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Post by davy on Apr 28, 2020 17:51:19 GMT
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Post by Dragon Man on Apr 30, 2020 14:57:51 GMT
Wow, I just watched his series of Videos about it. Pity video 11 and 12 are missing out of the series of 13 videos. Interesting that this program is a year old and I've never heard of it! I still don't understand it completely because I am fairly computer illiterate, but: - I think his program can't be used on a Windows machine? - What the hell is a Python 3 system? - What is an external capture engine? - What are dependencies? and I don't understand all this Jargon: - pip - miniconda
- terminal window - source-code distribution - interoperability with other tools through open formats
Other thingsd I don't understand even after watching the video series: - Is this a Capture software? - Is this a free software? - Even though it is only Mono, can a colour camera still be used, just viewed in mono?
It's all very confusing to me, but I like what I saw on the videos.
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Post by davy on Apr 30, 2020 17:14:54 GMT
Yes agreed,, a few bits had me Stumped, lf you think along the line of astrotoaster,, it uses the dss engine to run it,, so jocular must piggyback on a capture program,, mono only because colour was being worked on.,, I never went any further as I don't have mono camera,, definitely one to keep an eye on ,,
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iannz
Member
Posts: 71
home town/country: Tarurutangi, NZ
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Post by iannz on Apr 30, 2020 23:55:41 GMT
Wow, I just watched his series of Videos about it. Pity video 11 and 12 are missing out of the series of 13 videos. Interesting that this program is a year old and I've never heard of it! I still don't understand it completely because I am fairly computer illiterate, but: - I think his program can't be used on a Windows machine? >>>>> yes it can- What the hell is a Python 3 system ?>>>>>> Python is a computer language, it compiles and runs in real time the same as Java does.- What is an external capture engine? >>>>>> some other program to interface the camera and collect images to a folder that it can read, like the toaster etc.. -What are dependencies? >>> other progams and computer routines (dlls etc) that are needed by Python (probably) to workand I don't understand all this Jargon: - pip >>> Python Installation Program- miniconda >>> a small snake? maybe an ozzie can help with this one.....
- terminal window >>>> for direct input of computer commands a la linux. yike. - source-code distribution >>>> I think he means the program that you download that then works in Python (which you may also need to download as it's not a regular windows component - interoperability with other tools through open formats >>>> stuff thats yet to come
Other thingsd I don't understand even after watching the video series: - Is this a Capture software? - Is this a free software? >>>>> YES nothing to indicate otherwise anyway - Even though it is only Mono, can a colour camera still be used, just viewed in mono?
It's all very confusing to me, but I like what I saw on the videos. I think I got this mostly right, sorry if I made it more confusing..
ian
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iannz
Member
Posts: 71
home town/country: Tarurutangi, NZ
time zone gmt +/-: +12
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Post by iannz on Apr 30, 2020 23:59:09 GMT
Or..... from the pdf manual
quote:- For the impatient:
1. Install Jocular following the installation instructions at the start of this guide 2. Launch Jocular and choose a data directory (let’s assume it is called JocularData) 3. Launch your capture engine and start dumping FITS to JocularData/watched 4. You should see your images appear in the eyepiece view. Once you are ready to observe a different object, move the mouse to the upper right corner and choose ‘new observation’ from the menu that pops up.
That’s it. Your captures are also available to be reloaded via the earlier observations option. Plus a lot more. Pretty good looking manual at first look. ian
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Post by davy on May 1, 2020 0:08:39 GMT
OK,, lol,, who's the Guinea pig,, I've got enough on my plate with my ASTROPANDA and eqgti projects,,
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Post by Dragon Man on May 1, 2020 9:52:39 GMT
Wow, I just watched his series of Videos about it. Pity video 11 and 12 are missing out of the series of 13 videos. Interesting that this program is a year old and I've never heard of it! I still don't understand it completely because I am fairly computer illiterate, but: - I think his program can't be used on a Windows machine? >>>>> yes it can- What the hell is a Python 3 system ?>>>>>> Python is a computer language, it compiles and runs in real time the same as Java does.- What is an external capture engine? >>>>>> some other program to interface the camera and collect images to a folder that it can read, like the toaster etc.. -What are dependencies? >>> other progams and computer routines (dlls etc) that are needed by Python (probably) to workand I don't understand all this Jargon: - pip >>> Python Installation Program- miniconda >>> a small snake? maybe an ozzie can help with this one.....
- terminal window >>>> for direct input of computer commands a la linux. yike. - source-code distribution >>>> I think he means the program that you download that then works in Python (which you may also need to download as it's not a regular windows component - interoperability with other tools through open formats >>>> stuff thats yet to come
Other thingsd I don't understand even after watching the video series: - Is this a Capture software? - Is this a free software? >>>>> YES nothing to indicate otherwise anyway - Even though it is only Mono, can a colour camera still be used, just viewed in mono?
It's all very confusing to me, but I like what I saw on the videos. I think I got this mostly right, sorry if I made it more confusing..
ian
LOL!!! Thanks Ian, but that just confused me further! As per all the text above marked in Blue: After all these years on a computer I still don't know what Java is, I have never used or even looked at the often spoke about program called Astrotoaster so I have no idea what it is, what routines are, or what a dlls is. So thank you for adding to my confusion But at least now I know it's free and it works on a Windows computer. Then we move onto your next post LOL!!!!!! What is a Data Directory? "Launch your capture engine and start dumping FITS to JocularData/watched" - None of this sentence means anything to me What is a Capture 'Engine'? FITS as in FITS photos? What does 'JocularData/watched' mean? Number 4 worries me. So, in other words, this software doesn't show the camera's live view so it can be manipulated Live as we do with our current capture programs? If that is the case I'm not interested at all in it, That has totally killed my interest if that is the case. That would just make it just a fancy but limited post-processing program.
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iannz
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Posts: 71
home town/country: Tarurutangi, NZ
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Post by iannz on May 1, 2020 10:17:11 GMT
Okay, well I don't use any of this either, since I'm literally just starting out but near as I understand; Astrotoaster can access a folder of images (possibly in FIT's format for instance) that has been captured by some other software. You can then watch/play with it like Sharpcap. Sharpcap can also do this. #2 refers to creating a folder on your machine to where the captured (or already captured (like Sharpcap)) images live. You may, for instance, call it "JocularData/watched" as it suggests. #4 says that it is in fact looking at your live images as they stream into the folder (outlined in #2 above). As for Java, you probably have it running on your computers anyway unless they are W8 or newer when Java was discouraged by MS. Also on any net box type objects about the house plus other myriad mundane techy bits. It's just another form of software to do stuff.
Well, hopefully I filled in some of the potholes I'd created above otherwise I guess I owe you another beer. cheers ian
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Post by davy on May 1, 2020 10:18:04 GMT
It works with say,, sharpcap,, when you record on sharpcap it saves to a folder,, jocular will monitor the folder and allow post manipulation and then stack the images,, it works in the same way as stritiaster but much more features, Martin has messaged me back saying there will be changes made in the next couple of weeks,, major I believe because he said don't get too comfortable with current interface.
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iannz
Member
Posts: 71
home town/country: Tarurutangi, NZ
time zone gmt +/-: +12
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Post by iannz on May 1, 2020 10:24:20 GMT
MMmmmmmm, yes, stritiaster!! Can enjoy using that...... HahaHa oops sorry Davey, didn't really mean that.. ian
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Post by davy on May 1, 2020 12:09:30 GMT
This is the very reason why we don't have profanity filters 😁 Yes it's gaelic in Scotland for astrotoaster
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Post by Dragon Man on May 1, 2020 12:13:07 GMT
LOL!!!! I have to laugh. So many references to SharpCap which is a software I don't use, and don't like. I gave it several goes over several months in the past couple of years and never liked it. I ONLY use RisngSky or ToupSky (which are both the same software). Any post-processing, if I ever do any (which is rare these days), is all done in Registax and PhotoShop. I am probably letting a lot of new Tech pass by but I don't really care. I like using the programs I use and I'm very comfortable with them Yeah, I know, I'm being too conservative and getting left behind But it's like an old comfy pair of slippers.
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Post by davy on May 1, 2020 12:50:48 GMT
Change sharpcap to,, ye olde camera capture software of choice 😂
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Post by howie1 on May 1, 2020 14:40:44 GMT
As per all the text above marked in Blue: After all these years on a computer I still don't know what Java is, I have never used or even looked at the often spoke about program called Astrotoaster so I have no idea what it is, what routines are, or what a dlls is. LOL ..... Ken, java is a type of coffee. I understand it is very tasty.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2020 7:44:19 GMT
I have given both Startools and Astrotoaster a bit of a go and have found Astrotoaster very easy to use at a basic level. It can stretch some of my pretty ordinary images and make them look ok. I haven't had any success with Startools even though others swear by it. Howie has Astrotoaster talking to Sharpcap which is pretty handy. It is on my to do list. cheers Paul
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Post by davy on May 2, 2020 7:58:52 GMT
Astrotoaster is a great tool,, I've got mine linked to backyard eos an other software,, I use three laptops and had them configured differently to use Astrotoaster,, byeos/Astrotoaster,, sharpcap / astrotoaster,,, canon utilities /astrotoaster,,, this was so I didn't need to change settings
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Post by davy on May 2, 2020 8:03:59 GMT
I think jocular will be good bit of Software,, been reading Martins posts in Sgl for years and always very precise and good advice,, so I know he is going to produce something that is good, can't see him wasting time on something,, when there is other stuff out there doing the same,, just wait and see what changes he makes,,
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Post by Dragon Man on May 2, 2020 11:36:41 GMT
As per all the text above marked in Blue: After all these years on a computer I still don't know what Java is, I have never used or even looked at the often spoke about program called Astrotoaster so I have no idea what it is, what routines are, or what a dlls is. LOL ..... Ken, java is a type of coffee. I understand it is very tasty. LOL!!! All this coffee reference! Java, and Now Latte Panda Anyone made an Astro program based around Cappuccino lately?
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Post by howie1 on May 3, 2020 7:04:39 GMT
I have given both Startools and Astrotoaster a bit of a go and have found Astrotoaster very easy to use at a basic level. It can stretch some of my pretty ordinary images and make them look ok. I haven't had any success with Startools even though others swear by it. Howie has Astrotoaster talking to Sharpcap which is pretty handy. It is on my to do list. cheers Paul Paul, I have DSLR raw CR2 files working straight into SharpCap .... there is no astrotoaster involved. And no ASCOM Canon drivers involved either. Let me know when you get to it on your to do list SharpCap stacks very, very, very quickly compared to Toaster/DSS! And the fact that I'm colour blind I love the histogram in Sharpcap to tweak the colours correctly via the RGB curves. Toaster does not have a histogram. I have to try to 'see' what the colors in the image are in order to adjust the RGB sliders! I find that really, really hard in AT without a histogram. Unless you mean the other way ... sharpcap to control the (ZWO) camera to send frames to Astrotoaster to stack and tweak. I have a video on how to do that one too if you ever need it. Let me know. BTW the problem with doing that ... sending fits or png files from SC to AT to stack ... is that AT/DSS takes ages to stack. Much longer than using SharpCap. ....SC will stack 50 Mb 20Mpix DSLR raw files in 2 to 10 seconds. No matter how many frames you shoot which add to the stack ... every frame added takes about 2 to 10 seconds to get processed and added to the displayed (stacked) image. The 100th frame shot still only takes 2 to 10 seconds to add before you see the stacked image. ....AT on the other hand takes 30 seconds to stack even the first frame! But then gets longer and longer and longer to stack as more frames come into the stack. It slows down because AT is interfacing with DSS in the background. When the first frame comes into AT folder it puts that one frame into DSS - which processes that one file and saves it as output of the "stack". AT finds DSS's output file and displays it to you. Simple! BUT, when the second frame comes into the AT folder, it MUST send both frames to DSS to process - as DSS has no recollection of its first processing run! DSS processes the 2 images and outputs that "stack" of 2 frames. AT finds that output file coming from DSS and displays it to you. Third frame comes in ... AT sends all 3 frames to DSS to process. And so on. Slows down as each and every frame is added to the stack as AT MUST send DSS all frames to process each and every time. Cheers Howie
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Post by davy on May 3, 2020 7:32:11 GMT
That was the only problem I had with astrotoaster,, the amount of time it took, I can have short Windows of clear sky before the clouds came in and that was frustrating, think its time for one of your tuition videos mate 😁
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