Using Pinpoint with MaxIM DL

I have several versions of MaxIM DL installed on my Laptop. They are in Directories such as \MaxIM DL V5_01, \MaxIM DL V5_18 and \MaxIM DL V5_23. This allows me to use the version of MaxIM DL that works best and with me on different tasks.

I recently purchased Pinpoint and installed this Full Version. The install did not request to be pointed at a MaxIM DL directory. And no messages are displayed, as I open the various versions, about new programming added. Will Pinpoint be available to any of these installs? Is there some message to look for to indicate that it is present and working?

I looked to try to find information about exactly how this fully integrated packaging is supposed to work, but could not find much supporting documentation. Thanks in advance for the help offered, AlanP

PinPoint is an "engine" and is made available to MaxIm via the all-powerful and amazing Windows object server system. There is no direct/file linkage at all. MaxIm asks Windows for an instance of a PinPoint "Plate" object and Windows complies. MaxIm has no way (or reason) to know how all of this magic happens :). Your question makes me think that there is another question behind it though... are you having a problem?

When I bought the Software [Full install] some time ago, I installed it and then the clouds rolled. After a long absence "metal rust" sets in. So I noticed the other day that I apparently had not finished the install. I had failed to do the registration part. But once I completed that task and started Visual Pinpoint to confirm, I did not see a change in the appearance of Plate Solving in MaxIM. This led me to wonder if I had not as yet completed some other required task.

I run pairs of Scopes; a pair of AT8RCs and a pair of TMB92SS Refractors. One has a Mono CCD and the second [with AO to fix flexture] has OSC. So I get all of my data concurrently. The AT8RC Mono is a dual chip Sbig and does all guiding tasks. So the Mono subframes have the Mount data in the Fits Files. The OSC subframes do not, as the second Laptop is not connected to the Mount. I am working on Tooling to further limit flex between the twin AT8RCs. Plate Solves are a convenient way to confirm centering/or the error left to correct. So Plate Solving on the OSC subframes is an important function for me. The smoother [more reliable] I can get them to be, the better.

On some nights, the Plate Solve output has been garbage. Error output for Image Scale, and Focal Length solutions have been presented. If I calibrate [by not noticing the errors] the Mount on that data, my next slew is really dangerous. So I have learned to watch the Plate Solves carefully. Hopefully the full version will be more "bullet proof" for the OSC subs.

Recently I have been able to take the RA/Dec values from the Mono Plate Solve and generate a good Plate Solve off the OSC subs by simply imputing those values. That has been extremely helpful [and an indication that I am getting the Scopes tuned together pretty good]. Hopefully I won't be seeing Plate Solve solutions that are real fliers anymore. Thanks for the follow up. AlanP

Lots of info... As far as I can tell you're OK now. If you bought the full PinPoint just because you were getting bad solutions, then contact us at +1 480 396 9700 and we'll refund your money. The LE engine in MaxIm is not intentionally brain damaged to get you to spend money with us :D

Based on extensive tests done several years ago, I am occasionally surprised at the frequency of bad solutions with 8 stars. In the next version I will force at least 10 stars as a minimum. I did my best to adjust the heuristics, but I left a bit too much latitude at the low end. If I used quadruplets instead of triplets for matching, I probably would have been better off. But back in the early days, people had postage stamp detectors and looong focal lengths, resulting in microscopic fields of view!!

I have seen some patterns. If I bin the images x2, and gauge the crispness of the Stars [the skies can make the Stars bloat at times] for Solving, it does seem to help. I have seen bloated Star image yield longer Focal Lengths. And linger 5 yo 7 second images help also. The default image that MaxIM is taking off a Software slew is 2 seconds. So I need to find where they buried that setting...

On a separate note, I used Visual PinPoint to Plate Solve my subframes. But then MaxIM would not Astrometically stack the images. I am not sure at all what that was about. Not a show stopper as they did Auto Align on the Stars. But I will try that again to see what might have MaxIM thrown for a loop... I am not using the latest MaxIM Version as yet for processing, maybe it is related to that. AlanP

OK, well let me know if I can help.