Astrotortilla won`t work

[NorthernLight]

Hi Guys,

I have been trying to get Astrotortilla to work for 2 days now and have uninstalled, reinstalled and changed parameters - followed the script in Light Vortex really good tutorial but still....it won`t work: bashcomp:

It doesn`t report back saying that it cannot find anything. I have to manually kill the Python process.

Below is the log viewer entry, which looks identical every time I try to run it on a jpg I took a while ago (no weather here for AP for the last 5

I am running Astrotortilla 0.8 on a Windows 10 build 10587.1045.


Hope somebody can help me!

2017-09-10 12:29:55,364 - astrotortilla - INFO - Connecting to camera...
2017-09-10 12:29:55,365 - astrotortilla - INFO - Exposing: 10.00 seconds
2017-09-10 12:29:59,598 - astrotortilla - INFO - Reading image from camera
2017-09-10 12:29:59,602 - astrotortilla - INFO - Solving...
2017-09-10 12:29:59,710 - astrotortilla - INFO - 0 [main] bash 3432 find_fast_cwd: WARNING: Couldn't compute FAST_CWD pointer. Please report this problem to

2017-09-10 12:29:59,819 - astrotortilla - INFO - the public mailing list cygwin@cygwin.com

2017-09-10 12:30:00,023 - astrotortilla - INFO - Reading input file 1 of 4: "-"...

2017-09-10 12:33:43,743 - astrotortilla - INFO - pnmfile: Error reading magic number from Netpbm image stream. Most often, this means your input file is empty.

2017-09-10 12:33:44,499 - astrotortilla - INFO - ioutils.c:605:run_command_get_outpu ts Command failed: return value 1

2017-09-10 12:33:44,500 - astrotortilla - INFO - augment-xylist.c:585:backtick Failed to run command: pnmfile /tmp/tmp.ppm.alqDVm

2017-09-10 12:33:44,503 - astrotortilla - INFO - No solution in 224.9s

Cheers

[Merlin66]

Don't know the AT answer, but have you tried the AllSkyPlate Solver?

ASPS seems to be easier to come to terms with.....
http://www.astrogb.com/astrogb/All_Sky_Plate_Solver.html

Just my 2c

[lazjen]

It looks like whatever image acquisition program you are using is not getting the output file to AT. What are you using for image acquisition?

Have you tried to use AT by solving an existing image to ensure it works?

[Merlin66]

Max says:
""Below is the log viewer entry, which looks identical every time I try to run it on a jpg I took a while ago""

Max,
What about uploading the jpg and letting us have a go.....

[NorthernLight]

Hi Merlin,

thanks for the tip with the other plate solver. I am trying to get AT to work with BackyardEOS. They integrate well and Ascom integration is working nicely as well. It is just that AT won`t solve my images.

Attached is photo I took ages ago. I chose it because it is a relatively short exposure. Maybe you can solve it and let me know what settings it calculated for you?

Cheers,

[Merlin66]

OK.....
Can you confirm the focal length of the telescope used and the pixel size of the camera....

[NorthernLight]

It is an ED80:
Fl: 600mm
Pixel: 5.1 micron square
It's a 450D canon
Sensor: 22.5 x 14.5mm

Does that help?

[Merlin66]

Max,
Yes, should be enough....
I'll get back to you ASAP.
Ken

[Merlin66]

OK,
Image as downloaded would NOT solve.

Further investigation, the image size did not match the camera/ pixel size.
It should have been 4272 x 2848 pixel to match the 450D.
Not sure what you did????
However, resizing the image to the above gave a plate solve:
See attached.
Hope this helps.

[Merlin66]

Here's an annotated version of the jpg - from ASPS

[NorthernLight]

that is an interesting development. I have just reinstalled everything and tried again solving this image for an hour, alas to no avail.

I might have to play around with the settings, then - or try All Sky Plate Solver.

very frustrating business. I wonder how everybody else does it. Wish there was a PhD like software around.

Thanks for your help with this - I will give All Sky Plate Solver a try and see if that works.

Cheers

[Merlin66]

Max,
I think it is an issue with the actual size of the image you're using vs the camera and pixel sizes quoted.
Nothing to do with AT or ASPS.....

[kens]

I got it to solve in AT. I first solved online on astrometry.net to get some workable parameters. In AT I used scale minimum 1 and max 3 degrees. Downscaling 2, sigma 10. That gave me 59 objects. It would not solve with an object limit of --objs 20 but with --objs 50 it solved in a few seconds. Its probably a noisy image.

[NorthernLight]

Hi Ken,

thanks for your effort, much appreciated. I entered the values as you posted but my AT keeps doing nothing for hours. It just shows Reading Input file 1 of 4: "-"...
I aborted after some time but always have to manually end the Python task or else it just hangs.

Have you got an idea what what this bit about the magic number in the Log File below means? Maybe I haven`t got the correct FITs installed???

2017-09-11 19:19:44,276 - astrotortilla - INFO - Connecting to camera...
2017-09-11 19:19:44,279 - astrotortilla - INFO - Exposing: 10.00 seconds
2017-09-11 19:19:45,608 - astrotortilla - INFO - Reading image from camera
2017-09-11 19:19:45,609 - astrotortilla - INFO - Solving...
2017-09-11 19:19:45,747 - astrotortilla - INFO - 1 [main] bash 10124 find_fast_cwd: WARNING: Couldn't compute FAST_CWD pointer. Please report this problem to

2017-09-11 19:19:45,852 - astrotortilla - INFO - the public mailing list cygwin@cygwin.com

2017-09-11 19:19:46,362 - astrotortilla - INFO - Reading input file 1 of 4: "-"...

2017-09-11 19:20:47,315 - astrotortilla - INFO - pnmfile: Error reading magic number from Netpbm image stream. Most often, this means your input file is empty.

2017-09-11 19:20:47,319 - astrotortilla - INFO - No solution in 61.7s

[Merlin66]

I obviously used ASPS rather than AT.
One issue could be that the index for your FOV is not set correctly.
ASPS has a Index Assistant to check and verify the needed Indexes are in place.
Did you use an adjusted image size?

[NorthernLight]

No, I chose this image cause its pretty much unchanged. I also tried with TIFF`s created from RAW. :confuse2:

I wish it would at least prompt me with a message like "sorry, can`t solve this" but it just gets stuck with this reading input file 1 of 4 message. I almost think I have technical bug somewhere here.

[Merlin66]

Max,
Download the adjusted image and see if that solves for you....

[kens]

Probably worth mentioning that AT, ASPS and SGPs' ANSVR plate solving are all variants of the same Cygwin based astrometry.net plate solver which is the engine used at nova.astrometry.net

What is odd is the "1 of 4" message as I get "Reading input file 1 of 1" which makes more sense.
This could be a function of your custom options - what is the contents of that field?
Mine is simply: --no-plots --sigma 10 --objs 50

[NorthernLight]

HI Ken,

I downloaded the resized jpg you posted up here and fed it into AT with Settings as per screenshot below.

It prompts the same error message (i had to kill the process in the end):

2017-09-11 20:33:26,371 - astrotortilla - INFO - Connecting to camera...
2017-09-11 20:33:26,372 - astrotortilla - INFO - Exposing: 80.00 seconds
2017-09-11 20:33:28,313 - astrotortilla - INFO - Reading image from camera
2017-09-11 20:33:28,316 - astrotortilla - INFO - Solving...
2017-09-11 20:33:28,420 - astrotortilla - INFO - 0 [main] bash 8036 find_fast_cwd: WARNING: Couldn't compute FAST_CWD pointer. Please report this problem to

2017-09-11 20:33:28,526 - astrotortilla - INFO - the public mailing list cygwin@cygwin.com

2017-09-11 20:33:28,829 - astrotortilla - INFO - Reading input file 1 of 4: "-"...

2017-09-11 20:38:29,773 - astrotortilla - INFO - pnmfile: Error reading magic number from Netpbm image stream. Most often, this means your input file is empty.

2017-09-11 20:38:29,776 - astrotortilla - INFO - No solution in 301.5s

[luka]

Going back to the first error/warning, Google search for "Couldn't compute FAST_CWD pointer" shows that this is likely issue with cygwin that needs updating.

When you uninstalled/reinstalled AT, did it also remove/reinstall Cygwin or only AT?

[Merlin66]

I have limited experience with AT but have to ask why is it lookingg for a camera rathe than a file image?
Have you downloaded ASPS?
Worth trialing......

[NorthernLight]

it did not remove Cygwin, I deleted it manually. I also tried installing the latest Cygwin for x64 but AT didn`t recognize it.

I did try different versions of AT but they all seem to be accompanied by the same x86 Cygwin version, which includes the Atrometry.net link.

[NorthernLight]

and now I tried All Sky Plate Solver :)

BOOM, solved in 17.8sec :2thumbs::nerd::party::thanks:

Thanks so much for the tip and thanks for all your time trying to work this out.

Now I just need to figure out how to get ASPS to sync my mount via ASCOM. You don`t happen to know how?

[kens]

In your custom options take out the -H 2.0 - L 0.9 -r
They override the Scale min, Scale max and Search radius settings. PLus you left a sapce between the - and L which the program interprets as files called "-" and "F". Also, as there is nothing following the -r it possibly treats that as the fourth file name.
Put something sensible into Search radius field - say 10 (degrees)

Edit: Also be a bit more generous with your Scale min and Scale max. Make them, say 1 and 3 respectively

[kens]

That message is pretty normal. Something to do with the CPU type I believe.

[kens]

The File Input option is treated as a camera type.

[kens]

It does have a nicer interface for file solving. With AT I connect to the EQMOD simulator mount so I can slew to near the target before solving but its a faff.

If you want to install ASPS, AT and SGP then with a bit of trickery you can get them all to use the same Cygwin installation including the solving code and, importantly, the index files to save many Gb of disc. Let me know if interested and I can write up some instructions.

[NorthernLight]

Hi Ken,

now I am finally getting somewhere with AT. It is solving now :) YEAH!!! :thanks::prey2: Thanks a lot for your help!

So far unsuccessful though. I am tweaking the parameters now.

Currently I use Backyard EOS but SGP looks interesting.

I tried the sync and slew function in ASPS but it sent weird commands to the mount and I think it didn`t like me running Stellarium and StellariumScope at the same time. Because Stellarium did not accept goto commands after I used ASPS on it.

How do you integrate the lot?

[NorthernLight]

IT WORKS, IT WORKS, IT WORKS :cheers::bowdown:

AT successfully solved the ED Tarantula image (as is), sync`ed the mount and re-centered. Cannot wait to test it under the stars.

I`d love to buy you guys a drink :) When you`re coming to Auckland, let me know and I meet you in the best pub in town - my shout.

Clear Skies!

[Merlin66]

Max,
Glad to hear that.
All's well that ends well.......