Image settings for the RPi HQ camera.

[aaronwmorris]

It would be nice if someone could post their image settings for the RPi HQ camera. Currently I am using mostly the default settings and it doesn't look too bad, but I think it could look better. I'm overwhelmed by all of the esoteric settings.

Originally posted by @wjschmitt in https://github.com/aaronwmorris/indi-allsky/discussions/1162#discussioncomment-8697774

[aaronwmorris]

I will try to help as much as I can. Can you post an image from your system so I can see our starting point?

[wjschmitt]

Hi Aaron,

I appreciate your offer to help. Mostly I am using the default image settings. The only thing I did was to enable stretching and turned on AWB. For the camera settings, I changed night exposure period to 10. Everything else is default. I'm not even sure if all the other settings would matter to the RPi HQ camera.

I switched to your program after using TJs Allsky software for 6 months, which I mostly liked. I wanted to try yours because I thought you had some great features like the panorama view. Also I like how you do timelapses better. However, TJs program did have better explanation for most of the settings and recommendations for different cameras. I believe that many users have the RPi HQ, so recommended settings for it and other commonly used cameras would be helpful.

One other questions while I have you. I want to set up a script to display the Temperature label. I set the TEMP_JSON env variable but when I run your sample script, it gives a not defined error. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Anyway, thanks again for the help. William

On Wed, Mar 6, 2024 at 1:57 PM Aaron W Morris @.***> wrote:

I will try to help as much as I can. Can you post an image from your system so I can see our starting point?

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[aaronwmorris]

I would avoid the AWB setting, especially at night. I does make the colors better, but at the expense of a lot of lost time. The AWB setting causes the camera to take 3-4 exposures in order to find the correct white balance. The colors look better, but if your exposure is 15s, it takes 60-90s to take the 15s exposure. You lose a lot of time on the sky at night. Daytime AWB is not so bad because the exposures are so short.

Instead of using AWB, I would enable SCNR Average Neutral to get rid of the green cast.

Most of the settings can be applied to the RPi HQ camera.

The external temperature script is confusing. The TEMP_JSON file is the output file where the data will be written, so you only define it externally from the script. The following wiki page has an example of how to run the example scripts:

https://github.com/aaronwmorris/indi-allsky/wiki/External-Temperature-Sensor

It should be noted that the RPi HQ camera has an internal temperature sensor. You may need to upgrade your kernel to be able to read the data.

[wjschmitt]

Thanks. All good recommendations that I will implement. As for the TEMP_JSON, I did define the env var with the path to the output file. I also have a DHT22 in the dome that I read temps from in the script. When the script tries to write out to the file, I get that error. I'll keep working at it.

On Wed, Mar 6, 2024 at 11:52 PM Aaron W Morris @.***> wrote:

I would avoid the AWB setting, especially at night. I does make the colors better, but at the expense of a lot of lost time. The AWB setting causes the camera to take 3-4 exposures in order to find the correct white balance. The colors look better, but if your exposure is 15s, it takes 60-90s to take the 15s exposure. You lose a lot of time on the sky at night. Daytime AWB is not so bad because the exposures are so short.

Instead of using AWB, I would enable SCNR Average Neutral to get rid of the green cast.

Most of the settings can be applied to the RPi HQ camera.

The external temperature script is confusing. The TEMP_JSON file is the output file where the data will be written, so you only define it externally from the script. The following wiki page has an example of how to run the example scripts:

https://github.com/aaronwmorris/indi-allsky/wiki/External-Temperature-Sensor

It should be noted that the RPi HQ camera has an internal temperature sensor. You may need to upgrade your kernel to be able to read the data.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/aaronwmorris/indi-allsky/issues/1173#issuecomment-1982343804, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/A4HZ5QB7AI3EZAF2V6VSCJ3YW7XCPAVCNFSM6AAAAABEJTPMZ6VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTSOBSGM2DGOBQGQ . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: @.***>

[wjschmitt]

OK. I got the TEMP_JSON figured out and can write out the temp in json format. Now how do I get indi-allsky to execute the script periodically and display the temp on the label.

On Thu, Mar 7, 2024 at 9:33 AM William Schmitt @.***> wrote:

Thanks. All good recommendations that I will implement. As for the TEMP_JSON, I did define the env var with the path to the output file. I also have a DHT22 in the dome that I read temps from in the script. When the script tries to write out to the file, I get that error. I'll keep working at it.

On Wed, Mar 6, 2024 at 11:52 PM Aaron W Morris @.***> wrote:

I would avoid the AWB setting, especially at night. I does make the colors better, but at the expense of a lot of lost time. The AWB setting causes the camera to take 3-4 exposures in order to find the correct white balance. The colors look better, but if your exposure is 15s, it takes 60-90s to take the 15s exposure. You lose a lot of time on the sky at night. Daytime AWB is not so bad because the exposures are so short.

Instead of using AWB, I would enable SCNR Average Neutral to get rid of the green cast.

Most of the settings can be applied to the RPi HQ camera.

The external temperature script is confusing. The TEMP_JSON file is the output file where the data will be written, so you only define it externally from the script. The following wiki page has an example of how to run the example scripts:

https://github.com/aaronwmorris/indi-allsky/wiki/External-Temperature-Sensor

It should be noted that the RPi HQ camera has an internal temperature sensor. You may need to upgrade your kernel to be able to read the data.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/aaronwmorris/indi-allsky/issues/1173#issuecomment-1982343804, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/A4HZ5QB7AI3EZAF2V6VSCJ3YW7XCPAVCNFSM6AAAAABEJTPMZ6VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTSOBSGM2DGOBQGQ . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: @.***>

[aaronwmorris]

If you define the script in the configuration, it takes over the temperature data from the camera. If you display the temperature in the label, the temperature comes from the script instead of the camera.

[wjschmitt]

I realize that I must sound completely dense, and I've read through the wiki many times. But can you explain how you do each of these - "If you define the script in the configuration" and " If you display the temperature in the label"

I thought that I was displaying the temp in the label but the label displays Temp 0.0C and not what is in the TEMP_JSON text file [image: Capture2.PNG]

If I enter the path to the text file here: [image: Capture3.PNG] I get this: [image: Capture1.PNG]

Sorry for taking your time. If I can understand this, I will stop bothering you. Oh, and is there a way to display humidity or dew point. There is no label variable for that.

On Thu, Mar 7, 2024 at 10:37 AM Aaron W Morris @.***> wrote:

If you define the script in the configuration, it takes over the temperature data from the camera. If you display the temperature in the label, the temperature comes from the script instead of the camera.

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[aaronwmorris]

No worries.

By defining the script in the config, I mean on the Image Tab, in the External Temperature Script setting, putting the path to the external script in that field. The path needs to be the full path to the script on the filesystem. The config validation will ensure it can find the script and execute it properly.

The temperature field is in the image label by default. It is the line Temp {temp:0.1f}{temp_unit:s} in the image template on the Image Tab. The temp variable is what will be overridden by the external script.

[wjschmitt]

I looked multiple times on the Image tab and did not see that field. Then I searched the code in this file

• /home/uwsd/indi-allsky/indi_allsky/config.py - which appeared to have the configuration data fields. I finally found that field referenced, which led me to the Camera tab, and there it was.

[image: Capture4.PNG] [image: Capture5.PNG]

I added the path to the script and now all is good. Now how about humidity or dewpoint? Is it possible to add those label vars?

On Thu, Mar 7, 2024 at 6:04 PM Aaron W Morris @.***> wrote:

No worries.

By defining the script in the config, I mean on the Image Tab, in the External Temperature Script setting, putting the path to the external script in that field. The path needs to be the full path to the script on the filesystem. The config validation will ensure it can find the script and execute it properly.

The temperature field is in the image label by default. It is the line Temp {temp:0.1f}{temp_unit:s} in the image template on the Image Tab. The temp variable is what will be overridden by the external script.

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[aaronwmorris]

Sorry, that was my fault, it is the Camera Tab.

For some reason, I am not seeing your images, but that is not a big deal.

For the Humidity and dewpoint, you should use the Extra Image Text File that is on the Image Tab (I promise) just below the image label template. This is just extra text included in the image label. You write this text file using an external program and indi-allsky will read it for every image.

The extra text can include all of the formatting, color, and size configuration that you can use the the normal template.

[wjschmitt]

No worries. It is all good now. Thanks for your help.

On Thu, Mar 7, 2024 at 9:16 PM Aaron W Morris @.***> wrote:

Sorry, that was my fault, it is the Camera Tab.

For some reason, I am not seeing your images, but that is not a big deal.

For the Humidity and dewpoint, you should use the Extra Image Text File that is on the Image Tab (I promise) just below the image label template. This is just extra text included in the image label. You write this text file using an external program and indi-allsky will read it for every image.

The extra text can include all of the formatting, color, and size configuration that you can use the the normal template.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/aaronwmorris/indi-allsky/issues/1173#issuecomment-1984927588, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/A4HZ5QHWO32MEQOJ2RL2FTDYXENPJAVCNFSM6AAAAABEJTPMZ6VHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTSOBUHEZDONJYHA . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: @.***>