SharpCap User Manual
<!-- If the browser does not support frames put the first topic content here --> <div class="WordSection1"> <p class="MsoTitle"><a name="_Toc479619637">SharpCap User Manual</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Copyright ©2017 Robin Glover and David Richards</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This version describes SharpCap 2.9.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><img width="601" height="154" id= "Picture 1898" src="SharpCapUserManual_files/image001.jpg" alt= "image" name="Picture 1898" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style= 'font-size:18.0pt;line-height:107%'>SharpCap is an image capture application designed primarily for astrophotography and video astronomy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Support can be obtained via the SharpCap forum at <a href="http://forums.sharpcap.co.uk/" target= "_blank">http://forums.sharpcap.co.uk</a> <span class= "MsoHyperlink">.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can download this manual in <a href= "http://downloads.sharpcap.co.uk/downloaddoc.html?filename=SharpCapUserManual_v29.pdf" target="_blank">PDF format</a>.</p> </div>
Contents
Topics
SharpCap User Manual
Foreword
Requirements
Supported Devices
Altair Cameras
Basler Cameras
Celestron/Imaging Source Cameras
iNova Cameras
QHY Cameras
ZWO Cameras
ASCOM Cameras
DirectShow Cameras
Choosing Between ASCOM and DirectShow
Software
Hardware
Minimum Hardware Specification
Recommended Hardware Specification
Quick Start
Slow Start
Installing the Camera Driver
Installing SharpCap
Testing SharpCap
Removing SharpCap
Introduction to the SharpCap User Interface
Title Bar
Menu Bar
Tool Bar
Capture Display Area
Camera Control Panel
Work Area
Status Bar
The Menu Bar
File
SharpCap Settings
Exit
Cameras
Rescan for Cameras
Available Cameras
Options
Full Screen
Reset Control Order
Other Options
Capture
Tools
Live Stack
Polar Align
Scripting
Help
View Help
Check for Updates
Report a Bug
Show Log
About
The Tool Bar
Start Capture
Quick Capture
Stop Capture
Pause
Snapshot
Live Stack
Object Name
Preview FX (effects)
None
Highlight Over Exposed
Image Boost
Image Boost More
Frame Stack (3)
Frame Stack (5)
Frame Stack (10)
RGB Align
Stop Motion Video
FX Selection Area
Reticule Overlays
No Reticule
Crosshairs
Circle
Zoom
Image Histogram
Calculate Focus Score
Camera Control Panel
Capture Profiles
Capture Format and Area
Camera Controls
Image Controls
Pre-processing
Display Controls
Testing Controls
Other Controls
Capturing Videos and Images
Start Capture
Stop Capture
Delete Last Capture
Open Capture Folder
Capture Dark
Camera Basics
Colour Spaces Explained
Uncompressed Colour Spaces
RGB24
RGB32
MONO8 (also Y800)
MONO16
RAW8
RAW16
Compressed Colour Spaces
YUY2 / YUV
I420
MJPEG
Choosing the Correct Colour Space
Capture Formats Explained
AVI
SER
PNG
FITS
Camera Controls
Common Camera Controls
Capture Format and Area
Binning
Additive Binning
Averaging Binning
Camera Controls
Image Controls
Pre-processing
Display Controls
Camera Specific Controls
Altair Camera Controls
ASCOM Camera Controls
Basler Camera Controls
Celestron/Imaging Source Camera Controls
iNova Camera Controls
QHY Camera Controls
ZWO Camera Controls
DirectShow Cameras
Webcams
Microsoft LifeCam (webcam)
Frame Grabbers
Modified Webcams
DirectShow Controls
Test Cameras
The Histogram
The Histogram in Detail
Understanding the Histogram Axes
Linear and Logarithmic Scales
Using the Histogram to Improve Image Quality
Worked Examples
A Monochrome Deep Sky Example
A Colour Deep Sky Example
Live Stacking
The Live Stacking User Interface
Left Panel
Status Tab
Histogram Tab
Alignment Tab
Filter Tab
Darks Tab
Log Tab
Live Stack Reference
Using Live Stacking
Sample Live Stack Session
Trouble Shooting Live Stack
Stretching the Live Stack Image
Focusing
Introduction
The Focusing Tools
Which Focus Tool Should Be Used?
Focusing Procedure
Overview of Display
Focus Tools Controls
The Graph Pane
History Tab
Graph Tab
History and Graph Manipulation
Setting the Correct Black Level
Using a Bahtinov Mask
Polar Alignment
How does it Work?
What is required?
Step-By-Step
Tips
Configuring SharpCap
General Tab
Automatically connect to camera when SharpCap starts
Display in night vision colours
Default Zoom
Saved target names
Show tips when SharpCap starts
Start cameras with ‘Auto’ output format (for supported cameras)
Preferred Video Format
Preferred Still Format
Hardware Tab
Filenames Tab
Save captured files to
Test Write Speed
Organise captured files into subfolders
Date and then Target Name
Target Name and then Date
Create WinJUPOS Compatible File Names
Use UTC times in files and folder names
Use sortable date format (YYYY-MM-DD)
Save capture settings file alongside each capture
Start-up Scripts Tab
Capturing and Using Dark Frames
Camera Noise
Dark Frames Explained
Capture Dark Dialogue
Scripting
The Scripting Console
Run a Script
Scripting Tutorial
Create a Script
SharpCap Scripting Object Model Reference
The Camera Object
The Control Object
Scripting Samples
Periodic Capture and Timestamp Image
Controlling the Selection Rectangle
Example Task to Script
ASCOM Hardware Control
Focuser Control
Filter Wheel Control
Mount Control
Bugs & Crashes
How to Report a Bug
How to Report a Crash
Submitting a Crash Report
No Crash Report?
Trouble Shooting
Hardware
Software
Imaging
Image Too Bright
Jumpy AVI Will Not Stack
Grainy Image
Histogram with Gaps
Colours are Wrong
Appendix
Test Write Speed
SharpCap Uninstall Clean-up
Maintenance of Capture Profiles
Useful Software
Glossary
A Colour Deep Sky Example
A Monochrome Deep Sky Example
About
Additive Binning
Alignment Tab
Altair Camera Controls
Altair Cameras
Appendix
ASCOM Camera Controls
ASCOM Cameras
ASCOM Hardware Control
Automatically connect to camera when SharpCap starts
Available Cameras
Averaging Binning
AVI
Basler Camera Controls
Basler Cameras
Binning
Bugs & Crashes
Calculate Focus Score
Camera Controls
Camera Specific Controls
Camera Basics
Camera Control Panel
Camera Control Panel
Camera Controls
Camera Controls
Camera Noise
Cameras
Capture
Capture Format and Area
Capture Formats Explained
Capture Dark
Capture Dark Dialogue
Capture Display Area
Capture Format and Area
Capture Profiles
Capturing and Using Dark Frames
Capturing Videos and Images
Celestron/Imaging Source Cameras
Celestron/Imaging Source Camera Controls
Check for Updates
Choosing Between ASCOM and DirectShow
Choosing the Correct Colour Space
Circle
Colour Spaces Explained
Colours are Wrong
Common Camera Controls
Compressed Colour Spaces
Configuring SharpCap
Controlling the Selection Rectangle
Create a Script
Create WinJUPOS Compatible File Names
Crosshairs
Dark Frames Explained
Darks Tab
Date and then Target Name
Default Zoom
Delete Last Capture
DirectShow Cameras
DirectShow Cameras
DirectShow Controls
Display Controls
Display Controls
Display in night vision colours
Example Task to Script
Exit
File
Filenames Tab
Filter Tab
Filter Wheel Control
FITS
Focus Tools Controls
Focuser Control
Focusing
Focusing Procedure
Foreword
Frame Grabbers
Frame Stack (10)
Frame Stack (3)
Frame Stack (5)
Full Screen
FX Selection Area
General Tab
Glossary
Grainy Image
Graph Tab
Hardware
Hardware
Hardware Tab
Help
Highlight Over Exposed
Histogram Tab
Histogram with Gaps
History and Graph Manipulation
History Tab
How does it Work?
How to Report a Bug
How to Report a Crash
I420
Image Boost
Image Boost More
Image Controls
Image Controls
Image Histogram
Image Too Bright
Imaging
iNova Camera Controls
iNova Cameras
Installing SharpCap
Installing the Camera Driver
Introduction
Introduction to the SharpCap User Interface
Jumpy AVI Will Not Stack
Left Panel
Linear and Logarithmic Scales
Live Stack
Live Stack
Live Stack Reference
Live Stacking
Log Tab
Maintenance of Capture Profiles
Menu Bar
Microsoft LifeCam (webcam)
Minimum Hardware Specification
MJPEG
Modified Webcams
MONO16
MONO8 (also Y800)
Mount Control
No Crash Report?
No Reticule
None
Object Name
Open Capture Folder
Options
Organise captured files into subfolders
Other Controls
Other Options
Overview of Display
Pause
Periodic Capture and Timestamp Image
PNG
Polar Alignment
Polar Align
Pre-processing
Pre-processing
Preferred Still Format
Preferred Video Format
Preview FX (effects)
QHY Cameras
QHY Camera Controls
Quick Capture
Quick Start
RAW16
RAW8
Recommended Hardware Specification
Removing SharpCap
Report a Bug
Requirements
Rescan for Cameras
Reset Control Order
Reticule Overlays
RGB Align
RGB24
RGB32
Run a Script
Sample Live Stack Session
Save capture settings file alongside each capture
Save captured files to
Saved target names
Scripting
Scripting
Scripting Tutorial
Scripting Samples
SER
Setting the Correct Black Level
SharpCap Scripting Object Model Reference
SharpCap Settings
SharpCap Uninstall Clean-up
SharpCap User Manual
Show Log
Show tips when SharpCap starts
Slow Start
Snapshot
Software
Software
Start cameras with ‘Auto’ output format (for supported cameras)
Start Capture
Start Capture
Start-up Scripts Tab
Status Bar
Status Tab
Step-By-Step
Stop Capture
Stop Capture
Stop Motion Video
Stretching the Live Stack Image
Submitting a Crash Report
Supported Devices
Target Name and then Date
Test Cameras
Test Write Speed
Test Write Speed
Testing Controls
Testing SharpCap
The Camera Object
The Control Object
The Focusing Tools
The Graph Pane
The Histogram
The Histogram in Detail
The Live Stacking User Interface
The Menu Bar
The Scripting Console
The Tool Bar
Tips
Title Bar
Tool Bar
Tools
Trouble Shooting
Trouble Shooting Live Stack
Uncompressed Colour Spaces
Understanding the Histogram Axes
Use sortable date format (YYYY-MM-DD)
Use UTC times in files and folder names
Useful Software
Using a Bahtinov Mask
Using Live Stacking
Using the Histogram to Improve Image Quality
View Help
Webcams
What is required?
Which Focus Tool Should Be Used?
Work Area
Worked Examples
YUY2 / YUV
Zoom
ZWO Camera Controls
ZWO Cameras
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