DataCraft and database

 

 

DataCraft is designed to help with managing the image files as well as gathering information during the imaging process. It allows transferring the images from the imaging computer to another one for processing or to external drive for backing up. DataCraft creates the same folder structure in the destination, so it is easy to find the images on both places.

 

The DB Browser allows searching in the database for locating the needed images. Depending on the settings the database could be available on the processing computer or to be share by multiple instances.

 

The button DataCraft in Main Screen has several states:

 

Here is how DataCraft looks in action. When the "Activated" check box is selected every taken image will be added in the queue and depending on the settings it will be transferred automatically or when you decide to process the queue.

 

 

The interface is pretty self-explanatory. There is section about the images queue with simple info - images count and total size. The Images Queue is preserved between the sessions, so if your processing computer is in home you can do it after you are back from several nights session. If you have copied the files by other ways you can empty the queue with the Clear button. The source image files will remain untouched.

 

Follows the Status section. It shows the transfer status - number of the transferred images, remaining images, the percent transferred from the current file and the estimated remaining time to process the whole queue. On the next row there is status of the destination.

 

The Transfer / Stop button gives manual control over the process.

 

As it is mentioned above Activated enables / disables adding the newly taken images in the queue.

 

DB Browser opens the dialog box for searching images in the images database.

 

 

There are several Data Craft Setting you can use to tune the behavior:

 

 

- Destination path - defines where to transfer the images. It can be network path directly, SD card, external drive or other drive on the computer. The selected file grouping options will be applied to the destination path.

 

- Real Time mode - when enabled every image will be transferred in the background as soon as it arrives without interfering with the imaging process. When disabled DataCraft will queue the images and you can start the process manually via the Transfer button in the main DataCraft window.

 

- Skip Thumbnails - when enabled DataCraft will not transfer the thumbnails associated with the source image.

 

- Skip 'Shoot' Images - when enabled DataCraft will not transfer the images taken with Shoot button.

 

- Copy the images - when selected the image files will remain in the source folder

 

- True Mirror - when enabled, if you delete an image from the Img Tab because the guiding was bad or because of other reason and the file is already transferred, DataCraft will remove the image from the destination automatically for you. There is no need to delete it yourself from the destination folder. Note if you delete an image from Img Tab before the transfer, it will be removed from the queue, no matter if this option is selected or not.

 

- Move the images - when selected the source image files will be removed after successful transfer. Currently this option is disabled because most likely we will add additional verification to be sure that no data will be lost.

 

- Build images Database - when enabled DataCraft will gather various data for every light image taken and store it in a database which allows to search for images in very powerful ways. For example by filter, exposure, temperature and etc.

 

- * Custom Database Path - allows defining custom path where to store the database file (requires APT restart). It is useful when you are using imaging and processing computers. When the database is transferred to the processing PC it will be stored in the transfer destination path. In the APT settings of the processing computer set the path of the folder where the database is copied. Also make sure to same values for Images Path in Setting Main tab. The drive letter could be different but folder names should be same in order all features of the Database Browser to work. For example you can have C:\AstroImages on the imaging PC and D:\AstroImages on the processing PC.

 

Also it is possible to use shared folder for the database path which to be used by multiple instances of APT.

 

- Auto copy the Database to the destination - when enabled the database file will be added to the transfer queue after the end of every lights frames plan. If "Real-time mode" is disabled only one entry in the queue will be created.