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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Filter for focus and alignment uses current scheduled filter

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Hi,

First, I am sorry if this is something that is already possible. It may be and I just don't know the settings or maybe I am having some issues with my system.

Anyway, what I am asking is that the filter used for focusing and alignment be set to the current scheduled filter. Currently my setup is always going with my Luminance filter for focusing and my Ha filter for alignment. I believe this happens because it saves what is selected previously(?). I have noticed more than once that filters used for alignment and focus are the incorrect filters. Maybe not so much for the focus module, but I have definitely seen it happen in the alignment tab.

IF I forget to change these before starting the scheduler then the filters are moving unnecessarily.

For instance, my current target tonight is shooting red, green and blue. However, upon loading kstars/ekos the alignment tab is set to Ha. If I were to let it go without changing it then I will get a filter change once alignment comes up to the Ha filter. It would be much easier if alignment could happen with the first/current scheduled filter so there would be no need for a filter change.

Another quick example. When I had focus on filter change it would focus, then move to the Ha filter for alignment and then it would switch back to the filter that was scheduled for imaging and refocus again.

Maybe this doesn't matter so much, but with the issue of the filters not aligning properly on the ZWO due to a sensor issue(?) ends up throwing my flat frames off.

I hope what I am saying makes sense and if there is a solution to this then I apologize. I currently have had this happen a few times. Maybe my system is just acting weird or something or maybe I am just doing something flat out wrong.

Thank you!
Deesk
Last edit: 3 years 4 months ago by Daniel DeSclafani.
3 years 4 months ago #62822

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I agree with your assessment that this would be a good thing, and don't believe it is currently possible to control. This is a thing that bugs me every session as well. I put it on my long list of "things to improve is someone else doesn't get to it first".

For me, it's just a little time waster. Here's how my sessions typically start up.
I start up the scheduler repeating a job from last night to get more data:
- it slews to somewhere near the target and
- it then focuses (using whatever filter it used last, which is not the filter capture is planning on using next).
- it aligns, using some other filter (also last one used by align). It does appropriately move the focuser a little to compensate for the filter change before align starts.
- it starts up guiding (doesn't involve filters), then pauses guiding right away
- it starts up capture with a certain filter, likely not the one used in align, so capture initiates an "autofocus on filter change"
- focus runs using the filter capture wants
- capture and guide start up.

Clearly the 2 autofocus sessions are not needed. If the first AF and the align both used the same filter as capture wants, then the 2nd AF wouldn't happen. However, as the code stands, that capture session may not yet be started/loaded.

As to what you, Daniel, suggested:
the filter used for focusing and alignment be set to the current scheduled filter
At the startup, I don't know that there is a "current scheduled filter" defined. During the sequence, I believe Focus will do what you ask, but not Align.
But, I agree that if we knew what Capture will soon want (and we were OK with Align using that) then that would be the thing to use for Focus and Align.

Thanks for the suggestion!
3 years 4 months ago #62828

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You hit the nail on the head! Exactly what I was saying. Glad to make the suggestion. I often forget to change the filter in those tabs so it does happen often. I turned off refocus on filter change for that reason as well.
3 years 4 months ago #62841

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How would this work if your first filter in HA but your last focus/align filters were Lum which is what you wanted to use anyway for these modules. If it sets them to HA then it will bring down the whole session.
3 years 4 months ago #62884

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I assume you mean that align might not work with an Ha filter. If and when I ever do propose this change, I definitely would give the user the ability to constrain what filters should/could be used for align.
3 years 4 months ago #62905

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FWIW, I just couldn't figure out what filter the system started up with. Mine was always starting with an Ha focus,
even though I definitely didn't want that, and no matter what filter I ended up with in the previous session, it
always started with Ha. I put in a bunch of printouts in the source code to understand what was going on.
I finally figured it out!

Indi actually stores a filter position, and this filter position stored in the Indi driver is what's used when you restart Ekos.
So, before any future changes to the code, if you want to change your initial/default filter position, what you need to do
is go to your Indi filter-wheel tab, set your favorite filter, then go to the filter-wheel's Options tab and save the configuration.

Hy
3 years 4 months ago #63140

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Thanks Hy! I will keep it as is now and change it as I need it. If you ever change the code let me know! Most of my filters right now are parfocal so its not a huge issue!
3 years 4 months ago #63313

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