target framing assist which software

[Wirral man]

Hello was looking at apt and sgp software but can these both center a object for you by controlling the telescope mount and putting say a dso right smack in the center for you as sometimes when slewing to a target it is not in the frame i have to manually place it center using the hand controller..

[Davey-T]

SGP will plate solve your target to the centre.

Dave

[geordie85]

I use Astro tortilla with APT and it works every time without issues, barring the issues I had to begin with which was more user error than software 

[Wirral man]

ah thanks dave i have been playing around with apt but i dont know if i like it l..looked at sgp and seams more user friendly plus that target assist for centering could be a must for me 

[Wirral man]

4 minutes ago, geordie85 said:

I use Astro tortilla with APT and it works every time without issues, barring the issues I had to begin with which was more user error than software 

oh right will have to also check that out...why is there so much i dont know haha didnt know you can get addons for these astro programmes makes me wonder what else im missing!!!!

[bottletopburly]

+1APT

[geordie85]

Again light vortex has an amazing tutorial for Astrotortilla 

http://www.lightvortexastronomy.com/tutorial-setting-up-and-using-astrotortilla-for-plate-solving.html

[Stu Wilson]

I use cdc slew to something close ie if your going for m51 slew to alkaid. Centre on alkaid. Sync on alkaid then slew m51 and it generally lands in middle.

Hth 

Stu

[MarsG76]

+1 APT.... It can plate solve with astrotilla...

Personally I do a few test exposures and manually center the object I want to image.... 

the way I look at it is, that I have automated most of my imaging procedure, the only thing I have to do is frame, focus and set the subs length and gain.... it parks it self and shuts it self down at the end if the session along with the computer and the obsy... do I really want it to frame and focus my exposures too? I want o do something in the hobby and image aquisition.

[Thalestris24]

Hi

I use APT which supports Pointcraft/Platesolve2, though I've only ever used it with Astrotortilla (AT). Both Platesolve2 and AT are external programs for blind platesolving. AT centres targets a treat (usually within about 10-15 secs). Platesolving saves having to do star alignments / making pointing models.

Louise

[michaelmorris]

APT will also plate solve with Platesolve 2.  I found it quite a bit easier to set up than Astrotortilla and it works like a dream once you have got it all set up.

[Atreta]

Apt works great for putting the object at about the same position of a previous capture. It has an aim feature, you can plate solve a previous image, or use it in the current image, click on the aim button, click the image at the position you want to to be centered and there it goes. You can do again the process till you're satisfied,  i get it close to 10,pixels difference.

[Wirral man]

on apt is point craft not the same it mentions about plate solving 

[Atreta]

8 minutes ago, Wirral man said:

on apt is point craft not the same it mentions about plate solving 

Yes, platesolving  is inside the pointcraft button, i use it with platesolve2  and all sky plate solver.  You have to download some index files that will match your imaging gear. 

Here it is better explained: https://ideiki.com/astro/usersguide/pointcraft_and_plate_solving.htm

I'm not that experienced with it as i stated  using just a few weeks ago but feel free to ask any doubts you have. 

[Wirral man]

i have installed astro tortilla but i cant find it all i have now is cygwin termimal which when opened is like a command window ???

[Thalestris24]

The lightvortex tutorial is a good place to start for AT

http://www.lightvortexastronomy.com/tutorial-setting-up-and-using-astrotortilla-for-plate-solving.html

 

[geordie85]

58 minutes ago, Wirral man said:

i have installed astro tortilla but i cant find it all i have now is cygwin termimal which when opened is like a command window ???

You don't need to open the cygwin window. There should be an icon called Astro tortilla unless you didn't tick the box which says create a desktop icon, in which case it should be in your start menu under applications.

If memory serves me right it should look a bit like an eye.

[emyliano2000]

On 26/05/2018 at 15:39, geordie85 said:

Again light vortex has an amazing tutorial for Astrotortilla 

http://www.lightvortexastronomy.com/tutorial-setting-up-and-using-astrotortilla-for-plate-solving.html

+1 for that tutorial 

And if you get it set up and running it will tell you the camera rotation too. I usualy  put my camera at 0° or 90° rotation and that gives me the framing I'm after most of the times.

[rigradio]

I use SGPro+PlateSolve2 -> framing, centering, plate solving, & start imaging less than 5 min

[ollypenrice]

I do a GoTo to the target and then see how I want to frame it. How does all this software know how I want to frame it? It doesn't. I struggle to understand this high level of software dependency when it comes to simple things like where to put a frame around your target. I'm interested in getting a good balance in the framing, having an attractive star pattern around the edges of the field and so on. What am I missing, here?

Olly

[swag72]

SGP framing and mosaic wizard is an EXCELLENT add on for framing....... You don't always want to put the target in the middle .... fight the urge and look around the field of view.... you may find that a different placement of the target can lead to a more pleasing composition or add something else in the frame to increase interest or balance it. 

Someone said to me a few years ago..... as you develop you will start to consider the complete framing of the target instead of putting it bang in the middle of the frame. They were right  

[ollypenrice]

5 minutes ago, swag72 said:

SGP framing and mosaic wizard is an EXCELLENT add on for framing....... You don't always want to put the target in the middle .... fight the urge and look around the field of view.... you may find that a different placement of the target can lead to a more pleasing composition or add something else in the frame to increase interest or balance it. 

Someone said to me a few years ago..... as you develop you will start to consider the complete framing of the target instead of putting it bang in the middle of the frame. They were right  

Absolutely. Symmetry is dull.

Olly

[Thalestris24]

You can use platesolving to centre a target then manually adjust as required. Alternatively you can centre on a star offset from the main target

Louise

[fireballxl5]

18 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

What am I missing, here?

I find the main benefit of plate solving is to have the software point to the same particular patch of sky when you're having to do this multiple times over a number of nights. Although this can be done well enough manually (well, at least using GoTo ?), it helps to minimise misalignment of edges when you don't have much room for manoeuvre. 

[wimvb]

Even with plate solving, I don't have center the subject. But plate solving helps me to accurately frame a target when imaging multiple nights from a mobile setup. Having a small chip, I can't afford to lose rows of pixels.

I use star charting software (kstars, in my case) to detetmine an initial frame and center on a star.