[REQUEST] feat(camera): add StoreImage() route

[michealroberts]

Something that I feel would be extremely beneficial is the ability to send a command to store the latest image, if any, directly from the camera as either the raw data, a FITs, an astroTIFF or XISF (or other preferred standard) on the user's local machine.

I'm happy to propose an API and prepare an RFC document for this, but first, I wondered what the appetite would be for such a command?

A use case for this would be to allow user to handle post-imaging steps. For example, storing files on the local system could work in tandem with other services on a user's local machine that could watch the filesystem for changes/additions and perform any additional pre-processing, post-processing and data analysis as a separate process.

I'm not a C# developer, so if any of this is not possible please interject: but I for-see it as working as a simple non-blocking async call that returns as soon as the command to store has been made, with a separate coroutine dispatched to store the raw image byte data.

I think this would be very advantageous for, e.g., situational awareness applications where data acquisition, analysis and storage need to be as performant as possible.

[Peter-Simpson]

Hi Michael,

ASCOM Remote is a piece of "infrastructure" whose function is to translate the Alpaca protocol to COM and vice versa. I don't think adding device specific application functionality, in the way you are suggesting, is in line with its purpose.

If you wish to store images on the PC to which the camera is attached, why not install appropriate client software there and use remote desktop to view / transfer images?

Nest wishes, Peter