I have recently started to use SCG and I am finding quite confusing why some settings are found in the CONTROL PANEL (CP) and also in the EQUIPMENT PROFILE MANAGER (EPM) and others are not.
In the case the same parameter is set differently in the CP and the EPM, which settings are taken into account? (for example: the Auto focus parameters in the Focus Tab: if I set them differently in the CP and the EPM, which ones will be taken into account when I do an auto focus run?).
Hi Miguel and welcome to SGP. Think of equipment profiles as “templates”.
When you create a sequence you can either create a brand new sequence and
set all the control parameters yourself, or you can create a sequence based
on an equipment profile that automatically fills in all the control panel
settings for you.
For example, I have created a separate equipment profile for each of my
telescopes. When I create a new sequence I go to “file” then choose “new
sequence with profile”. Once the sequence is open if you go to control
panel all your settings will be set, again based on the profile.
I have figured out the following: When I make changes in the Equipment Profile Manager (EPM), save them and then open the Control Panel (CP) I won’t see these changes reflected there. But if I close SGP and then open it again, then I will see these changes reflected in the CP. Therefore, for your changes in the EPM to be applied to the CP, you must restart SGP (I suggest this is included in the Users Guide).
Now, my only doubt now is: If I don’t restart SGP after making changes in the EPM, what setting will be used by SGP? Those of the EPM or those of the CP?. My hypothesis is that settings from the EPM will be used by the Sequences, and those of the CP will be used by the Modules. I am right?
This is not true (and thus is not in the users manual). Changes are applied to new sequences only. When you save an equipment profile you are not creating a new sequence so no changes are applied to it. Again, the EP is only a template… saving it does nothing to any sequence ever. You must actually use it after you save it.
If you want to reflect your changes you saved in your profile into your sequence, simply create a new sequence using that profile or apply the profile to the existing sequence (in the beta).
The only reason your findings appeared to be true is because you selected the profile as the default profile. SGPro creates a new sequence using the default profile when it starts. This is no different than you just hitting, create new sequence manually (with no restart).
Ken,I understand what you say, but this still doesn’t answer my question. I will put an example: If I change an Autofocus parameter in the EP -i.e. step size- and save the profile and then open the CP, I will not see this change reflected there (in the example, the step size will be different from that in the EP). Now, If I do an autofocus run (with the autofocus module), what settings will the autofocus use? The ones of the EP or those of the CP? (Please note I am not talking about a sequence here). Thanks for your help.
To give a direct answer to your question, the autofocus will use whatever
settings are in your control panel as part of the current sequence. But I
don’t think you’re understanding this correctly. The control panel only
exists as part of a sequence. When you create or open a sequence (*.sgf
file) the control panel is part of that sequence and independent of the
equipment profile.
Instead, if you open a new sequence BASED ON A PROFILE, all the control
panel settings will be the same as in the profile. At this point the
equipment profile and the control panel are completely separate entities
and all the settings in the control panel are the settings that the
sequence will use.
When you change something in an equipment profile it changes nothing in any
existing sequences. The equipment profile only exists so that you don’t
have to enter all the settings in the control panel every time you create a
new sequence.
While Joel’s explanation is quite accurate, maybe a parallel real life example might clear things up…
Have you ever used Microsoft Word templates (.dot files)? You might use them to create other documents (doc files). These doc files all start off with an identical state (that of the template). You might then make custom modifications to documents that started from this template. None of these changes would have any effect on the Word template. Likewise, changing the Word template has no effect on any documents that have been derived from it.
Parallel the EP to a Microsoft word template and sequences to Word documents.
Like Joel said, changing AF steps in a profile does nothing to the sequence. So if you save your profile, then run AF, SGPro will use whatever was there before modifying the profile.
Thanks Ken and Joel for your detailed answers. I appreciate it. If I have well understood your explanations, in my example, the settings that would apply to an autofocus run made from the AF module would be those from the Control Panel (not those I just changed in the EP). Am I correct?