes ago, gazza said:

However they do refer to:

"We are working to provide more major releases of SGPro! SGPro, going forward, will release somewhere around one major, cost-bearing, release per year. It is important to note that we are not moving to a subscription based system! Once you buy SGPro, you own it and can use it forever. Incurring the cost of an upgrade means that you get new features and bug fixes."

This means that you will have to pay a yearly fee to keep up with the latest releases...

cheers

Gary

Thanks for that Gary, I thought I'd seen it somewhere which was why I had in my head it would be an annual fee.

@iwols for interest here are the noted major changes:

 

·       Planning tools

o   Show target rise and set on an easy to read graph

o   Easily identify when it is “safe” to start imaging (twilight, etc)

o   Choose start and end times quickly by clicking on the graph

o   See an itemized list of errors and warnings to help you plan the capture sequence

o   Define your own custom horizon to reflect your environment

o   Check the status of the moon

 

·       New features for start and end times

o   Define times by altitude (or by time of day)

o   Lock time or altitude

§  When time is locked, the time will remain static from day to day and the altitude will vary

§  When altitude is locked, it will remain static and the time will vary

 

·       Integration with FocusLock (still beta)

o   See FocusLock status without needing the FocusLock application

o   Perform basic operations direct from SGPro

o   Restart the current frame if FocusLock reports you are out of focus m (will block until focus is re-acquired)

o   Prevent FocusLock from altering the focuser position during image integration

 

·       Update manager overhaul, managing SGPro versions is now easier than ever

o   Receive notifications that your SGPro is out of date

o   Snooze these notifications for 7 days (more time intervals soon)

o   View release notes in a new, rich text formatted, area

o   Download and upgrade without ever going to the MSS web site

o   Opt-in to the beta-track directly from the update manager to get notifications of new betas (or new releases… whichever is the latest)

 

·       Gear

o   Support for Gemini SnapCap FlatBox device

o   Support for Canon Digic 6 and 7 cameras

o   Native support for ZWO ASI (beta)

o   SBIG RBI Implementation

 

·       Misc changes

o   Addition of “per event” gain control

o   A sequence can now import targets from other SGPro sequences

o   Updated CTYPEn FITS headers to report projection as gnomonic (instead of default)

o   SGPro will now more accurately detect the need to auto connect with a flats box

o   Recovery mode stabilization

o   Added camera gain to the file namer (%cg)

Edited March 2, 2018 by RayD

[RayD]

Also fair to note that they do emphasise this is NOT a subscription model as I wrongly called it.  If you want the projected annually released major updates you will have to pay, if you don't then you can keep your current version.  

[souls33k3r]

1 hour ago, gazza said:

However they do refer to:

"We are working to provide more major releases of SGPro! SGPro, going forward, will release somewhere around one major, cost-bearing, release per year. It is important to note that we are not moving to a subscription based system! Once you buy SGPro, you own it and can use it forever. Incurring the cost of an upgrade means that you get new features and bug fixes."

This means that you will have to pay a yearly fee to keep up with the latest releases...

cheers

Gary

Ok, that's the first time i've seen this so i stand correct but i wasn't wrong either. You have to pay for the major release and they're thinking of producing one major release every year and if they don't then no yearly fee (at least that's how i'm reading it). 

Any way, not trying to steer away from the topic, this is my first purchase of SGP and absolutely loving it.

@RayD videos are amazing and have really helped me a lot

[RayD]

1 minute ago, souls33k3r said:

Ok, that's the first time i've seen this so i stand correct but i wasn't wrong either. You have to pay for the major release and they're thinking of producing one major release every year and if they don't then no yearly fee (at least that's how i'm reading it). 

No you aren't wrong at all, you're 100% correct.  I was wrong as I just vaguely recalled Jared saying they were expecting to have a major release per year, so set in my mind this effectively being an annual fee.  As you rightly say, if you don't want to update you don't have to, so it doesn't have to be an annual fee if you choose this route.

Thanks for the feedback on the videos, much appreciated 

[iwols]

thanks guys looking at the upgrade dont think i could justify the $79 thanks for your comments

[swag72]

31 minutes ago, iwols said:

thanks guys looking at the upgrade dont think i could justify the $79 thanks for your comments

I'm with you..... The planning tools are probably  nice to have (but I rather enjoy my own planning) - Until they bring in dual synchronicity and some form of automation for restarting a sequence after cloud has closed everything up I will stick with V2.

[RayD]

39 minutes ago, iwols said:

thanks guys looking at the upgrade dont think i could justify the $79 thanks for your comments

Yes I think there really needs to be something in it that works for you otherwise 2.X still works absolutely fine and I'm sure is still going to be used for a while to come.

Edited March 3, 2018 by RayD

[AngryDonkey]

I'm in the same boat, version 3 really doesn't have anything to offer that would make me upgrade and 'upset' the working setup I have going just now.

Regardless I did buy a license for version 3 non the less. My reasons are that I think the software is great and offered at a fantastic price. The upgrade was 39 Dollar as I already had the add-ons which you now get included in the app as standard (otherwise I think it's 79 Dollar). I consider it a forward payment for things to come and a thank you for all the stuff that was added to version two for free without any charges. It's also a small contribution to ensure that the product will continue to be developed and supported. This is important to me as I wouldn't want this to disappear anytime soon (now that I finally got it to work the way I want it !). You only need to look back a few months in the forums to see a time when one of the developers (there are only two) was pretty much done with the thing because of the constant workload and little return. Luckily it seems now they have found a better way to see if they can make this work commercially with their new licensing approach - I sincerely hope it does, there aren't a lot of good alternatives out there.

Sorry not trying to sound high and mighty and in no way am I expecting others to think like that, just my reasons for doing it (I do this a lot with free software where there is an option to donate some small amount of money when I think it really helps me out).

[RayD]

4 minutes ago, AngryDonkey said:

I'm in the same boat, version 3 really doesn't have anything to offer that would make me upgrade and 'upset' the working setup I have going just now.

Regardless I did buy a license for version 3 non the less. My reasons are that I think the software is great and offered at a fantastic price. The upgrade was 39 Dollar as I already had the add-ons which you now get included in the app as standard (otherwise I think it's 79 Dollar). I consider it a forward payment for things to come and a thank you for all the stuff that was added to version two for free without any charges. It's also a small contribution to ensure that the product will continue to be developed and supported. This is important to me as I wouldn't want this to disappear anytime soon (now that I finally got it to work the way I want it !). You only need to look back a few months in the forums to see a time when one of the developers (there are only two) was pretty much done with the thing because of the constant workload and little return. Luckily it seems now they have found a better way to see if they can make this work commercially with their new licensing approach - I sincerely hope it does, there aren't a lot of good alternatives out there.

Sorry not trying to sound high and mighty and in no way am I expecting others to think like that, just my reasons for doing it (I do this a lot with free software where there is an option to donate some small amount of money when I think it really helps me out).

Not high and mighty at all, Mike.  I chose to upgrade for similar reasons and, like you, mine was $39 so made sense to do it at this point.  I also wanted the notifications module, and I hadn't paid for that add-in on 2.X, and really glad I did as they work brilliantly.

Edited March 3, 2018 by RayD

[iwols]

11 hours ago, RayD said:

Not high and mighty at all, Mike.  I chose to upgrade for similar reasons and, like you, mine was $39 so made sense to do it at this point.  I also wanted the notifications module, and I hadn't paid for that add-in on 2.X, and really glad I did as they work brilliantly.

whats the notification module Rayd

[RayD]

30 minutes ago, iwols said:

whats the notification module Rayd

You can set it up to send you emails if various things happen or, more specifically, don't.  It potentially saves a wasted night if for example your guiding fails to set after a meridian flip, it will send you an email to tell you.  A very hand feature. 

[AngryDonkey]

Yes it's a life saver  (or saver of lost imaging time). Now that my mobile setup is running pretty good I can actually go to sleep in the tent during the night! Yay!

There might be easier ways of doing this but to ensure I get woken up when a problem occurs I've come up with two solutions:

• Internet Available -> Use email option and set the email sender as a VIP sender on my Android phone email app. Then assign a nasty alarm sound to the VIP email senders and get woken up by a submarine diving etc.
• Internet Not Available -> Let SGP run a script if the sequence comes to an end. The script will play a nasty loud audio file on the computer loud enough to wake me sleeping in the tent next door. Since moving on to an Intel Compute Stick this becomes a bit more complicated as it doesn't have a speaker. I've experimented with a Bluetooth speaker which seems to work ok but not tried it in earnest yet.

Have considered playing a meow sound to get the dog barking but that might be too much excitment in the middle of the night... 

Anyone else had any good ideas for getting woke up?

EDIT:

Just found a setting in the Sequence Options which allows you to play a sound when the sequence completes. I presume this will also be the case if it is aborted. Will have to try this out.

Edited March 4, 2018 by AngryDonkey
Addition

[AngryDonkey]

Or I could just use the GNS app... 

[Ryan_86]

Thanks for the info guys, I panicked when I first read about a SGPro annual payment. 

Anyhow I'll stick to my v3 for now and must admit SGPro is absolutely fantastic. 

Clear skies

Ryan

Edited September 21, 2020 by Ryan_86