Nightmare!

[cuivenion]

About the file location, as far as I know it's not the .exe file its the catalogue that's being accessed. For example my location is:

C:\Users\myname\AppData\Local\Astrometry\bin\solve-field

Sharpcap doesn't use the settings of the plate solving software, it uses its own. It just access's the star catalogue.

[stash_old]

My version runs Blind Solving via Tools menu and uses ASPS as this is installed on my PC.  Although there does not seem a simple mechanism to load an existing  image and click platesolve(tools). But on my test PC i am using camera sim and open capture folder is greyed out

If I use the test camera deep space - and click platesolve(blind) it runs ASPS - AND solves the image loaded allowing me to copy the shown  RA/DEC results- with no mount connected

 

[cuivenion]

8 minutes ago, stash_old said:

My version runs Blind Solving via Tools menu and uses ASPS as this is installed on my PC.  Although it there does not seem a simple mechanism to load an existing  image and click platesolve(tools). But on my test PC i am using camera sim and open capture folder is greyed out

 

What version runs blind plate solving? I thought default was within 15 degrees of the target.

[Demonperformer]

Right, so next test will have a camera attached.

So the location i browse to needs to be where the index files are? That does make sense as everything is have read says it doesn't use the programmes except for accessing the programme behind it.

[stash_old]

3 minutes ago, cuivenion said:

What version runs blind plate solving? I thought default was within 15 degrees of the target.

3.1.5132.0 dated 9/4/2018

[cuivenion]

1 minute ago, Demonperformer said:

Right, so next test will have a camera attached.

So the location i browse to needs to be where the index files are? That does make sense as everything is have read says it doesn't use the programmes except for accessing the programme behind it.

Hi, plate solver also becomes available if you select the Deep Sky Test Camera.

[cuivenion]

1 minute ago, stash_old said:

3.1.5132.0 dated 9/4/2018

Downloading now thanks.

[stash_old]

checked results from test image (m42) results shown were correct but i hate the fact it(the result) disappears if you are not looking at the screen - thats mad. Unless there is a way around it - not very user friendly  

image below confirms platesolve works when connected to mount and near to target - NOT blind

[cuivenion]

18 minutes ago, stash_old said:

checked results from test image (m42) results shown were correct but i hate the fact it(the result) disappears if you are not looking at the screen - thats mad. Unless there is a way around it - not very user friendly  

Is the blind plate solve in the tools? I can't see it.

[stash_old]

58 minutes ago, cuivenion said:

Is the blind plate solve in the tools? I can't see it.

It doesn't say "Blind" it just says "Platesolve" as opposed to the platesolve icon under Mount Control which requires the current RA/DEC from the mount

[cuivenion]

4 minutes ago, stash_old said:

It doesn't say "Blind" it just says "Platesolve" as opposed to the platesolve icon under Mount Control which requires the current RA/DEC from the mount

Ahh I see, so the platesolve under tools is blind, and the icon under mount control is with sharpcap default settings.

[stash_old]

3 minutes ago, cuivenion said:

Ahh I see, so the platesolve under tools is blind, and the icon under mount control is with sharpcap default settings.

It would appear so - plus you can load an image by using the menu's at he side which allow you you browse your images and if you select one it loads it and then you can "platesolve Blind". Just tried a canon 100d 100mm lens image of M42 and it solved it "blind" ok.

[m.tweedy]

 

Blind Plate Solving

SharpCap also includes a plate solving option for those who are not using an ASCOM mount. You can find this in the ‘Tools’ menu. This will do a whole sky plate solve and show the results in the status bar. Because the whole sky needs to be searched rather than just a small area, this option will take longer to complete. No action is taken with the result of the plate solving operation other than to display the results in the status bar.

 

So this is confusing as i cannot see it.

[stash_old]

Managed to capture the message you get after blind platesolve - this one was m106

[stash_old]

4 minutes ago, m.tweedy said:

 

Blind Plate Solving

SharpCap also includes a plate solving option for those who are not using an ASCOM mount. You can find this in the ‘Tools’ menu. This will do a whole sky plate solve and show the results in the status bar. Because the whole sky needs to be searched rather than just a small area, this option will take longer to complete. No action is taken with the result of the plate solving operation other than to display the results in the status bar.

 

So this is confusing as i cannot see it.

Have you got the latest version of Sharpcap ?

[m.tweedy]

just downloaded it this afternoon on main PC to help Demon. Proper PC is in Observatory and out of bounds at the moment

I have just copied across the Sharpcap Blind solving information however it is not showing up in tools. It does state that it is for none ASCOM mounts so wonder if it only appears when a none ASCOM mount is connected.

[stash_old]

2 minutes ago, m.tweedy said:

just downloaded it this afternoon on main PC to help Demon. Proper PC is in Observatory and out of bounds at the moment

I have just copied across the Sharpcap Blind solving information however it is not showing up in tools. It does state that it is for none ASCOM mounts so wonder if it only appears when a none ASCOM mount is connected.

Nope mine is not connected as you can see from the picture (no tick in connected box)  - but you do have to have a camera connected - even if its a "test camera" . I am using Sharpcap Pro so not sure it exists on non Pro versions.

Just testing it out on "in house " pc before I decide to screw up my Obsys pc

[m.tweedy]

i will look into it after my Op on Friday.

Lets hope Demon gets sorted

[stash_old]

ok i am impressed at the speed of the platesolve- even the Blind runs - this was on my old Obsys PC running 32 bit 2.5gb ram Win 10 Ult and no SSD - hope its at least as fast on my Obsys PC with SSD.

No putting in scope details and it still worked - well done MR G

[rwg]

Hi,

SharpCap is not looking for Astrotortilla.exe, but the 'solve-field' script that AstroTortilla relies on (solve-field is the solving engine, also used by astrometry.net). SharpCap will look in the following places for solve-field

1) C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\Astrometry\bin - this is where All Sky Plate Solver installs solve-field

2) C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\cygwin_ansvr\bin - this is where ansvr installs it

3) AstroTortilla's location - which is found by reading from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AstroTortilla\CygwinRoot in the registry and adding 'bin' on the end. On a default install of AstroTortilla this works out to be c:\cygwin\bin

 

If you want to enter the location manually you need to find that file (solve-field) and enter the full path to it including the name in the manual location box - ie

C:\cygwin\bin\solve-field

Please note that SharpCap looks for the plate solver when you open the camera, so you need to close and re-open the camera after adjusting these settings for any changes to take effect (I didn't realize that - I will fix in a future version).

hope this helps,

Robin

 

 

 

 

[stash_old]

8 minutes ago, rwg said:

Hi,

SharpCap is not looking for Astrotortilla.exe, but the 'solve-field' script that AstroTortilla relies on (solve-field is the solving engine, also used by astrometry.net). SharpCap will look in the following places for solve-field

1) C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\Astrometry\bin - this is where All Sky Plate Solver installs solve-field

2) C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\cygwin_ansvr\bin - this is where ansvr installs it

3) AstroTortilla's location - which is found by reading from HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\AstroTortilla\CygwinRoot in the registry and adding 'bin' on the end. On a default install of AstroTortilla this works out to be c:\cygwin\bin

 

If you want to enter the location manually you need to find that file (solve-field) and enter the full path to it including the name in the manual location box - ie

C:\cygwin\bin\solve-field

Please note that SharpCap looks for the plate solver when you open the camera, so you need to close and re-open the camera after adjusting these settings for any changes to take effect (I didn't realize that - I will fix in a future version).

hope this helps,

Robin

 

 

 

 

Thanks Robin - anyway to stop the status bar from loosing the blind Platesolve message when its finished - it seems to be on a timer ???? 

[rwg]

No way to stop it vanishing - the timer is 30s. However the same info will be in the log (Help->Show Log) if you miss it.

cheers,

Robin

[stash_old]

OK i am confused now - ran a number of blind Plate solves most worked - however looking at the log it seems to jump from ASPS to Astrotortilla ( I forgot I had installed it 2 yrs ago ) without me changing any settings - very strange . Must have some sort of work flow when i finds more than one plate solving program 

[rwg]

Hi,

it tests for the plate solving applications in the order I listed earlier and takes the first it finds. However in the log several things will have the text 'AstroTortilla' in because that was the first plate solver I supported - that text will appear even when using AnSvr or ASPS.

cheers,

Robin

[stash_old]

32 minutes ago, rwg said:

Hi,

it tests for the plate solving applications in the order I listed earlier and takes the first it finds. However in the log several things will have the text 'AstroTortilla' in because that was the first plate solver I supported - that text will appear even when using AnSvr or ASPS.

cheers,

Robin

Ok Robin - thought I was going crackers !!!!