350 replies to this topic

[Yoddha]

What is 170+ for 2?

The answer is - the number of the major features added in APT for two years.

Yes, it is true! Since January 2010, APT got more than 170 new major features and many minor one. If you doubt take a look on the History page (the link below). Even more details - 90+ are added in 2011. And this is not the end. I will try to add more than 100 new in 2012.

Compare these numbers with the price - 12.70 EUR... I think that it is a fair one. How often you see such prices in the astro hobby?

http://www.ideiki.co...ro/History.aspx

[Dandelion]

Hi Ivo,
Are you planning to add a Mac version? Thxs.
Julius

[Yoddha]

Hello Julius,

I'm sorry to say that, but Mac version is not in the short plans

[Yoddha]

I'm very happy to announce that there is a Spanish translation of the tooltips. Many thanks to Iván Jaén!

[Yoddha]

Hello,

I'm happy to announce that the new version is available on the site You will find that many functions are enabled in the demo version...

The changes log is:

2012/2/15 - v.1.90 New features and bug fixes
-Added: TemperHum v2 support
-Added: Close button for all panels
-Added: Shutter counter displaying on camera connection (Digic 3 and later)
-Added: Automatic enable/disable of the Mirror Lockup camera function depending on the selected Anti-Vibration pause (Digic 3 and later)
-Added: Possibility to disable dithering for particular plan (like focusing plan)
-Added: Minimize/restore the sections in Telescope Tab
-Change: Record LiveView button is upgraded to Planetary Panel
-Added: Possibility to define the number of frames to be captured in LiveView Planetary mode
-Added: Possibility to record HD Video (Digic 4 only, full version only)
-Added: ASCOM Filter Wheels support (full version only)
-Added: Filter Wheel can apply focus offsets to ASCOM focuser (full version only)
-Added: Other small User Interface enhancements

-Moved: Settings dialog is available in the demo version
-Moved: Images folder selection is available in the demo version
-Moved: Possibility to group the images, by Plan Type, Object Name or both is available in the demo version
-Moved: Automatic image name prefix and suffix - ISO, Exposure, Date, Time, EXIF or TemperHUM temperature is available in the demo version
-Moved: Delayed plan start is available in the demo version
-Moved: Selection between Celsius and Fahrenheit is available in the demo version
-Moved: Temper(HUM) calibration - entering calibrating constants is available in the demo version
-Moved: Changing the number of the images used for LV Stack is available in the demo version
-Moved: Tooltips ON/OFF is available in the demo version
-Moved: LiveView automation ON/OFF is available in the demo version
-Moved: Bigger User Interface fonts for notebooks with big screen resolution and small display is available in the demo version
-Moved: Support for M dial mode for Flat/Bias plans is available in the demo version
-Moved: Possibility to change the limits for the notifications for low PC/Camera battery, low Camera space is available in the demo version
-Moved: Possibility to change the path in Images browser is available in the demo version
-Moved: Keeping settings between APT restarts is available in the demo version

-Fixed: Bug in the remaining time counter when APT is minimized
-Fixed: Bug in the remaining time counter when APT is paused
-Fixed: Bug when Script and 0s pause are used.
-Fixed: Bug that causes tabs randomly to become invisible when APT is in background

-Updated: User's Guide document (the new things are in green)
-Updated: Some of the interesting facts in Objects browser are extended by Jeff Seivert. Thank you!

The next version is expected in April. The number is quite round - 2.00, so I decided to make it special. APT 2.00 will cross the DSLR border and will also support ASCOM CCD cameras

[Yoddha]

The tooltips help translation in Dutch, Polish, French, Italian and Bulgarian are updated The rest are coming soon...

[Yoddha]

Hello,

A small update was released. It allows to make available few more features before the release of 2.0 that is expect in late April. The 500D and all Digic 2 cameras users will get guiding messages what is the required Mirror Lockup state. Thanks to Jeff Seivert for recording audio files for the objects in Object Browser. The complete list is:

2012/3/02 - v.1.92 Small update
-Added: Mirror lockup status reporting for all models

-Added: Check if Mirror lockup is in the right status depending on the model, Anti-Vibration pause and Automation setting

-Added: Check if for the right dial mode when recording HD video

-Moved: Object Browser is available in the demo version

-Added: Possibility to play MP3 file for object in the Object Browser (requires an audio extension)

-Added: Full and short audio extensions as separate downloads in the site

-Added: Framing mask flip (180 degrees rotation) for use after Meridian flip (full version only)

-Change: Improved "Frames per second" ratio in LiveView Planetary mode, more than twice. The preview refresh rate is slower

-Fixed: Bug when plan is executed with Camera only destination and after that again with Camera+PC destination

-Fixed: Few more small odd things

-Updated: Some of the interesting facts in Objects browser are extended by Jeff Seivert. Thank you!

[Yoddha]

The work on enhancing the text and audio information in the Object Browser (now available in Demo version too) is in continuous progress, so everybody can download the part that want from the Downloads page in the APT's site.

The latest news are:
-There is a new version of the text version with some changes in the existing information.
-There is a new audio pack - Caldwel objects.
-Updated is the "full" audio pack. It includes 358 objects now.

Many thanks to Jeff Seivert for his hard work!

[Yoddha]

The tooltips help translation in German and Portuguese are updated You can find the latest translations in the Download page of APT's site.

[Yoddha]

The APT's site was upgraded and now PayPal payments are handled automatically. As soon as Paypal marks a transaction as "Completed" you will receive your key (or your license will be extended if you are renewing)

No more waiting till I wakeup

[Yoddha]

The beta 1.94 is available on the site Note that CCD support is not included in it!

Here is the list if changes:

- Darkness Clock - shows the Sun and Moon set/rise, Nautical and Astro twilights. The clock shows the things from "nigh" point of view - most nights start in one day and ends in other Also there is a maker that shows the current time and flashes when there is approaching event in the next 15 minutes. The left end is 12:00 at mid day of the day in which the night starts/started. The right end is 12:00 at mid day of the day in which the night ends.

- Deep Space Darkness calculator. It shows the exact times for all tracked events. Calculates the 'Deep Space Darkness' - the time when the sky is dark and Moon is not above the horizon. You can see the values for any date - input a date and hit 'Enter' key to recalculate or use Prev/Next buttons. Also you can search for the next night with at least X hours of DSD time, starting from the selected night

- Settings dialog is reworked to use tabs and there is new one - location. You can enter coordinates in the format +/-XX.XXXXX. APT will convert them in to readable form

- When PHD dithering is On, APT will check on every plan start if there is connection to PHD and will attempt to make connection if it is not available.

- Object calculator DB is extended with the new models - 5D Mk III, 1Dx and 60Da

- Recalc button will switch on the object scale mode of the 'Target' button.

- 1100D model has no native mirror lock function. APT is updated to support LiveView simulation for this model.

- Some UI enhancements.

Please keep a copy of the official version in case something with this beta goes wrong...

As usual I'll be more than happy to hear your opinions and suggestions!

[Yoddha]

Some very good news There is a Chinese translation of the tooltips. Many thanks to Zhendi Wang!

The CCD support is advancing well and soon we will have APT 2.00 released

[Yoddha]

There is a new beta - 1.95 that adds support for the models 5D MkIII and 1D-X. The new version of the Canon's communication library states that it adds support for 60Da, but I don't see any changes here and also have confirmation that the current official version works fine with that model...

There are few fixes in the Darkness clock and Calculator.

The CCD functionality is not fully finished yet, so it is not included. If there are no changes in the plans the beta 1.96 will be published in Friday for initial tests with real CCDs.

[Vondragonnoggin]

Just bought it at version 1.93!

Question - if it goes to version 2 within a year of purchase, is that going to be an extra cost to upgrade?

[Yoddha]

Hi Vondragonnoggin,

Thank you for supporting APT!

You will be able to download any update in the next 12 months. After that, there is renewal fee of 6 Euro that will extend the service for another 12 months There are no surprises with minor or major versions - all a equal and included in the service

BTW 2.00 is expected in the next 2 weeks

[Vondragonnoggin]

Thanks for the quick response! I was looking into the feature sets and you are addressing directly some of my most recent researching into live view modes and ease of planning.

[Yoddha]

I'm happy that you find APT useful

[Yoddha]

There is a new beta - 1.97 that contains the latest fixes related to DSLR part. Note that there are two editions one for Digic 2 cameras marked with double quote (second) and other edition for all other models (Digic 3+).

[Yoddha]

Just to note that active development of 2.00 is resumed

I had a very busy summer - hard time in the office, vacations, imaging sessions and so on, but APT development never stopped completely. There was a serious mail communication with many APT friends. As a result various small issues and suggestions are addressed in the DSLR part.

Things are getting back to normal and am working on APT on daily basis again, so soon will have a new beta version that contains the improvements so far and better CCD part.

Thank you for your patience and support!

[Yoddha]

APT 2.00 is coming very very soon! But I need your help by making final tests with real CCDs. The details can be found here: http://tech.groups.y...ce/message/2363

Two more announcements:

- When APT 2.00 is released all active licenses will be extended with 6 months to compensate the long development time of this significant upgrade of APT

- As usual there will no pricing changes or surprises! APT 2.00 price will be still 12.70 euro for the first year and 6 euro for renewal no matter when.... But now you have a chance to get a bonus by getting your license before the launch.

Thank you in advance for your help and support!

[Yoddha]

Just put a new beta on the site - 1.98.3. It contains many improvements and fixes in the CCD part and some in the DSLR one.

There is one interesting new option - control of Digic 2 cameras with audio cable

It will be great to hear some feedback for the new beta Many thanks in advance!

The details are here : http://tech.groups.y...ce/message/2424

[Yoddha]

Are there Starlight Xpress, Moravian, Orion StarShooter/Parsec, Celestron Nightscape, QSI, FLI owners that want to give a try of ASCOM CCD support in APT?

[Yoddha]

There is a new beta - 1.99 (the last one I hope )

The 2.00 launch is scheduled for November 15th Don't forget that all active licenses will be extended with 6 months.

Details at : http://tech.groups.y...ce/message/2437

[Yoddha]

Hello,

I'm very happy to announce that APT 2.00 is finally available! As you know the main focus of this version is the ASCOM CCD cameras, but there are interesting features in the DSLR part too Many thanks to all that supported this project by one or other way!

Note that there are to editions of the new version 2.00 and 2.00" (second). The second one is for the EOS cameras with Digic II. The first one is for all other Digic generations.

Here is the list of the main changes:

2012/11/15 - v.2.00 The biggest update so far
-Added: Support for ASCOM compatible CCD cameras
-Added: CCD mode of the plan editor
-Added: CCD mode of the Histogram
-Added: Darkness Clock
-Added: Deep Sky Darkness Calculator
-Added: Support for Meade focusers
-Added: "Don't dither" option per plan
-Added: New Script parameters
-Added: Usage of the latest Canon library 2.11
-Added: Support for 650D, 1Dx, 5D MkIII, 60Da
-Added: Configurable auto connection to telescope
-Added: Configurable auto connection to focuser
-Added: Configurable auto connection to filter wheel
-Added: Tabs in the settings dialog
-Added: Support for Biula Audio Trigger
-Moved: ASCOM filter wheel control is available in the demo version
-Fixed: EOS 1100D mirror locking
-Fixed: Problem with RAW only images and exposures under 1s
-Fixed: Incorrect remaining time calculation is specific situation
-Fixed: Loosing connection to PHD when PHD is restarted
-Fixed: Many small enhancements and fixes.
-Updated: User's Guide document (the new things are in green)

[Yoddha]

Some issues were found and required to be addressed, so there is a small update availble

2012/11/23 - v.2.01 Small update
-Added: Saving .CR2 raw files in TIFF format
-Added: Setting the maximum ISO for Astro Tortilla
-Added: Integration of Astro Tortilla in CCD mode
-Fixed: Installer to use the right VS 2005 redistributable package
-Fixed: FITS format saving - the files were hard to process
-Fixed: Starlight Express filter wheel works fine
-Fixed: Small interface fixes