[Aavso-photometry] AIP4WinV2

[Tim Crawford]

As I was one of the beta-testers for AIP4Win, I want
to share some of the more obvious improvements that
come immediatley to mind.  

I am really pleased with the many improvements and
corrections of some previous problems that have been
made with the photometry portion of this program. 
Richard and Jim have done an outstanding job!

Keep in mind that the photomery area was about all
that I spent time working with.

The calibrate interface has been redesigned (actually,
all the interface windows have been pretty much
re-designed).... now their is a file that remembers
where your flats are, bias frames and darks.... they
do not have to be in the same place... and you do not
have to keep choosing where to go to.....goes faster
this way.

Ensemble Photometry with a pretty much unlimited
number of comp stars (32?)... all any of us would ever
use
any way.... lots of output options and structure of
how the data files are to be presented.  Ensemble
available with either the Single Image tool or the
Multi-image tool... Ensemble, differential and a few
other options are available to choose from each time
for image process.

Midpoint times on all images... stacked or single;
although the midpoint times will not save to the .fits
header file from stacked images - as long as the
photometry is done on the original stacked image right
away the midpoint time will carry through to the data
output file.

SIPT also provides the JD date now.... (used to be MI
only)

Original file names carry through to calibrated images
and stacked images.

Filter used information now is output into the data
file.

The Zero Point "tool" is set up better this time and
quicker (to me) to use on images.

Camera data is required as their is now an automatic
error/uncertainty computation made on each measurement
and output to the data file along with the photometric
data.

While the Check star concept has been eliminated, the
SIPT still retains this flavor by showing the C2-C1
values so that we can still hunt for best fit of two
stars when just doing differential as opposed to
ensemble.

There is now a sum option for stacking images. 

That's all that comes immediately to mind... I know
that I have missed some of the changes.....  I hope,
never the less, that some of these improvements are
what you may have been looking for.

CS

Tim Crawford  CTX
Arch Cape Observatory

http://homepage.mac.com/windwalker1/ACObserv.htm