It’s just a case of User Interface overload
It’s very target driven, and the whole sequence is multiple targets. Forgive me if I’m regurgitating the obvious.
What I found helpful was to open and arrange the docking modules that I wanted/needed so that I could easily access the functions I wanted without having to dig for them. There are a LOT of settings and functions, and the last thing you want to do on a clear night is to waste time looking for stuff!
SGP doesn’t have its own catalogue of objects, so can either Open an Image and solve that, or open the Sequence window, click on the cog for your target and enter rough RA and Dec there. You can Slew Now or Centre Now, the latter using plate solving to centre in on those coordinates.
With the plate solving, you can right click on an image and select Plate Solve. When you’ve got your target in the FOV, right click on what you want as field centre and select Centre Here. Then if you plate solve it once you’ve got the target where you want it, it’ll pop up a box offering to save it to your target.
Keep the Scope Centring docking module open, as that has the useful “Solve and Sync” function, which takes two button presses in APT. This is useful when you first go near your target.
Create your default equipment profile so that it’s used by all new sequences. You only need to do this once, rather than having to tweak all the settings every time - and there are a lot of them!
When it comes to the auto focus routine, the goal is to get a nice V-curve. Have the Focus Control docking module open. In Settings, set your Step Size to be whatever it would take to move through your critical focus zone (roughly). You’ll need to experiment to find the right Step Size, but the goal is to get a nice V-curve. If you’re seeing any coma or field curvature in your auto focus images, set the Auto Focus Crop By to something sensible. Ultimately, you want the stars in field centre to be sharp.
One thing to remember is that any settings you change “live” are not retained from one session to another. If you make changes and think “I’ve nailed it!”, remember to go into your Equipment Profile and make the changes there too.
Hope that helps...
They’re different tools for sure...I do still use APT regularly, with my Canon riding on a Star Adventurer, and it’s nice and simple
