NINA Advanced Sequencer Tutorial
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- Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
- The new N.I.N.A. (Nighttime Imaging 'N' Astronomy) Advanced Sequencer is very powerful and gives us capabilities beyond anything we had previously. Better than that, it lays the foundation for a framework which will allow amateur astrophotographers to image more efficiently and more effectively than ever before! Also known as NINA Sequencer 2.0, it is the next generation of astrophotography automation. It has all of the expected integration points to support your hardware and software as well as a programmatic structure that enables you to accomplish tasks such as error correction and remediation. Don't wait to learn the new sequencer, get on board, and start using it right away!
In this video, I take a focused educational approach to ensure you retain as much knowledge as possible and have what it takes to translate that immediately into real-word practice. Hope this helps!!!
As always, please like & subscribe.
And, as always, Clear Skies!
For more of my astrophotography, visit:
www.PatriotAstro.com
Also, follow me on Instagram at:
/ patriot_astro
-------CHAPTERS-------
0:00 - Introduction
1:52 - Terminology and Basics
5:45 - Sequence Flow and Monitoring Execution
10:27 - Building Advanced Sequences
10:45 - Crawl
20:58 - Walk
25:13 - Run
31:37 - Fly
37:06 - Final Thoughts
My son and I are late to the NINA game. We've been using SGP which we could never get to do more than take images. NINA EVERYTHING works! Total game changer for us we were doing everything the hard way. This playlist has been our definitive guide to using NINA Thank You!
Incredibly well done Chad. You've really thought through the order of the various NINA concepts you cover. You are also consistent in your use of the NINA terminology. I'll watch this several times to understand the concepts better, but also sponge up the little functional shortcuts you add in like dropping a completed instruction set into another container, using descriptive names to save templates, and others like that. There is no other tutorial that comes close to the "crawl-walk-run-fly" approach.
Thanks so much for the kind words. It took some effort but was well worth it. :) There are a couple other videos you can watch once this one is digested that will take you a bit deeper into the sequences and capabilities. Let me know if you need anything. Glad to help!
Chad, I've been out of astronomy for about 20 years but it's been itching at my hind brain for some time. I've spent much of my spare time this winter watching UA-cam videos on astrophotography and I think your videos are some of the very best I've watched. To the point and informative and well put together. I am beginning to understand N.I.N.A. now. Now I have to get my head around P.H.D. and ASCOM!
Thank you very much, that’s so kind of you to say. I definitely try to make the videos as concise as possible but still helpful for as many people as possible. Reach out anytime if you have questions and best of luck as you continue to move forward.
Excellent video. Thank you so much for taking the time to put this together!
A great explanation thank you. My brain hurts now. I reckon I will be watching this more than once.
It is worth wrapping your head around it. There is so much potential once you understand it fully.
Chad, this was - as always - an awesome video. many thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
THanks much, learnt a lot precisely when I needed to try this!
Great!
Thoughtful, informative video. I'm switching to the advanced sequencer! My only complaint about the video is that the dramatic music between the segments is loud and jarring, particularly compared to the calm and rational narration.
LOL - Don't worry, that is my only video like that. :) I tried to have some fun with it, and maybe it was a little too much fun. HaHa
Well done. I enjoy these how to's. Keep it up.
Glad you like them!
Now it looks a lot easier than I first thought, very well explained again Chad
Thanks! Glad it helped!
Superb clarity. Another masterclass, Chad. A big thank you from Ireland.
Thank you for another amazing video! I am getting on board!!!
Let's go!
Outstanding video and OMG functionality. I am drooling...
You are NOT wrong! :) Checkout some of my other related sequence(s) videos including my 'Updated Shared Advanced Sequences' video. So many plugins videos as well that rely on advanced sequences. Too much to watch and learn and so much power!
@@PatriotAstro I know!!! The steep learning curve you mention at the beginning had me put this off... until today. I am uploading all into my head at light-speed now. Thanks for your excellent videos.
@@drfritz142 Great - reach out if you have questions. Glad to help.
I'm impressed with this design. Thank you for a great instructions video.
Thanks! As a follow up to this, watch my recent video about how to build a Smarter and More Efficient Sequence in NINA. It may give you some ideas. You may need to watch the Offset video I did first if you are unfamiliar with filter offsets, but it is all pretty handy and a great way to get more imaging time out of your night.
What a masterful presentation! Thank you.
:) sound levels were a bit much but hoped the structure worked and you felt like you understand it more now than before you started.
Fantastic tutorial, so clear and usefull! many thanks.
Amazing tutorial. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! Lots of other videos here to view that build on this one - Have fun! Let me know if you have questions. :)
Thank you so much for making it easy to use Nina.
Glad it was helpful!
Truely excellent tutorial. Thanks for putting the time in.
Glad to help. I'd like to redo this video at some point to make it a little less like a Movie Trailer. :) Make sure you check out my videos on my downloadable advanced sequences, etc.
I've been using NINA for about a year now, and until now I haven't used the Adv Seq, Framing or Sky Atlas. Thank you so much for your very clear and thorough instructions :) Clear Skies!
Great! Definitely check out my related videos like my updated downloadable shared sequences, and the building smarter sequences video. Also the one about recovering from clouds, etc, etc. :) So much to dig into once you get started! :)
Outstanding how-to video. Thanks!
Thanks so much! Keep watching. I hope to have more available soon.
Excellent tutorial. Thank you!
Now, I need some clear skies to try that out...
Glad it helped! Let me know if you need anything, or have questions.
FANTASTIC! Thank you so much!
Glad it helped! Look for my other Sequencer videos including my Shared Sequences, etc.
Great video. Your NINA instructional videos are the best on UA-cam. Thanks
Well done, you are a natural instructor!
So kind! Thanks!
This is a life line for someone moving to NINA from software they have used for years. It sure takes allot of complication out and gives underlaying logic. Thank You so much!
Glad it helped. I have a couple new videos coming soon. One of them is me sharing some of my own starting sequences and stepping through how they function. I will make these sequences available for download on my webpage once the video is released.
This new sequencer is a thrill, you’re another one giving the best demo ever…
:) Thanks! ‘ve been meaning to make this video for a while. It took a little time to sort out what I felt was a suitable flow that focused on education over demonstration. Hope it can help a few people out there.
An amazing video. I've never used NINA before. I watched this video (several times) and created a two target sequence with all the required startup, imaging and end commands. I ran it for the first time last night; and it executed perfectly! All the triggers and loops did their thing and I now have 100+ images to process. You hit the sweet spot in not moving too fast,
but also skipping ahead when appropriate. Thanks so much. Soon ASIAir will be in my rearview mirror.
That ASIair can come in handy from smaller portable travel setups and is still very powerful, but I agree, I prefer NINA. Great to hear!
Great job! I've recently moved to NINA and I love it! I'm always learning and improving. Now if I could just trust my mount to flip correctly...
If you have flip issues let me know. My email is non the about page of this channel. Send me a description of the issue and maybe some NINA, etc screenshots. Config screens, etc.
@Patriot Astro will do!
Doing my first NINA setup - this video is an excellent guide! Thank you so much!
Glad it is helpful! Hope to get video 3 in this series done soon. I need an hour of clear skies ... so you may see a different video first. :(
Thanks for these Nina videos. I am one of the people you mentioned and am finally switching from sequence generator. I have had some issues lately with sequence generator pro (connection issues). I downloaded nina and watched your videos so now all i need is a few clear nights to do final setups. I have a Nexdome and am looking forward to getting started. Thank again!
Wonderful!
Wow... what an amazing video! I've just started researching NINA and didn't realize what a powerful program it actually is!
Thank you for all the time and effort you've put into this series of videos, it's a valuable resource for beginners like me.
There is so much power in this product! Just know that you can start using it waaaay before you add in all the bells and whistles. But, who doesn't like bells and whistles? :)
So glad I found your website and you tube tutorials. So professionally presented and informative. I now have started getting to grips with NINAs great advanced sequencer :-)
You are so welcome!
Chad, You are truly gifted in teaching! Thanks for the detailed and clear explanation of the sequencing process in NINA. Although I've used it before, I learned a lot from your video.
I recently discovered your channel, and I'm glad I did. I had been put off NINA, fearing the complex sequence generator. Thanks to your clear and concise tutorial, which logically builds up to the fly stage, I will go with NINA instead of ASIAir.
Wonderful! That other product is great too, and has continued to get even better over time, but I still prefer Nina too and it gives me capabilities that no one else can. Glad I could help.
Great work, thanks for the effort in producing this.
Happy to do it and glad you found it helpful.
Recently discovered your channel and I have found it to be very enjoyable and informative. Let's get you to 1000 subs!
Thank you! One viewer at a time. :-)
Thanks for a great tutorial on Nina! I’ve just started with Nina only yesterday! First time I’ve looked at it, and I’ve took your advise and jumped straight in the deep end with the advanced sequencer! I’ll be checking back for more tips & tricks, so please keep them coming 👍 Clear skies!
Superb tutorial. I'll give it a try.Thanks!
Great! Let me know if you end up with any questions. The real trick is to get your first basic sequence built and saved as a template. Then you can fine-tune it from there.
Thanks, been using APT for a few years, this video has helped me at least try it one night to see how it goes.
Very good production values and communication of content. Well done!
Thank you! Hope it helps!
Wow. This is really amazing. I'll need to talk to my friends about this. Thank you. And clear sky. 😀
So much new stuff is always showing up in NINA. Let me know if you end up with questions about this or my other Advanced Sequencer/NINA videos. Glad to assist.
Tanks Chad, a outstanding video.
Thank you for such a helpful tutorial! Also, loving the transitions lol
Sometimes you have to have a little fun with the dryer topics. :) LOL
Many thanks for this very informative and clearly explained tutorial into the use of NINA's Advanced Sequencer. Nice to have a tutorial video that concentrates on the salient points. Off to have a go at creating the odd sequence or two
Possibly the best end user software tutorial I've come across and that's after 30 years as a software developer. Simply perfect at every level. Looking forward to checking out your channel and thank you for the time and thought you have put into this.
Thanks so much! I am pretty picky and would love to redo it a bit better... or maybe as a series so who knows... :)
Chad, thank you SO much for this outstanding video. I’ve always avoided the advanced sequencer as just too intimidating. But the fog is really clearing now and you show just how powerful and flexible this part of NINA really is. I shall indeed “get onboard” 👍
Great! Definitely watch some of the other related videos (The using NINA playlist on my channel has a bunch). You should find my Updated Shared Sequences among other things.
Excellent video, very well done.
Thanks! I hope some of my other videos may help you out as well.
My Goodness, so excellent ! Listening your tutos is a must do if we want to make some progress rapidly in NINA. Thanks a lot !
You're very welcome! :)
Excellent video. I used the simple sequencer 2 nights ago for the first time, but I'm eager to move on to the advance sequencer next time I'm out. Thanks for clear explanations and outstanding examples.
Definitely look for my newest Shared Sequences video, Smarter Sequences, etc. Lot's of helpful tips along the way to get you on the right track.
As a new NINA triallist (yes taking a look after a long time SGP user) this was a great tutorial and I loved the way you build from crawl to fly! I'm looking for additional info on using environment triggers / instructions to open my RoR roof under safe conditions and close when unsafe (and restart when safe again).
Thanks for this, really made it easy to setup my first advanced sequence after watching! Doing a two-panel mosaic of the Eastern Veil Nebula.
Great!
Great video! Thank you.
Thanks! Let me know if you have questions!
Very helpful! Thanks A LOT!!!
Well Done. I followed along and am now set with a couple of sequences that will certainly boost my productivity with NINA. I came from the Raspberry Pi / Kstars/Ekos/Indi world as my main computer was an old Mac laptop. A chance gift of an old Windows 10 laptop led me to try NINA, that led to a new Windows mini-PC (nicely configured as per some of your other videos) to replace the Pi and so on... Your videos certainly helped me over the hump with this new (to me) way of controlling my equipment. Now all I need is some clear nights. (wonderfully sunny and mild today, like spring... clouded over after dinner...rain tomorrow) (life on the left coast of Canada)
Great! Glad to help. Reach out directly vie the email address on the about page here if needed! glad to help.
Very good video. Best one by far on the advanced sequencer. I am going to fully commit to NINA and move from SGP. NINA offers so much more.
Thank you! And great news! There are always learning curves when moving to new software, feel free to ask any questions.
just superb instruction.
Glad you liked it
Great video, thank you
Glad you liked it!
Hi Chad, I am in the process of switching to NINA from ASIair. I initially found NINA very confusing, but after watching your tutorials and how well you explain the logic behind NINA, it's made the transition extremely easy and given me the ability to do so much more! Thanks for taking the time and effort to take something fairly complex and breaking it down into easy to understand concepts. Then tying in those concepts to create really useful sequences. Best NINA tutorials I've seen, thank you!!!
Thanks! I still love the ASIAIR concept and know it solves so many problems form many people but NINA can do a few things beyond that PLUS I can run other tools as well. Glad to help you make the move!
Brilliant tutorial, brilliant software
Thank you so much. I’m glad it helped.
Switching from AsiAir after using it for about ten months. I used Nina 1.10 HF2 for about a week, and am now on the nightly build 1.11. This is set up pretty well and easy to use. Have to make sure to include critical things like meridian flips.
Yep, let me know if you have any questions as you dive in deeper.
Super fantastic video! Cuiv turned me on to you. Said your "the guy" to go to for NINA now! I'll be completely honest. I've not switched to the nightly's specifically because of how terrifying the new advanced sequencer looked to me. I'll have to watch this video a fair few more times before I feel comfortable making the switch, but you have started my on my journey! Thanks again for the content and look forward to watching many more of your videos!
Watch the Offset video(s) and the Smarter Sequences video as well. It will give you a feel for some more things you can do with the advanced sequencer. Also, I published a video on my "shared Sequences" you can download and install. (I have a new updated video on that coming out VERY SOON with updates to my sequences, so stay tuned!) For some really cool stuff that will make you want to switch over, maybe some of the plugin videos, or better yet... my Stop Losing Images Because of Clouds... video. Soooo much to watch and get excited about! Thanks for joining! Cuiv is great and still an amazing "Go To" for me on my own journey. :)
@@PatriotAstro hahaha will do and thanks! Before long I'll have watched all of your videos, dont you worry there! Thanks again!
@@justindame LOL - Take some time to look at the sky too. :)
What a superb video! I only installed NINA 3 days ago and have had clouds ever since, however my advanced sequence is all ready to go for tonight: target selected and framed. Script set to kick off 5 mins before Astronomical Dusk. Loop until 2am. AF on filter change. Meridian Flip, Center after Drift etc etc.
Your approach of Crawl, Walk, Run and fly worked really well for this topic and probably saved me hours of getting my brain around the way loops, triggers, inheritance etc. had been implemented.
Update? Did it work? Happy? :) Check out my shared advanced sequences video that you can also download from my website. Let me know if I can assist.
@@PatriotAstro On the first night it all worked except that I didn't have re-centre after meridian flip selected. The following night it worked flawlessly. Thanks again.
@@andywray3446 Perfect!
Great video on a great software!
Thanks!
Makes alot more sense now!!! Time to update me thinks 😎
Definitely! Even after watching this, you’ll still have a little bit of a learning curve. But it gets so much more flexible. Keep an eye out for upcoming videos where I show you some really efficient ways to image.
This was an excellent tutorial. Now I'm actually excited to try the advanced sequencer rather than dreading the change!
Great! Let me know if you have any questions. Dig around in my NINA playlist. Now that you have a baseline, you may find the other videos helpful. I even shared some sequences on my website to get you started.
@@PatriotAstro Yeah I'm going through ALL your tutorials, wish I had subscribed to your channel before! I was really happy with last night's session using a time-limited loop on IC 63, then M33 until astro dawn...the 'center after drift', 'restore guiding' would have saved a number of images I don't want to admit :(. One of those people who image when clouds come through sometimes during the night. Thanks again!
@@jeffhall191 :) Being able to image through partly cloudy skies gives you 10-20% more nights a year of imaging! Center After Drift alone is worth moving to NINA. Let me know if you come up with any other questions.
Great job on this! I might have to switch to the advanced sequencer now, lol. Only thing I don't like about an auto sequence is if for whatever reason you have to stop it, if you restart it, it will run from the beginning again i.e. slew, autofocus, etc. Sometimes even when using the simple sequencer, I have to remind myself to shut off some of the start up events just in case I have to stop and restart. This software is awesome though regardless of what sequencer you use. Look forward to future videos!
There are some new enhancements slipping into the 1.11 nightlies recently. Take a look again when you get a change. Even in this last week, a couple new things showed up in the advanced sequencer. Thanks for watching!
Perhaps there is a "pause" or "start from this point" button?
@@MikeHammer1 It actually works a bit differently now, and while it is a stop and not a pause, it will pickup where you left off. Actually, if you stop halfway through the sequence (maybe 20 of 30 images completed) and then you save the target so you can pick it up on the next night, it will remember what has been completed and start at image 21 of 30. It gets smarter by the day. :)
Thx . Very halpful!
Thank you
Glad I could get you started. Hope it helps. Let me know if you have questions.
Very helpful
Glad to hear that
This is a great video! Thanks for doing it, Chad. (Don’t know where you are situated, though, if you can shoot from Astronomical Dusk to Astronomical Dawn. 😀) Around these parts getting even one night which is partially clear is a rarity! Honestly.
Wow, thank you so much, I am on the band wagon,
Wonderful!
Excellent video! I really like your presentations as they have great technical details and are well done. I do have two short questions: 1) Does the Loop Until Horizon take into account the data within the "Horizon File" as the "Horizon" value or just the real horizon? 2) I assume that in the "Meridian Flip" instruction, the characteristics set within the Options - Imaging Tab are executed. No need to add more Focusing and Start Guiding commands within the sequence after the flip. Thank You for your hard work putting this information out.
1. Zero degrees Alt if no horizon file is loaded, Otherwise yes, it uses your horizon file. 2. Yes, it does use your configuration related to the meridian. The meridian command is just a trigger to say that that instruction is in play during the session. Thanks for watching! :)
Very nicely structured tutorial. Have been using basic sequencer as the advanced seemed like a steep learning curve, but this helps a lot. I would be interested in error handling. Are there triggers for errors, such as platesolve failure or guiding star lost? In what do I write an external script? Also, I assume the plugin for smart meridian flip will show up as a trigger once installed.
I will try out that Advanced Sequencer in this weekend. I am not using the 1.11 Nightly update but v2.0 Beta. On the surface it doesn't differs too much from 1.11. The instructions part , looping conditions, trigger conditions, instruction sets (parallel, sequential and DSO sequence) are not difficult for me because I was a programmer for years.
1.11 is basically beta2. It is the graduation of the nightly 1.11 version. :-) you are right, programming and reading advanced sequences is basically pseudo code. It’ll be pretty easy for you to pick up.
Thanks for your very explanatory video! I have a question: what is the function of the "Offset" field in the instruction to "wait for a period" before the sequence starts? Thanks for the video one more time!
Excellent tutorial, I recon that your subscriber count is about to sore now! Well done on a great video
Thanks! The Astrophotography/Astronomy community has been so helpful to me over the years going way back to the webcam days… I figured it was time for me to give back. ;)
Certainly a very useful presentation. Thank you Chad. However, I am wondering for what use cases the advanced sequencer is suitable. Polar alignment needs to be done manually anyway. As yet I prefer to check guiding and focus manually in the images coming in, and focus manually as well. After observation I will have to get out and close the building myself, so there also is no need for automation. Maybe an alarm when guiding is lost would be handy. Thats about the only possibly useful thing about the advanced sequencer I can figure for my use case. But then its again a human decision whether to continue observation or wrap it up for the night because of clouds coming in.
Hi this is so razorclear explained i thank you a lot for this ! Have you done allready something about the external script issue ? I want include my cloudwatcher in NINA
Excellent tutorial on the advanced sequencer, thanks very much for taking the time to produce the video. It looks like you've addressed the most important and commonly used steps. This information will really help users get up to speed using the sequencer. I have one question although not specific to the sequencer operation: in your target window it looks like you've been able to add your custom horizons for determining the availability of targets for your specific location. I had not seen this option before. Is the information for setting these in the general NINA instruction manual?
I believe I found it under Astrometry >> Custom Horizon. I'll take a look. Thanks again for the video.
I don't have it open right now but it is on the main profile page, at the bottom (at least in 1.11)
Came late to the party!Fantastic video and instructions, will definetely try the advanced sequencer instead of the simple one next time!One question though, can I recalibrate PHD2 after a meridian flip is being executed with the advanced sequencer?
And even better would be to target a specific point on the sky after meridian flip, force recalibrate on PHD2 and then continue with the instructions..Is this possible?
Very nice tutorial, very clear ! thanks
I have a quick question, how can you set a different "framing" of an object, instead of centering it ?
I know you can move the "framing box", but how can you update the coordinates with this new position ? It look like NINA is always getting the coordinates of the centered object...
Cheers !
After moving the framing box to the desired location, still on the framing tab, click the Recenter image button. This will reload the framing image with the new centered coordinates. Then proceed as usually, such as adding this to a sequence.
@@PatriotAstro Thanks ! :)
Hi PatriotAstro another excellent video, very clear. I have a question... Is it possible to integrate a sequence to acquire flat frames using a motorized flat panel at the end of the light sequence? I hope I was clear, thank you for the wonderful work you do!!!!
Clear skies
Definitely! I hope to share my sequence for that soon in my shared sequence update. I'm still fine-tuning a few things and the lack of clear skies has me at a crawl. As long as your flat panel is connected, there are instructions for taking "Trained Flats", opening and closing the panel, as well as turning on and off the panel light. In order for this to work though, you need to run through the flats wizard manually at least 1 time so NINA can 'learn' or 'be trained' on how to take your flats... what times and brightness per filter. Once that is learned by NINA, this can all be automated. I do this with my 61EDPHII and a DeepSkyDad Flat Panel. After each target, my sequence takes the flats for that target at that rotation, then moves on.
@@PatriotAstro Thank you very much for the very fast response, I use your templates to learn better, together with your fantastic videos, in order to create my own sequences tailored to my equipment. Thank you so much for everything you do😊 Clear skies
Again, great video. Just a note the "Center" Command under Telescope is gone (at least on mine).
Thanks for this video, it has helped me a lot to better understand NINA's sequences. I'm using your OSC template and I've modified it to suit my needs with some examples that you've shown. I have two noob questions here: I made a sequence with multiple targets (based on the template) and hit play, it did everything fine for the 1st target (focusing, slewing, framing, plate solve, etc), and instead of taking pictures at the end, it started the sequence for the 2nd target from scratch, when it finished with that one it looped again with the 1st one and so on, never taking pictures in between, I don't know what I missed. My 2nd question, I then proceeded to stop the sequence all together edited what I thought caused the problems, and pressed play, nothing happened, literally nothing, no matter what I did it wouldn't start the sequence, of course, this was past 1 AM so I could have missed something. I ended up closing the program and starting all over with just 1 target. Thanks so much!
it's difficult to say what went wrong in the sequence. Can you send me images, or the export of the sequence itself (save icon at the bottom left of the sequencer)? Mail info is in the about section of the YT channel. As far as restarting the sequence, that sort of depends as well, BUT - if you notice, within a sequence, instructions get 'checked off' once completed and will not run again. It is possible that you need to reset the sequence first. The top right of the sequence has a circular arrow symbol that will reset the entire sequence and start fresh.
Is there a way for NINA to calculate the number of frames for each filter automatically for a given time interval? From what you've demonstrated, I have to enter the number of frames manually which means I still need to do some rough calculations first. This is even less optimal than just using the basic sequencer since my session could be interrupted halfway.
Sorry for the lengthy book that is about to follow. :-) first, make sure you watch until later in my video where I add in some loops to the targets. Otherwise, I can understand how you’re thinking about this because it’s the way I always handled my sequences as well. If we first think about one shot color, rather than looping iterations, you loop to a specific time or altitude etc. and then it’s more efficient because you know you’ll be gathering as many light frames as is feasibly possible along with any necessary triggers you have set such as dither, meridian, and auto focus. No guessing at a number of frames. I’ll assume you’re talking about mono though. You’ve probably had a lot of luck with your calculations, but depending on your hardware and whether or not you have inconsistent image download times from your camera, the accuracy of the previous sequencer end time can vary wildly. They want to get away from that. Now you pick a number that fits inside your window of opportunity and cycle through your frames. I know I used 10 per filter in my demo, but this could really be any number you’re comfortable with. Then by setting a looping condition using altitude or time rather than iterations you again are using all available time for imaging rather than something that may end up short. Even better, consider calculating your filter offsets and using that combined with one of the new loop types and you can completely alleviate filter-based autofocuses and just keep flowing through your filters all night long. One very efficient way to do this if offsets are defined is to set a loop to dawn, then inside the loop put the following five instructions (4xL, 2xR, 2xG, 2xB, Dither) and let that cycle all evening. No need to calculate anything. Just say go take pictures until the sun comes up. Of course you would add in an auto focus on HFR and a meridian flip to make sure autofocus can correct through the evening only when necessary and that you don’t have a meridian issue.
@@PatriotAstro Thank you for the detailed reply. Yes, I use mono cameras. I've tried using filter offsets, but I've noticed they vary from one night to another. This is likely due to temperature differences and also the position (angle) of the target. When the scope is vertical the imaging train pulls down the focuser tube with maximum force. When the scope is at an angle (say 45%) that force changes and as result, the backlash also changes slightly. This is much more pronounced with my C9.25". With my WO61II, the effect is negligible.
@@nikivan Makes sense. It is amazing how many battles we fight each session to get it all to come together in the end.
Great video with loads of information on how good N.I.N.A. is. No if only I had a computer controlled mount and astro camera to match. The polar alignment looks great....it does say there is a manual mode - I assume you move the mount instead of N.I.N.A. Have you tried this or know how it works??
I have not used it, but yes, there is a mode where you can manually move the mount with the plugin. Pretty powerful for when you don't have a goto mount like you mentioned.
@@PatriotAstro I will think I will give it a go sometime. Whatever, N.I.N.A looks great.
Cloud point is not optimal, since clouds are unpredictable. In some regions, they come and go.
Sequencer should have option to detect clouds (it can be done via brightness of skies, number of stars, etc.); pause taking pictures AND guiding; recheck for clouds after every 10-30 min; as soon as clouds are gone recenter and resume guiding and picture taking.
If clouds persist for 30-120 min. Then, it should be option to terminate sequence.
Moreover, trigger time and termination time could be built into simple sequencer.
All-in-all, it is better to add options to simple seq. Advance seq only plus is timing start and stop.
Great video Chad. Quick question. Lets say I am doing a two panel mosaic. Is there a way to loop the first panel until the meridian flip and have it switch to the second panel after the flip? Thanks, Tom
Nevermind, just figured it out. Thanks, Tom
I was finally just about to respond, but looks like you sorted it out!
Thanks a lot for the detailed explanations. Everything is quite clear and logical when it comes to a small number of "single" objects. But when I want to shoot a certain area of the sky for a few hours with a mosaic of, say, 20 panels - everything goes to hell! I can't seem to find the instructions I need to shoot the panels in a circle over and over again, not completely one, then completely second, etc.
See my updated shared advanced sequence templates video ua-cam.com/video/Gcekn0lw2IY/v-deo.html Towards the end I show a way I do that, although i simplify it to 2 panels. This may help. If not, reach out again here or get my email address from the about section of the youtube channel.
Thank you Chad, excellent video. I am considering switching to NINA from SGP. I am learning about advanced sequencer now. The thing that I am trying to understand is how I can apply it to multiple nights? There is no single image that I take within one night. I am struggling about that with SGP and I am sure there is a way with NINA. Another thing.... Flats that I need to take every night I image, how it could be addressed in NINA. I do not have observatory and automatic flat panel, I know that I can add it to the equipment, but assuming that I do white T-shirt thing every night. How I can incorporate that into advanced sequencer? Thank you for the great video!
Sorry I missed this comment. The YT comment management stuff isn't all that great... :( Depends on what you mean by multiple nights. If you want to reframe on night 2 or 3 with the same framing as night 1, you can save the target and/or reload a previous nights image into the framing wizard to ensure night 2 matches. Search my videos for framing and you should find an older video that will help with that part of the question. Adding flats into the sequencer is tricky, especially tshirt flats. Your best bet is to run the flat wizard each morning after the sequence ends and babysit it through its run in case you need to modify anything since the light conditions will change from day to day and hour to hour. There are Trained Flat instructions you can experiment with but it will still require you to insert a Message Box instruction first that will pause the sequence until you add the tshirt, then use the trained instructions to take the flats. The trained instructions requires you to have fine tuned the flat wizards for your purpose by running through it a few times so it can learn (or be trained). Since the tshirt requires you to be present though... I suggest just doing it via the wizard and not attempting automation.
@@PatriotAstro thank you for the answer. I meant t-shirt flats. This is what I am doing. I will follow flats wizard.
@@grigoryvidishev1810 The flats wizard support tshirt flats too. ua-cam.com/video/3_A4tAAzMCs/v-deo.html
What happens if the center after drift command executes when a cloud is in the way? BTW, excellent tutorial!
It'll will just fail and continue. Center after drift is a special "Center" or platesolve that occurs in the background following each image. Only after the set amount of images and a matching amount of drift will it correct any alignment issue. It is sort of expected that your example here is the actual use case for this instruction. Basically, you are imaging away throughout the night... but then clouds roll in. Your mount begins to drift off course but there are still clouds and you are still getting pictures of clouds. Eventually, when the clouds finally part AND you do get a picture with stars that is solvable, it will use that to determine how to correct your targeting alignment and proceed.
Hi Chad,
I want to setup a looping condition to stop imaging at a certain time.
If I it to take 10 images and then loop, and dither after every 5, will the dither take place after image #10 or will it loop back to the start first?
I want to set it to repeat the loop until the stop time but I want to make sure I get the second dither in before the loop back.
Thanks and keep the videos coming
Jim
I think it depends how it is configured. As an example, If you are using a trigger to perform the dither, well… triggers are evaluated ‘before’ each instruction runs, in that case, as #6 and #11 are ready to execute, it will first evaluate the triggers, see 5 and 10 have run… and dither at those points.
Also, if you use a specific time in a loop, it will stop immediately at that time. Even if in the middle of an image.
@@PatriotAstro I think that's what I'll do. I'll run dither in as a trigger. Right now I'm running a smart exposure with the dither in there.
Thanks for getting back to me!!!
Jim
Do you know if [my] saved NINA sequences from [my] current version (1.10 HF1 RC001) are compatible with the new 1.11 advanced sequencer architecture? I've been reluctant to upgrade my NINA version since the new advanced sequencer update became available. I save my sequences each night so I can do two things. 1. Know my exact RA/DEC and rotation of a target so it can be repeated. I'm frequently custom framing. 2. Quickly reload the parameters from a previous night if I want to collect more data and maybe add/subtract a target. I have lots of trees to deal with so I typically have more than one target per night working around the vegetation limitations. :-)
I've been giving this thought and while I think the answer in most cases is that it will carry over and work, I want to test it myself before just saying "yes" especially since it may be yes for some features but not all... Let me see if I can get some testing done soon and let you know.
Hello Chad.
I love your videos explaining NINA.
Do you have an idea where I can find the Jerry Masson sample of DOME_SAFETY_STARTUP_PA.json?
Because we have a small ROR observatory and we just bought a Cloud Watcher but we do not know how to configure it in NINA.
Thank's again for your help in learning NINA and have a nice day.
JM.
Look for my video on "updated Shared Sequences" or something like that. It is in the download I mention.
@@PatriotAstro i will check that.
Thank’s a lot and have a nice evening.
JM
Sorry but the link for this one is grey and not active in your website.
JM
I finally found the sequence in the StartupSequenceTemplate folder. Sorry about that and thank you again.
JM
Nice. You probably know this software very well. I have a problem with it. I can manually slew and center target. But, if it is a part of sequence and I start from home position, it doesn’t work. NINA doesn’t see mount position. Moreover, When sequence is finished, it doesn’t return mount to home position. How to set park position for Celestron AVX in NINA? It can be done in SGP.
There are instructions to call for a park or home movement in the advanced sequencer. Do either of these work for you? I assume you already have these defined in your mount?
@@PatriotAstro I have solved this problem. Celestron had problem with CWPI mount controlling software. They got me beta-version that still not available for everyone.
is above horizon and below horizon related to the earth horizon or the custom horizon created and loaded into NINA
Yes. :) Both actually. If you have a custom horizon loaded, it will use that. Otherwise, it will use your actual 0 degree altitude horizon.
@@PatriotAstro good to know
I want to be able to center every hour. Sometimes my framing shifts. Any suggestions?
You need to add two triggers to your target. The first trigger is center after drift. It allows you to define amount of drift that is unacceptable, and then the number of frames where you’d like to check. Basically it will do a background platesolve on that set of parameters and if needed, will recenter you. The other trigger you need to add is resume guiding. This will help you in the case where something prevents your guiding from functioning at some point whether it’s clouds or otherwise. These two commands will do exactly what you want.
It won’t happen hourly, but it will provide the desired outcome as needed.
@@PatriotAstro Thanks so much! I want to also thank you for your incredibly informative tutorials. So easy to follow along. One more question. I don't want to be chasing my tail. What would you recommend as a "drift" number for a 480mm scope? I want to have a reasonable number.
@@PatriotAstro This is better!
@@garybarr7116 If your settings in equipment/profile are right, then as you modify the numbers, it will estimate the number of pixels. Use that based on your sensor size/dimensions to get something that is workable for you.
OK, give me a moment...
Loop until understood, is that an instruction or a condition or a ....????
Obviously I will be reviewing this several times.
:) There is a lot in there. Watching some of the other sequencer videos like my Updated Downloadable Advanced Sequences one may help you see how complete sequences come together.
Great video!! But please lower the WWF music that is louder than your voice. It is extremely annoying with headphones on.
LOL. Agreed. :)