Astro PM runs the night, but every setup has its own rituals – a settle wait here, a flip-flat nudge there. Trigger sets are drop boxes for your own NINA instructions at four key moments of the automated night.
The Four Sets #
- Before Each Exposure Instructions – runs ahead of every Astro PM exposure.
- After Each Exposure Instructions – runs after every exposure completes.
- Before Target Change Instructions – runs each time Astro PM is about to slew to a new target block.
- After Target Change Instructions – runs when a target block finishes.
Add them like any trigger on the container that holds Astro PM Instructions, then drag instructions into their boxes.
Coordinates Just Work #
Instructions that need target coordinates – Center, Center and Rotate, Slew to RA/Dec – receive the live target’s coordinates automatically when they run inside a trigger set. You do not have to (and should not) hard-code coordinates into them.
Good Uses #
- Re-center or run a custom platesolve routine after each target change.
- Fire an external script (lights, notifications) when a new target starts.
- Add a settle delay after each exposure for a sensitive mount.
Tip: Standard NINA triggers (autofocus, meridian flip, center after drift) do not need trigger sets – attach them to the parent container as usual and Astro PM honors them between exposures.