OT Scripting Basics
Scripts are generated in the Observation Element. This is accessed by selecting the Observation Component in your science program, and is shown below.
The script generation appears on the lower portion of the Observation Element. The scripting options have instrument dependencies and are discussed in the following sections. The “Generate Script” button will generate scripts for the desired instrument configurations in and XML format compatible with that instrument. When the “Generate Script” button is selected, the OT will grey out while the script is generating, then a pop-up will appear allowing the user to select the directory to save the script to.
Note: This pop-up only allows one to provide a save directory and not a script name. The script name is auto generated. The format of the script name will be of the form:
LBT-2016B-C##-$$.xml
for LUCI and LBC, or
LBT-2016B-C##-$$.xml
for MODS, where ## is a sequential number that shows the number of scripts run by a particular OT, and $$ is the number of the observational element as defined in the OT at time of generation. The scripts will not appear in the directory popup. If desired to check on/change script names and generation, it is recommended to do this independently of the OT.
LBC Scripting
There are 2 scripting options for LBC: Mono and Bino.
Mono Scripts will generate a script for the selected Observation only. To generate a Monocular script, select the desired Observation Component of the LBC Observation. In the LBC Script Generation, select the Mono radio button.
The portion for the LBC on the other side will grey out. Select “Generate Script”.
Bino Scripts will generate a script using both LBC Red and LBC Blue in a fraternal mode. This means the telescope configuration (Target Elements & Offset Iterators) for LBC Red and Blue are identical but instrument configurations (LBC Instrument Elements and Sequence Iterators containing filters, exposure times, etc.) may be different for each instrument. To build a binocular scripts, Observation for both LBC Blue and LBC Red will need to be generated. The script generation will only take the Target Element and Offset Pattern from the “Current OB” selected when generating the script. Only the exposure times and filters will be adopted to the respective LBC during script generation. And example is provided below.
The Science program below contains both LBC Red and LBC Blue Programs. The LBC Blue cycles through the r-sloan, g-sloan, and SDT_Uspec with a 9 point L dither pattern. The LBC Red cycles through the V-Bessel, i-sloan, and z-sloan with a 5 point R dither pattern. The way these are structured the offset pattern will complete before changing filters. |
|
 |
If Blue is the “Current OB” selected when generating the script: The resulting script:
|
If Red is the “Current OB” selected when generating the script: The resulting script:
|
Scripts built to complete dither before changing filters will generate a script for each filter with a dot.sequential number appended to the name. These are then combined at the telescope using the cycle.py.
LBC Mixed mode will generate monocular scripts with the <SYNCOFFSET> line added to indicate “asynchronous” LBC offsets. This is necessary for efficient observations in modes with LBC/MODS and LBC/LUCI. The templates also include script generation with Declination -90. This is to generate a script without a preset. This is so that a user can collimate without disturbing the other side observation.
LUCI Scripting
There are 5 options for LUCI Script Generation: Imaging Mono, Imaging Twin Bino, Spectroscopic Mono, Spectroscopic Twin Bino, Spectroscopic Fraternal.
For Imaging Observations, the only Mono and Bino options will be active on the Observation Element. Other options in the script generation will be greyed out.
A script generated with the Mono radio button selected will generate a monocular script for the selected Observation. To generate a Monocular script, select the desired Observation Component of the LUCI Observation. In the LUCI Script Generation, select the Mono radio button and select “Generate Script” in the lower right.
For Imaging Observations, t o generate a twinned binocular script, select the Observation Component of the LUCI Observation. In the LUCI Script Generation, select the Bino radio button and select “Generate Script” in the lower right. The script generated will take a monocular Observation and generate a binocular script that performs identical telescope and instrument configurations to both LUCI’s.
Spectroscopic Scripts require 2 components: Acquisition Observation and Science Observation. The Acquisition/Science Observations are denoted in the LUCI Object Iterator and any mask but “No Mask” selected on the Instrument Element.
When a LUCI Spectroscopic Observation is selected, and “Acquisition + Observation” block will be enabled in the script generation portion of the Observation Element.
In the “Acquisition +Observation” block, select the appropriate Observations. Note that if large Science Programs have been put together, the elements populated in this portion may not be the sequential Acquisition and Science Scripts. Ensure those selected are the correct Observations.
To generate a Monocular script, select the desired Observation Component for either the Science or Acquisition of the LUCI Observation. In the LUCI Script Generation portion, select associated Science or Acquisition to match in the “Acquisition +Observation” block, and select the Mono radio button. Hit “Generate Script” in the lower right.
To generate a Twinned Binocular script, select the desired Observation Component for either the Science or Acquisition of the LUCI Observation. In the LUCI Script Generation portion, select associated Science or Acquisition to match in the “Acquisition +Observation” block, and select the Bino radio button. Hit “Generate Script” in the lower right. Twinned Binocular Scripts will take a monocular Spectroscopic Observation and generate a binocular script that performs identical telescope and instrument configurations to both LUCI’s.
Spectroscopic Observations have a third observation: Fraternal Binocular Scripts. When this option is selected in the LUCI Script Generation portion, the “Twin Fraternal” block will become enabled. The Twin Fraternal option generates the script with the telescope configuration (Target and Offsets) identical but allows for a different MOS mask to be put in place for each LUCI. All other instrument configurations (filters, gratings, DITS, NDITS, NEXP) are identical for the 2 LUCI’s.
MODS Scripting
For MODS, each observation is generated has its own individual script: Imaging, Acquisition, Observation. Currently only twinning is available with MODS, which is performed using the execution scripts acqBinoMODS and execBinoMODS, rather than the observation scripts like with LUCI and LBC above. So only one side is needed and the execution scripts will mirror it to the other MODS. As such the MODS scripting is very basic with no options.
When an observation is selected, the name will populate the Current OB portion of the MODS Script generation. Select “Generate Script” and he script for that observation is generated and ready for observation at the telescope.
