Image solver doesn't work

Dick Cogswell

In the step 6 video, Fast Track, he shows how to use the image solver. I have downloaded HIS same data, and the Gaia database.  I select HIS same file, open it in PI. And 2 things are different:

1. It opens as a gray file, mono; in his video the same file opens as an RGB color file (he says the data was taken with a color camera)

2. Running the image solver tool results in failure. It says too few stars, magnitude filter could be too strict, etc.

3. Also, when auto didn't work for the star catalogue, I select local, select the path, it wants a specific file in the Gaia catalog, rather than the folder. So that doesn't work either.

Bottom line, failure, but I don't get his point. What is the utility of using this tool? He doesn't explain why it would be useful

BlockHead

Hi Dick,

I think I need more information... but here are some answers.

1.  At 00:45 seconds in step 6 I state the reason the astrometric solution (using ImageSolver) is necessary. It is to be able to match stars in your image to those in a catalog (GAIA). Concerning opening the same file... I am going to disagree with you. You did NOT open the same file... or if you did... there is a problem that happened when you used WBPP (by not associating with CFA images). Please look closely at the file you opened... does it have "_c_cc_d" in the name? That "_d" means it is debayered and it will open as a color image. If you are seeing a gray image... it is because you did not open a debayered image or the images were not debayered correctly.

2. This could be a consequence of #1... especially if the there is a problem with the debayered image.

3. This isn't going to be part of the solution... just keep Auto.

I do explain why it is useful- and I have more videos for you to watch that are below the main FastTrack course. The videos on SPCC (SpectroPhotometric Color Calibration) explain in detail. However... the point of FastTrack training is that many beginning DO NOT WANT ME TO EXPLAIN everything. They want me to shut up as much as possible and just tell them the workflow. I do more explaining... much more in Fundamentals. I am very often critiqued for explaining too much..

-the Blockhead