Git commit 9816d265ee80fac4776eafa0bad216544461570a by John Evans. Committed on 31/03/2024 at 23:10. Pushed by johnevans into branch 'master'.
KStars Handbook Focus Updates for 3.7.0 KStars Handbook Focus Updates for 3.7.0 M +97 -29 doc/ekos-focus.docbook M +- -- doc/ekos_focus.png M +- -- doc/focus_advisor.png M +- -- doc/focus_mechanics.png M +- -- doc/focus_mechanics1.png M +- -- doc/focus_process.png M +2 -2 doc/index.docbook https://invent.kde.org/education/kstars/-/commit/9816d265ee80fac4776eafa0bad216544461570a diff --git a/doc/ekos-focus.docbook b/doc/ekos-focus.docbook index 4cc44180b1..85703a8ede 100644 --- a/doc/ekos-focus.docbook +++ b/doc/ekos-focus.docbook @@ -231,7 +231,17 @@ </listitem> </itemizedlist> - <para> Focus parameters are saved per Optical Train automatically.</para> + <para> Focus parameters are saved per Optical Train automatically and so multiple trains can + be setup to manage different configurations with different parameters.</para> + + <para> When a new Optical Train is created, Focus will attempt to default parameters from + other, similar Optical Trains. The attributes that must match for this are the Focuser and + the scope type. If this is the first train for the seclected Focuser and scope type then + default parameters are created.</para> + + <para> It is recommended to use the + <link linkend="focus-advisor">Focus Advisor</link> tool on new Optical Trains to set parameters + appropriately.</para> </sect2> <sect2 id="focus-focuser-group"> @@ -487,6 +497,12 @@ <link linkend="focus-advisor">Focus Advisor</link> tool. </para> </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> The <guilabel>Force AF</guilabel> checkbox can be used when a sequence is active + either in Capture or the Scheduler. When checked, an Autofocus will be triggered at + the completion of the currently active subframe. + </para> + </listitem> </itemizedlist> </sect2> @@ -798,8 +814,18 @@ <listitem> <para> <guilabel>SEP Profile</guilabel>: If the star detection algorithm is set to <emphasis>SEP</emphasis>, then choose a parameter - profile to use with the algorithm. It is recommended to use the - default 1-Focus-Default profile as a starting point.</para> + profile to use with the algorithm. The following are recommended:</para> + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para> <emphasis role="bold">1-Focus-Default:</emphasis> for scopes + that do not have a central obstruction such as a refractor.</para> + </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> <emphasis role="bold">1-Focus-Default-Donut:</emphasis> for scopes + that have a central obstruction such as a Newtonian, SCT, RASA, + Ritchey-Cretien, etc.</para> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> </listitem> <listitem> @@ -1007,27 +1033,62 @@ </listitem> <listitem> - <warning> - <para><guilabel>Donut Buster</guilabel>: This is an experimental feature and should be used with caution. The - intention of Donut Buster is to improve focusing for telescopes with central - obstructions that create donut shaped stars when defocused. In future it is likely that more functionality - will be developed for Donut Buster. In this release the functionality is aimed at data collection in order - to research methods of improving focus.</para> - </warning> + <para> <guilabel>Average HFR check</guilabel>: Similar idea to <guilabel>Average Over</guilabel> but in this case + it it the HFR Check datapoint that is averaged over the selected number of frames. In addition, if the + <guilabel>Algorithm</guilabel> is Linear 1 Pass then the last datapoint of an Autofocus run, which is the + in-focus datapoint, is also averaged over this number of frames. Set a value of 1 to start. This can be increased + if there are issues with HFR Check Autofocus runs being triggered by outlying datapoints when the HFR Check runs.</para> </listitem> + <listitem> - <warning> - <para> <guilabel>Time Dilation Factor</guilabel>: This is an experimental feature of Donut Buster and should be - used with caution. This feature scales the exposure time during Autofocus from the Exposure value entered in the - Exposure field for the furthest datapoints from focus. Datapoints near focus are taken with an unscaled exposure. - For example, if Focus is setup with an Exposure of 2s and Time Dilation Factor is set to 4, then when Autofocus - moves out to take its first datapoint, an exposure of 2s * 4 = 8s is used. On each successive datapoint the - exposure is reduced down to 2s around the point of optimum focus. As the focuser moves through focus, so the - exposure is scaled upwards to 8s for the last datapoint.</para> - <para> The purpose of this feature is to increase the brightness of out of focus datapoints which will be dimmer than - in-focus datapoints and therefore harder for star detection to resolve from the background noise.</para> - <para> This feature assumes Autofocus is run from near to optimum focus.</para> - </warning> + <para><guilabel>Donut Buster</guilabel>: This is an experimental feature and should be used with caution. The + intention of Donut Buster is to improve focusing for telescopes with central obstructions that create donut shaped + stars when defocused, e.g. Newtonians, SCTs, RASAs, Ritchey-Cretiens, etc.</para> + + <para> <guilabel>Donut Buster</guilabel> is only available for Linear 1 Pass, walks of Fixed and CFZ Shuffle, + curves fits of Hyperbola and Parabola, and focus measures of: HFR, HFR Adj and FWHM.</para> + + <para>When <guilabel>Donut Buster</guilabel> is checked, intermittent curve fitting is suspended and is only activated + at the end of the focus sweep. This allows donut buster to better process edge datapoints that may be affected by donuts.</para> + + <para>The following sub-options are available within Donut Buster:</para> + + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para> <guilabel>Time Dilation x</guilabel>: This feature scales the exposure time during Autofocus from the + value entered in the <guilabel>Exposure</guilabel> field for the furthest datapoints from focus. Datapoints near + focus are taken with an unscaled exposure. For example, if Focus is setup with an Exposure of 2s and Time Dilation x + is set to 4, then when Autofocus moves out to take its first datapoint, an exposure of 2s * 4 = 8s is used. On each + successive datapoint the exposure is reduced down to 2s around the point of optimum focus. As the focuser moves + through focus, so the exposure is scaled upwards to 8s for the last datapoint.</para> + + <para> The purpose of this feature is to increase the brightness of out of focus datapoints which will be dimmer than + in-focus datapoints and therefore harder for star detection to resolve from the background noise.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> <guilabel>Outlier Rejection</guilabel>: This is a factor to scale the aggressiveness of the outlier rejection + algorithm when <guilabel>Refine Curve Fit</guilabel> is checked. The higher the value the more outliers will be + excluded from the curve fitting process. The default value is 0.2.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> <guilabel>Scan for Start Position</guilabel>: Check this option to have Focus scan around the current + focuser position to find an approximate optimum focus position. The purpose of this is to ensure that Autofocus starts + near to the focus position. The following sub-options are available:</para> + + <itemizedlist> + <listitem> + <para> <guilabel>Num Datapoints</guilabel>: The number of datapoints to use in each scan. 5 is a good place to start.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> <guilabel>Initial Step size x</guilabel>: A multiplicative factor to apply to the <guilabel>Initial + Step size</guilabel> for use in the Scan for Start Position. Default is 1.0.</para> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> + </listitem> + </itemizedlist> </listitem> <listitem> @@ -1220,6 +1281,11 @@ </itemizedlist> </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> <guilabel>AF Overscan Delay</guilabel>: Delay between the completion of the outward move of an Overscan, + and the inward move. Generally most focusers work well with no delay.</para> + </listitem> + <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Capture Timeout</guilabel>: The amount of time in seconds to wait for a captured image to be received before declaring a timeout. This should only be triggered if there are problems with the camera during the Focus process so set this @@ -1428,13 +1494,9 @@ <itemizedlist> <listitem> - <para> <guilabel>Step Size</guilabel>: This is the suggested focus step size to use. This is a critical parameter. It is - defaulted from the Critical Focus Zone (CFZ) dialog. So the first thing to do is set this dialog up and get a reasonable value - for the CFZ. Alternatively, if you know a reasonable value for your equipment from other sources you can just enter that.</para> - </listitem> - - <listitem> - <para> <guilabel>Out Step Multiple</guilabel>: This is the suggested outward step multiple to use.</para> + <para> <guilabel>Step Size</guilabel>: This is the suggested focus step size to use. This is a critical parameter. It can + be defaulted from the Critical Focus Zone (CFZ) dialog if you know how to set that up. Alternatively, if you know a reasonable + value for your equipment from other sources you can just enter that.</para> </listitem> <listitem> @@ -1461,6 +1523,12 @@ label you can see in the tooltip what values Focus Advisor is recommending.</para> </listitem> + <listitem> + <para> <guilabel>SEP Parameters</guilabel>: This sets the SEP parameter profile appropriate + for the scope type attached in the selected Optical Train. By hovering the mouse over this + label you can see in the tooltip what values Focus Advisor is recommending.</para> + </listitem> + <listitem> <para> <guilabel>Help</guilabel>: Press this button to get help on using Focus Advisor.</para> </listitem> diff --git a/doc/ekos_focus.png b/doc/ekos_focus.png index 535f5061d8..cc593536d1 100644 Binary files a/doc/ekos_focus.png and b/doc/ekos_focus.png differ diff --git a/doc/focus_advisor.png b/doc/focus_advisor.png index b13d1d1190..61b10d41b1 100644 Binary files a/doc/focus_advisor.png and b/doc/focus_advisor.png differ diff --git a/doc/focus_mechanics.png b/doc/focus_mechanics.png index e61b9199ff..4d46fa057f 100644 Binary files a/doc/focus_mechanics.png and b/doc/focus_mechanics.png differ diff --git a/doc/focus_mechanics1.png b/doc/focus_mechanics1.png index 6c129503bf..4f5ac7b74d 100644 Binary files a/doc/focus_mechanics1.png and b/doc/focus_mechanics1.png differ diff --git a/doc/focus_process.png b/doc/focus_process.png index 023efb0113..0b6e5526bf 100644 Binary files a/doc/focus_process.png and b/doc/focus_process.png differ diff --git a/doc/index.docbook b/doc/index.docbook index d1e93c6157..07c9675b6f 100644 --- a/doc/index.docbook +++ b/doc/index.docbook @@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ <legalnotice>&FDLNotice;</legalnotice> -<date>2024-02-06</date> -<releaseinfo>3.6.9</releaseinfo> +<date>2024-03-31</date> +<releaseinfo>3.7.0</releaseinfo> <abstract> <para>
