SharpCap - free Astro Webcam Capture Software

[steviemac500]

Thanks Robin, ill have another try tonight.

[Stub Mandrel]

Captured loads of footage of the double transit last nigh using the last beta of 2.7 without incident, except one time when the start capture dialogue became unresponsive.

Interestingly I tried out an obscure webcam my wife got me for £1 at a boot sale. It came in a gold 'silk' lined box! Only basic controls, but i got a better picture than with the MHD Lifecam AND it captures at >29fps even in full HD mode, only issue was I couldn't zoom so I have got HUGE files - about 6-7 gigs per 90-second capture.

 

[PeterCPC]

I have to report the same issues that I have reported previously. Namely, I used SC last night and all seemed to go OK and AVI captured of Jupiter. However, as soon as the capture ended, it froze up and all I could do was Ctr/Alt/Del to get out of it. Then it just refused to work again. I was using 2.8 and my ASI224MC in a USB 3 socket. I looked to see if it had generated a log but I could not find one - I thought that it was supposed to do this. The other odd thing is that, even though I could not get it going again, it took a short AVI that I only discovered this morning.

I shall try it out again today in daylight to try to replicate what happened last night but I am getting to the stage of tearing my hair out trying to use this. I am using a Win 7 Toshiba Satellite C855-IMI laptop with 6GB ram. This has only started happening since I got my ASI224MC - no problems with the ASI120MC previously. Any ideas?

Peter

 

[rwg]

Hi Peter,

2.8 writes log files to disk at C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\SharpCap\logs. The filename is based on the date/time when SharpCap started. The only issue that might occur is that depending on how the crash happens the most recent entries can sometimes not have been written, but it's worth a look.

My first suggestion would be to try capturing as SER rather than AVI (I find SER much less flakey in terms of both writing and reading correctly).

cheers,

Robin

[PeterCPC]

Update Robin. I tried it during the day and it did the same again Error ID 67194.

I tried to find your logs but there is no AppData in that location.

Peter

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, PeterCPC said:

Update Robin. I tried it during the day and it did the same again Error ID 67194.

I tried to find your logs but there is no AppData in that location.

You system is probably set to hide system files and folders.

It shows here on W8 but is 'faded' which means it is normally invisible. Try something like:

Control panel -> folder options -> view - >show hidden files and folders

[rwg]

It's all right - I have the bug report @PeterCPC sent. It's an interesting bug that I don't understand (I've seen the same error before and it doesn't seem to make sense). The very slow frame rate is also a problem and I'm wondering if the 2 are connected or not. If it's OK I'll get back to you about this in a day or so when I have a bit of time as it would be good to try to get to the bottom of whatever the problem is.

cheers,

Robin

[PeterCPC]

Thanks Robin. I will wait to hear from you.

Peter

[cathalferris]

Hi Robin!

Absolutely fantastic program, and great progress since I last played with it a few years back. 

I might have a few bug reports for you from the live stacking:

1. When live stacking, clicking on the "save" for either the complete stack or the .png, will generate a crash every time. You may have two crash reports incoming from the crash reporter, but I wasn't sure if the laptop I was capturing on was connected or not at the time of crash Unfortunately I didn't record the crash IDs. I hope it was connected - but I didn't get a report of a failed report upload. #62117 and #74760 were two additional crashes I generated while I type this up.
2. The live stacking when using a DirectShow driver appears to use every frame coming from the capture device, even though I have set the divider to 300 to reflect the much slower actual framerate coming from the SCB4000 camera when it's stacking via the "sens-up" onboard frame integration feature. 
3. Saving of .fit files appears not to save correct files. The files that I have autosaved from the live stacking window (as I couldn't save via the actual save dialogue without a crash, so I was relying on the autosave), when opened in Nebulosity, appear to be not containing the full stack to that point. Here's an example of a generated .fit file with associated camerasettings.txt file : http://www.cathalferris.com/files/M81_EztvClone_LiveStack.zip. The file was supposed to be a stack of 697 captured frames with about 12 real frames stacked but appears to be only an 8-bit image. The on-screen image contained a lot more data than the .fit save file appears to contain.

Tonight was my first time using the current 2.8.2263 version (no reported update available when connected to net) and I am mightily impressed. Astro gear wise, I'm using an 8" f/4 Newt on an AVX mount with SCB-4000 camera. PC wise, it's a quad core i5-2540, 6Gb ram, Win7-64, using a generic eztv clone (USB\VID_1B71&PID_3002).
Preview works fine. I can change the brightness/contrast etc using the driver's sliders and the changes are reflected in the main window view. Live stacking works great, snapshots from the main window work fine. I haven't tried recording video yet. Live viewing functionality appears to be exactly as expected.

I found the live stacking to be an absolutely amazing feature. With the 8" f/4 scope and the scb-4000 camera, I was easily able to identify mag 16 galaxies with a 9 day old moon and an amount of haze in the atmosphere. I can't yet afford a Mallincam or decent Starlight Express camera so I'm limited to the ~10 sec exposure times from the Samsung camera. Using the live stacking really does improve the view, to the point where I can see on-screen details that would take a 18" to 24" scope at a dark sky site with lots of practice and dark adaptation to see the same details. It's great to be able to easily see structure in mag 14 dso items!

Many thanks, and I am really appreciative of the the effort required for this particular bit of software. Makes my stargazing a lot more productive..

[rwg]

Hi,

quick reply for now

#1 is fixed in build 2311 - http://www.sharpcap.co.uk/sharpcap/changelog/whatsnewinsharpcap282311

#2 is by design for now. Stacking extra copies of each frame only uses up CPU cycles that would go to waste and if there is any random noise in the frames due to the frame grabber that gets averaged out.

#3 The fits files are supposed to be 32 bit, which is a little unusual (but stacking with a 12 bit camera can easily get past the limits of a 16 bit fits file). Mind you they might only fill a small range at the bottom of the 32 bit range (say 1-100000), so some stretching is needed to find the data. I find I can usually see a decent image if I load the fits file in DeepSkyStacker and use the slider in the top right to stretch the shadow range. (Not got a chance to look at your fits at the mo, but will later).

cheers,

Robin

[cathalferris]

2 hours ago, rwg said:

#1 is fixed in build 2311 - http://www.sharpcap.co.uk/sharpcap/changelog/whatsnewinsharpcap282311

#2 is by design for now. Stacking extra copies of each frame only uses up CPU cycles that would go to waste and if there is any random noise in the frames due to the frame grabber that gets averaged out.

#3 The fits files are supposed to be 32 bit, which is a little unusual (but stacking with a 12 bit camera can easily get past the limits of a 16 bit fits file). Mind you they might only fill a small range at the bottom of the 32 bit range (say 1-100000), so some stretching is needed to find the data. I find I can usually see a decent image if I load the fits file in DeepSkyStacker and use the slider in the top right to stretch the shadow range. (Not got a chance to look at your fits at the mo, but will later).

 

Cool.

#1 - I didn't have the newest version - I'll have to be better at looking. I did check using the inbuilt "check for updates" and didn't get an upgrade notice. I'll test that this evening if it's clear.

#2 - Understood! No qualms about that design decision, at least I know know the correct behaviour.

#3 - I do have data in the fits files alright, turns out that I don't have as much as I thought I should have. Using DSS I can get a similar image to that which I had on screen last night, so I'll have a play around with the various image manipulation programs I have to hand. Definitely the histogram functionality in SharpCap is a nifty visualisation tool for video astronomy.

It's interesting to see just how noisy the SCB4000 chip is, at least the sample I own, with a stack of hot pixels and thermal noise. I'll just have to save the coppers and get myself something that is a little more sensitive and clean..

Appreciate the fast response as well, really good.

Thanks,
Cathal.

[rwg]

Hi Cathal,

the autoupdate has a fairly significant delay at times - I don't make a new version available by autoupdate in case it has a bug or two I haven't spotted. After a few weeks without any serious trouble then I tend to update the auto-update settings.

Let me know if you continue to have any problems with the new version.

cheers,

Robin

[cathalferris]

New bug, repeatable behaviour, with a crash when trying to capture dark frames. #05295 being one error ID.

Quote

"Capturing a single frame failed : Unable to cast COM object of type 'System.__ComObject' to interface type 'FrameFilter.IFrameFlt'. This operation failed because the QueryInterface call on the COM component for the interface with IID '{CFC01B63-3A89-42AB-86A1-A6401600EE14}' failed due to the following error: No such interface supported (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80004002 (E_NOINTERFACE))."

The preview from the frame grabber was working correctly, with my lovely noisy chip's hundreds of bright pixels, and a proper pic when I unstopped the lens.

[rwg]

Try this version

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7cWKVXZzvOEenlLcnhnSF90YVk/view?usp=sharing

I think it might fix the problem for you

Robin

[cathalferris]

Yep, 2315 allows the generation of darks.   
However, it appears that the dark subtraction is not working as I would have expected - I don't see a reduction in the hot pixels seen in each individual frame when toggling darks subtraction. What I do see are subtle bright trails extending to the right of the hot pixels that appears to be a little noisy. The darks themselves that are generated look to be correct, the .pngs are matching the pattern of amp glow and hot pixels as seen on screen. Just seems that the internal process applied to each frame to subtract the darks isn't operating exactly as expected.

What would you need to help track that down? I have saved .fits stacks with darks both applied and not applied, captures of screen view with both applied and not applied.

I'm testing with the camera indoors in a darkened room, with a capped lens, to simulate as much as I can an observing session, as it's cloudy outside.

[cathalferris]

One more bug noted in version 2.8.2315 with the dark capture process (error IDs #05338 and #67973), there's a crash when cancelling the dark frame capture process, during the capture of e.g. a few tens of frames.

[rwg]

Stop breaking it!!!

Seriously though, if you send me a dark frame, a light frame and a screenshot of what result you get with the dark subtraction I will have a look - email address on the sharpcap.co.uk webpage or by PM.

cheers,

Robin

[Giant]

Capture issue using Revolution Imager and USB Video Capture card:

I am having the same problem as another poster with no fix. When Capturing and saving frames (not Live Stack saves), SharpCap only saves a single frame .avi of 875KB. I have tried every option in Capture (Unlimited, Time Limit, # Frames) with same result. I even tried Frame Divisor thinking that the frame rate is too high for SharpCap. I tried all different PAL device options. You name it, I tried.

I am running SharpCap on Win10 laptop with the OEM Device driver (no other driver works) and have tried all the different USB ports for the USB video grabber. I even tried the exact same setup on my Win 7 desktop with the same results. I loaded in wxAstroCapture and EZCap and neither of them have the problem of capturing frames. Also SharpCap has no problem capturing frames when connected to the laptop's integrated camera.

What is also interesting is that SharpCap does not always connect to the camera right away. I typically need to select and deselect the OEM Device from the Camera menu multiple times to get it to start displaying a live image. Sometimes its a black image, sometimes its a still frame image, then evenutally it will kick in and display a live image.

I may be wrong, but it seems that SharpCap may have issues with either the OEM Device driver or the USB video capture device that OC provides with the revolution imager.

Any help would be appreciated since opening and closing two separate capture applications is not a great workaround.

[rwg]

6 minutes ago, Giant said:

Capture issue using Revolution Imager and USB Video Capture card:

I am having the same problem as another poster with no fix. When Capturing and saving frames (not Live Stack saves), SharpCap only saves a single frame .avi of 875KB. I have tried every option in Capture (Unlimited, Time Limit, # Frames) with same result. I even tried Frame Divisor thinking that the frame rate is too high for SharpCap. I tried all different PAL device options. You name it, I tried.

I am running SharpCap on Win10 laptop with the OEM Device driver (no other driver works) and have tried all the different USB ports for the USB video grabber. I even tried the exact same setup on my Win 7 desktop with the same results. I loaded in wxAstroCapture and EZCap and neither of them have the problem of capturing frames. Also SharpCap has no problem capturing frames when connected to the laptop's integrated camera.

What is also interesting is that SharpCap does not always connect to the camera right away. I typically need to select and deselect the OEM Device from the Camera menu multiple times to get it to start displaying a live image. Sometimes its a black image, sometimes its a still frame image, then evenutally it will kick in and display a live image.

I may be wrong, but it seems that SharpCap may have issues with either the OEM Device driver or the USB video capture device that OC provides with the revolution imager.

Any help would be appreciated since opening and closing two separate capture applications is not a great workaround.

What version of SharpCap are you using? I just tested with the most recent (2.8.2325) using a USB frame grabber and I get a PNG output file captured using both the 'Snapshot' button and the Single Frame option in the start capture dialog.

Robin

[Giant]

1 hour ago, rwg said:

What version of SharpCap are you using? I just tested with the most recent (2.8.2325) using a USB frame grabber and I get a PNG output file captured using both the 'Snapshot' button and the Single Frame option in the start capture dialog.

Robin

I am using the same version 2.8.2325. I was having the problem this week and downloaded the latest update this morning with same results. Please understand, I have no problem with snapshot or single frame (PNG output). The problem is that when I try to capture an .avi file (multiple frames), the .avi file is only 875KB in size and only 1 or 2 frames. During the capture, SharpCap absolutely shows in the lower right and left that I am capturing all the frames, but the resulting file does not.

I just tried using a different camera with the same USB frame grabber with same results, so its not the camera. Like I said, capturing all the frames works fine using wxAstroCature and ezCap.

Perhaps you can let me know what USB frame grabber you use and which Win10 driver, other than OEM Device, works for you.

 

[rwg]

Ah, right, understood now.

I have one of these grabbers - http://www.ezcap.tv/ - and it works fine with the driver on that site.

I also have one that looks like this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/EasyCap-DC60-Capture-Adapter-Software/dp/B00SKCI232  - that one shows up as 'SMI Grabber Device' and also seems to work fine. Driver from here http://www.mediafire.com/download/l6b66edkl5kujfm/SM_USB007+Driver+by+TheFatCheetah.zip

Note that my testing has involved plugging them in and checking they preview and create AVI files of the correct size - I don't have a convenient analogue camera or video source to test with so my AVI files are all black/noise.

Robin

 

 

[Giant]

11 minutes ago, rwg said:

Ah, right, understood now.

I have one of these grabbers - http://www.ezcap.tv/ - and it works fine with the driver on that site.

I also have one that looks like this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/EasyCap-DC60-Capture-Adapter-Software/dp/B00SKCI232  - that one shows up as 'SMI Grabber Device' and also seems to work fine. Driver from here http://www.mediafire.com/download/l6b66edkl5kujfm/SM_USB007+Driver+by+TheFatCheetah.zip

Note that my testing has involved plugging them in and checking they preview and create AVI files of the correct size - I don't have a convenient analogue camera or video source to test with so my AVI files are all black/noise.

Robin

 

 

Thanks for the links. I will check them out.

Even though you are testing without a camera, I am assuming that your .avi files are large and actually playback in the amount of time that you specified in SharpCap. For me, even though I may tell SharpCap to Capture for 1000 frames or maybe 30 seconds, my .avi playback is sub-second !

Also, since you don't have a camera, without knowing, you actually may be experiencing the other problem I have where when I select "OEM Device" from the camera menu, I get a black screen and need to select-and-deselect "OEM Device" multiple times before it syncs with the frame grabber.

[rwg]

Hi, yes, I'm certainly getting the right size AVI files.

As to the lack of sync, could that be down to a mismatch in video standard? For most devices this is available behind the 'Filter Options - "Show"' button in the right hand control panel.

Robin

[Giant]

8 minutes ago, rwg said:

Hi, yes, I'm certainly getting the right size AVI files.

As to the lack of sync, could that be down to a mismatch in video standard? For most devices this is available behind the 'Filter Options - "Show"' button in the right hand control panel.

Robin

Thanks for the Filter Options suggestion, but I did go through every single PAL (Revolution Imager is a PAL device) choice and nothing seemed to work any better. Not only did nothing sync any better, the higher level PAL options made the image look worse.

Hopefully a new grabber device and driver will do the trick....but it still bothers me that video grabbing works fine in the other applications.

[rwg]

Ah, well, that's perhaps less surprising to me...

SharpCap does some fancy tricks with DirectShow that most of the other applications don't try - these include

* being able to switch from preview to capture and back without restarting the video completely each time

* The frame divisor function

* Analysis and enhancement of the preview frames

I guess that it's likely one of these (or a combination) that the OEM driver you are using isn't really happy with. Unfortunately even with a device in my hands to test with this is a difficult bug to fix - it usually ends up with me removing big chunks of code temporarily until I find the bit that is causing the problem and then I still have to work out if I can make the device work while still keeping the important features of SharpCap.

cheers,

Robin