193 replies to this topic

[sajmons]

I have made app Collimation Circles, to help with telescope collimation process. App was inspired by Mire De Collimation written by Gilbert Grillot and Al's Collimation Aid. You can get it here: https://github.com/s...limationCircles.

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Edited by sajmons, 21 December 2022 - 08:26 AM.

[alphatripleplus]

Moving to Astronomy Software & Computers for a better fit.

[GaryShaw]

Hi

Went to GitHub but I’m not sure where the app download is. GitHub always seems a confusing place for non-coder types like me but a great resource for many folks that can navigate within it and get what they need. Looks like you’ve done a nice job with the instructions so the app will likely be helpful to many folks.

Gary

Edited by GaryShaw, 21 December 2022 - 09:17 AM.

[bips3453]

Hi

Went to GitHub but I’m not sure where the app download is. GitHub always seems a confusing place for non-coder types like me but a great resource for many folks that can navigate within it and get what they need. Looks like you’ve done a nice job with the instructions so the app will likely be helpful to many folks.

Gary

Looks like the source code has been posted by OP. It needs additional steps to compile and run: https://github.com/s...ion-and-running

Edited by bips3453, 21 December 2022 - 11:16 AM.

[sajmons]

Hi

Went to GitHub but I’m not sure where the app download is. GitHub always seems a confusing place for non-coder types like me but a great resource for many folks that can navigate within it and get what they need. Looks like you’ve done a nice job with the instructions so the app will likely be helpful to many folks.

Gary

Garry, thank you for your kind words. What operating system are you using?

[GaryShaw]

Windows 10...

[sajmons]

Garry, I have aded binary files to download. Please see original https://github.com/s...limationCircles, Download chapter.

Thank you for your suggestion  .

[GaryShaw]

Hi

Thank you. I’m a computer ‘User’ with no programming or coding experience so I can only deal with compiled, ‘ready for market’ applications that have “.exc” as a suffix.

Good luck with your software.

Gary

Edited by GaryShaw, 22 December 2022 - 08:39 AM.

[Skywatchr]

Hi

Thank you. I’m a computer ‘User’ with no programming or coding experience so I can only deal with compiled, ‘ready for market’ applications that have “.exc” as a suffix.

Good luck with your software.

Gary

That would be *.exe files in Windows. Executable. 

[Lightwell]

Have been trying to build this on Ubuntu 22.04.  It was a long detour into some silly places, but finally succeeded. 

 

The installation instructions on github I found confusing (especially the MS ones) and the build failed a number of times for reasons outlined here:

 

https://learn.micros...x-package-mixup

 

Here is my method on Ubuntu 22.04, following the guide in the MS link above, which also provided me a way out of the mess and includes instructions for other distros.

 

In Terminal:

 

sudo apt update

 

sudo apt install dotnet-sdk-7.0

 

git clone https://github.com/s...tionCircles.git

 

cd CollimationCircles/CollimationCircles

 

dotnet run

 

Nothing happens in Terminal, but the application window should be open beneath other windows on your desktop.

 

As I am running KDE, I could simply pin the open icon to my taskbar for later use.  YMMV.

 

I like the app and will definitely use it.  The default Newtonian model is easily changed to fit my SCT as per screenshot below (this is overlaid on ASICAP without a running camera but it is horrid o'clock in the morning, vv cold outside and I'm going to bed shortly).

 

Good luck and CS

 

R

[Lightwell]

Update on the above.

 

SCT owners will have been heartened by the configuration shown above.  Unfortunately, after closing the app and re-opening, the config was not saved and was not recoverable.  Deleting the spider and clips was possible, but scaling the screws down to fit within the inner was not.  The entire assembly scaled, no matter what items were selected.

 

This may be what the TODO.txt on github is referring to.  Hope it is fixed soon (both the save-on-close failure and the scaling problem). 

 

CS

R

[Lightwell]

Update on the update ..

 

Found out how to work it now!  The items on screen are removable / configurable via the settings panel. 

 

Scale indeed scales the whole image.  The distance from centre to an individual item is controlled by the Radius set for the item, not Scale.

 

And I used the arrow button to save a config file before closing.  Which opened fine after restarting. 

 

CS

[sajmons]

Sputnik: I'm glad you figure out how to use app. controls in the middle column are yust for selected item and those on the right are for whole setup. I'll will make some UI changes to help user know what controls are controling what. Yeah I know .NET is sometime pain to setup. But wen you got it everything works great.

[Lightwell]

Hi

 

A bit more user feedback.   The on-app arrow for moving the screen does not function.  Shift-Arrow side to side works.  Shift-arrow for up/down works only down, but only for three moves before it freezes.

 

I don't find the ability to move the app quickly around the screen helpful  I never use an app position very far from centre, and if I did, considering the time to set up for collimation, the ability to move fast from one position to another is no use. 

 

Of much more use would be the ability to fine tune the app position by one or two pixels at a time.  The reason for this is to do with SCT collimation which requires that the image be recentered every time after an adjustment is made.  

 

In order to recenter, it is necessary to realign the collimation app with the camera image, on which is superimposed a reticle generated by the camera software, indicating the sensor centre.  This requires fine movement of the collimation app to realign with the sensor reticle, hence the above request.

 

An 'extra-fine' mode could be implemented via 'Fn-arrow' if another modifier is required.

 

Any other SCT-user's out there care to comment?

 

CS

R

[Lightwell]

A small correction.  References above to Shift-arrow should be to arrow alone.  Whichever arrow is used, the app always moves down until it hits the edge of the screen, then freezes.

 

CS

R

[sajmons]

A small correction.  References above to Shift-arrow should be to arrow alone.  Whichever arrow is used, the app always moves down until it hits the edge of the screen, then freezes.

 

CS

R

 

 

Hi

 

A bit more user feedback.   The on-app arrow for moving the screen does not function.  Shift-Arrow side to side works.  Shift-arrow for up/down works only down, but only for three moves before it freezes.

 

I don't find the ability to move the app quickly around the screen helpful  I never use an app position very far from centre, and if I did, considering the time to set up for collimation, the ability to move fast from one position to another is no use. 

 

Of much more use would be the ability to fine tune the app position by one or two pixels at a time.  The reason for this is to do with SCT collimation which requires that the image be recentered every time after an adjustment is made.  

 

In order to recenter, it is necessary to realign the collimation app with the camera image, on which is superimposed a reticle generated by the camera software, indicating the sensor centre.  This requires fine movement of the collimation app to realign with the sensor reticle, hence the above request.

 

An 'extra-fine' mode could be implemented via 'Fn-arrow' if another modifier is required.

 

Any other SCT-user's out there care to comment?

 

CS

R

Thank you for reporting this. Indead it seams that moving setup with arrow keys are not working on Linux OS. It is working properly on Windows though. I'll see what I can do about that and try to fix it. In the mean time, you can try new version 1.0.1 that is available on the GitHub. Settings UI is (I hope) more understandable now.

[sajmons]

It turns out that erratic moving window on Linux is bug in avaloniaUI framework https://github.com/A...nia/issues/9972. I have reported bug here and hopefullyit will be resolved soon. In the mean time you can download latest version from GitHub I have added some enhancements https://github.com/s...imationCircles.

[sajmons]

There is new version 1.0.3 available!

 

Changes are:

Fixed language change (window must be closed to changes take effect)
UI tweaks for easier side by side positioning
App remember it's state after closing and load that state on start
Check for update when application starts

 

https://github.com/s...ircles/releases

[vega509]

great work sajmons

a big thank you

[sajmons]

@Sputnik Thank you very much! I'm really glad that you find it useful.

If you find any issues, please do not hesitate to report them on GitHub page.

 

Maybe you can share your use case with us? How did you use application, and with what equipment?

Edited by sajmons, 21 April 2023 - 02:26 AM.

[DevonRob]

Brilliant tool thanks. Dumb Q - is there an easy process to be sure you have the screw images matching the tube? (I'm on an RC, so 4 vanes, 3 screws)

[sajmons]

@DevonRob Thank you for using Collimaton Circles application! I'm not quite sure if I understand your question. But I'll try to answer it anyway.

Screws helper is intended to help you indentify wich **** have to turn.

To align screws on screen with your telescope, you first open settings by selecting gear button in upper right corner. Than from list on the left side ("Item to costumize") you select screw item and make sure that check box infront it is checked. Then you can use "Item properties" to fine tune your screw size, position and rotation. See attached image and just folow numbers.

 

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[DevonRob]

@DevonRob Thank you for using Collimaton Circles application! I'm not quite sure if I understand your question. But I'll try to answer it anyway.

Screws helper is intended to help you indentify wich **** have to turn.

To align screws on screen with your telescope, you first open settings by selecting gear button in upper right corner. Than from list on the left side ("Item to costumize") you select screw item and make sure that check box infront it is checked. Then you can use "Item properties" to fine tune your screw size, position and rotation. See attached image and just folow numbers.

Thx - will give it a try

[archer1960]

@DevonRob Thank you for using Collimaton Circles application! I'm not quite sure if I understand your question. But I'll try to answer it anyway.

Screws helper is intended to help you indentify wich **** have to turn.

To align screws on screen with your telescope, you first open settings by selecting gear button in upper right corner. Than from list on the left side ("Item to costumize") you select screw item and make sure that check box infront it is checked. Then you can use "Item properties" to fine tune your screw size, position and rotation. See attached image and just folow numbers.

By the way, in this context, it's "Vane", not "Vein" in the UI.

[fmendes]

Testing 1.0.4. At least here, looks like despite my selection, all elements are displayed in Slovenian (I don't know, but surely not English or German! ).