Making single/test exposure without initiating the sequence

When everything is ready for imaging I always like to test different ISO/Exposure and check up my histogram to make my final desicion on what my final Lights are going to be.
I know I can do this with frame and focus, but the frame doesn’t get saved with it’s filenane information, like exposure, iso, temp etc. So it can’t be examined later.
I can do a single frame from the sequence window and just set repeat value to 1, but when you hit start it will initiate all the start and end sequence tasks (centering, focusing, phd).
It would be nice if there is a “single/test frame” button in the sequence window, so you can snap a test frame that is saved with all it’s strings in the filename, without initiating the sequence.

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I’m not sure I see the value in this. Maybe it’s because I don’t understand the problem it’s trying to solve. Can you give us a little more info about why you need this?

If you just want to see what the file naming is going to look like you can do that by clicking the magnifying glass icon next to the naming pattern:

If you just want to save the image you can do so by right clicking on it and saving it from there.

Or if there is something else entirely that you’re attempting to accomplish please let us know.

Thanks,
Jared

Hi Jared,
for every site, scope and target, I always determine my desired exposure length by taking single frame and examining it’s histogram, median values, stars and object saturation levels etc. If I don’t like it, I adjust new settings and make another frame until I find desired settings for my Lights.

I am aware that all of that can be easily done with Frame and Focus module, the drawback is that the frames don’t get saved. Yes, I can right-click and save it, but then I need to type all the information about that frame, target name, exposure, iso, temps, time, date. And that can be a long file name. Being in the total darkness with dim red light on your head and maybe frozen fingers it’s not fun to type all of that for each test frame I do.
Why do I want to keep those frames properly named with the details?

I have only two nights in a month for imaging and that if weather behaves, so every minute under the skies is precious. Being in the “rush” I may overlook something, so when I get home I can go over those test frames more thoroughly, taking notes and improving my imaging next time.
So this feature request have no problem to solve, more of a making a life easier under the stars.

Thank you.

Ok, we’ll have to think about this some. The “Frame and Focus” and the sequence are not really linked. So creating and saving frames in the Frame and Focus module that uses the sequence naming settings is a little weird to me.

Minimally we would also need to consider how files are numbered from the Frame and Focus vs the sequence since they’ll now have the same name. We’d also need to consider how to know which target you’re on for the naming or if you’re even on a target at all. So a fair amount of things to consider here.

Also SGP has the ability to attempt to guess at your ideal exposure time. This is displayed in the image statistics module http://www.mainsequencesoftware.com/Content/SGPHelp/ImageStatistics.html.

Thanks,
Jared

Jared,
creating and saving frames in Frame and Focus with the sequence naming is also sounds weird to me and not applicable. That is why I suggested to do this “single frame” option in the Sequence window. Everything, target name, filename strings is already there. Just an option to take single exposure without initiating full Sequence tasks. I think that is much simpler than implement saving and naming in Frame and Focus.

Ideal exposure requiring Gain and Readout noise entered to SGP, that is a problem with DSLR cameras, until you go through all rigamarole of measuring it.

Thank you.
Sergio

Why not just initiate your sequence with a single frame then inputting a pause, then you can inspect the first frame while paused and start the rest of your frames after you are satisfied that the parameters don’t need adjustment?
…Keith