Sequence Generator 3.1.0.341 Beta is Released for Test

Hello! Welcome to the 3.X beta for SGPro. As always, we aim to ensure that even our betas are stable, but please know that we do find bugs during this process.

I M P O R T A N T ! (if you use notifications like GNS or Email)
If you are upgrading from a version of the beta before 3.1.0.289, it will cause you to lose your notification settings. That said, there is a way to capture what you did have, please see here: Installing beta 283 wiped out Notification info - #2 by Ken - Sequence Generator - Main Sequence Software

You can find the beta here:

http://www.mainsequencesoftware.com/Releases


Sequence Generator 3.1.0.341

  • Add: Can now right click on an image tab to open containing folder and highlight the image file
  • Add: You can now right click on Image window tabs and “Close”, “Close All But This”, or “Close All” Image(s)
  • Change: SBIG Auto Guider logs are WAY less chatty
  • Fix: Issue where an observatory shutter would open before the sequence start time is satisfied
  • Fix: A possible timing issue for ASCOM cameras where the camera might get stuck waiting to abort, but was never actually integrating when the request occurred
  • Fix: If the guide star is lost while waiting for target start time to pass, recovery will now be run. If recovery is successful, waiting will recommence.
  • Fix: An error that would cause SGPro to crash if you are using the free “lite” version

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.339

  • Change: Tweaks to the way blocking focuser movements check for done
  • Change: Failure to find start altitude for times issues a warning, but lets the sequence run
  • Fix: Issue where SGPro would launch the Windows Theme manager on exit
  • Fix: An issue where a bunch of dialogs that present the “dont show again” option would not work and would keep showing
  • Fix: A display issue where the bottom of some messages could be cut off.
  • Fix: An issue where failure to find the altitude for a start or end time could crash

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.337

  • Add: Keeping the SGPro Windows theme file in the log directory will automatically switch themes to use it.
  • Change: Ephemeris, transit, start and end times are not calculated until you have stopped typing inside the Ra and Dec fields for 1 second.
  • Fix: Proper message now conveyed when altitude locked target fails to find an appropriate time for a given altitude
  • Fix: When an active target has a failure to compute start time for an altitude, the sequence will not start
  • Fix: An issue where calculating time for an altitude of -1 would crash SGPro
  • Fix: An issue where AF might wait for extended periods between focuser steps (I think…)
  • Fix: An issue that would cause SGPro to crash when manually typing in Ra or Dec

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.335

  • Change: If your email notification SMTP user name is an email address, SGPro will use it as the “From” address for emails it sends
  • Fix: An issue that would still allow other focus movements to occur during temp comp adjustments
  • Fix: Remove notification test code that could accidentally change the running group and cause my personal reality to fracture
  • Fix: An issue where a lost star event could not trigger proper recovery
  • Fix: Flats wizard no longer creates empty targets
  • Fix: An issue that caused target Altitude Lock to break
  • Fix: Possibly addressed an issue where PlateSolve2 might crash SGPro
  • Fix: Image displays now produce a star overlay and HFR when the HFR overlay is toggled on (for new images)
  • Fix: The image toolbar no longer selects the “rotate 90” as the default button
  • Fix: An issue where SGPro would open in a small window (at least I think it’s fixed… made some changes and haven’t seen this behavior for a while now)

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.330

  • Change: PHD2 reporting the guide star is lost no longer re-starts the current frame and now aborts the sequence (and runs a proper sequence recovery if you use it).
  • Change: Add option to prevent end of sequence script from running after UNSAFE shutdown (if using restart on SAFE) → In Sequence options under the target list
  • Change: Temporarily display QSI camera and CFW options for both new and legacy drivers
  • Fix: An issue where temp comp would set baseline temperature to a stale (old) value
  • Fix: Sequence will ensure the observatory shutter is open before starting (even if mount and dome are not parked when sequence starts)
  • Fix: Pause guider during auto focus and settle before auto focus frame are now mutually exclusive in profile manager
  • Fix: An issue where the sequence could hang because SGPro thinks it’s at the wrong focus position
  • Fix: An issue where the sequence could hang if auto focus was triggered after a guider error issued frame restart
  • Fix: An issue where asynchronous image analysis would not update image stats when it was done
  • Fix: An issue where image statistics would not update when image history analysis was finished
  • Fix: An issue where opening a new sequence could immediately flag it as needing save
  • Fix: An issue where navigating to previous images would create new entries in image history

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.328

  • Change: Convert target center and slew options to radio buttons (in Target Settings)
  • Change: Convert target center and slew options to radio buttons (in Mosaic and Framing Wizard)
  • Change: Clear target completed status is no longer a checkbox, it’s now a button
  • Change: Telescope icon now points up… why was this pointing down?
  • Fix: Ensure manual rotator dialog always appears in front of centering dialog
  • Fix: An issue where the temperature compensation baseline was not set properly on sequence start
  • Fix: An issue where sequence recovery would quit immediately and say it quit because it could not complete a meridian flip

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.327

  • Change: Target slewing and centering options are now presented in a dropdown menu
  • Change: ASCOM telescope not querying focal length and aperture any longer
  • Fix: Addressed an issue where the sequence might abort if you were using external focuser temperature compensation
  • Fix: An issue where you could end up changing filters during a focuser backlash compensation and perform and incorrect relative movement
  • Fix: An issue where restart on safe could present a blocking user prompt asking if it’s OK to unpark
  • Fix: Scope un-parks as part of slew vs explicitly when in sequence (addressing dome wandering)
  • Fix: Driver temp comp is now turned off for the entirety of the time spent between frames and re-enabled during integration
  • Fix: Issue where the image history series drop down could have an item “BadKey”
  • Fix: Marking a image as bad will now automatically save the sequence to prevent the sequence getting out of sync with the file system
  • Fix: An issue where some sequence images would not provide the option to decrement the originating event count
  • Fix: Clicking on an item in image history no longer creates a new series
  • Fix: An issue where, for some frame types, SGPro would think the focuser is not where it should be
  • Fix: The QSI version of SGPro did not show the new drivers as options
  • Fix: An issue that would start SGPro (for some) as a small floating window. NOTE: if you were affected by this issue, it will still open up this way ONE MORE TIME. Just return it to your normal preferred state and it should open that way going forward.
  • Fix: Issue where the temperature compensation baseline was erroneously set at the start of each frame

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.322

  • Change: The dropdown menu showing all open images now highlights which image is active
  • Change: The default minimum exposure time for FLI cameras is 0.3
  • Change: Custom variable fli_camera_min_exp_length can set the minimum exposure length for FLI Cameras (Bias frame length)
  • Change: AFPacks now produce intermediate JPG screenshots
  • Fix: An issue where auto meridian flip with auto target centering would fail to actually center on the proper target when the flip was complete.
  • Fix: Focuser position and temperature could have incorrect values in image history.
  • Fix: An issue where older User Profiles would not stick to the sequence
  • Fix: Modifying custom variables now properly marks sequence as needing save

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.321

  • Change: Image navigation buttons are no longer tied to image history
  • Change: Log incremental AF fit results
  • Change: The image navigation arrows no longer require image history be enabled to use them
  • Change: ASCOM focuser validates that the current reported temperature is within livable human norms

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.320

  • Change: Minimum quality for quadratic fit now defaults to 80%
    Change: FLI Camera can temporarily override the exposure length for flush with fli_camera_flush_exp_length
  • Fix: More reliable live view for Canon
  • Fix: Recovery mode blind flip only considered when telescope is on the west (will no longer report failure to flip if scope is on the east already)
  • Fix: An issue where a message box indicating that HFR can only be calculated for 16-bit images would pop up during sequence run.
  • Fix: An issue where SGPro would crash if running a sequence with the big image history window open
  • Fix: An issue where SGPro would crash opening target settings for some targets
  • Fix: An issue where clicking on the image history graph to open a file would error saying that the image does not exist
  • Fix: Auto focus Y axis minimum now always 0.

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.316

  • Add: Temperature compensation minimum threshold set to 15% of auto focus step increment
  • Add: You can set the minimum allowable quality for quadratic fit with custom variable “quadratic_fit_min_quality”
  • Add: Full name of active image to title bar of main window
  • Add: Aperture field for telescope (in meters)… not used for anything right now
  • Add: Define step size in microns via custom variables… not used for anything right now
  • Add: FLI RBI Mitigation logging
  • Change: Temperature compensation can now be skipped if the requested compensation is below a certain threshold. Temperature compensation is no longer applied unless it exceeds a minimum user specified value, or, in the absence of this value 15% of an auto focus step increment. Override minimum temp comp threshold with variable “temp_comp_min_step_threshold”.
  • Change: Attempt to make the quadratic fit callout box stay put (mostly)
  • Change: Recovery will now attempt to perform a blind flip if meridian is encountered during a recovery attempt
  • Change: Meridian flip will not perform an initial solve if that target used auto centering
  • Change: Allow script types “cmd” and “bat”. Untested…
  • Fix: Notification tiles no longer blur and smear when scrolling
  • Fix: Check for update on betas is functional again
  • Fix: An issue where the setting to settle the auto guider before auto focus frames would start guiding up even if you were not guiding at the start of auto focus
  • Fix: An issue where the focuser could be moving when frame integration starts
  • Fix: An issue where applying temperature compensation might move focuser to an unintended position
  • Fix: Sequence will no longer start a frame if the focuser is still moving
  • Fix: The starting timed error is now cleared properly when sequence start is successful (erroneous error message 30 min after start)
  • Fix: Timed “watchdog” errors now display with the proper error icon
  • Fix: Image history back and forward buttons work properly again
  • Fix: FLI RBI Mitigation no longer inserts between frame delay between RBI and sequence frame
  • Fix: Image history graph will no longer crash when the mouse is hovered over it or clicked
  • Fix: Auto focus logs had duplicate logging

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.313

  • Change: Tweaks to auto focus graph rendering
  • Add: Target name and number of stars to auto focus log
  • Fix: Various code safety changes to auto focus fit
  • Fix: Issue where user profile modification after assignment to sequence might not stick
  • Fix: Target transit date no longer wildly inaccurate

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.307

  • Add: Better logging for auto focus fitting routine
  • Change: Minor tweaks to support safe data traversal in auto focus
  • Fix: Catastrophic failure of auto focus will now return to the starting position
  • Fix: Issue where manual “Center on Target” dialog “Done” button would still read “Abort” after it is complete.

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.300

  • Change: Refactored much of the altitude lock and planning assistant math (almost all changes are under the hood). Late change, but the current method was not useful when there is a large number of targets
  • Change: Auto focus graph is darker
  • Change: Add system color theme ControlDarkDark to image viewer toolbar
  • Change: Remove planning assistant rise / set markers for target (not useful)
  • Add: Turn on auto focus log for release version (View log folder → /AutoFocusLogs)
  • Fix: Image history analysis was running serially… was only supposed to do that for AF, corrected, analysis now runs asynchronously
  • Fix: If auto focus is not successful (no or low quality fit), it will return the focuser to the start position.
  • Fix: An issue that could take a long time to update start times for altitude locked targets
  • Fix: An issue that could take a long time to start a sequence when it has a bunch of altitude locked targets
  • Fix: An issue that would sometimes cause a delay when opening target settings
  • Fix: An issue where the target list could get out of sync with the selected target
  • Fix: SGPro message boxes are no longer in front of all other apps you have open
  • Fix: Auto centering can now be aborted without attempting to run end of sequence options
  • Fix: Auto center “Done” button properly changes to “Abort” when centering
  • Fix: An issue where some warning and error message boxes would not show
  • Fix: Removed a test notification used for debug
  • Fix: Image history browser buttons were broken

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.295

  • Change: Auto focus will now use a quadratic fit (instead of regression)
  • Change: If auto focus is unable to get a viable fit, it will run again and start from the lowest HFR encountered on the failed run
  • Change: PlateSolve2 will only wait 60 seconds for access to APM file (was 7 minutes for some reason)
  • Change: PlateSolve2 will attempt to open the APM solve file in a way that should work even if PlateSolve2 has not closed to release it
  • Change: SGPro attempts to identify PlateSolve2 in a bad state (hung) and forcefully kill it before a new solve
  • Change: Some PlateSolve2 failures will attempt to run solve one more time (using same exposure)
  • Add: More granularity to types of SGPro settings that can be reset (options dialog Reset button)
  • Add: File naming keys for consistent date (even after midnight) based on sequence start date for month, day and year as “m2”, “d2” and “y2” respectively
  • Fix: An issue where manually aborting a sequence waiting for SAFE would restart the wait for SAFE process
  • Fix: An issue where SGPro might not close if the sequence was in a state that needed saving I think
  • Fix: An issue that would make adjust focuser per filter and temperature compensation mutually exclusive
  • Fix: Assign new message boxes system colors
  • Fix: Accept “.consulting” email addresses for trial extension

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.291

  • Change: Most decision points that are prefaced by “Are you sure?” dialog boxes now have a “Don’t show again” checkbox (for those you who dont make click mistakes when you’re tired). Please note that SGPro has a lot of decision points… they have not all been tested, but these changes are pretty low risk
  • Fix: Issue where event level pause, park or script no longer worked
  • Fix: Issue where sequence pause and resume could cause the sequence to think it has no work left
  • Fix: Auto focus before sequence now runs between “slew” and “center” actions of first target
    Fix: An issue where an Astrometry.Net blind solve during centering could erroneously be flagged as a bad solve

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.289

  • Fix: Sequence open now renders controls for the first target faster
  • Fix: Auto focus before sequence start now runs prior to centering and auto guider start
  • Fix: Issue where the user profile manager would crash
  • Fix: A potential fix to stop SGPro from disappearing into the background after closing a child window could sometimes crash SGPro
  • Fix: An issue where the auto center routine might report a very large pointing error for RA deltas that span across 360 (24h)
  • Fix: Issue that saved notification settings improperly. Sorry beta users, you will need to reconfigure here
  • Fix: Issue where sequence end could bring up GNS setting even if you are not using it
  • Fix: Fix an issue where reading data from the Environment Device could crash SGPro
  • Fix: Timed error notification is emitted at sequence start (instead of waiting for the first image)
  • Change: SGPro 3.1 is now dependent on the .NET 4.5.2 framework (installed by Windows automatically)
  • Change: SGPro can now take advantage of multi-core processors

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.283

  • Fix: Issue with planning assistant that could populate start / end time with garbage altitude depending on the time of day using the graph
  • Fix: Apply same fix to non-modal windows that tries to prevent SGPro from disappearing into the background on window close
  • Fix: GNS monitoring endpoint no longer pauses timer between sequence exposures
  • Fix: Issue where replacing all targets for a new mosaic sequence would not load any events for the first target
  • Fix: After mosaic sequence creation, the background loader is started again
  • Fix: QSI version of SGPro now shows both “QSI Camera” and “QSI Camera 2”
  • Fix: An issue where the Flats Calibration Wizard would fail to save data back to the chosen profile (and crash)
  • Fix: Some ASCOM camera gain values were offset by 100 (Only affects Altair?)

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.280

  • Change: Image complete popups are now suppressed by default
  • Change: Image complete notifications now only apply to “Light” images
  • Change: Support for and auto conversion of old QSI drivers to new QSI drivers
  • Fix: Checking or unchecking a target during background load no longer takes an eternity to respond
  • Fix: A condition where upon closing SGPro with MFW open ask you if you really want to close 2 times and, despite your answer, would close anyway

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.279

  • Fix: A terrible issue that would destroy your sequences. All your sequence are belong to us.
  • Fix: A long standing issue where sometimes, upon closing a SGPro window, the main SGPro window would disappear into the background. Note that this is an attempt to fix it… I haven’t seen it since, but who knows… Let us know if you still see it.

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.272

  • Add: Sequence automatically loads fully in the background (SGPro is fully functional while the sequence is background loading)
  • Add: Option to move to next target if sequence recovery fails or quits on target end time (or if recovery is not used)
  • Change: Move user profile drop box into main view
  • Change: Move selected target to title of “Target Data” group box
  • Change: Removed dialog asking to attempt to leave the camera cooler on when disconnecting
  • Change: DSO-Browser import is now Telescopius import
  • Change: SGPro will now accept signed or unsigned integers for camera data
  • Change: Aborting a PlateSolve2 solve will no longer wait for PlateSolve2 to exit
  • Change: After importing targets, the sequence is now properly flagged as needing save
  • Change: Sequence recovery will no longer start if failed target is past end time/altitude
  • Change: Better logging around sequence reset/restart events.
  • Fix: Issue where notification settings were not saving properly
  • Fix: Certain conditions where a telescope failed to connect, SGPro would crash
  • Fix: Disconnect auto guider will not disconnect on restart after unsafe
  • Fix: If the guider gear does get disconnected, resume guiding will now attempt to auto-connect it
  • Fix: Auto center will no longer attempt to use blind failover if user aborts the centering routine
  • Fix: An issue where SGPro could hang if the plate solve might be bad and user elects to continue anyhow
  • Fix: An issue where SGPro could crash if aborting the meridian flip at a certain time
  • Fix: Weird flickering redraw issue when duplicating a target
  • Fix: Only go into capture calibration frames mode if calibration frames exist
  • Fix: Issue where attempting to move the last target up in the list could crash
  • Fix: Copy events from target
  • Fix: Weird border drawing issue on the event table
  • Fix: An issue where target copy events to or from might not work
  • Fix: Observatory slaving changing label to radius from diameter

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.258

  • Change: The auto focus fit method is no longer influenced by the “smart focus” option
  • Change: Auto focus will no longer rerun on validation failure
  • Fix: Sequence shutdown will no longer occur if a sequence shutdown is in progress
  • Fix: Better handling around Gemini Snap Cap empty/null port on connect

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.254

  • Change: Updated restart on safe status text
  • Change: Now sending notification that sequence restart is waiting for safe conditions
  • Change: If “Restart on Safe” is turned off while waiting to restart, the sequence will abort
  • Change: ASCOM cameras no longer wait for the camera to report IDLE state before starting an exposure
  • Change: SGPro will now allow centering, focus and guiding startup routines to complete before waiting for TEC to be at temperature
  • Change: Auto focus will rerun focus 1 more time if validation from is out of spec (down from 3)
  • Fix: Addressed an issue where SGPro notifications system would crash on open for some versions of Windows

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.249

  • Fix: Issue where creating a new sequence with a profile might fail
  • Fix: Repaired window scaling issue in the Options dialog
  • Add: More logging on settings migration

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.247

  • Change: Moved “restart on safe” checkbox to the “Sequence Options” tab (still in Options window)
  • Change: End of sequence shutdown on UNSAFE, can now be bypassed (setting in “Sequence Options” in the Options dialog
  • Change: When a new target is added, it is automatically selected
  • Fix: Deleting all targets no longer crashes SGPro
  • Fix: Adding a target when there are no targets is no longer broken
  • Fix: Issue where some profiles that specified certain settings for auto focus would fail to create a new sequence
  • Fix: Equipment should not disconnect when restart on SAFE is selected
  • Fix: Changing event order radio buttons now properly flags sequence as needing save
  • Fix: New targets now honor your default event rotation selection in options

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.245

  • Fix: Issue where sequence images would not open during “open last sequence”
  • Fix: Issue where some equipment profiles would fail to apply to the sequence
  • Fix: Issue where partially completed sequences would not reflect progress in the progress bar on open

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.242

  • Change: The target display window (upper left of sequencer) is now bigger… don’t get too excited because the text has also gotten bigger so it’s easier to use. Displays ~7 targets now. We will experiment more here in the 4.0 beta.
  • Change: SGPro now opens sequences of ANY SIZE very fast… finally.
  • Change: SGPro should now be able to support an unlimited (well… very large) number of targets and maintain a reasonable memory footprint.
  • Change: The target settings icon is not visible until you move the mouse near the target list. Grants more display area to the target name.
  • Change: Moved sequence time stats to the bottom of the sequencer window (may not stay here).
  • Fix: Copy events to other targets is now BLAZING FAST.
  • Fix: Shutdown on unsafe will no longer disconnect equipment when you are using “Restart on Safe”.
  • Fix: Fix crash when not using load last sequence on open.
  • Fix: QSI cameras now write correct local and UTC times in the FITS header.
  • Fix: Issue where target setting icon would display off edge of control.
  • Fix: Issue where the last target in the list might not be selectable.
  • Fix: Issue where some sequences, immediately after loading were flagged as needing save.
  • Fix: Recent sequences was broken if you were opening the last sequence used.

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.232

  • Change: Docking modules inherit title bar color from Control.DarkDark (this is for the Windows 10 dark theme by Shane aka @Kor) → Win10 Dark Theme for SGP - Sequence Generator - Main Sequence Software
  • Change: MFW Fetch now checks to see if an internet connection is available. If not, it displays an appropriate message.
  • Change: demoting local DSO location database in favor of SIMBAD (reports of local being less accurate)
  • Fix: Restart on safe will no longer show TEC not at temperature dialog for cameras that cool on connect.
  • Fix: ZWO Cameras will no longer disconnect when a new sequence is opened

Sequence Generator 3.1.0.226

  • Change: If the auto focus validation frame warning appears, SGPro will rerun auto focus starting from the original position. This will happen up to 3 times. If the warning is still present, SGPro will return to the starting position and continue the sequence. This is not super helpful… but is prep for other AF work.
  • Add: You can now filter the Notification popups in SGPro options
  • Add: Allow 10 Search Regions for PlateSolve2
  • Fix: “Dither every x frames” (was erroneously considering non-light frames)
  • Fix: Missing PHD2 port missing after sequence / profile migration
  • Fix: ZWO saved camera selection
  • Fix: Issue where aborting sequence after unsafe would restart sequence
  • Fix: Bug that would auto-change PlateSolve2 search regions after manual solve
  • Fix: Issue converting exposure time when display language was English, but region was not
  • Fix: Delay exposure string processing until no key press for 1 sec
  • Fix: Dont log image data from API guider
  • Fix: Remove profile name from sequencer window
  • Fix: Replaced old settings system with one much less fragile (wont lock SGPro on start)
  • Fix: Issue where flats wizard data might not save to equipment profile
  • Fix: Better message when no ZWO cameras are connected
  • Fix: Alnitak double connect issue, better message when com port is empty.