Copyright ©2018 Robin Glover SharpCap User Manual Copyright ©2018 Robin Glover and David Richards This version describes SharpCap 3.2. This is a pre-release copy of the User Manual and may contain errors. SharpCap is an image capture application designed primarily for Astrophotography and Video Astronomy. Support can be obtained via the SharpCap forum at http://forums.sharpcap.co.uk . You can download this manual in PDF format. Page 1 of 212 Copyright ©2018 Robin Glover Table of Contents Foreword ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Requirements ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Supported Cameras .......................................................................................................................... 12 Altair Cameras ............................................................................................................................... 12 Basler Cameras .............................................................................................................................. 12 Celestron/Imaging Source Cameras .............................................................................................. 12 iNova Cameras .............................................................................................................................. 12 Point Grey Cameras (now FLIR) .................................................................................................... 12 QHY Cameras ................................................................................................................................ 13 StarlightXpress Cameras ............................................................................................................... 13 ZWO Cameras ............................................................................................................................... 13 ASCOM Cameras ........................................................................................................................... 13 DirectShow Cameras ..................................................................................................................... 13 Virtual Camera .............................................................................................................................. 13 Choosing Between ASCOM and DirectShow ................................................................................. 13 Software ............................................................................................................................................ 14 Hardware .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Minimum Hardware Specification ................................................................................................ 15 Recommended Hardware Specification ....................................................................................... 15 SharpCap Pro......................................................................................................................................... 16 Installing SharpCap Pro ..................................................................................................................... 16 Trying out SharpCap Pro ................................................................................................................... 16 SharpCap Pro Features ...................................................................................................................... 16 Buying a SharpCap Pro License ......................................................................................................... 17 Installing your SharpCap Pro License ................................................................................................ 17 License Expiry and Renewal .............................................................................................................. 18 Claiming a SharpCap Pro license bundled with a new Camera ........................................................ 18 Quick Start ............................................................................................................................................. 20 Installation and First Steps .................................................................................................................... 22 Installing the Camera Driver ............................................................................................................. 22 Installing SharpCap ........................................................................................................................... 22 Testing SharpCap .............................................................................................................................. 23 Removing SharpCap .......................................................................................................................... 25 Introduction to the SharpCap User Interface ....................................................................................... 26 Page 2 of 212 Copyright ©2018 Robin Glover Title Bar ............................................................................................................................................. 27 Menu Bar .......................................................................................................................................... 27 Tool Bar ............................................................................................................................................. 27 Capture Display Area ........................................................................................................................ 28 Camera Control Panel ....................................................................................................................... 28 Work Area ......................................................................................................................................... 29 Status Bar .......................................................................................................................................... 29 Frame Progress ............................................................................................................................. 30 Capture Progress ........................................................................................................................... 30 The Menu Bar ........................................................................................................................................ 31 File ..................................................................................................................................................... 31 SharpCap Settings ......................................................................................................................... 31 Exit 31 Cameras ............................................................................................................................................ 31 Rescan for Cameras....................................................................................................................... 32 Close Camera ................................................................................................................................ 32 Reconnect Camera ........................................................................................................................ 32 Available Cameras ......................................................................................................................... 32 Options .............................................................................................................................................. 33 Full Screen ..................................................................................................................................... 33 Reset Control Order ...................................................................................................................... 33 Other Options ............................................................................................................................... 33 Capture.............................................................................................................................................. 34 Tools .................................................................................................................................................. 34 Histogram ...................................................................................................................................... 35 Live Stack 35 Polar Align ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Plate Solve ..................................................................................................................................... 35 Sensor Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 35 Focus Assistant .............................................................................................................................