Save and restore of complete sequence to JSON file

Hi -

First and foremost, I’d like to thank you for all the development work you all have done on N.I.N.A. Version 2 Beta is looking really fantastic. The Advanced Sequencer makes the code a joy to use (not to mention that I now get significantly more low-overhead useable images using filter offsets and the offset wizard). Really good stuff…!

I do notice that when I save a complete sequence to JSON with the Advance Sequencer window bottom left save to disk button (“Save complete sequence to JSON file”), the resulting JSON file does include code for both the “Sequence Start Area” and the “Sequence End Area”. This is good. When I do a restore of that same file from the “User templates > Base” area, (in the Templates section), the “Sequence Start Area” and the Sequence End Area” do not populate. I can certainly work around this but am assuming this is not the desired behavior (meaning I expected both the Start and End areas to be populated with the JSON code.).

Second item: I should probably read the directions (!) but restoring a Target restores a lot more than I was expecting. I had assumed (uh-oh) that dragging a target would just update an existing or blank target. It seems to update (or create) basically everything in the Triggers, Loop Conditions and Instructions sections.

The way I thought this would work is something like this: I can save a JSON file that contains for example, a complete LRGB sequence. The JSON would contain basically everything I would need to start and connect my OTA, run Smart Exposures, do guiding, shutdown and all the rest. Once all that populates, I would then drag an arbitrary target from my list of Targets onto this and ONLY the target area would be created or updated (like what should happen in the Framing Targets window ”Add target to Sequence -> Update Existing Target in Sequencer”. BTW this doesn’t create a target if one does not already exist; it adds a new section that contains the new target.) This would allow me to maintain a list of framed targets that I can image with any number of profiles and setup JSON files.

Instead, the code duplicates most of the info (minus Start and End) from the previous LRGB setup (I had saved the target when it was part of the LRGB setup). When I look at the target JSON file, I see that it contains lots more that just the target name and RA, DEC and rotation JSON lines. For me, I do not want to duplicate or add another set of Triggers, Loop Conditions and Instructions; I just want to create or update my Target. If I drag just a Target onto a fresh sequence canvas, create the new target and then include the Triggers, Loop Conditions and Instruction sections.

Thanks for at least looking at this…

Best -

Dan

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