News coming for Sequence Memory

[Starship]

@Rowland_Archer

I think this should allow me to achieve my goal of a zero-update (no editing) DragScript plus a scheduler that runs from a database, so the only changes for nightly runs would be to the database

Rowland,

Can you please describe how you accomplish this?

Regards,

Glenn

[Rowland_Archer]

Hi Glenn,
It’s my old unfinished project that I posted about here a long time back.
With my RoR observatory finished and three mounts to keep fed, I’ve revived it.
I really want Voyager Advanced so this is a bandaid until it’s available.

I have a version now that requires editing the DragScript when I add a new target.
The flow looks like this:

DragScript:

1. Do setup stuff for the night (connect to gear, wait safe, open roof, blind solve and sync, optionally calibrate
2. Call an external script (VBScript) that calls TheSkyX to determine if the moon is up. Returns 1=moon up or 2=moon down to the DragScript
3. Dragscript jumps to either “Run LRGB” block if moon is down, or “Run NB” block if moon is up.
4. In those blocks, a “DO IF HA” decision sits in front of each sequence. So adding a new sequence requires a copy and paste plus editing the RA and DEC values in the DO IF HA and “run sequence” DragScript actions. You could build a sequence for each target, or use a generic LRGB or NB sequence and use the overrides in the “run sequence” action to set the RA, DEC and target name.
5. After running a sequence, repeat from step 2 until night end

The “new improved” version of this would be to define a single Sequence and then in the external script called in step 2, use the JSON interface to set the target name, RA, DEC and filter/exposures information . The external script would also scan a database of all the targets I am currently chasing and decide which one to run next. That decision could be as simple as “target is up and above altitude X” or as complicated as you want to make it. Some of the many factors could include:

1. Separation from moon, or moon up/down
2. Western-most target, setting soon
3. HA value - pick something close to transit, as high as it will ever get from your location
4. Degree of completion of that target - finish things up so you have something to process
5. Run L filter closest to meridian, then B, G, R lower down

That’s a high level overview - hope it makes sense.
Again, this is a hack until Advanced comes out which will do all this and more with a nice UI. I’m not buildilng a UI, just using text editors and database editors. Plus 60% of this only exists in my head at the moment. It will use TheSkyX for astro calculations. You could do something similar with Python and astropy.

I use a DragonFly to automate my RoR and it comes with VBScripts so I kind of fell into that groove recently, that’s why I decided to go this route for my scheduling script.

Cheers,
Rowland

Cheers,
Rowland

[nicholas]

JSON! YES!!!

Thank you, Voyager Team

[Starship]

@Rowland_Archer

That’s a high level overview - hope it makes sense.
Again, this is a hack until Advanced comes out which will do all this and more with a nice UI. I’m not buildilng a UI, just using text editors and database editors. Plus 60% of this only exists in my head at the moment. It will use TheSkyX for astro calculations. You could do something similar with Python and astropy.

I use a DragonFly to automate my RoR and it comes with VBScripts so I kind of fell into that groove recently, that’s why I decided to go this route for my scheduling script.

Thank you for the detailed response, Rowland!

I am not a programmer, so the running of external scripts and programming in Python is all voodoo to me. However, I am interested in doing a scaled-down version of what you describe.

Leo seems to be giving Voyager capabilities once reserved for Voyager Advanced. I wonder if he still plans to develop the Advanced version at all. I confess I do not fully understand how to use the recently added features. Maybe when I do, I will find that they are enough to meet my automation needs.

Kind regards,

Glenn

[Voyager]

Gleen, Voyager is a small software with very few users … it is useless to believe what you are not. I do my best to import news into our common passion but most of the time they are not understood and seem to turn into a handicap.

I will do my best with what I have and what I know.

[PilotAstronomy]

Any update on sequence memory?

[Voyager]

Holiday time … all will restart on September !

Thank you for your request.
Leonardo

[nicholas]

Hello Leo

would you have an update when the sequence file format will be switching to JSON?

Kind regards

Nick

[peter_4059]

Just saw this thread. Very excited to see it get implemented as it will solve some of the challenges I’ve been trying to manage in Dragscript.

[Voyager]

@Voyager

No progress on it sorry but next to come when I finished rotator … status is (configuration form finished, translation of SOAP file to JSON configuration file finished, database for handling memory cos i need also for advanced finished, i need to split the sequence tree in 2 actions and adding new features management). I also find the way for allow in running change to sequence slot , guiding, focus etc… without stop the sequence using the injection mechanism already working in Voyager.

@nicholas what I wrote about in another post.

Attention ! I tell to all you since now that managing the sequence is something really powerfull developed for the advanced version of Voyager … so the editing or creation of a new sequence will need a dedicated plugin to purchase separately (not a different version just base + Developers plugin) … this only for JSON editing … all other functions will work in base version of Voyager.

This Developers plugin will be filled also with other special features will be deploy in the future.

[nicholas]

Hi Leo,
there seems to be more and more powerful features in the works!
Great to hear that JSON bases sequences are higher in your TODO list

As I have a rotator, its great to hear that some rotator support is being introduced

Thanks for your hard work

Nick

[Voyager]

Thank Nicholas, Voyager now support full operations for Rotator also provide internally sync memory or ASCOM 6.5 sync new methods:

[Daily Build] Voyager 2.2.13c version ready

Ready to download the daily build 2.2.13c of Voyager: NEW => In the precise pointing action a warning is displayed if you have chosen not to synchronize the rotator PA with the solved one on the sky and the two values ​​are out of tolerance MOD => The icons of the open windows are also displayed in the tab manager of the main Voyager window to facilitate their selection NEW => In the Sequence configurator there has been a new tab for managing the use of the Rotator and the control paramete…

[JDeacon]

Hi Leonardo,

Any progress on the ‘advanced plugin’ or sequence memory related functionality?

Excited to see this in voyager!

Regards,
Jacques

[Voyager]

I’m working really hard on this and other features.
I hope to pubblish soon.

Thanks for asking.

All the best
Leonardo

[JDeacon]

Thanks Leo,

Looking forward to it!

[yzhzhang]

How are we doing this with Sequence Memory 1.5 years after the news revealing

[Voyager]

Priorities are changed … I will inform you when this will be released.
Voyager is based on time slot so for now this remains the main phylosophy

All the best
Leonardo