Astro photography tool

[Merlin66 (Ken)]

Install "as administrator" ?????

[Yoddha]

Matt, As Ken suggested please try to start it "As administrator".

[g__day (Matthew)]

I already tried the install as admin this morning (should have mentioned that earlier). The program after you say run as admin asks for permission to install, when you press ok the dialogue box disappears and then nothing happens. The mouse when you hover over APT_Setup is the round blue timer circle - it just never does anything, like it is waiting for an event that never happens.

None of the last eleven versions had this issue - its a first for me!

I also tried installing it in compatability mode (Win XP SP2) - still no joy, same behaviour it just stalls waiting forever...

[Yoddha]

This is very strange... The installer is same, just changed some files that are deployed.

Please try to uninstall the previous version...

[g__day (Matthew)]

Hi Ivo,

Version 2.91 removed without any issue - however 2.95 still won't install.

Also after waiting a few minutes I can't even halt the install task from task manager, I have to force a log off to kill the task. Will try and re-install the old APT again.

So logged on again - and V2.91 installed again successfully first attempt.

Now I noticed when I scanned my d:\astro\apt\versions folders that all previous versions had two application files Digic2_and_CCD and Digic3_4_5_and_CCD and a readme file, the latest version only has an APT_Setup executable. So that is different with the installer...

Matt

PS

I just re-download V2.91 again - it's a 19.3MB zip file that contains the three files above mentioned files. V2.95 is a zip file of size 13.96 MB containing only the one executable of size 13.982 MB - there's definitely a difference there that may or may not be part of the problem.

[Yoddha]

Hi Matt,

I have joined both editions and this is the reason to see one executable. In fact it is only Digic3_4_5_and_CCD but with added more files for installation.

Is the APT_Setup.exe unblocked?

[g__day (Matthew)]

Hi Ivo,

Unblocked by what? I am unclear as what you mean might be blocking this. Its passes the virus scanner, and I can't see any active software blocking it. To what do you refer or how does one check if some Windows software is blocked? If you mean the firewall I added a rule to allow the executable full access.

It acts as a runaway task given I launch it from Windows explorer and this hangs and Windows Task manager can't kill the process!

Matthew

[Yoddha]

Hi Matt,

I can't remember it was Vista or Win7 in some configurations requires an executable to be unblocked manually from the properties menu if the file...

Let me check if there is an update of the tool that I'm using to make the setup...

[Yoddha]

Matt, I can't find explanation of the problem There are more than 60 download of the beta and no reports for such problem.

If you want give me your mail address in personal message and I'll send you a zip with all files that the installer deploys so you can apply manually.

[g__day (Matthew)]

Ivo,

Thanks - done. I am surprised too, I can't intuit why my set-up seems to be special needs. Will let you know how the manual approach goes.

Matthew

[g__day (Matthew)]

Ivo, et al,

After a lot of mucking around I tried installing it in Windows 10 Pro and on the third attempt it worked.

Then I switched back to Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and I turned off Avast 2015 Firewall and file system protection - then it installed and ran well. I turned Avast firewall back on, it still ran ok. Then I turned the file system protection on and everything halted as before. In the end I just created a rule in Avast file system protection to ignore scanning the program executable directory for APT.

So bottom line is Avast Internet Security 2015 really doesn't seem to like this version - even when it is installed using all the files zipped.

Once the file protection was disabled - the installer would work and the latest version could be run. Turn the file protection back on (without the exception rule) and the previously installed executable just wouldn't run.

So maybe let folk know there is some sort of issue with the latest version of Avast at the moment. Probably wouldn't hurt to shoot Avast a line to and ask why is it picking on just the latest version's installer?

Many thanks - glad to have it working now and the problem at least isolated and avoided!

Matthew

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Switch to AVG Virus Scanner. Never had an issue with anything and never had a virus either.

[Yoddha]

Hi Matt,

Great catch! I'll try to contact Avast

[Yoddha]

Hello,

I’m very happy to announce that APT 3.00 is finally here! Many thanks to everybody that helped with the testing of this version during the beta phase! APT 3.00 has many major improvements in the architecture and all this had to be tested and polished.

Please take a look on the Release Notes that will be loaded after installing the update.

On the image is visible the effect of the automatic histogram stretching


Here is the complete list of the changes:

2015/12/10 - v.3.00 Major update
- Added: Blind plate solving in PointCraft (PointCraft->Settings to download ASPS, indexes need time to download)
- Added: PointCraft Auto button can work with both Blind and Near solving
- Added: Light Grey skin
- Added: Combined version for all Digic generations (Shift+Connect to select the Digic type)
- Added: Added support for 5DS, 5DS R, 760D (T6s ,8000D), 750D (T6i, X8i)
- Added: Canon library 3.2.1
- Added: Much faster RAW files (.CR2) reading
- Added: Stars Browser can limit list to visible only (FULL version only)
- Added: AboveHorizon setting (Settings->Main) and check on GoTo/Goto++ (FULL version only)
- Added: New tab in Settings dialog – CCD
- Added: Settings->CCD Auto Connect
- Added: Setting to Disable minimum exposure duration check (workaround for flats/bias problem with some CCDs)
- Added: New setting Wheel tab for Moravian wheels and special support
- Added: New interface for EOS Histogram
- Added: EOS Histogram Stretching - Double click(+shift) sets the white (black) point
- Added: EOS Histogram Stretching per channel (RGB button)
- Added: EOS Histogram Auto-Stretching (AutoStr button)
- Added: EOS Histogram Logarithmic View (Log button)
- Added: EOS Histogram for LiveView
- Added: New interface for CCD Histogram (double click(+shift) sets the white (black) point)
- Added: CCD Histogram Auto-Stretching
- Added: CCD Histogram Logarithmic View
- Added: Filters list on Gear tab for faster change
- Added: Humidity, DewPoint support for AstroHub and SirJolo arduino based focusers
- Added: Custom object browser is reloaded automatically if the file is changed outside of APT
- Added: New types in Custom objects - Variable Star, Asteroid, Comet, Planet
- Added: Lin_Guider integration (Gear->Guide or F7)
- Added: Ctrl+Double click - reset the current graph
- Added: RA/Dec coordinates storage in FITS for images taken with SBIG cameras
- Added: Multiple MGens (connection to the next available MGen device)
- Added: AutofocusAid remember the selected method (FWHM or HFD)
- Added: "Center ROI" button that locks the ROI to the image center allowing alignment

- Changed: Shift+Guide = Guide (removed the switching to PHD)

- Fixed: PointCraft Auto button doesn't show Status 'Imaging'
- Fixed: Fixed %TotalCount% script parameter for CCDs
- Fixed: Fixed %Pixel% script parameter for CCDs
- Fixed: Fix bug in Telescope ASCOM usage that caused problems with some drivers
- Fixed: Clear Object name from illegal chars.
- Fixed: Various fixes here and there

[Yoddha]

Hello,

The APT 3.10 is here! Loaded with exiting new features and covering another important milestone on our joint journey in the astro-photography

I hope that you will find the new User’s Guide as one of valuable additions in this release. Take a look on it here: http://ideiki.com/astro/usersguide/

Usually here is included a list with the changes. This time the version log is in new format with hyperlinks available here: http://ideiki.com/astro/usersguide/what_is_new_.htm

Great thanks to everybody that helped this update to become true with ideas and testing!

[Yoddha]

Hello,

APT was updated to version 3.11. It contains some important fixes and few additions like support for the latest EOS models (80D, 1300D and 1D X Mark II).

The Moon is getting smaller, so update your APT and be ready for the dark skies

The complete list of the changes is available here: http://ideiki.com/astro/usersguide/what_is_new_.htm

[Yoddha]

Hello,

APT was updated to version 3.12. There are some interesting new features and some fixes. As highlight I can mention the first User Interface facelift since the very beginning of APT. During the years the behavior and outlook changed a lot, but the basic elements of the interface remained unchanged… The new version brings a fresh look – nothing radical, everything you have used to and liked is still there. Just touches here and there. To see the sparkles you may need to use your averted vision

The complete list of the changes is available here:
http://ideiki.com/astro/usersguide/what_is_new_.htm

Hope that you will like the changes

[Yoddha]

Hello,

APT was updated to version 3.13. It contains some important fixes and few additions like integration with http://www.dso-browser.com and improvements in Plan Editor.

The Moon is getting smaller, so update your APT and be ready for the dark skies

The complete list of the changes is available here:
http://ideiki.com/astro/usersguide/what_is_new_.htm

[Yoddha]

Hello,

APT was updated to version 3.20. This time the main focus is on the DSLR part, however there are improvements and bug fixes in the CCD part too

Let mention the possibility to control lens aperture during plan execution and the new imaging plan type "Light Auto" - light plan that uses AV dial mode. These additions deliver a powerful set of options to image eclipses.

Other useful improvement is lens focal length detection that makes platesolving with zoom lens much easier and pleasant.

The complete list of the changes is available here:
http://ideiki.com/astro/usersguide/what_is_new_.htm

[KWR (George)]

Great work. Thanks for the update.