SkyTools 4 Imaging Target Selection Tool

[theskyhound]

This is the Target Selection Tool. I put the finishing touches on it just today, marking the end of primary development! I hope to start the first beta test this coming week.

The target selection tool should look familiar, yet different. It is very much like the Nightly Planner in ST3. Like ST3 it is list based. But the purpose is different, so it has a different name. This tool is designed to help you pick target objects to observe, both in the long term and for a specific night. It is the first step in the new imaging workflow.  

Once a target is selected, the next step is to create an Observing Project for it. The Observing Project defines how you want to make your observation, including your choice of filters, composition, tiles, and your exposure goals.

In ST4 you don't observe objects, but rather you observe your Projects. The next stop after creating your project is either the Real Time tool, where you manually make your observations of your projects, or for an automated system, the Scheduler, where you plan out a nights observations.

The Imaging Project also keeps track of your observations as you log them. If more observations are needed on another night, it will tell you what still needs to be done. Ultimately the project is completed and becomes an archive of what observations where made, with links to related images.

[Rowland]

This looks really promising Greg! I am currently using a combination of CCDNav3 and SkyTools but it looks like, as we discussed earlier, this could replace CCDNav3 in my workflow. I find targets from many sources and put them into SkyTools. I use SkyTools to keep target lists by month, which works but is clunky as targets are available for more than one month. ST4's approach looks better.

I use CCDNav3 to plan my night's imaging sequence (which filters / how many exposures / when) - looks like ST4's Scheduler will do that.

If you need a beta tester I'm interested, I'm probably your typical middle of the road imager - 5 to 10 days a month, 3 to 6 targets per month, three OTA's to choose from - wide field refractor, longer FL refractor, and a 9.25 SCT, on a Paramount MyT. Mono camera with LRGB an SHO filters.

Clear skies,
Rowland

[theskyhound]

This looks really promising Greg!  I am currently using a combination of CCDNav3 and SkyTools but it looks like, as we discussed earlier, this could replace CCDNav3 in my workflow.  I find targets from many sources and put them into SkyTools.  I use SkyTools to keep target lists by month, which works but is clunky as targets are available for more than one month.  ST4's approach looks better.

I use CCDNav3 to plan my night's imaging sequence (which filters / how many exposures / when) - looks like ST4's Scheduler will do that.  

If you need a beta tester I'm interested, I'm probably your typical middle of the road imager - 5 to 10 days a month, 3 to 6 targets per month, three OTA's to choose from - wide field refractor, longer FL refractor, and a 9.25 SCT, on a Paramount MyT.  Mono camera with LRGB an SHO filters.

Clear skies,
Rowland

Hi Rowland,

The first round of testing will be for iTelescope users since it is all ready to go for them. I expect it to go pretty quickly. The second round will expand to other imaging systems. Sp keep an eye on the Beta test forum for announcements. I look forward to working with you!