APT Simulation mode

 

Starting from APT 4.10 the setup installs a new icon on the desktop - APT Simulation. It opens APT in special mode which allows testing auto-focusing, PointCraft, many features of SessionCraft, Script and Commands and more indoors without need to connect hardware. For this mode are used the Han Kleijn Sky simulator and ASTAP solver. Great thanks to Jim Hunt for suggesting the idea and to Han Kleijn for the cooperation!

 

You have to download and install:

1. the Sky Simulator from here - https://sourceforge.net/projects/sky-simulator/

2. The 64 bits ASTAP from here- https://www.hnsky.org/astap.htm

3. The H18 database for ASTAP

 

Once you have these things installed there are two simple steps every time you want to make a simulation:

1. Start "ASCOM Sky Simulator" application and click on Start Simulation button

2. Start the APT Simulation icon

 

On the first start, check if the focuser position is set to 25 000 in Gear Tab, if not enter that value and click GoTo.

 

You are ready to experiment with the auto-focusing, PointCraft and SessionCraft. Also, you can tweak the camera/scope parameters in Tools tab, to load old images from your scope via Img Tab and experiment solving them in PointCraft. All settings changes will not affect the real-imaging profiles. If you want to reset this special profile, stop APT and delete the folder "Simulation Profile" located in the Documents->APT_Data folder. On the next start the profile will be re-created.

 

If you have created an imaging plan that you want to use it in the reals situation you can use the Export/Import feature of the Plan Editor.