Ok, sorry to necrobump but +1 to improving the rotator flow. I use a flipflat. Here’s what I do, and I don’t like it:
Use the framing wizard to create a target(s)
Start the sequence
SGP points the scope, rotates the rotator, and plate solves. My nitecrawler is within 0.3 degrees every rotation… It’s awesome!
The first image is a 30 second throw away, because if you have a first photo as a flat the flip flat will close and the OAG will fail to settle, killing the sequence.
My next 4-7 frame types in the target will be flats. This takes a considerable amount of “science time” because I’m taking flats not light frames.
Once the flats are finished, I take light frames, then move on to the next object.
My location is bad in that I have a very small view of the sky. I have to image an object over several successive nights. There are objects in the south that I see just at the horizon for only an hour. Orion, for example, I get two hours a night if I’m lucky. So I have to image it every night. Technically I should be taking flats before every set of light frames, but that would chew up a dumb amount of time every night.
What I’d like to see is a workflow that is something like this:
A checkbox that says “Create flat frame object on successful plate solve”
After you plate solve successfully on an object it will create a separate flat frame object with the exact rotation angle, that can be taken after the evening’s imaging.
Sequence then completes, or clouds force the sequence to fail (I run unattended)
SGP closes the flip flat and parks the scope (PLEASE ADD A FEATURE TO PARK THE ROTATOR- MY filter wheel is insanely big (SX-MAX 11 position 1.25" filter wheel) and has hit my pier multiple times. Also the ultrastar OAG camera has a terribly designed connector on the end of it, and that can hit my pier as well. I’d like the scope to always park the rotator to a particular angle before it slews to park.
SGP takes flats (and biases or darks?) after rotating the camera to the correct angle, which is saved in the flats object after the original plate solve.
There is a checkbox: “Take flats every run” that will not require the user to reset the progress on every flats object every day. So flats will always run after the sequence ends/fails.
If the sun actually comes up during flat frame imaging, the sequence is aborted, but the remaining flats can be taken the next evening before you start imaging because you have the angle stored in each flats object.
Post sequence procedure then runs, and disconnects (in my case) all of my equipment.
That’s how I’d like flats to work.
The fact that SGP allows me to run my scope unattended is basically magic, IMHO. <3 this software and thank you MSS for making such an amazing product.