Astroart 7.0 SP5

[fabdev]

Hello everybody, a new minor version of Astroart is available:

http://www.msb-astroart.com/

Version 7.0 SP5 - September 3, 2020
-------------------------------
* New feature. Full-frame autoguide for spectrographs.
* New feature. Several options for active optics.
* New feature. Airmass can be saved in the FITS header.
* New feature. Option for "software binning" 2x2 for all cameras.
* Improved. Star atlas icons are arranged on three rows when needed.
* Improved. Script commands for selected points.
* Improved. Script commands for rectangles and masks.
* Bug fix. Script command PasteText did not work.
* Bug fix. GIF animations did not loop in browsers.
* Bug fix. Star atlas showed a wrong telescope position if JNow enabled.
* Bug fix. Full-frame autoguide on multiple stars failed if bad polar alignment.
* Bug fix. Option "Copy missing borders" did not work with rotated images.
* Bug fix. Windows of telescope and focuser misplaced if multiple monitors.


The multi-star autoguide is now available for "guiding on slit", for spectrographs.
About the AOs, here is a screenshot about the new features:

If you need to save the Airmass in the FITS header, remember to check if the Observatory Coordinates are configured correctly. About "software binning" this may be useful for those mono cameras with very small pixels (for example 3.5 microns) which are used in binning 4x4 for research. You may consider working in binning 2x2 (hardware) plus 2x2 binning (software) to increase the dynamic of the camera to 18 bit.

The script command for points, rectangles and masks allow further possibilities for image analysis, here are two simple examples about calculating the average value of a zone of the image:

Code: Select all

x1 = Image.Rectangle.X1
y1 = Image.Rectangle.Y1
x2 = Image.Rectangle.X2
y2 = Image.Rectangle.Y2
if x1 = x2 then
  print "Please select a rectangle"
  end
end if
cnt = 0
sum = 0.0
for y = y1 to y2
 for x = x1 to x2
   sum = sum + Image.GetPixel(x,y)
   cnt = cnt + 1
 next x
next y
print "Average inside rectangle = " + Str(sum/cnt)

Code: Select all

if not Image.Mask.Active then
  print "Please select a mask over the image"
  end
end if
x1 = Image.Mask.X1
y1 = Image.Mask.Y1
x2 = Image.Mask.X2
y2 = Image.Mask.Y2
cnt = 0
sum = 0.0
for y = y1 to y2
 for x = x1 to x2
   m = Image.Mask.GetPixel(x,y)
   if m < 0.5 then continue
   sum = sum + Image.GetPixel(x,y)
   cnt = cnt + 1
 next x
next y
print "Average of masked region = " + Str(sum/cnt)

[merlin66]

Thanks Fabio.
Your ongoing support to the amateur community is appreciated.
Stay safe.

[Rudi]

Yes - Thanks Fabio

The switch army knife of astronomy tools keeps getting better and better.

[Emilio]

Thanks Fabio for the very powerfull new functions included in SP5. I am testing my imaging script, in the simulator environment, including the full frame guiding option and it seems very promising.
I have only one remark (not related to full frame guiding): at the end of each single object section and just before looping back to the next object, the script saves the GUIDELOG.TEXT as a .txt file with the following commands

SaveText(GuideLog.Text, (imgsDir$ + logdir$ + "\guidelog_" + name$ + ".txt"))
Guider.StopAutoguide()

As a result I get a guidelog_obj.txt file for each object. I was expecting to find the GUIDELOG.TEXT cleared after the Guider.StopAutoguide() command, but unfortunatelly not. As a consequence the new guidelog_objN.txt file includes the guide data recorded for all the objN-1, objN-2, objN-3, etc.
There is a way to clear the GUIDELOG.TEXT?
Thanks again
Emilio

[fabdev]

Hello, OK, I will add a script command GuideLog.Clear, if you need it now just write me by email.
Fabio.

[fabdev]

The demo version with SP5 is now available as well.