How to Install Plate Solve 2: Go down to Joel Short's message about libraries

Sequence Generator Plate Solving
1

Using the 2.4.2.5, I loaded a FIT file using File open. I right clicked on the image and select Plate Solve. In the dropdown to select a solver nothing is shown. I have PlateSolve2 and Astrometry.NET installed on the machine. I’m using Windows 10. Here is screen shot of dialog:
.

Link to log file: Dropbox - Error

2

Seems that you are lucky. Trying the same prodedure the plate solve window is
not populated with the infos in the fits header.
When i choose Platesolve2 as solver an error message like " four to six parameters needed"
appears and platesove bugs out.

Robert

3

You first need to choose your plate solver in the control panel under the plate solve tab. Or you need to be working with a sequence created with an equipment profile that has platesolve2 selected. If you do either of those two things when you right click on an image and choose plate solve you will have the option to solve with platesolve2 (or elbrus if you’ve chosen that).

4

I get the same thing as OP but I can still blind solve even if it says “No plate solver selected”. I use internet and local Astrometry.net.

Peter

5

Yes, that does work to preselect the solver. However, this a very strange user interface to use the Search dropdown to display an error message. It would be much more intuitive if when you right click and select Plate Solve you get a Message Box such as “Select Plate Solver in Control Panel”.

This was the first time I tried PlateSolve2 and it was VERY fast. Great addition to SGP!

6

I never heard of PlateSolve 2. Any tips to install and run PlateSolve 2?

Is this the correct location to install PlateSolve 2?

http://planewave.com/downloads/software/

Do I also need to install:

APM Catalog Installer
UCAC3 Catalog (zip, for Plate Solve)

Thanks,
Peter

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7

Peter, you don’t need to “install” PlateSolve2. It is included in the SGP package. However you will need to download the astrometric catalogue(s). That’s what the “APM” and “UCAC3” catalogues are. I only installed the APM catalog (there’s some confusion as yet about which catalog or both are necessary).

Once you download the catalog to a location of your choice on the PC, you need to point PlateSolve2 to the catalog. In control panel, plate solve tab, choose PlateSolve2 and then hit settings. That should open up the PlateSolve2 interface. Then go to File and Configure Catalog Directories. Then point to the catalog on your pc. That should do it for you.

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8

Thanks Joel.

Is there a reason to add PlateSolve 2? What is the advantage? Does it only do local plate solving? Is it better, more accurate or faster than internet/local Astrometry.net?

Thanks,
Peter

9

I’m just playing around with platesolve2 myself. It is probably more robust and way easier to install and use than Elbrus and in the future Elbrus may not even be supported. I believe the platesolve2 is more tolerant of position and angle errors. It solves very fast if the hints are accurate.

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10

In my opinion, it is always good to have 2 separate plate solvers. Not a single one is 100% reliable in all areas of the sky at all scales at all angles. So… if you use a solver like PS2, Elbrus or Pinpoint as your primary solver and Astrometry.NET (ANSVR) as your backup solver, you can rest easier knowing that you have double coverage during flips and target changes.

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11

I downloaded “APM” and “UCAC3” catalogues and tested with PlateSolve2 and I got it to work. The plate solve of some of my images was very quick. I will try PlateSolve2 as part of the Sequence the next time I image.

I discover other things not related to PlateSolve2. I will create a new thread about this.

Peter