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  #21  
Old 14-07-2007, 09:12 AM
Doug
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Al, I think either of your ideas would work quite well. The first idea would involve the least work I guess, but would still require 2 instances of the reticule program running, but that is no big deal.
The second idea sounds like it would really hit the jackpot. I remembered that Images plus (unpaid for) puts diagonals across images, so I have included a screen capture becuz it illustrates what I am trying to communicate.
Actually, me personally, could happily use 'Al's Reticule' as is by 2 because although my previous window shot was at 20%, I could easily reduce it to 6.25% and the current reticule lines would span the image window.
As you can see though it is just an ugly mess of lines, usable, but messy.
Pity there is no obvious way of displaying the horizontal and vertical centers of images I suppose that is what you mean by grids?

cheers,
Doug
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  #22  
Old 14-07-2007, 01:30 PM
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h0ughy (David)
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top work Al, you deserve a BIG pat on the back
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  #23  
Old 14-07-2007, 07:35 PM
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AlsReticle V1.2 - Now it rotates AND is resizable!

For those of you who wanted a resizable reticle, this is it. The reticle is up to 800x800 pixels, but the window is whatever you want. It can still be rotated and the brightness adjusted as before.

The reticle will always be centred on and rotated about the centre of the window.

As for the Image Capture Composition Aid... well I have the code written that should work... it just doesn't draw the lines.... I know the problem will be something simple when I find it!

Al.
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  #24  
Old 14-07-2007, 07:37 PM
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top work Al, you deserve a BIG pat on the back
Thanks HOughy!

It's a bit of fun - when the sky's ordinary and it's cold outside.

Al.
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  #25  
Old 14-07-2007, 08:16 PM
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Al's ICCA (Image Capture Composition Aid)

I solved the problem... and it was simple.... Apparently you can draw in image directly to a windows form, but lines and rectangles have to be drawn to a PictureBox... go figure...

Al's ICCA is an Image Capture Composition Aid. It is a resizable and transparent window you can drag over your image capture window/frame to help you compose your shot.

It produces a grid of line over the capture frame showing the centrelines, diagonals, and the 1/3 frame points (i.e. the corners of the inner rectangle). The "brightness" of the window and lines is adjustable.

Al's ICCA does not always stay on top like Al's reticle does. If it did, it may obscure some controls on some software and have to be moved to access those controls. By allowing it not to be on top any obscured controls can be accessed as soon as the capture software is brought to focus.

Let me know what you think.

Al.
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Last edited by sheeny; 14-07-2007 at 08:26 PM. Reason: Add Screen shot
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  #26  
Old 14-07-2007, 09:44 PM
Doug
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Thanks Al, that is exactly, well 98% what I meant
I have tried it out on Maxdslr running a simulated camera in focus mode and it works perfectly. I'm certain it will perform faultlessly with an actual imager. The beauty of your work is that it will fit any imager size and shape from a webcam chip upto a canon 5D or an SBIG 11000 series, even in 1/2 or 1/4 frame mode.
This little program will allow imagers who need to run 2 or 3 star alignments, to use their imagers direct when setting up, and when using the various precision alignment modes. Also when using something like a polar aligned Meade classic, synching to any object will still yield accurate subsequent goto operation.

Well thought out and compiled Al, thank you very much.

cheers,
Doug
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  #27  
Old 14-07-2007, 09:48 PM
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The fact that it does not always stay on top is insignificant compared to the benefit of having it available Al, IMNSHO.
Doug
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  #28  
Old 15-07-2007, 07:22 AM
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Doug,

I was thinking about it last night in bed...... I might be able to make the border disappear without shifting the ICCA. If that was the case, would it be better to always be on top?

If not, would it be better to have it always on top when there's no border, and normal when there is a border?

Al.
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  #29  
Old 15-07-2007, 09:29 AM
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Version 1.1 of AlsICCA

This version is a bit of a compromise. I can't get it to work exactly how I'd like.

It is the same as version 1, except that I have added a button which removes the border and makes the ICCA stay on top. The same button will return the border and make the ICCA not stay on top (i.e behave like a normal window).

I haven't been able to solve the movement of the ICCA when the border disappears. It appears that the .NET framework won't let programmers play with that. If anyone knows how to solve that, I'd like hear!

So as a work around, if you want to use the ICCA in no-border-stay-on-top mode...
  1. Align the ICCA over your image capture window so the inside of the border lines up.
  2. Move the ICCA so the top left corner of the outside of the ICCA border lines up with the top left corner of the capture frame.
  3. Press the No Border button.
The ICCA will move into position over the capture frame. The underlying image will be shifted by the same amount but this will be fixed when the image/window is refreshed.

So it's not perfect, but if you can work with it, then great!

Al.
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Last edited by sheeny; 15-07-2007 at 09:31 AM. Reason: typo
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  #30  
Old 15-07-2007, 06:41 PM
Doug
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Al, I had a play with it and found that after using the no border button, then bringing the border back, it behaves like version 1. It will not stay on top.
I think the original is just fine and I intend to use it tonight after dinner out in the dome. So far after about a month of inactivity, I powered up the EQ6 and after setting date and time bypassed alignment and did a goto to Jupiter. I'll post the resulting focus image later; it was 6 sec thru an ED80 f7.5 so it is grossly overexposed and as an image of Jup useless at that f ratio anyway, but it was nice to see the mount perform so well. Later I'll do a 1 star alignment and then a few gotos and with the aid of AlsICCA v1, I'll have a good idea of the pointing accuracy possible with the EQ6; I'll post the images.
Really, I think v1 is all anyone could reasonably want Al, and again, thanks heaps.
cheers,
Doug
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  #31  
Old 15-07-2007, 06:49 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug View Post
Al, I had a play with it and found that after using the no border button, then bringing the border back, it behaves like version 1. It will not stay on top.
I think the original is just fine and I intend to use it tonight after dinner out in the dome. So far after about a month of inactivity, I powered up the EQ6 and after setting date and time bypassed alignment and did a goto to Jupiter. I'll post the resulting focus image later; it was 6 sec thru an ED80 f7.5 so it is grossly overexposed and as an image of Jup useless at that f ratio anyway, but it was nice to see the mount perform so well. Later I'll do a 1 star alignment and then a few gotos and with the aid of AlsICCA v1, I'll have a good idea of the pointing accuracy possible with the EQ6; I'll post the images.
Really, I think v1 is all anyone could reasonably want Al, and again, thanks heaps.
cheers,
Doug
No worries, Doug. Glad it's useful. BTW V1.1 will only stay on top while it has no border - so you're right... it works the same as V1 while the border is visible.

Al.
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  #32  
Old 15-07-2007, 09:44 PM
Doug
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Yup very happy with the program. Looks like I need to re drift align abit or maybe change the grease in the mount or both though.

The images:
#1 as previously mentioned the initial power up and goto Jup.
#2 after Kaus Australis was used as a 1 star align target.
#3 a meridian flip was needed to goto M5.... not so good.
#4 back east of the meridian to NGC7099 not so much error, but too much
#5 return to Kaus Australis, showing a loss of position probably due to stiffness in the mount.
A check of the pier showed that it has shifted a tad from level, so once I re level it and free the glue in the mount I should be running on target again.
It will be interesting to hear from others that are using this nifty little utility.

cheers,
Doug
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  #33  
Old 16-07-2007, 07:01 AM
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Cool! Thanks for the screen shots Doug!

Al.
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  #34  
Old 01-05-2010, 09:48 PM
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Reticle for spectroscope guiding?

Al,
What's the chances of "upgrading" your reticle program to give double cross wires with variable gap??
I'm use PHD and Craig refered me back to your program when asked the same question.....
I'll like to be able to have a cross-hair reticle in PHD which I could reposition on the capture screen to allow for the off-set between the target star and the star image on the slit; the gap between the cross wires would represent the entrance slit gap...
ie I might find after calibration of the spectroscope that the "best position" for the target star is at column 210 and the centre of the slit is at y= 93.. it would be ideal if this "calibrated" position was displayed in a reticle in PHD to allow perfect setting of the target every time.... does this make sense???
Ken
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  #35  
Old 02-05-2010, 08:13 AM
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I was thinking about something similar to this last night! Actually I was thinking along the lines of a bifilar micrometer for measuring PA and offset, but all done in software, so perhaps its not exactly the same thing. I was thinking along the lines of say guiding on eta carinae but capturing a spectrum of the Humunculus only.

Let me ask a few questions and have a think about it, Ken...

I think an interface with PHD would be beyond me, but a stand alone overlay is something I can do.

Would you want the reticles to rotate like AlsReticle, or is it OK to keep them orthogonal to your camera?

Would you need to calibrate the reticles' relative positions in terms of real angles or would pixels do?

I'll dust off the VB.NET and have a play and see what I can come up with...



Al.
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  #36  
Old 02-05-2010, 12:55 PM
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Al,
Something about great minds....
I'd just need X-Y movement to align with the slit and would be happy with a pixel postion. KISS
Appreciate
Ken
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  #37  
Old 03-05-2010, 07:44 PM
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AlsReticle V2.0... Now with Ken's Most Excellent Offset Reticle!

Here ya go Ken. Can you work with this?

It really wasn't too difficult to do (I just did some temporary changes as an experiment, and Visual Studio decided I didn't want my original version ... so after making a meal of it, I recreated the thing as V2.0 with a second reticle that can be shifted relative to the central one.

I tried adding a checkbox to step the X, Y offsets and rotation angle increments from 1 to 0.1 for fine adjustment, but the rotation function in VB doesn't seem to support fractions of a degree anyway, so there was little point cluttering it with that.

BTW the X coordinate is +ve to the right as usual but for some reason Windows has the positive Y coordinate down.

Al.
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Last edited by sheeny; 03-05-2010 at 07:49 PM. Reason: typo
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  #38  
Old 03-05-2010, 07:52 PM
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Al,
That looks really promising....let me give it a trial...
Any recommendations for "registering" the outline/ frame to the PHD screen to "calibrate" the position ( and be able to repeat the position)??
I'll follow your original notes for V1.1 ie top LH corner etc.
Let you know how its goes..
Much appreciated!!
Ken
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  #39  
Old 03-05-2010, 08:03 PM
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No worries Ken.

I'm guessing you want to align the frame of the reticle to the image window in PHD and then use the movable reticle to indicate the slit position, am I on the right page?

Let me know how you go. If you need something a bit different let me know and I'll see what I can do.



Al.
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  #40  
Old 03-05-2010, 08:06 PM
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Al,
EXACTLY!!
I couldn't have said it better mayself!
Ken
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