ACP Planner V4 and Skytools Pro V3

I've recently uploaded to SkyTools Pro version 3 and like it alot. I've also upgraded to ACP Planner version 4. For the last couple days, I've been trying to import the Ephemeris from SkyTools to ACP Planner. I've been able to create an Ephemeris in SkyTools and export it to the clipboard. When I subsequently try to paste this into a Word document, I find that I have the data on the clipboard. However, if I try to import this into ACP Planner, I get a "Clipboard doesn't contain SkyTools object data" error message.

There may be a format issue (in the columns selected in SkyTools) or a version incompatibility issue. But I can't tell from reading the Planner help file.

The planner help file also implies I can import multiple targets from SkyTools. So far, though, I can't figure out how to get more than 1 target into the Ephemerides in SkyTools. (This may point to the problem as well.)

Teri

Teri --

Can you paste the output from SkyTools that you're trying to import - into a Notepad/text file, zip it, then attach it to your reply? I'll look at it here. I did the best I could when I added the SkyTools importing, but I'm guessing that something changed in that data output format, or you're exporting something I didn't anticipate.

The instructions for the interface between the programs is not very comprehensive in either. What I did was create a special observing list for the objects I might like to image on a given night (in SkyTools 3 Pro). I then exported that to the clipboard using the Print/Copy Observing List command (selecting the Copy function). You can select a column "scheme" under this command -- selecting which columns to export. I left this at the "default" setting (although I also tried the Deep Sky setting as well). The result of that "copy" is given below (and is on the windows clipboard since I copied it from that to here -- I changed the color here in the forum).

If I try to import this into Planner version 4.05, I get the message in the earlier post.

Teri


Test Copy Observing List, evening of 2010 Jan 20 at Moorook Australia
Sunset 20:29, Twilight ends 22:01, Twilight begins 04:39, Sunrise 06:10, Moon rise 11:21, Moon set 22:47
Completely dark from 22:47 to 04:39. Waxing Crescent Moon. All times local (GMT+10.5).
Listing All Classes visible above the perfect horizon before 00:00.
The minimum imaging quality of opportunity is "any" plus any SNR.

Cls Log Status Prority Rating Primary ID Con RA (Ap) Dec (Ap) Mag SBr (B-V) Rise Transit Set Start Duration Q Size on Image Resolution
Gal High ***** NGC 5101 Hya 13h22m20.8s -27°29'00" 11.6 23.3 1.00 22:57 06:31 14:08 00:05 05:00 C 443 x 521 pixels 6.3"
Gal High **** NGC 1232 Eri 03h10m13.9s -20°32'39" 10.6 22.6 0.63 13:12 20:20 03:29 21:35 04:55 C 509 x 583 pixels 6.3"
Gal High **** NGC 2613 Pyx 08h33m51.2s -23°00'33" 11.1 22.0 0.91 18:26 01:43 09:00 22:45 06:00 A 154 x 686 pixels 3.7"
Gal High *** NGC 1543 Ret 04h12m57.0s -57°42'54" 11.4 21.3 0.95 - 21:23 - 21:45 07:05 B 104 x 413 pixels 5.3"
Gal High ** NGC 4603 Cen 12h41m30.2s -41°01'49" 12.5 22.7 0.76 21:10 05:50 14:34 22:40 06:25 C 198 x 292 pixels 6.3"

This doesn't look anything like what I was given by the person who asked for (and got) SkyTools importing. Here's one of the samples he provided to me (there are tabs in this):

Code:

---

Messier 1 Observing List, evening of 2007 Feb 28 at Rock Hall, MD
Sunset 05:56p, Twilight ends 07:25p, Twilight begins 05:09a, Sunrise 06:37a, Moon rise 02:43p, Moon set 05:39a
Never completely dark. Waxing Gibbous Moon. All times local (EST).
Listing All Classes visible above the obstructed horizon before 11:57a.

Primary ID        Ap. RA        Ap. Dec
Butterfly                              17h40m31.6s        -32°11'53"
M 7                                    17h54m24.7s        -34°47'43"
Praesepe/Beehive                        08h40m30.9s        +19°57'50"
M 47                                    07h36m56.9s        -14°29'47"
Pleiades                                03h47m24.1s        +24°08'43"
Great Orion Nebula                      05h35m39.8s        -05°22'45"
Andromeda Galaxy                        00h43m06.3s        +41°18'35"

---

Planner is looking for the line that starts with "Primary ID". If that's not there it can't recognize the data as SkyTools data. If it is there, then it starts reading the lines thereafter, paying attention only to the first three fields, Name, RA, and Dec. Additional tab-delimited fields can be present but they are not used by Planner.

As you can tell, the output of SkyTools is not exactly machine-reading-friendly :-) and I just did what I was asked. I don't think there's a practical way to recognize and read all of the possible outputs of SkyTools...

Hi Bob, Teri,

I just tried this from ST3 Pro as well.

However, in the print/copy screen I elected to create a new Column Scheme which I called "ACP Planner Export" and in which I deselected all columns other than "Primary Designation" and "Coordinates: Apparent"
This then gave me the following output, which I think should import to planner OK, although I haven't tried it myself:
(It's using tab delimeters, although not obvious from the snippet below)

Code:

---

ACP Automator Observing List, evening of 2010 Jan 20 at Trellis
Sunset 17:20, Twilight ends 18:51, Twilight begins 05:48, Sunrise 07:18, Moon rise 10:10, Moon set 22:42
Completely dark from 22:42 to 05:48. Waxing Crescent Moon. All times local (PST).
Listing All Classes visible above 2 air mass or near maximum altitude and in twilight or moonlight.
The minimum imaging quality of opportunity is "any" plus any SNR.
Primary ID RA (Ap) Dec (Ap)
NGC 891 02h23m13.0s +42°23'47"
Twin Quasar 10h02m05.2s +55°50'43"
M 109 11h58m09.5s +53°18'43"
M 100 12h23m27.1s +15°45'44"
NGC 4565 12h36m52.3s +25°55'36"
Sombrero Galaxy 12h40m32.2s -11°40'48"
Whale Galaxy 12h42m38.7s +32°28'55"
Sunflower Galaxy 13h16m17.7s +41°58'11"
Whirlpool Galaxy 13h30m18.9s +47°08'09"
PSS J1347+4956 13h48m08.1s +49°52'57"
M 101 14h03m34.6s +54°17'33"
Einstein's Cross 22h41m00.9s +03°24'42"

---

Hope that helps,

John

Given Bob's post (and John's), I went back and set up my SkyTools column scheme to only output the ID, RA, and Dec. Now it works. I assume I want 2000 astrometric outputs.

Bob, next planner update, you need to put in the help file to select only the "Primary Designation", and the "Coordinates" as columns in the SkyTools output. That was the step that I was missing. (There is also an option to select exposure start and duration times in SkyTools. That might make a good addition to add to the input.)

If you need added help with this interface, let me know.

Teri

John --

Wow, thanks for the work on this!!! If you have a choice of Coordinates: J2000 or something like that, I think that would be better. "Apparent" sounds like local topo to me, and ACP plans need J2000.

Ah, I should have read ahead w.r.t. the J2000 bit. You have it correct.

I've added issues for both the doc improvement as well as the ability to import exposure duration and start time.

http://gemini.dc3.com/Gemini/Default.aspx?p=21&i=370

http://gemini.dc3.com/Gemini/Default.aspx?p=21&i=371

Hi Bob,

Yes indeed - the correct selection would be "Coordinates: 2000 Astrometric" which are J2000

John

Tried this for the first time - worked fine (thank you John). Saw a post dated July 2012 by Greg Crinklaw (SkyHound/SkyTools owner and programmer) about having in the works an ACP planner feature. When I had asked him by email months previous, he did not seem to be going that way. I'm hopeful because SkyTool3 Pro is quite *the tool* ! :o)