PointCraft is set of APT features powered by the plate-solving technology. Before the detailed information lets give some usage scenarios in order to show what it is possible to do. Aim mode and GoTo++ are described better in dedicated section - Aim and GoTo++
1. Telescope alignment (Near solving)
Click on Objects in 'Current Image' section and pickup a star from Object Browser - Stars tab
Click on Sync button and you are ready to go for a target
Note: Don't make Sync on regions near the celestial poles. In this area all or most all celestial meridians are in the FOV, and the solving is detecting the RA with great error. Sometimes it could be so big that the next GoTo be in almost random part of the sky by RA. Use regions with Declination in the range from +85 to -85 degrees.
The scenario possibilities for framing and GoTo++ can be extended by the Planetarium applications integration. The Planetarium gives you way to see what is the image context and to change your framing in order to include nearby objects that currently are out of the image borders.
The PointCraft dialog box is separated in three sections described in details by the text below:
Current Image - defines the input data and shows the solving status
Plate-solving results - shows the result an gives options to use them
Center FOV - defines the position you want to put in the center of the Field-Of-View
Here is how looks a solved image. The center and north position are marked in the image. The coordinates and the other data are populated in the Results section.
Approx RA/Dec
Contains the approximate coordinates of the current image. They are needed when Solve button is used. If Blind is used you can leave them empty.
Accepted is any RA/Dec format. You can use the Objects and Scope Pos buttons to populate them.
This feature needs populated Approx Ra/Dec. The Object Calculator section also has to be populated in order the pass correct the FOV (Field-Of-View) size to ASTAP or PS2. Note that if you are using Canon lens, APT will read the current lens focal length after each exposure and will update the focal length field in Object Calculator providing the value for usage in PointCraft.
If you want to use custom FOV use Shift+Click on Solve button, enter the size in arc-minutes and click Go to start the solving.
In case of problems with near solving check the following topic in the APT forum. It contains discussion on the PS2 settings that have effect on the solving.
In case of problems with blind solving check the following topic in the APT forum. It contains discussion on the ASPS settings that have effect on the solving.
Tips & Tricks: When you use ASTAP as blind solving application, you can use Shift+Click on Blind button to execute Completely Blind solving. It will solve the image and will determine the focal length of your setup. The only thing that it required is the pixel size. Select the DSLR model or enter the pixel size in the Object Calculator section. Use Completely Blind solving if you Near or Blind solving fails because the FOV is not correct.
Makes the following sequence of actions: Shoot -> Get Scope Pos -> Solve -> Sync
If there is no defined exposure duration in PointCraft Settings, then is used the one in Camera tab.
If only one solving application it installed it will be used. If there are solving application for both Near and Blind solving, the solving method is defined by the selected method in the setting, PointCraft can use Near Solving, Blind Solving or to ask which to use on every Auto usage.
You can use Ctrl+Click on Auto button to force Near solving and Shift+Click for Blind solving overriding the selected method in the setting for the current execution of the procedure.
RA/Dec of the image center (marked in the image with two small circles)
Image resolution - in arc-seconds per image pixel
Angle - the frame rotation from celestial North. There are two values. The one detected in the image and the the corresponding angle from the other side of the meridian. Any of these can be used in multi-night sessions in order to rotate the camera properly and avoid data loss.
When you click and hold the left mouse button and then move the RA/Dec coordinates under the mouse pointer will be displayed in the fields Mouse RA/Dec.
Synchronizes the connected telescope with the solved coordinates of the image center. This is the equivalent of "One star GoTo alignment" provided by most telescope handsets.
A message will be printed in the Log panel when command is completed.
Opens the Custom tab of Object Browser in "Add new" mode then populates the found RA, Dec and angle from the last solving. You can enter additional data like name, type, etc. and save the position for future use - after meridian flip or in other imaging session.
Opens the Object Browser in order to load the GoTo++ Ra/Dec coordinates with an object - for example saved by Store button position of previous framing.
Shift+Click takes the current FOV coordinates from the Planetarium application.
Populates the GoTo++ Ra/Dec and Ra/Dec in Gear Tab with the coordinates from the last solved image. Useful when you have solved an old image loaded with the Image Browser - Img Tab.
When enabled allows finding the celestial coordinates of any point in the solved image. Click with the left mouse button in the image visible in the LiveView / Preview panel and the coordinates will be populated into both GoTo++ RA/Dec and regular GoTo Ra/Dec in Gear tab.
Works nice in combination with GoTo++. Both described in Aim and GoTo++ section.
