It's been one of those days

[Carole]

....when nothing will go right.

Last night was trying to get more familiar with APT, and things did not go right there, the captured files did not appear in the relevant file.  This morning there they are, but they definitely were not there last night, as all the other test files I have done over the last couple of days were there in their relevant files.

Then this morning when I try to stack the practice subs I did last night, I have been getting weird artifacts (I'll post that separately if need be).  It wasn't APT as I gave up trying to use that when I couldn't find the file.  Then I set DSS to do further stacks trying to eliminate the problem and it gets to the end of stacking and no file is produced, happened twice!!!

I now have a problem with APT masks and I am pulling my hair out.  I have been trying to create a new mask of some of my recent files so I can add to them, but when I try to file in in the appropriate folder with the file called FramingMask.jpg the laptop tells me:


I look into the help section to find out how to unlock a file and it tells me go into properties, it's inherited this or something, HOW? WHY?  

See next post

[Carole]

Can't find anything on the help menu on how to unlock a file, but it tells me to use Explorer and go into properties and change the security settings, but there is nothing listed to change, everything is grey'd out (see the left hand box).  

Please can some-one tell me how to do this before I go completely round the bend.

I even tried re-installing the latest version of APT thinking it might unlock the FramingMask but it is still doing the same thing.

[The Thing]

Carole, that's not how you do framing masks in the current version (1.60 onwards). You only had to mess around with the framing mask jpg before Ivo put in the image browser function on the Tools button. The framing mask jpg is in system protected folder which is why you can't edit it.

Here's what you do now...
Select the folder you want and then use the buttons to cycle thorugh the subs until you have one of the target. As you change subs they display in the window as if you had captured them. Then use the Framing Masks button, click on the bright stars you want to use for alignment on the target -  I find three is enough. Type in a name for the mask and Add.

When you want to use the mask, capture a sub (or use LiveView - I don't have it) where the exposure is long enough to identify the bright stars (it's easier if you have fewer stars so you can be sure of getting the right ones. Select the Framing Mask for the target and then slew around until the stars are in the circles. It's doesn't have to be spot on, e.g. you may have rotated the camera a little or something. The stacking will sort that out.

BTW your subs will end up in e.g. [your drive letter]:\[your folder]\Camera_1\[date you started APT]. You specify your drive letter and your folder in the settings dialog. APT creates the dated folder.

If you close APT after midnight has passed and then start it up again it will create a new dated folder. This is better than it used to be when it always created a new dated folder after midnight whether you wanted it or not!

Hope that helps.

Duncan

[Carole]

Hi Duncan,

Thanks, I was using V 1.5 which still had the old way of doing it, and yes it did create a new file after midnight when I did it the other night, but last night it didn't create a file at all.

Anyway, on to the Mask.  
I have been fiddling around with APT today and decided to install the 1.60 version, and have finally found out how to load the frame files, but the images are too big to be of any use, it is looking at a small section of the image and I can't seem to reduce the size of the image in order to get a few alignment stars in the frame.  I don't have the camera attached as that is still in the observatory.  

Any thoughts on that Duncan?
I am not finding APT at all straight forward, but keep having a try at trying to use it, mainly because of the framing mask, plus a few other useful features.

Also when I select a folder to scroll through the images half the time it doesn't show anything at all, it would be easier if you could select the actual file instead of a folder.  So I've created an APT Masks folder to cut down the options.  

Carole

[The Thing]

Image too big - you probably have Image Preview "1:1" or "1:1 Scroll" selected bottom right instead of just set to "On".

[Carole]

Brilliant Duncan, another problem solved.

Thanks
Carole

[The Thing]

BTW Carole, use the 1:1 preview settings to check focus and for Bahtinov focusing, it provides a nice size image for Bahtinvo Grabber. Make sure you try the = button very top right [- = x] It allows a 'normal' windowed view of APT rathe thanfull screen.

[Carole]

Thanks Duncan.  I'm going to have another "go" at it all.
I don't think some of the options are that obvious. 
I'll just learn one bit at a time. 

Carole