Running fcmaker

Example 1: manual creation of a finding chart via p2

In its most basic mode, fcmaker connects to p2 and creates the finding chart for a given OB Id. To do so, simply type in a terminal:

python -m fcmaker

or from within a Python shell:

run -m fcmaker

You will be prompted for your p2 username, password, and the Id of the observing block to process. fcmaker will create two folders fcm_data and fcm_plots at your current location, where it will store the background image and the finding charts. Once the finding charts have been generated, you can choose to attach the newly created finding chart to the OB on p2, or not.

Example 2: semi-automatic creation of finding charts via p2

If you have a lot of finding charts to create, fcmaker allows for a semi-batch processing. First, create a text file randomfilename with the following structure:


userId:                                 # p2 username (will ask at prompt if left blank)
pswd:                                   # p2 password (will ask at prompt if left blank)
obIds: [1848649,1848655,1848658,1848661]        # List of Ob IDs to chart
bk_images: [DSS2 Red, SDSSr, DSS2 Blue, None]   # Background images (SkyView), None for default, or local fits
bk_lams: [None,None,None,None]          # Lambda of the chart (SkyView will override), None for default
data_loc: fcm_data                      # Relative path to the bk images 
plot_loc: fcm_plots                     # Relative path to store the finding charts 


Then, feed it to fcmaker with the -f flag:

python -m fcmaker -f randomfilename

or from within a Python shell:

run -m fcmaker -- -f randomfilename

Note the extra -- before listing any of the flags with the run command!

In doing so, fcmaker will connect to p2 and process all the OBs listed. Note that for each finding chart, you will still need to manually specify whether you want to upload it to p2 (or not). You can fully automate the creation of many finding charts if you include the --no-upload flag:

python -m fcmaker --no-upload -f randomfilename

Example 3: creation of finding charts locally

fcmaker can also create finding charts locally, without the need to have an OB present on p2 first. To do so, one first needs to specify the basic OB parameters in a text file whichevername (in essence, a stripped-down version of a full OBX file):

# A list of basic OB parameters to generate a MUSE finding chart from scratch, locally
obname:   WFM_starstuff
obId:     43
pi:       jdoe
progId:   0100.Z-9999
inst:     MUSE
ins_mode: WFM-AO-N

# Target
equinox:  J2000
epoch:    2000.0
ra:       21h49m07.290s
dec:      +00d26m55.000s

# Acquisition
is_tts:   True
bos_ra:   34.6108
bos_dec:  42.562
is_gs:    True
gs_ra:    21h49m22.147s
gs_dec:   +00d27m53.336s
tts1_ra:  21h49m04.085s
tts1_dec: +00d27m44.457s
tts2_ra:  21h49m13.054s
tts2_dec: +00d26m48.509s
acq_pa:   0

# Observation
noff:     5
obstype:  [O S O S O]
#SEQ.OFFSET.COORDS                 "SKY"
posang:   [0 0 90 0 90]
off1:     [0 227.243 -226.493 227.243 -228.743]
off2:     [0 -198.1 198.85 -198.1 196.6]
#SEQ.RETURN "T"

# Finding chart parameters
bk_images: DSS2 Red     # Bk images to download from SkyView, or local fits files
bk_lams:   550-750\AA   # The wavelength of the background images (SkyView will override)
data_loc: fcm_data      # Relative path to the bk images 
plot_loc: fcm_plots     # Relative path to store the finding charts 
                    

The file is then fed to fcmaker with the -f flag, together with the -local flag to indicate that it is a local run:

python -m fcmaker -local -f whichevername

fcmaker will create the associated finding chart, store it where specified, and exit.

The other fcmaker flags

A series of flag allow to fine-tune the way fcmaker works. They are:

--help,-h : prints the basic help

--version : prints the fcmaker version

--no-montage : will by-pass the use of Montage. Finding charts will rotated according to the input FITS file. [not encouraged]

--no-systemtex : will use the matplotib LaTeX, rather than the system-wide LaTeX installation. Finding charts will be less pretty.

--no-upload : tell fcmaker never to try to upload the finding chart(s) to p2.

--no-pdf : tell fcmaker not to save a .pdf version of the finding chart (only a jpg one)

--clear-SkyView-cache: does as it says.

The background images

fcmaker relies on astroquery.skyview to download background images for the finding charts (if no local FITS file is provided by the user). To display the full list of surveys available, type in a Python shell:

from astroquery.skyview import SkyView
SkyView.survey_dict['overlay_blue']

The default background survey images for the instruments supported by fcmaker are as follows:

  • MUSE: DSS2 Red

Warning

From an operational perspective, we strongly recommend to only use DSS2 Red or SDSSr.