MAGPRE and MAGPOST not working

[GAD]

Hey there. LOVE SEM and used it for 2017 with great success!

I'm setting everything up for April 2024 and changing my old script for this eclipse, but any line with MAGPRE or MAGPOST doesn't load.

Examples:

TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:03.0,5DSR,1/500,11,200,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:09.0,5DSR,1/640,11,200,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:15.0,5DSR,1/800,11,200,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:21.0,5DSR,1/1000,11,200,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:27.0,5DSR,1/1600,11,200,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:33.0,5DSR,1/2000,11,240,0.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:39.0,5DSR,1/3200,11,200,0.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%

It seems like these lines (and 100 others) are simply ignored, since the rest of the script loads. There are no errors shown, and I see no error about it in the logs. Similarly putting MAGPOST in a loop behaves the same way.

All lines that reference the contact points work great so totality isn't a problem, but I like to take pics every 10% of the pre and post totality eclipse as well.

BTW:

15" Mac Pro (2013) with 16GB RAM and 1TB HD running 10.14.6 Mojave
SEM is v1.9.0(100)

Machine is a new install built just for the 2024 eclipse.



Any insights?

[astronerd]

Did your 2017 script have the MAGPRE reference and if so, can you post a piece of that code that worked?

[GAD]

Did your 2017 script have the MAGPRE reference and if so, can you post a piece of that code that worked?

Sure. This is from the script I used in 2017:

TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:01.0,5DM3,1/30,11.0,400,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:04.0,5DM3,1/40,11.0,400,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:07.0,5DM3,1/60,11.0,400,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:10.0,5DM3,1/80,11.0,400,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:13.0,5DM3,1/100,11.0,400,2.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:16.0,5DM3,1/640,11.0,640,0.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%
TAKEPIC,MAGPRE 10,+,00:17.0,5DM3,1/640,11.0,800,0.000,RAW,None,Y,Partial C1-C2 10%

The only difference I see is the 11.0 vs 11 but that should work (and I tried it both ways).

And here is one of those pics (ISO 400 1/60s f/11 5DM3):

5D3_5449_800.jpg (33.44 KiB) Viewed 111 times

[GAD]

Actually, that might be one of the MAGPOST images, but either way I got the pics because it worked.

[GAD]

BTW if I load the included sample scripts I get the same behavior.

[GAD]

I figured it out.

If the location set is not within the path of totality, MAGPRE and MAGPOST don't work. After manually setting the location to my planned viewing location everything started showing up as expected.

Huzzah! Less math for me to do.

[astronerd]

As "light bulb" goes off......, You just solved part of my problem with that!

Thanks!

[GAD]

As "light bulb" goes off......, You just solved part of my problem with that!

Thanks!

That was my last apparent hurdle so I'm glad posting the solution helped someone!

[astronerd]

I'm trying to get a 'LAST' reference to load and it wouldn't. I was also experimenting with a Garmin GPS which changed the Lat/Long of my location. When I disconnected the GPS, the location loaded correctly. Then the script would load correctly. But I still cant figure out why the script lines with the 'LAST' reference crash. Here is a code sample:

TAKEPIC,C2,+,00:00:05.0,D800,1,8.0,100,0.000,RAW, ,Y,
TAKEPIC,LAST,+,00:00:02.0,D800,1,8.0,100,0.000,RAW, ,Y, Comment - Run 2 sec after LAST line of code
#
TAKEPIC,LAST,+,00:00:02.0,D800,0.793701,8.0,100,0.000,RAW, ,Y,
TAKEPIC,LAST,+,00:00:02.0,D800,0.793701,8.0,100,0.000,RAW, ,Y,
#

The first line runs without fail. The second line crashes.
If you have any ideas please show what to do.

[GAD]

If I'm reading the function of LAST correctly, those three lines all run at the exact same time (LAST + 2sec)

If you're trying to make the second LAST reference the LAST before it (compounding LASTS as it were), I'm not sure it works that way but I didn't write the code.

Edit: You could easily test this by making the last two lines have different times: LAST,+,00:02 and LAST,+,00:03 etc., and then look on the main screen when the script loads to see how the software interprets the times.