TheSkySearchers

A UK Astronomy Forum I'm on had a recent thread about NINA Imaging Tab layouts which was fun and from which I learnt a couple of good ideas. I like to have most things within reach on the Imaging Screen by having things grouped to a window using tabs. I always had the Plate Solving and Autofocus tab on the same window as the Image tab but I've moved them off to the side now so that I can display the Image and the Auto Focus/Plate solve at the same time.

So with thanks to GazAstro, Show Us Your Layout! Here's mine:




Graeme

Cool idea Graeme. Next time I have my imaging rig fired up, I'll grab a screenshot and share it.
BTW, you have a new update available...
I've been running V3.0 beta very successfully lately. No bugs.

Well, not much to show here but why not

My "imaging" (if you wish to call it that) consists mostly of solar these days. I use my William Optics 61mm for Ca-K, and my old C80-HD for white light. With the 61mm, I also use an Antares 1.6 barlow and my ZWO camera hooked to my year old laptop. I run Sharpcap for that, and usually take 3 or 4 sets of 2000 frames. My mount is manual, so I adjust it to let the Sun float from left to right. As you can see, it just fits in the window; I actually really like this setup


My C80 I use with an old EOS 550D (T2i in N/A) and doing the same method of left to right, I can get off 160 frames. I just use the viewfinder on the back of the camera. I've tried the ZWO with it, but I'd need a focal reducer to fit in the whole disc.

As for processing, I use AS3 on the laptop, and PIPP then AS3 running under PlayOnLinux on my 12 year old desktop with Linux Mint. My laptop processes the 2000 frames faster than my desktop with 160 images, but I'm not in a rush here...


After that, I do some mild enhancements and scaling in PS 2020.


I'm so basic!!

AstroBee wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 6:50 pm Cool idea Graeme. Next time I have my imaging rig fired up, I'll grab a screenshot and share it.
BTW, you have a new update available...
I've been running V3.0 beta very successfully lately. No bugs.

Well spotted Greg! That was a screen dump from my laptop. As it goes my capturing pc is probably also not on the latest version, I like to wait till the major updates have been out for a while.

I look forward to seeing your layout.

Graeme

Thefatkitty wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 7:51 pm Well, not much to show here but why not

That's a great setup Mark! Your engineering skills are legendry!

I think we all use SharpCap for lucky imaging. NINA doesn't really do that. Although I've been playing with the ASI Studio lately.

Graeme

I don't have a layout yet. I'm trying but my brain is being slow.

Fired up my rig this morning. Here's my layout for NINA.

AstroBee wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 7:52 pm Fired up my rig this morning. Here's my layout for NINA.

Putting the guider window to the side is a good idea. The information is more important than the graph!

What's the PHD2Info tab on the Image window? Not seen that before.

Graeme

Graeme1858 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 8:29 pm

AstroBee wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 7:52 pm Fired up my rig this morning. Here's my layout for NINA.

What's the PHD2Info tab on the Image window? Not seen that before.

Graeme

I believe it's part of the main NINA install, not a plugin. But it is one of the puzzle icons at the top. It just give you a bit of information about PHD2 without having to switch over to PHD2 itself.
It's possibly something new in V3. I don't remember if it was in v2.x or not. I've been beta testing v3 for a while now.

Interesting thread Graeme!

I guess that folks use what works for them, but it is nice getting ideas from other's setup.

This is mine.


At the screen capture. the main window is on the TPPA tab. Usually while imaging, I leave the Image History up. That way I can see the average star HFD, image thumbnail, and ADU.

I like the sequence here too along with what the camera and focuser are up to. At the telescope window, I like to see the altitude and how long to the meridian along with star detection metrics and statistics.

Thanks again. It is fun to see other setups.

AstroBee wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 11:40 pm I believe it's part of the main NINA install, not a plugin. But it is one of the puzzle icons at the top. It just give you a bit of information about PHD2 without having to switch over to PHD2 itself.
It's possibly something new in V3. I don't remember if it was in v2.x or not. I've been beta testing v3 for a while now.

I'll do an update on my laptop version and have a look into that, cheers.

Graeme

Juno16 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 24, 2023 12:11 am At the screen capture. the main window is on the TPPA tab. Usually while imaging, I leave the Image History up. That way I can see the average star HFD, image thumbnail, and ADU.

I like the sequence here too along with what the camera and focuser are up to. At the telescope window, I like to see the altitude and how long to the meridian along with star detection metrics and statistics.

Nice one Jim. Good to have the sequence in a full column and the star detection results is a good idea.

I took the camera and telescope tabs out of mine because I had too many tabs! But I put the Telescope Control in so I could have a Stop button for remote slewing.

Good to see other's ideas! Any more?

Graeme

Hi Graeme,

Not for the Imaging dock, but I just noticed that several interesting pieces of data can be added to the filename (mine are long enough already!).

If you are using the Hocus Focus plugin, star eccentricity and FWHM can be added. Also, several facets of guiding.


Could export the filenames to a spreadsheet and eliminate some files before blink.

A pre blink filename check would be a good idea.

I don't use Hocus Focus, I just use the bog standard Auto Focus routine. Having said that, I watched a Patriot Astro video in which he was singing the praises of Hocus Focus. I'll have to check it out. But first I have to install V3.0 on my laptop to have a play! The guiding rms in the file name could be useful too.

Graeme

AstroBee wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 11:40 pm

Graeme1858 wrote: ↑Sat Dec 23, 2023 8:29 pm What's the PHD2Info tab on the Image window? Not seen that before.

I believe it's part of the main NINA install, not a plugin. But it is one of the puzzle icons at the top. It just give you a bit of information about PHD2 without having to switch over to PHD2 itself.
It's possibly something new in V3. I don't remember if it was in v2.x or not. I've been beta testing v3 for a while now.

Found it! It's a Plugin called Phd2 Tools. It's not listed in the available Plugins on my Observatory PC NINA version 2.3. But I've updated my laptop NINA version to 3.0 and it appeared! Now installed. Thanks

Graeme