I am trying to get MetaGuide to work within the SGP framework using its existing features, and an important one I need is the ability to run scripts at certain times. It looks like the Post-Event script is being invoked once after the first exposure of an event - rather than at the end of the event. This is easily reproducible with the simulators.
I hooked in simple message display scripts, and I am running the sequence so each event completes before moving to the next event.
In addition, as a feature request it would be very useful to be able to pass parameters into a script in the “Run Script” edit box. This would allow one vbs script to serve many purposes.
Finally - there are times when it is useful to run a script immediately before and immediately after each exposure. So having pre/post Event, and pre/post Exposure scripts would be nice.
Actually - I think a simpler solution that would fit my needs and presumably others - would be to change the meaning of “post-Event” to be “pre-Exposure” - and have that script invoked before each exposure. This is because a post-event invocation is fairly identical to the next pre-event invocation - and it is useful to have something happen before each exposure in an event.
For my needs, dithering would be invoked before each exposure - and the logic for handling target change and autoguiding would happen before the first event of a sequence. I think there would be other applications that would benefit from similar functionality being inserted in this manner.
Alternatively, the “before each exposure” script could be specified at the highest level of the sequence - along with things like “delay first” and “delay between.”
I checked that and it is on “Finish entire events first”. I assume it is a rarely used feature (post-event script) - so maybe it wasn’t noticed.
It happened during actual imaging sessions with MG, and it was a showstopper because it turned off guiding after the first exposure, rather than at the end of the event’s exposure sequence. I then duplicated it with a simple simulator script involving two events, each with three exposures - invoking a vbs script to display a unique message for pre- and post-event.
Is there a way I can try the beta version? I can’t figure out if it is available or how I would be able to participate. It looks like it used to be on a download page but was pulled.