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Freeware for plate solving

NickH

By NickH
in Discussions - Scopes / Whole setups

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SteveL

SteveL

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The one problem with Nebulosity is that it has no way for external apps to control it. Sure, it has the "clipboard scripting" ability, but that is "write only" and there is no way for the controlling application to know if neb is doing anything or if its failed or died or whatever. As such, the PlateSolver v1 wouldnt be able to use Neb ... it could tell it to take an image, but would have no idea if it got done, was currently in process, or had failed. PlateSolver would either need to take its own images and supported a LOT of cameras natively, or it would need to control an application (MaximDL, CCDSoft, etc) with proper interface for controlling apps.

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MartinB

MartinB

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CCDI slews tells the mount to slew to target, it tells CCDSoft or Maxim to take an image, it plate solves that image for RA/DEC of the image center, then tells the mount to either:

slew to where it thinks it is plus difference between where it think its is and the real RA/DEC (i.e an offset from wher it currently is)

or

sync the mount where it really is, then reslew based on a new alignment pattern from that sync. In EQMOD, I use this option so the slew+sync adds to the alignment map.

:rolleyes: Steve, you seem to have tapped into a whole new function for CCDI that I don't know about and can't find. Do you mean CCDI or Pinpoint? Can CCDI communicate with the mount?

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SteveL

SteveL

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:rolleyes: Steve, you seem to have tapped into a whole new function for CCDI that I don't know about and can't find. Do you mean CCDI or Pinpoint? Can CCDI communicate with the mount?

Sorry, I did mean CCD Commander,. not CCD Inspector... not enough caffeine today...

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NickH

NickH

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The one problem with Nebulosity is that it has no way for external apps to control it. Sure, it has the "clipboard scripting" ability, but that is "write only" and there is no way for the controlling application to know if neb is doing anything or if its failed or died or whatever. As such, the PlateSolver v1 wouldnt be able to use Neb ... it could tell it to take an image, but would have no idea if it got done, was currently in process, or had failed. PlateSolver would either need to take its own images and supported a LOT of cameras natively, or it would need to control an application (MaximDL, CCDSoft, etc) with proper interface for controlling apps.

In software...anything is possible...bit of a challenge for Craig though to open up some API's etc...(i.e rewrite a large block of the app)

DAWN would be a good option I guess for this, as it's still in development

Maxim is superb, don't get me wrong, just looking at the number of apps you have to run with it, and the overall cost, I feel there is room here and a market for someone to step in to

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chrisshillito

chrisshillito

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Nick - maybe you should make Chris (Of EQMod fame) aware of this thread and see if he can maybe start to look at integrating this into EQMod? I have to agree it would be great to have plate solving and then repositioning integrated into EQMod... we can but dream!

Hi Guys,

Yes we've known about Elburus over at EQMOD for quite some time now - well over a year and we have quite a few members using it. The guy holding the record for maximum number of alignment points used in a single session is an Elbrus addict :-)

As you probably know at the beginning of the year Elbrus was updated to include an ActiveX interface that allows it to be scripted from other programs. It would be quite trivial to knock up a small app that:

1. connect to an ASCOM mount driver

2. Reads the scope current position (intended target)

3. Initiates a plate solve from Elbrus

4. Reads the solved coords from Elbrus

5. Issues a sync to the mount driver

6. Issues a goto to the original intended target

Of course whats missing is automatic image capture.

Chris

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