astap program / Forum / General discussions ASTAP: ASTAP not working with SGP

Eric Claeys - 2020-11-19

I just installed SGP then ASTAP on a new machine, then loaded the G17 database.
Trying to solve in SGP fails with the following error message in the SGP log file. The file is there and I can open and solve it in the ASTAP program itself. The programs are running as my login, not administrator.
Any ideas why it's failing with SGP?

[11/19/20 00:12:15.676][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] Collecting FITs headers...
[11/19/20 00:12:15.676][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] DATE-LOC time provided by SGPro (failed to retrieve valid entry from camera)...
[11/19/20 00:12:15.676][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] GatherFitsHeaders: Writing header info from UI...
[11/19/20 00:12:15.678][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] SaveFileBmp16: Locking bitmap for disk write...
[11/19/20 00:12:15.688][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] SaveFileBmp16: Opening file stream...
[11/19/20 00:12:15.688][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] SaveFileBmp16: Writing FITS headers...
[11/19/20 00:12:15.689][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] SaveFileBmp16: Traversing and persisting bitmap data...
[11/19/20 00:12:15.853][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] SaveFileBmp16: FITS block fill...
[11/19/20 00:12:15.853][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] SaveFileBmp16: Unlocking bitmap...
[11/19/20 00:12:15.853][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] SaveFileBmp16: Closing file stream
[11/19/20 00:12:15.860][INFO][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] *** SOLVE HINTS **
[11/19/20 00:12:15.861][INFO][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] SOLVER: ASTAP
[11/19/20 00:12:15.861][INFO][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] BLIND: False
[11/19/20 00:12:15.861][INFO][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] METHOD: Max Regions
[11/19/20 00:12:15.861][INFO][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] RA: 5.57984444444444
[11/19/20 00:12:15.861][INFO][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] DEC: -5.45716944444444
[11/19/20 00:12:15.861][INFO][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] SCALE: 1.74844002157914
[11/19/20 00:12:15.861][INFO][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] EXP. LEN: 0
[11/19/20 00:12:15.861][INFO][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] ******
[11/19/20 00:12:16.184][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] FitsFileHeaderData: Angle - 179.702768778293
[11/19/20 00:12:16.184][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] FitsFileHeaderData: Scale - 1.74844002157914
[11/19/20 00:12:16.184][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] FitsFileHeaderData: RA - 0
[11/19/20 00:12:16.184][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] FitsFileHeaderData: DEC - 0
[11/19/20 00:12:16.187][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] ASTAP Param: RA (RAD) - 1.46079985957004
[11/19/20 00:12:16.187][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] ASTAP Param: DEC (RAD) - -0.0952455746447853
[11/19/20 00:12:16.187][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] ASTAP Param: Width - 4500
[11/19/20 00:12:16.187][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] ASTAP Param: Height - 3600
[11/19/20 00:12:16.187][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] ASTAP Command Line:
[11/19/20 00:12:16.187][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] C:\Program Files\astap\astap.exe 1.46079985957004,-0.09524557464479,0.03814504393775,0.03051603515020,3000,C:\Users\AstroEric1\AppData\Local\SequenceGenerator\Temp\psXSolve_22.fit
[11/19/20 00:12:16.309][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] ASTAP: read APM file...
[11/19/20 00:12:16.309][DEBUG][Image Plate Solve Thread][NONE] ASTAP: Could not open APM file! : Could not find file 'C:\Users\AstroEric1\AppData\Local\SequenceGenerator\Temp\psXSolve_22.apm'.
at System.IO.Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy, Boolean useLongPath, Boolean checkHost)
at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share)
at ly.cf(String A_0, Process A_1)

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han.k - 2020-11-19

The error is:

ASTAP: Could not open APM file! : Could not find file 'C:\Users\AstroEric1\AppData\Local\SequenceGenerator\Temp\psXSolve_22.apm'.

Is SGP a beta version or the latest version 3?

I can only guess. Maybe it has something to do with path access. Maybe you should install SGP as your normal login and try again?

Does the file exist (while SHP is runnning):
C:\Users\AstroEric1\AppData\Local\SequenceGenerator\Temp\psXSolve_22.apm

Han

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Eric Claeys - 2020-11-19

I'm running SGP version 3.613 - the latest non-beta version.
I installed both SGP and ASTAP as my normal login.
The file exists when SGP is running.
When I try running the command that SGP tried (C:\Program Files\astap\astap.exe 1.46079985957004,-0.09524557464479,0.03814504393775,0.03051603515020,3000,C:\Users\AstroEric1\AppData\Local\SequenceGenerator\Temp\psXSolve_22.fit), it just beeps and returns with no output. I even tried it as administrator, and it just beeped.

Does ASTAP keep a log anywhere or have debugging output?

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Eric Claeys - 2020-11-19

I noticed that if I leave the last character of the filename ("t" in ".fit) off, it fails but doesn't beep. And if I don't enter the filename on the command line, it brings up astap with an error that no filename was entered.

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han.k - 2020-11-19

Probably the beep is from ASTAP indicating file read error. I would delete the file. Maybe it is faulty or administrator only and then try again.

You could also try to open the file in ASTAP. I assume you get a read error. Have a look to the file properties. Maybe read only.

Just deleting is the simplest way forward.

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han.k - 2020-11-19

At the same location there should be an .ini file (text) containing possible errors. I'm not sure if a file read error is reported there.

Last edit: han.k 2020-11-19

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han.k - 2020-11-19

Just checked the code. Any read error by ASTAP is reported in the .ini file so in your case in:
C:\Users\AstroEric1\AppData\Local\SequenceGenerator\Temp\psXSolve_22.ini
and it could contain something like:

PLTSOLVD=F
CMDLINE="C:\astap.fpc\astap.exe" -f c:\astap.fpc\test_files\command_line_test\m5.fits -fov 1.2
ERROR=Error reading image file.

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Eric Claeys - 2020-11-19

Thanks Han.
The error occurred with all 20+ images, and they opened and solved fine in the astap program.
I ran Microsoft's process monitor while trying a plate solve via SGP, and saw where SGP created the .fit file, then called astap.exe with the arguments. Astap did a bunch of registry queries but never tried to open the .fit file or create the .apm or .ini file. Astap quickly exited, and then SGP started writing the "can't find .apm file" error messages.
When I ran the same command line outside of SGP, astap also did not try to open the .fit or .apm file.

Is there a way to debug astap.exe?

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han.k - 2020-11-19

In ASTAP you could checkmark write extended log but I don't think it will help here.

What is the contents of the .ini file(s) in

C:\Users\AstroEric1\AppData\Local\SequenceGenerator\Temp\

This directory will be cleared by SGP. This .ini file will report the received command line and error. The you could try the same command line in a cmd box.

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Eric Claeys - 2020-11-19

I solved it. It appears there was another astap.exe process running and the tray icon was always there (and never displayed anything). Once I killed the process, ASTAP started working.
I assume the tray icon should only be there during a plate solve?
The solves are so fast that the icon now appears and disappears in an eye-blink. Good job with the program.

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han.k - 2020-11-19

Good you solved it.

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ASTAP not working with SGP

Stacking program, astrometric (plate) solver, fits file viewer

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ASTAP not working with SGP

ASTAP not working with SGP

Stacking program, astrometric (plate) solver, fits file viewer

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ASTAP not working with SGP