Updating Equipment Profile while Sequence is Running

Possible bug.

Until this last update I have been able to fine tune the equipment profile while a sequence is running. Meaning I will make a small change to the profile like changing my guider settle time, save the profile, then apply the updated profile to the running sequence. Normally on my next image the changes will be recognized and I would keep running. Now when I apply the profile it asks to turn off my camera cooler, then it disconnects my mount and aborts the sequence. Sometimes it even crashes out of SGP all together.

Is anyone else experiancing this?

I don’t think you should be trying to apply a profile to a running sequence. It’s OK to change the sequence equipment settings and then if desired the make the same changes to the profile.

I agree, but some times you need to. I’ve been doing this for the last 2 years without issues. The last update now prevents this.

Generally if you need to change the currently running sequence’ settings, you use the Control Panel, not the Equipment Profile. Is there actually ever a case where you need to do this via re-applying the Equipment profile to a running sequence?

I don’t think I’ve ever tried re-applying an Equipment Profile to a running sequence - I always make live updates via Control Panel.

Not sure if this worked in previous versions, but I can imagine that it would fall into the “things you shouldn’t do” category and maybe was never officially supported…?

The fact that it worked in the past is still playing with fire. As I said, you can update the sequence settings and the profile settings separately so you don’t “need to” apply a profile to a running sequence.

Well, if a permanently modified profile is desired (e.g. the default profile) then the ability to update the profile using Profile Manager and apply it kills two birds with one stone. Otherwise, you have to update the running sequence via the control panel then separately use the Profile Manager to update the default profile. It also would verify that the change is correctly and permanently made. Not a big deal, but a definite nice-to-have IMHO.

So now you need to be aware that it doesn’t work to use Profile Manager and apply the profile to a running sequence (I wasn’t wasn’t aware of that until now). Also it’s kind of counter to the philosophy of SGP where changes can be made in place during a running sequence.

Well, first we need the devs to confirm whether applying a modified Equipment Profile to a running sequence is supposed to work or not - we don’t have an answer on that yet.

And of course you can change any of the sequence properties while it is running by using the Control Panel so I don’t think this breaks SGPs philosophy on allowing run-time changes.

Personally I have always viewed the Equipment Profile as the “template” to build new sequences with, so I’ve never had any expectation that I could change that template and apply it to a currently running sequence. The template, once set-up correctly, should not need to change that often. If there are settings that need to be tweaked on a night-to-night basis, maybe to account for that current night’s conditions, then those changes can be made in a non-permanent way via the Control Panel.

It’s easy to think of scenarios where this could simply never work: What is I change my mount type or camera model/specifications in the middle of a running sequence? Should I be able to apply them and expect things not to break?

Small changes I would make while a sequence was running via the equipment profile was the guider settling time, the amount of dither I wanted. I would change these on the fly if I was having a problem. Never an issue. Other settings I changed was the exposure time during plate solving (not changed while solving, done after the fact planning for next time). Or step change while running auto focus. Also never an issue. When I would connect a new camer or scope to the set up there was always settings that needed to be fine tuned till it ran great. By changing it in the equipment profile I assured the next time I used the profile everything would run as I wanted. Last night I was hunting for an alternate way to change an SGP camera setting. The setting was “warm camera on sequence end” I accidently ended a sequence. I went to resume and was not allowed since the camera was trying to warm up. Ultmately I had to disconnect the camera, fix the profile, apply profile, re connect the camera and resume. These are all settings that are not equipment settings, but SGP settings I can do with my equipment. I am surprised that it sounds like I’m the only one who changed things on the fly in the profile. The person who showed me the program taught this to me and I just came accustomed to doing it this way. Not saying it is the right way. I just think there is always more than one way to do things.

The sequence ended when changing this via the Control Panel or when re-applying an change to the Equipment Profile?

Anyway - this is all speculation until one of the devs can confirm whether re-applying an Equipment Profile to a running sequence is a supported feature. Until then, if you are having issues, make the changes via the Control Panel (which is the officially supported method to make run-time changes) and then also make those changes to the Equipment Profile (if they are permanent changes you want to keep). Yes, having to make the change twice is painful, but no s/w is perfect :wink:

I have occasionally changed things on the fly using Profile Manager, but I’m certainly not hard-over on it. Just good to be aware that it doesn’t work. No problem. SGP is not perfect but pretty great!

Regards,
Kent

I was running my flats for several filters. I set a seqence up, but only check an event when I’m ready to run it. I have to change my focus between filters (auto focuser). So one event finished, no more were checked. I was not looking so it ended the sequence and started to warm up the camera. I wanted to stop the warm up, so I could run the next event after I changed my focus for the next filter. I’ve tried using the pause feature for each event, but that is a pain also. Wish I knew how to write scripts. I know what I want to do, but don’t know how to write it out. (ie flat, red filter, focus 1234, 25 images. flat,blue filter, focus 2345, 25 images and so on) Guess this is why I’m a software user, not a programer.

I forgot; haven’t been active in a while. “Save Sequence as Profile” may do what you want. You can make the changes on the fly using control panel and then use the “Save Sequence as Profile” to save what you’ve got and use it next time. You can even make it the default profile.

If SGPro allows you to do something it should work… I’m not sure what could cause this. It will take time to diagnose.

Actually… I spent a little time pondering this and I’m fairly certain I know what caused this. In summary, there are a few things going on here:

  1. I think the applied profile accidentally had a different camera selected than the one the sequence was using. This caused SGPro to attempt to swap the camera while a sequence is running… this is bad.
  2. @DesertSky is right… this is a little like playing with fire
  3. I know this is not the desired response to bringing this up, but we will need to disable this during sequence execution for now… there are a lot of pitfalls here. Please see thoughts below…

And as a last thought… sorry of somebody else already said this. The process during sequence execution should be

  1. Modify running sequence directly
  2. Save sequence as profile

and not:

  1. Modify profile
  2. Apply profile to running sequence
1 Like

Item one makes sense to me. Now when I connect my camera it askes me which ZWO camera I want to use. This is because I am now using the ZWO camera driver. Before I was using the ASI 1 and ASI 2. This is most likely the reason. Thank you for helping me think this through.

Before this run of conversation I was unaware of the control panel. I have all the tool windows open while imagine and never stray to the pull down menues. Is there a button on the tool bar for the control panel?

I too have experienced unexpected requests to turn off the camera cooler. There is no obvious choice so I say yes, and then turn it back on.

Lawrence Harris

Yes, it’s the fifth button from the left hand side - looks like a folder with the typical “cog” settings icon in the middle.

Thank you, I will look for it tonight.