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DSLR Mode

 
Plan Editor can be opened from Camera tab by using the Edit button
or by double click in the table for the current plan.
If a plan is loaded the editor will be initialized.
 
Related videos:
 
There are six different plan types that have different properties:
 
Type
Short prefix
Long Prefix
Dithering
Note
Light
L_
Light_
Yes
 
Light Auto
LA_
LightAuto
Yes
Uses AV dial mode to determine the exposure. Useful for eclipses imaging.
Dark
D_
Dark_
No
 
Bias
B_
Bias_
No
If Advanced Bias/Flats is disabled uses the shortest supported exposure
Flat
F_
Flat_
No
If Advanced Bias/Flats is disabled uses AV dial mode to determine the exposure; Flat Box Controllers / Panels could be used during plan execution
Dark Flat
DF_
DarkFlat_
No
 
Frame/Focus
 
 
No
Doesn't store images on the disk/card
 
What prefix type will be used is selected form Name Parts in Main Settings tab.
 
Important Nikon note: Some of the Nikon models (D5000, D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D5600, D90, D80, D60, D40, Df) doesn't allow to use the AV dial mode without attached lens. For these models Light Auto is useless and also for Flats there is need to enable the option Advanced Bias/Flats and enter exposure duration. You can use the Shoot button the Histogram to find the right exposure. The histogram peak should be in the send section from left to right.
 
If you have a Nikon model that can handle AV mode without lens, in the camera menu go to section Setup -> option "Non-CPU Lenses", enter the focal length and the focal ratio of the telescope, then disable  the option Advanced Bias/Flats disable the option Advanced Bias/Flats and let APT to do the automation.
 
DSLR Mode
 
1

Plan : Select / Create / Delete All

1. Plan : Select / Create / Delete All
 
Here you can select for editing one of the existing plans or create a new one.
 
To create a new plan select from the list one of the options:
 
  • Add New Light Frames Plan
  • Add New Light Auto Frames Plan
  • Add New Dark Frames Plan
  • Add New Flat Frames Plan
  • Add New Bias Frames Plan
  • Add New Focusing / Framing Plan
  • Add New Dark Flats Plan
     
    This will create the corresponding plan and will give possibility to edit it.
     
    If you want to delete all plans from a type you can use one of the options
     
  • Delete All Light Frames Plan
  • Delete All Light Auto Frames Plan
  • Delete All Dark Frames Plan
  • Delete All Flat Frames Plan
  • Delete All Bias Frames Plan
  • Delete All Focusing / Framing Plan
  • Delete All Dark Flats Plan
     
Two confirmations are required in order to avoid mistakes. Even after them clicking on Cancel button will keep the plans.
 
2

Plan Name

2. Plan Name
 
Allows entering the name you want to use for the selected plan.
 
3

Delete plan

3. Delete plan
 
Deletes the currently selected plan.
 
4

Clone plan

4. Clone plan
 
Makes a copy of the current plan with possibility to change the type and loads the new one for editing. This is an easy way to create matching light and dark plans.
 
5

Plan List

5.  Plan List
 
List of the defined exposures. Click on the line that you want to edit, move or delete. The parameters of the selected line are loaded in "Add / Edit Exposure" section.
 
The columns are:
  • Order
  • Exposure duration
  • ISO
  • Pause duration
  • Count of the exposures
  • Quality
  • Lens aperture (AV)
  • Filter
 
6

Down

6. Down
 
Moves the selected line one position Down.
 
7

Up

7. Up
 
Moves the selected line one position Up.
 
8

Plan duration

8. Plan duration
 
Shows the expected plan duration. If the current plan is Light type it will show the total light duration that will be gathered.
 
9

Del

9. Del
 
Deletes the selected line from the plan.
 
10

Ringy Thingy

10. Ringy Thingy
 
Ringy Thingy is an innovative way to edit numeric values using only mouse or touch pad. See details and animation how to use it in the Application Interface notes.
 
11

Exposure

11.  Exposure
 
Defines the duration for every exposure that will be executed by this plan line. Use a duration supported by your camera. The duration is in seconds or fraction of a second.
 
If you are not sure about the speeds less than a second, make a connection to the camera and check the values available in the Exp list in Camera Tab.
 
If the exposure duration is 0, the line will make just pause and/or will execute defined Script or Command.
 
12

ISO

12.  ISO
 
Defines what ISO to use for the exposures in this plan line. Use an ISO supported by your camera. If you are not sure, make a connection to the camera and check the values available in the ISO list in Camera Tab.
 
13

Pause

13.  Pause
 
Defines the pause in seconds that have to be made between every exposure from this line of the imaging plan.
 
Tips & Tricks Longer pauses between exposures reduce the noise in your images.
 
14

Count

14.  Count
 
Defines how many images to take by this line of the imaging plan using the defined parameters.
 
15

Quality

15.  Quality
 
Defines the image quality setting to use for the exposures taken by this line of the imaging plan.
 
R+L
Raw + Large JPG
L
Large JPG
M
Medium JPG
S
Small JPG
Raw
Raw only
R1L
Raw1 + Large JPG
R2L
Raw2 + Large JPG
S1
Small 1 JPG
S2
Small 2 JPG
 
The options in italic are not supported by all Canon EOS models and not available for Nikon models!
 
Using quality that doesn't include RAW file, speedups the downloading and is useful for focusing an framing.
 
16

Lens AV

16.  Lens AV
 
Defines the lens aperture (AV) to use for the exposures taken by this line of the imaging plan. Use the option "No Change" if you don't use EOS lens or don't want to change the aperture.
 
17

Filter

17.  Filter
 
The filter to use for this line of the imaging plan. Use the option "No Change" if you don't use Filter Wheel or don't want to change the filter.
 
In order to change filters a connection is required to the Filter Wheel during the plan execution.
 
If the filters are described in Filter Wheel settings tab or if there is active connection to a wheel then this list will show the filter names. In other case the list will contain only position numbers like "Filter 1", "Filter 2"...
 
18

Update current button

18.  Update current button
 
Updates the selected line with the parameters set in section "Add / Edit Exposure".
 
19

Add as new button

19.  Add as new button
 
Adds a new plan line after the selected one using the parameters set in section "Add / Edit Exposure".
 
20

Script or Command

20.  Script or Command
 
Allows executing an internal APT command or external script / application. See the Scripts and Commands section.
 
21

Wait script end

21.  Wait script end
 
When selected APT will wait the external script or application to finish before continuing the execution of the plan. For the internal commands APT always wait the execution to complete.
 
See the Scripts and Commands section.
 
22

No Dithering

22.  No Dithering
 
If the current plan is Light Plan, allows disabling the Dithering for this plan only.
 
23

Vertical plan

23.  Vertical plan
 
Allows controlling the plan execution order. When it is unchecked, APT will take all exposures for the first line and then will continue with the next line. When it is checked the execution order will be:
 
    Line1->Exposure1, Line2->Exposure1... LineN->Exposure1
    Line1->Exposure2, Line2->Exposure2... LineN->Exposure2
    Line1->Exposure3, Line2->Exposure3... LineN->Exposure3
    Line1->ExposureX, Line1->ExposureX... LineN->ExposureX
 
The vertical mode is useful if you want to make HDR eclipse images, or when filter wheel is used and you are not sure that weather will permit to gather all channels one after another.
 
24

Import/Export

24. Import/Export
 
Export allows to save one or more imaging plans in new file, while Import gives possibility to add saved plans in addition to the current set or overwrite all plans.