APT - Astro Photography Tool

Time 2022-08-06 22:43:12

Web Name: APT - Astro Photography Tool

WebSite: http://www.astrophotography.app

ID:272914

Keywords:

Astro,APT,Tool,Photography

Description:

Home Downloads Purchase Reward Canon matrix Nikon matrix Screenshots Videos User's Guide History Forum Contact Us Gallery Mobile Apps

APT - Astro Photography Toolv4.01

(released on 2022/06/10)
(next version in August 2022)

APT stands for "AstroPhotography Tool" and it is like Swiss army knife for your astro imaging sessions.No matter what you are imaging with - Canon EOS, Nikon, CCD or CMOS astro camera, APT has the right tool for planning,collimating, aligning, focusing, framing, controlling/tethering, imaging, synchronizing, scheduling, meridian flipping,analyzing and monitoring. All its features are packed in an easy and comfortable to use interface with design that hadno alternative back in 2009 when it was released. Since then APT is constantly being improved and refined by the realexperience of many astro photographers from all over the world includingone of the APT authors.It works on MS Windows Vista, 7, 8, 8.1 and 10.

Time unlimited "demo" version of this astrophotography software is available in theDownloads page.

Here is a list of the main areas APT covers.

Supported devices:Eight generations of Canon EOS Models. Check the EOS models matrix page for details.Most of the Nikon DSLRs. Check the Nikon models matrix page for details.ASCOM/ INDIGO/ INDI compatible CCD and CMOS cameras - QHYCCD, ZWO, Starlight Xpress, Atik, QSI, Orion, Moravian, Celestron...Native support for SBIG cameras and filter wheels.Native support for Altair Astro cameras.Native support for ZWO cameras.Native support for QHY cameras and filter wheels.Native support for ToupTek, Lacerta, Explore Scientific, Omegon and similar cameras.TEMPer(Gold) and TEMPerHUM sensors (produced before mid 2020!). USB_Dewpoint sensor. Never implemented in astro program before!Any serial control cable for Canon/Nikon. See a list ofserial cable vendors.KMtronic based shutter cable for Canon/Nikon.Easy to make yourself without soldering!Shoestring Astronomy DSUSB/DSUSB2 andBiula Audio Trigger.ASCOM / INDIGO / INDI compatible filter wheels.Manual filter wheels / filter drawers.ASCOM / INDIGO / INDI compatible focusers.ASCOM / INDIGO / INDI filter wheel to focuser connection to apply filter focus offsets.ASCOM compatible rotators.ASCOM / INDIGO / INDI telescopes control.Extended support for AstroHub and SirJolo Arduino based focusers.Direct dithering (APT Dithering), when there is no guiding program.Direct pulse dithering (APT Pulse Dithering) for self-guided solutions.Unihedron, compatible with Sky Quality Meter devices and the PrimaLuceLab EAGLE EYE.GPS receivers/dongles, smartphones and PrimaLuceLab EAGLE.Lacerta MGen auto guider.Lacerta FBC Flat Box Controller.Pegasus Astro - FlatMaster.ArteSky - Flat Box USB.GeOptik Flat Field Generator.Alnitak and clones Flat Fielding Devices.

User interface:Dark adaptation friendly user interface.Ringy Thingy - a unique way to edit numeric data in the dark, using only mouse or touch pad.More info and animation here.Keys Thingy - a handy way to edit numeric data in the dark, using only mouse, touch pad or tablet.More info here.Multiple color skins - Orange,Red,Grey,Light Grey,Green,Blue,White (click on the colors to see screenshots).PointCraft for images plate solving.Ability to frame object with simple click in a solved image ("Aim" mode in PointCraft).GoTo operations confirmed with plate solving ("GoTo++" mode in PointCraft).Bahtinov Aid - powered by the Bahtinov Grabbertechnology to provide focusing with sub-pixel precision with a mask!FWHM (Full Width Half Maximum) focusing method.HFD (Half Flux Diameter) focusing method.InvPower (Fourier transformation) focusing method.Automated focusing with ASCOM focusers using HFD/FWHM/InvPower via Hyperbola Fit
(better than V-Curve).Darkness clock and Deep Sky Darkness (DSD) calculator.Meridian Flip clock.Automated Meridian Flip.Automated refocusing by temperature, image count, time, filter change and etc.Temperature compensation of the focus position.PAPS - Polar Align via Plate Solving - 3-points polar alignment.Easy-to-use imaging plans editor.Automatic preview after every exposure.Preview in fit or 1:1 scale modes (changeable with simple double click).Images browser with thumbnails and delete function.Image magnifier that supports 3x, 5x, 10x and 15x magnifications.Possibility to track the imaging plan execution progress. Remaining exposures, time and estimated end time.Pause / Resume function when plan execution is in progress.EOS EXIF Temperature readings - Show them after exposure in plan is taken.Displaying the current temperature (requires TEMPer or TEMPerHUM) and current dew point (requires TEMPerHUM).Histograms - R, G, B and L histograms of the taken image.Histograms Stretching - per channel and automatic.Graphs to show Temperature, EXIF, Humidity, DewPoint, CCD Temperature/Power, Guiding, Sky Quality changes during the night.EOS camera shutter counter displaying on camera connection (Digic III and latter).Monitoring of your laptop and camera battery energy level as well as the camera and laptop free space.Notifications for low PC/Camera battery, low Camera space.Alignment aid - Rotatable/Movable cross.Collimation aid.Pixel Aid with various image statistics - Median, Std Dev and etc.CCD/CMOS Flats Aid to determine the right flats exposures and to create imaging plan.Sky Quality tracking with Unihedron device or by manually entered user estimations.Air Mass tracking and storing.Objects Browser with 545 or 21,198 deep sky objects (in short or extended list) , 78 or 337 alignment stars,2 start maps to use for size, coordinates selection and GoTo alignment. Available are audio extensions as additional download packages!Possibility to enter/import/export data for custom objects in the Object Browser.Field Of View calculator tuned for you camera and telescope.Object framing aid.Object Calculator that shows the actual object scale tuned for your camera and telescope as well as the size in pixels.Sound notifications.Multi-monitors support.Sky Quality NELM (V) to/from MPSAS (B) convertor.DARV - Drift Alignment by Robert Vice method.Never implemented in astro program before!FITS file header viewer.Focuser backlash measurement aid.Check lists creation for easier setup, packing, imaging.USB Monitor - Keeps track on the connected devices and shows history on the devices plugging/un-plugging.Never implemented in astro program before!Multiple setup settings profiles.

Camera operation:Multi-camera operation.Multi-camera synchronization and dithering.Flexible exposures control. Each exposure can be made with different ISO, Duration, Image Quality, Binning, Filter, count and ending pause.Storing destination selection (Camera/PC/Camera+PC for DSLRs).Flexible naming and grouping of the stored images - combination of 17 naming options (including EXIF temperature) and
8 grouping options.Light, Dark, Flat, Dark Flat, Bias, Focusing/Farming and Mixed exposures plan types. The Bias plans use automatically thefastest supported speed. For EOS the Flat plans use AV dial mode.Light Auto plan type for EOS for easier eclipse imaging in AV dial mode.Possibility to schedule for defined time or event and/or loop plan execution.Delayed plan start.Horizontal or vertical plan execution.EOS Lens control (Digic III and latter).EOS Lens aperture control during plan execution.DSLR White balance control.DSLR and CCD Live View support. It is quite helpful for focusing in combination with Bahtinov or other focusing mask.LiveView automation - tunes LiveView parameters for maximum sensitivity.Controlling the CCD temperature.CCD cooling and warming aids.Region of Interest (ROI) in CCDs for faster focusing."Center ROI" button to locks the ROI to the image center allowing alignment.Color preview of FITS files.AntiVibration pause before exposure. This is the needed pause after the mirror is picked up and before the real exposure,in order to eliminate the vibrations caused by mirror moving.Automatic enable/disable of the Mirror Lockup camera function depending on the selected Anti-Vibration pause (Digic III and later).EOS Mirror lockup control without serial cable for Digic IV and later.Auto synchronization of the DSLR camera's clock on connection.Disabling EOS camera auto power off when APT is used.Automatic conversion of DSLR raw files in TIFF formatPlanetary panel to record DSLR Live View stream in sequence of JPGs,with automation features.Internal commands API for advanced session automation.

IntegrationPlate solving with Astrometric STAcking Program (ASTAP)made by Han Kleijn.Plate solving with PlateSolve2 (PS2)made by PlaneWave Instruments.Blind plate solving with All Sky Plate Solver (ASPS)made by Giovanni Benintende.Plate solving with AstroTortilla.Advanced GoTo by Alt/Az offset to use the AstroTortillapolar alignment routine.PHD2/PHD Auto-Dithering, exposure Auto-Cancelingand real-time monitoring of the distance to the guide star. MetaGuide Auto-Dithering.AstroArt Auto-Dithering.Lacerta MGenAuto-Dithering, exposure Auto-Canceling and real-time monitoring of the distance to the guide star.Lin_guiderAuto-Dithering, exposure Auto-Canceling and real-time monitoring of the distance to the guide star.Possibility to disable dithering for particular plan.Possibility to call external scripts and programs.Possibility to interact with Cartes du Ciel(CdC). Import mosaics, observing and frames lists in the Object Browser.Possibility to interact with Computer Aided Astronomy(C2A). Import .COS and .C2A lists in the Object Browser.Possibility to interact with SkytechX.Possibility to interact with Hallo Northern SKY (HNSKY)Import mosaics in the Object Browser..Possibility to interact with Stellarium and act like ASCOM bridge/proxy.Import from AsimoPlanmosaic panels coordinates as Custom/ToDo objects in the Object Browser.Import from AstroPlannerlists as Custom/ToDo objects in the Object Browser.Import from www.telescopius.com / www.dso-browser.comlists as Custom/ToDo objects in the Object Browser.Import from Deep-Sky Planner lists as Custom/ToDo objects in the Object Browser.

Additional features included in the FULL version :Ours thankfulness about your appreciation for the involved in APT work and support!

Automatic EOS Lens focusing (using FWHM or HFD) - built into the Lens Panel. Never implemented in astro program before!Framing Masks - a multi session aid to help orienting the camera by same angle and position during multiple nights or after meridian flip. Never implemented in astro program before!Notifications for refocusing when the temperature changes or closing dew point to avoid un-needed heating (requires
TEMPer(Gold) or TEMPerHUM or focuser with temperature sensor).HD Video recording for Digic IV cameras from the Planetary panel. Requires lens or T-ring with focus confirmation.Support for Lunatico GNS - Good Night System to get alarm for problem with the imaging session on your smartphone.

Details and important information can be found in the User's guide page.

Astro Photography Tool

APT - The Imaging Catalyst

Home Downloads Purchase Reward

Canon matrix Nikon matrix

Screenshots Videos User's Guide History

Forum Contact Us

Gallery

Mobile Apps

Copyright © 2009-2022 Incanus Ltd.,
Copyright © 2017-2022 Distinct Solutions Ltd. All rights reserved.

Incanus Ltd. is a trade mark of Distinct Solutions Ltd.
Sofia, Bulgaria, Europe

The domains astroplace.net, ideiki.com, incanus.biz, astrophotography.app and distinct-solutions.eu are properties of Distinct Solutions Ltd. Press Esc to close.

APT friends:

Close

TAGS:Astro APT Tool Photography

<<< Thank you for your visit >>>

Hot Websites