******************************************************************************** VERSION 9 CHANGES MOST RECENT ONLY JANUARY 16, 2008 FOR A LIST OF ALL CHANGES, SEE CHANGES_V9_FULL.TXT. IF USING AN OLDER VERSION, PLEASE CHECK IN THAT FILE TO SEE IF ANY PROBLEM YOU'RE HAVING MIGHT HAVE BEEN FIXED. ******************************************************************************** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT NOTE - IMPORTANT NOTE - IMPORTANT NOTE - IMPORTANT NOTE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The changes documented below may or MAY NOT be reflected in the latest documentation. Please be sure to refer to this file should you see something that does not appear in the documentation. The documentation will be updated far less frequently than the code! ******************************************************************************** * * * ALL PROGRAMS * * * ******************************************************************************** Build 9.4.0.0 ALL PROGRAMS USING AUTOMATCH The AutoMatch feature stripped the data padding at the end of the file. The NOFS FITS standard requires that the data section be an integral multiple of 2880 bytes and that it be padded with zeros beyond the formal data to the end of the last logical record. This generated an error when using the NOFS FITSVerify program. Build 9.4.0.0 ALL PROGRAMS USING AUTOMATCH The CRVAL1 and CRVAL2 key word values had the wrong format when the value was negative. Instead of being -XXXX.XXXXX, it appeared as +-XXXX.XXXXX. This generated an error when using the NOFS FITSVerify program. Build 9.4.0.0 ALL PROGRAMS READING CCD IMAGES The XPIXSZ and YPIXSZ keywords could be interpreted incorrectly if they were stored in scientific notation instead of "standard" format. Build 9.4.0.0 ALL PROGRAMS All programs now use compiled HTML (CHM) help files. Windows Vista does not provide native support for the old HLP file system, though a download is available from Microsoft that allows Vista to call help in programs that still use the HLP files. Build 9.4.0.3 ALL PROGRAMS When reading an SBIG format file (CCDOps and CCDSoft can save in this format) the X/Y pixel sizes were not read. This meant only that the configuration values in Canopus/PhotoRed were used for AutoMatching. This did not allow overriding the configuration settings in the AutoMatch routine, a feature added in 9.4 that helps reduce the number of profiles required. N.B. The SBIG format stores the pixel sizes in mm, not microns, which most FITS headers store. The new change converts the value from mm do microns. Do not edit the SBIG format header to store in microns. Automatch will not work if you do. The SBIG format is not commonly used any more but is still supported in MPO programs. FITS should be used since it has more information and is more universal. While there are no plans to remove SBIG format support, it should be considered "depricated", i.e., available only so that archival images can still be used. Build 9.4.0.3 ALL PROGRAMS Changes to code reading the date/time from the FITS header. If the DATE and DATE-OBS keywords were present, the DATE keyword would "win". Since the DATE keyword is _SUPPOSED_ to be the date the file was created, this would be different from the DATE-OBS keyword, which is _SUPPOSED_ to be the UT start of the exposure. Unfortuately, the DATE-OBS keyword, despite being _STRONGLY_ suggested by the FITS standard, is not always used and the DATE keyword was used to hold the date of the observation. ******************************************************************************** * * * MPO CANOPUS/PHOTORED * * * ******************************************************************************** Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS/PHOTORED The QuickMags and the Binzel Reduction methods have been removed. The Simple Differentials reduction method is now named AAVSO Batch. The QuickMags and Simple Differentials methods were geared towards AAVSO reporting. The AAVSO adopted a new CCD reporting format and methodology in September 2007, for which PhotoRed was modified to accommodate. This means the addition of two tables: AAVSO.FF2 and AAVSO2.FF2. These tables store the data for AAVSO reporting. The AAVSO report generator has been modified to comply with the new reporting format. See the manual and help files for additional details. The Binzel method was dropped in lieu of the incorporation of J-K conversion formulae when using the MPO version of the 2MASS catalog and/or the UCAC2 catalog. The idea of the Binzel method was to get an approximate conversion to a standard system, more for night-to-night calibrations for asteroid observations than to put the data on a standard system. By using the new Comparison Star Selector (part of the Lightcurve Wizard in Canopus), the DeltaComp value for each session can be set by using the average value of the comps. Doing this allows, in general, matching on an internal system to < 0.05 mag, which should be sufficient for most purposes. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS Added auto back up feature for four most critical user files: PHSESS PHOBS DOUBLESTARMANAGEMENT QUICKMAGS (No longer used) AAVSO (New in 9.4.0.0) AAVSO2 (New in 9.4.0.0) The configuration form now has a checkbox and path field. If the box is checked and the path is valid, the program prompts to save these files every time Canopus is closed. The path in the configuration CANNOT have the same root path as the MPO root, e.g., C:\MPO. This is to avoid accidentially erasing these files when uninstalling MPO program before reinstalling or installing a new version. Uninstalling is not usually required for updating but is sometimes a last resort measure to get things working. The names of the output files include the date and time (yyyymmdd_hhmm) so that multiple backups can be made on the same day without overwriting previous versions. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS When importing observations into a session, the USE field was not handled correctly, both in display in the memo and setting the USE flag for the record, i.e., the USE flag was always set to TRUE regardless of the entry for the imported record. The WIDTH entry field is no longer enabled when the selected delimiter is SPACE. The internal processing reduces all multiple spaces to a single space before processing. IMPORTANT: If the selected delimiter is SPACE, there CANNOT be any leading spaces at the start of the observation record in the text file, i.e., "empty fields" are NOT allowed. If five fields are indicated for import, then there must be five columns with the only spaces being between columns 2-3, 3-4, and 4-5. Build 9.4.0.0 PHOTORED B magnitudes were not being reported in QuickMags routine. IMPORTANT NOTE: QuickMags is no longer used in PhotoRed. It has been replaced by AAVSO and AAVSO2, which now accommodate the new AAVSO CCD reporting format. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS When clicking on a star when the M/IR has not been set, the status panel at the bottom of the main Canopus form reports the instrumental magnitude, e.g., IM: -10.045. If the M/IR has been set, the dervied magnitude is reported, e.g., Mag: 13.38. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS When printing (or sending to text file) the data from an Astrometry file, the output now includes the plate constants for the given measurements. For example: Reduction Constants: Zeta1: -0.0000117965 Zeta2: -0.0000001730 Zeta3: +0.0034524788 Eta1: +0.0000001727 Eta2: -0.0000117991 Eta3: +0.0026405209 To get position from constants: Zeta = (Zeta1 * X) + (Zeta2 * Y) + Zeta3 + (X / FL) Eta = (Eta1 * X) + (Eta2 * Y) + Eta3 + (Y / FL) RATemp = cos(DCCenter) - Eta * sin(DCCenter) DCTemp = SQRT(SQR(Zeta) + SQR(RATemp)) RA = RACenter + ArcTan(Zeta / RATemp) DEC = ArcTan((sin(DCCenter) + Eta * cos(DCCenter)) / DCTemp) FL: focal length in MICRONS, i.e., FL (inches) * 25400 RACenter: estimated center of image, RightAscension DCCenter: estimated center of image, Declination sqrt: Square Root function sqr: Square function ArcTan: Inverse Tangent and must be placed into correct quadrant Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS/PHOTORED When using the blinker, if one clicked on a star, inverted the image, and then clicked on the image again, the original measuring apertures would appear in addition to those centered on where the user clicked the mouse. The same thing occurred on the main image page. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS When using the CompAdjust form to manipulate sessions to match data, you can restore the original DeltaComp value (when the form was first opened) for the selected session in the list or for all items by right-clicking on the list and selecting the appropriate item from the new popup menu. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS When saving the lightcurve plot, the filename was stripped of all spaces, including those in the path name, e.g., C:\Program Files was changed to C:\ProgramFiles. This prevented the file from being saved. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS Rewrite of the period search routine to include ability to search for a second period, possibly third - depending on circumstances. This requires an additional form that allows excluding occultation/eclipse events and/or subtracting the primary and/or secondary periods from the data. See the new tutuorial in the Users Guide for help on using the new feature. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS It is no longer required to set STEPS = 1 when doing a period search to get the Fourier curve to plot. You must still check the "Fourier" box on the period search page to get the best solution curve to plot. This also means that the Fourier sine/cosine values are displayed on the Data tab of the (Harris) Results form when it is displayed. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS The form that displays the period spectrum and Fourier sine/cosine values was changed so that it remains visible and the lightcurve plot appears without having to close the form first. Clicking the OK button hides the form. This is part of changes made for the dual period search feature. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS If plotting a normalized as well as regular lightcurve, zooming on the lightcurve plot would no longer draw the error bars. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS The Variable Star Search form now allows inputing the FWHM (in pixels, since this value can be read directly from the Canopus tool bars). The value is then translated to arcseconds based on the configuration settings. This value is written to the parameters file used by SExtractor to extract stars from the image. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS Access violation when using the Moving Object Search. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS/PHOTORED Made sorting of files in the ImageLists faster by reading only the header of each file instead of the entire file. The difference is most noticeable when a number of large files are being sorted. For example, a list of 313 1.1 MB files took about 85 seconds to load and sort. After the change, the time was reduced to 17 seconds, a factor of 5x faster. N.B. The date/time information MUST be in the first 2880 bytes of a FITS header (2048 of an SBIG). If your software modifies the header, check that it follows this requirement. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS/PHOTORED When AutoMatching, the programs try to read the following values from the FITS/SBIG header: Rows Columms X Pixel Size Y Pixel Size Focal Length If all of these are available, the programs use these values in lieu of the configuration settings. For those using a limited number of configurations that have nearly the same focal length, this means that "one-size fits all." N.B. The focal length in the FITS/SBIG header is assumed to be in millimeters, per the SBIG FITS header "standard" to which most popular programs adhere. The configuration settings in MPO software are in inches. The programs compare the two possible focal lengths, header and configuration. If the two differ by more than 1/3 the configuration value, the configuration value is used. Should you have problems automatching, the FIRST solution is to check the values in the headers of the images being measured and make sure the configuration settings match them. The most likely cause of trouble among these specific values will be the focal length. Given the above check, it's important that the configuration focal length be close to that in the FITS/SBIG headers. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS/PHOTORED The ASTORB (Lowell) file is shipped with no data. If one attempted to generate a chart for astrometry based on the Lowell data in this condition, the program would get stuck in a loop reporting errors about values being out of range. The program now checks to see if there is data in the selected table and, if not, resets to the MPCORB file, which is shipped with data. If, for some reason, that file is empty, an error message is displayed. In this case, the user should immediately go to the MPC site, download the latest MPCORB file, and convert it. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS Added Lightcurve Ephemeris utility. This uses the Fourier coefficients that can be saved after finding a period to generate the "theoretical" lightcurve for a given date and time and to cover a range of 0.25 to 10 days. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS/PHOTORED When switching profiles, the Photometry Methods (instrumental/derived/ tranformed and range/absolute on the Configuration | Photometry page) did not follow the profile but kept the most current setting. This is because the Transforms values, extinction, color transforms, etc., are kept in a "common" registry key so that switching among profiles does not also change the transforms unexpectedly. However, the two methods SHOULD follow the profile change or unexpected plotting will result. N.B. The storage location for these settings has changed. This may affect the settings for your various profiles. You need to open the Canopus configuration, switch to each profile, change the settings if needed, and then save (click OK). Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS Enhanced the auto measuring process available in the Canopus Image List when measuring a folder of images. There are two options, "Astrometric", which is the same method as previously available and "Simple" which is little more than having the program press the "Accept" key for the user. If using the Simple method and the program cannot find the Comp 1 star, it pauses, just as it would when doing the measurements manually, so that the Comp 1 star can be identified on the given image. Auto processing can continue from that point or the user can swtich to manual mode. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS The output of an asteroid search (Search Utility Program) is to a text file only, i.e., the option to send it directly to a printer has been removed. The file is saved in the \MPO\UDATA directory. Build 9.4.0.0 CANOPUS/PHOTRED The Clear and Rest buttons have been removed from the Canopus and PhotoRed Image Lists. These buttons were redundant since their combined operation was the same as clicking on Comp 1 after the image was loaded to reposition the measuring apertures. Build 9.4.0.1 Build 9.4.0.1 CANOPUS/PHOTORED Bug in TProcessImage class caused access violation in Connections. Since this is a subclass of the CCDImage class, it might affect Canopus/PhotoRed at some point. Build 9.4.0.2 Build 9.4.0.2 CANOPUS When using the variable star search form, an image with no stars (clouds) would cause an exception message about bad size and the process would stop. Now the given image is just skipped. Build 9.4.0.2 CANOPUS Error when loading saved Fourier values from period search into the lightcurve ephemeris generator. Build 9.4.0.2 CANOPUS Error when opening the program because it was looking for QuickMags.FF2, which is no longer used. Build 9.4.0.3 Build 9.4.0.3 CANOPUS When running the image list manually, the test for finding Comp1 after clicking the Accept button was using the data for the asteroid. In a case where the comp star was relatively bright but the asteroid was fairly faint, the test would fail a minimum SNR condition and display the error message that Comp1 was not found when, in fact, it was being found. Clicking on Comp1 would fix the problem but it was a needless error and inconvenience. Build 9.4.0.3 PHOTORED In the target standard magnitudes reduction, the JD for the RED filter was being written as JD-2400000.0 instead of full JD. Build 9.4.0.3 PHOTORED Added error-tracking to AAVSO batch processing. Messages are stored during processing and displayed after the entire batch process is done. This lets the user see if any images were skipped for one reason or another. The errors appear in a popup form. If there were no errors, the form is not displayed. Build 9.4.0.3 PHOTORED A minor change in the new AAVSO CCD reporting format: the addition of the OBSTYPE required parameter in the header. See the AAVSO web site for full documentation of the format. ******************************************************************************** * * * MPO CONNECTIONS/SBSCRIPTER * * * ******************************************************************************** Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS Changed default loop delay to 0 seconds for exposure parameters. When saving parameters, the loop mode is not One-Shot, and the delay = 0, the program asks the user to confirm the 0 second delay. Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS Image | Save As did not remember last directory. Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS Default save directory for new images (when no AutoSave or in a script) forced to \MPO\IMAGES Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS Changed AutoSync routine so that it captures <1000 stars from the various catalogs when doing an AutoSync. This considerably speeds up the process when the field is buried deep in the Milky Way. The routine favors the Bright Stars, User, and 2MASS catalogs. If <1000 stars have been found after those catalogs are processed, the process continues on trying to use the MPOSC, USNO, and UCAC2 catalogs, in that order. Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS Added Guide Binning to Exposure Parameters form to override the default guide binning. This avoids having to change the configuration settings. The default binning is used for independent guiding and when using the StartGuiding command in a script (for independent guiding ONLY, do not call Start/StopGuiding if using an exposure parameters set in a TakeImageEx command that includes guiding). Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS Slew speed options on Telescope page now include "Guide (N/D)". This slews at the same rate as Guide but does not redraw the chart afterwards. This allows quick corrections to guiding via the guide buttons since there is not a lengthy delay while the chart redraws itself. Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS Using the Telescope | Send to Home menu item parks the scope and sets an internal flag indicating the scope has been parked BUT the connection is not broken. The only way to clear the flag is to slew the telescope from the home position. For GPS/R/RCX scopes, the firmware must be reinitialized and for ScopeCraft mounts, the LX200Start program restarted before the scope can be sent from the home position. BACKGROUND The Telescope | Send to Home menu item deliberately does NOT disconnect the telescope by closing the COM port. This allows talking to the telescope to bring it out of the Park position. If the connection were broken then, for LX-200 GPS/R/RCX, it would not be possible to communicate with the telescope without recycling the power. For these models, one can use the SendChars script command to send #:I# to the telescope. This reinitializes the AutoStar firmware and allows operations to continue. Since the scope was not disconnected, this meant that once a minute the program would send a request to get the scope position. For most scopes, this would not be a problem. For the ScopeCraft firmware, this seemed to generate a spurious command that sent the scope on an unexpected slew. If the Parked flag is set, the timer that queries the scope for its position is not activated and so the inadvertent commands are not sent. Furthermore, the command run when the timer is triggered checks if the internal flag is set and does not attempt to get the scope position if this is the case. Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS When looking for a guide star, the search looked only at the brightest "star" in the image. If that was too close to the edge, the test would fail even if there was a good star elsewhere. The test can now look at the brightest "star" in each of the four quadrants, but still starting with the brighest one. Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS/SBSCRIPTER When adding/inserting/deleting script items, the TakeImageEx command's Arg3 (Jump to Line) was not updated. Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS/SBSCRIPTER When dragging a command (or group of commands), the jumps (Jump to Line) would be lost. For example, say you had a TakeImageEx that jumped to a GoToAltAz (via Arg3 in the TakeImageEx) and then dragged that Goto command to a different location in the script. The TakeImageEx Arg3 would go to -1 since it could not find the jump link to the Goto command any more. Build 9.4.0.0 CONNECTIONS/SBSCRIPTER If a JumpEvent tested for reaching a minimum altitude and that altitude was never reached because the object (position) was circumpolar, as opposed to never rising high enough to go above and then back below the minimum altitude, the test would fail and cause the command to fail just as if the object gone below the minimum altitude. In this limited case, the "set" time is forced to the current date/time PLUS ONE DAY, meaning the test will always succeed and the command not jump UNLESS the command also has an OR event, e.g., Astronomical Twilight, that will be reached AND the JumpEvent.TriggerOnEarlierEvent flag is set by checking that box on the JumpEvent editing form. Build 9.4.0.1 Build 9.4.0.1 CONNECTIONS Bug when shooting filtered exposures (even if selecting only one filter) caused program to cancel exposure before starting. Build 9.4.0.1 CONNECTIONS Another issue when shooting filtered exposures, this one very specific to an SBIG parallel port camera controlling the old Optec MaxFilter slider. The Optec does not send a signal back saying when the filter move is done, so Connections allows forcing a delay so that the filter is in place before the exposure starts. When taking a set of guided images, that delay interferred with commands to the SBIG camera and a shutter error would be generated. This caused the camera to stop taking images and the only fix was to cycle the power to the camera. While a USB SBIG camera with internal or CFW-9 filter wheel did not get a fatal shutter error, if one was taking grouped filtered images, where the sequence was, for example, BBBVVVRRR instead of BVRBVRBVR, then the exposure sequence would not wait for the filter to finish changing before opening the shutter for the first exposure of the set. Build 9.4.0.2 No changes Build 9.4.0.3 Build 9.4.0.3 CONNECTIONS There have been instances during the AutoSync where the updated position does not agree with the position sent to the update command. This causes the scope to think it is somehwere it is not and affects all subsequent GoTo actions. A new test was added to the AutoSync process for the position after the update agreeing with the update position sent to the telescope. If the two do not agree to within 2 arcminutes, the update command is repeated up to 10 times, stopping when the position after the update agreees with the position being sent to the update command. This problem has not been seen in SBSCRIPTER. Build 9.4.0.3 CONNECTIONS When changing the loop mode in the exposure parameters form to "One-shot" or "Pause", the JumpAfter event drop downl list is forced to . Build 9.4.0.3 CONNECTIONS If the scope was moved after an AutoSync (it was off by more than the SyncThreshold), the delay specified by Arg2 was not being honored. ******************************************************************************** * * * MPO ASTEROID VIEWING GUIDE * * * ******************************************************************************** Build 9.4.0.0 MPO 2008 Program now uses Compiled HTML (CHM) help files. Windows Vista does not natively support the old HLP file system, though a download is available from Microsoft that does allow Vista to call help from programs that still use HLP files. ******************************************************************************** * * * MPO LCINVERT * * * ******************************************************************************** Build 1.0.3.0 LCINVERT The ecliptic view in model view window showed the incorrect orientation of the spin axis. For example, assuming the point of view is at the center of the solar system and the observer is on the ecliptic plane looking towards longitude 0, then with latitude (Beta) and longitude (Lambda) = 0, the spin axis should have the +Z axis pointing into the screen and -Z towards the observer. The X and Y axes are hidden in the ecliptic view since they are not the same as the X/Y axes of the asteroidcentric system. The Z-axis remains visible with a "+Z" to indicate the spin axis and north pole. Build 1.0.3.2 Build 1.0.3.2 LCINVERT Additional fixes so that form displaying area files would appear after an AutoSearch. Build 1.0.3.2 LCINVERT Windowing menus (Cascade, Tile, Minimize) were not enabled.