v1.9.0

v1.9.0 Release

The prebuilt image for this release is available at:
https://ddbeeedxfpnp0.cloudfront.net/software/PiFinder_1.9.0.img

For information about how to update software versions:
https://pifinder.readthedocs.io/en/release/user_guide.html#update-software

Notes

This is a major feature release with a host of awesome new improvements. Once again @mrosseel was the champion here contributing pretty much all of this new functionality. A very special thank you goes out to @smroid for their work on Cedar Detect and improvements to Tetra3 🥇 You can see all the changes below, but here are the main highlights:

- Solving is both faster and more robust
We've switched to a new way of detecting stars which allows solving images with shorter exposures. 0.2 second exposures (5 solves per second!!) are now very usable under bottle 2/3 skies and similar improvements should apply across brighter skies as well. This star-detection update also helps with trees, buildings and other obstructions in the camera FOV!

- Nearby Screen
One of our favorite uses of the PiFinder is to explore a specific patch of sky, uncovering new objects that we may have never seen before. This was possible previously using an observing list populated with nearby objects, but @mrosseel took this idea and supercharged it! Now there is a specific screen, which updates in real time, showing a list of objects nearby that match your current catalog filters. Like globular clusters, maybe Planetary Nebula? Set your catalog filter to see the types objects you are in the mood for and as you move your scope around the sky you'll get an updated list of these objects nearby with magnitude and other info!

- New Catalogs
This update includes the Barnard catalog of dark nebula and the RASC catalog of double stars! Keep your suggestions coming as we'll be continuing to add new catalogs with every release 📈

Software Updates

• Switch to Cedar Detect and Cedar fork of Tetra3 for improved solving performance and robustness
• Add new Nearby screen
• Add RASC double star and Barnard catalogs
• Adjust catalog options page to allow support for more than 10 catalogs
• Catalog info display improvements with better formatting of descriptions
• Minor time to first GPS lock improvement
• Web Interface UI updates; Add default password to login page, clarify save/cancel when adding new networks

Bug Fixes

• Fix crashing bug when loading some observing lists
• Adjust FOV hint on solver to allow for variation in lens manufacturing

Documentation

• Developer guide overhaul by @apos 🙌
• Improvement in fist time focus instructions based on user feedback