PixInsight Forum (historical)
PixInsight => Tutorials and Processing Examples => Topic started by: RBA on 2019 March 21 14:06:27
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8 years in the making. The book goes to print in September, but since I self-publish, we're starting to take pre-orders now. This helps us knowing how many books to print for the first batch. Thanks to all who have suggested or even asked me over all these years to get this done! Paper copy and ebook (plus a couple of videos + some actual data to process).
The link to learn more about the book, preorder it, etc:
http://www.deepskycolors.com/mastering-pixinsight.html (http://www.deepskycolors.com/mastering-pixinsight.html)
The blurb:
Mastering PixInsight does much more than covering PixInsight from A to Z. In addition to including the most complete PixInsight Reference Guide on the planet to date, the book takes an intimate look at RBA's huge private repository of countless personal processing tips, "tricks", methods and know-how accrued over more than ten years.
This is the book where RBA gives everything he's got, and more.
The book has stuff for everyone, from those who enjoy quick and uncomplicated (but effective) image processing sessions to those who address astroimage processing as if their lives depended on it - well, almost :smiley:
The cover (subject to change):
(http://deepskycolors.com/astro/MPI/Cover_Sample.jpg)
It's being a monumental work but I'm very excited about how it's shaping. I'm working on it this morning in fact!
Thanks!
Rogelio
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Hi Rogelio,
Looks like it's been fun :)
I would pre-order a printed copy to have on the bookshelf for reference purposes, but I would probably also need the e-book version to be able to get the font size up to about 72 so that I could actually read it! Let me know what you need, and how I should get the funds to you - I am happy to pre-order, with full payment up front. (Of course, if you want to practice your signature on my printed copy . . .)
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I would pre-order a printed copy to have on the bookshelf for reference purposes, but I would probably also need the e-book version to be able to get the font size up to about 72 so that I could actually read it!
Thank you Niall!
Actually, if you click on the link I shared, you'll see that the printed copy also comes with the PDF (at 300dpi).
And ALL pre-orders will be shipped signed too. It's all in the link :smiley:
Thanks!
Rogelio
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Great news Rogelio. I have ordered a copy. Just as a matter of interest, how many pages will the book run to?
Geoff
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Great news Rogelio. I have ordered a copy. Just as a matter of interest, how many pages will the book run to?
Thank you Geoff! It's going to be a few hundred pages.
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Are there any sample pages available like they have on Amazon?
Larry
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Are there any sample pages available like they have on Amazon?
I will make some sample pages available when the book is finished. There's still a lot to do before that, though.
Thanks,
Rogelio
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Hello,
I’m in, looking forward to it. Rogelio is a great source of advice on Pixinsight.
Martin
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I started a purchase and got as far as the Paypal page, where the charge indicated was the flat $55...so what's the story with the "plus shipping"? I'm slightly wary having been stung in the past with unexpectedly large P&P costs (to the UK)....
Hope you're going to bring the "pretty picture" window to the top layer in the front cover :)
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I started a purchase and got as far as the Paypal page, where the charge indicated was the flat $55...so what's the story with the "plus shipping"? I'm slightly wary having been stung in the past with unexpectedly large P&P costs (to the UK)....
Shipping costs are different depending on whether it's domestic (USA) or international, so you see the shipping amount once Paypal knows where the book is going. Of course, you'll see the amount before you decide whether to make the purchase.
Domestic is 10 US$, Canada is 28 US$ and "Rest of the world" is 35 US$, which is insane, but that's the cheapest price you can find. I wish it was much cheaper.
PS: I'll make a note on the page so people know how much they should expect to pay for shipping.
Thanks,
Rogelio
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Rogelio, thank you for taking the time and putting in the effort required to produce this book.
I have used many of your techniques in the past with good success. I look forward to having those and other techniques as well as your overall processing insight always available in book and video form. I also appreciate having the data available to try out the new techniques thus making sure they are being used correctly.
My PayPal order has already been placed. I hope you are able to reap some monetary gain for all your efforts.
I'm 77, so, please don't delay the printing too much. :D
All the best,
Steve
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Ouch, yes, that is insane. There must be other ways (which is not to say they're necessarily practical in this case...) -- e.g., i can buy (and have bought) US-stocked second-hand books from BetterWorldBooks for under $4, *including* shipping to UK (which is equally insane, but in a better way)!
Maybe try to distribute through amazon uk? I know for sure that they do market privately published books (from outside UK), at inclusive prices again typically less than your quoted shipping costs.
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I'm 77, so, please don't delay the printing too much. :D
Thank you Steve! It *might* be earlier than September, but I don't want to promise anything :smiley:
Thanks!
Rogelio
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hello, will there be an e-book / kindle only version ?
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hello, will there be an e-book / kindle only version ?
Yes, there will be an ebook version (a PDF).
Thanks,
Rogelio
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excellent news, I tell you there are thousands of followers of pixinsight, in speech hipana, thousands are "very angry" because it is only in Spanish sindo that those who designed it are Spanish. You know you would have thousands of sales assured even mine since you would open the door to many but many people who do not know English, in Argentina where I live there are many people who would buy it and not even talk in Spain. There are many people in the Spanish forums that would selflessly help you to do it in Spanish. thanks for your contribution!
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Thank you! At this moment my goal is, of course, to finish the book - in English. A translated version to Spanish might follow but it's too early to tell.
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...I tell you there are thousands of followers of pixinsight, in speech hipana, thousands are "very angry" because it is only in Spanish sindo that those who designed it are Spanish.
If you reduce it to some hundred people, then we may agree. To be more precise, less than 700 users, summing users from all Spanish speaking countries. This is a small fraction of the total amount of existing PixInsight users.
From my experience, accumulated over many years, the only thing that could make thousands of followers of PixInsight in Spain is that PixInsight were free (gratis). In such case, very few would be angry because PixInsight is only available in English. And then I would be a cashier at a local supermarket (being lucky) and PixInsight would not exist.
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From my experience, accumulated over many years, the only thing that could make thousands of followers of PixInsight in Spain is that PixInsight were free (gratis). In such case, very few would be angry because PixInsight is only available in English. And then I would be a cashier at a local supermarket (being lucky) and PixInsight would not exist.
Thank you, Juan, for sharing a bit of humor along with the reality. I needed a laugh this morning, and, your response provided that!
Thanks also for all the hard work you have and continue to put into this wonderful program. And, hopefully, all your visits to the supermarket will be as a customer and not as an employee!
All the best,
Steve
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If you reduce it to some hundred people, then we may agree. To be more precise, less than 700 users, summing users from all Spanish speaking countries. This is a small fraction of the total amount of existing PixInsight users.
If PixInsight is fully internationalized, have you considered putting up a localization kit that would allow others to edit a localized resource/xml/etc file that YOU (not just anyone) can then add to the installation? I don't know how easily localizable the software is at this moment.. If when you started developing PixInsight you had l10n in mind as a possible future addition, you hopefully isolated text and other i18n resources from the code, then it's feasible. If you hardcoded a lot of strings, well, then it could be a monstrous job.
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Hi Rogelio,
don't you still have an example of a book? Or only TOC? It may not be a final version. I think it could be very useful for possible buyers.
Don't you plan to make some "re-distribution centre" in Europe? It could bring lower shipping and also helps with duty fees. There could be some tax for orders from the US in Europe. But there are no fees for orders inside the EU.
Thanks.
Paul
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Hi Rogelio,
what is the current state of the upcoming book? When will it be published (in September or earlier/later)?
I already ordered it but I didn't receive any e-mail from you (only confirmation from PayPal). Is it ok? It could be nice to send some automatic mail like "Thank you for buying the book... blah, blah, blah..."
Paul
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Hi Paul,
Thanks for your preorder! The book is still scheduled to go to print on September. Please note that going to print is not the same as "will be delivered". From print to delivery could take up to 4~8 weeks. Like I said, though, we're still on schedule, which is good!
As for the email, I did set an automated email to go out once the buyer automatically returns to my web site after completing the purchase from Paypal. It may have ended up on your spam folder, perhaps? I'll check to make sure those emails are going out just in case. Regardless, rest assured your pre-order was accounted for.
Cheers,
Rogelio
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Hi Rogelio,
Good to hear that things are more or less 'on schedule'.
What about the release of the PDF - when would that be due out?
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Hi Rogelio,
unfortunately, I didn't have any mail in spam folder. I send you PM with my email address. Could you, please, check if you successfully receive my order?
Thanks.
Paul
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Indeed, some emails (many, actually) apparently weren't sent correctly and failed. Apologies!
I'm planning on sending an email to all preorders within a week or two, also as an update, but the easiest way to know if you're in the preorder list is if your Paypal account was charged. If it was charged, you're in. If you were not charged, no purchase was made and you're not in the list.
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How are we looking on the timetable at this point?
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How are we looking on the timetable at this point?
So far we're on target (per the update I sent back in September) to send the book for print late November/early December. All preorders will receive an email around that time.
Thanks,
Rogelio
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I bought the digital version :)
I have Adam's Block's foundation series and also Wahren's book. Both superb and I have learned a ton from both of them.
One cannot have enough knowledge at this game. A couple of tips here and there can make the world of difference!
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I'd also add that other than the debit out of my PayPal account of $25 I have received no email. I have indeed checked my SPAM folder. I have kept a screen shot of the purchase on the website in case.
Respectfully and well-intended, you need to sort this situation out Rogelio if you are conducting e-business for your own sake. Whatever API your website plugin is using is not interfacing to PayPal properly and extracting the customer's email to confirm purchase.
Best, Steve
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Same for me too - I received a PayPal email indicating a purchase, but no email or updates since.
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Me too, i paid, i got my Paal recipt and nonr more
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Yes, as I mentioned before, we've been having problems with Paypal's API, however, as I also mentioned, if your Paypal account was charged, you can trust you're on the pre-order list. If your account was NOT charged, then you're not. Apologies for any confusion.
I've updated the purchase page with the following note right above the purchase button, to avoid any confusion:
(http://deepskycolors.com/astro/misc/note.jpg)
I've given up on Paypal's API for the time being (it's just not working as documented and Paypal isn't helping). I'll definitely revisit it - as someone said, the confirmation message from the vendor is important - but at this moment finishing the book has a much higher priority.
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Is there more news about the release?
I still haven't received anything
Bart
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Is there more news about the release?
I still haven't received anything
Bart
We're kind of moving backward. Less than a month ago we were told "on schedule" and now we're 2 months behind. From the email I received today...
"I will be needing until the end of January for a solid locked-up-for-print complete version."
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Some good news for Christmas however. This is part of an email I just received.
“Now, since I really wanted to have the book done before the end of the year and I know many people have been waiting for a long time already, I've decided to pre-release the "Reference Guide" part of the book in digital format on December 20th (this is regardless of whether you ordered the paper or digital copy). The Reference Guide is a few hundreds of pages documenting in detail each and every existing process in PixInsight (none is missing!), most of them in great detail, what they do, when to use them and how, what each parameter does, how do they affect the results and a long etc.”
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We're kind of moving backward. Less than a month ago we were told "on schedule" and now we're 2 months behind.
I do what I can. To be honest, I want this to be THE book I write about PixInsight and astroimage processing, so I'm always finding ways to improve it and add to it, being such vast collection of topics, techniques, methods, etc. If it's any consolation, I believe I'm a lot better at writing about image processing than I am at scheduling. Yes, an update was sent earlier today with the new release date and the "holiday advance" Geoff mentioned. Thank you for your patience and support!
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My advice to you Rogelio is to get the book right and don't rush it. No one wants a book full of errors and needing to reference the errata all the time.
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We're kind of moving backward. Less than a month ago we were told "on schedule" and now we're 2 months behind.
I do what I can. To be honest, I want this to be THE book I write about PixInsight and astroimage processing, so I'm always finding ways to improve it and add to it, being such vast collection of topics, techniques, methods, etc. If it's any consolation, I believe I'm a lot better at writing about image processing than I am at scheduling. Yes, an update was sent earlier today with the new release date and the "holiday advance" Geoff mentioned. Thank you for your patience and support!
I'd rather have the book delayed a few months and current than rushed. Which version of PixInsight will be used in the instructions? I know there's been quite a few updates later in 2019...curious if that's the reason for delay. Also, I ordered on Paypal. How do I get that reference guide you talked about releasing to us before the book is shipped?
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How do I get that reference guide you talked about releasing to us before the book is shipped?
I imagine that RBA will send a download link to people who have prepaid.
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Looking at the PDF this morning. Can't wait for the book to arrive so I can learn how to use PI better/properly! The reference looks great!
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Great news Rogelio. I have ordered a copy. Just as a matter of interest, how many pages will the book run to?
Thank you Geoff! It's going to be a few hundred pages.
It’s looking to be a very comprehensive book if the remainder of the book is covered in as much detail as the 252 page process reference guide. Looking forward to the finished product
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Which version of PixInsight will be used in the instructions?
Everything is being updated to 1.8.8-3.
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This reference guide is well written, thanks RBA. This is much appreciated, looking forward to the finished product...awesome !!!
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Hi Rogelio,
I only found out about your book today - I'm not actively imaging and very rarely visit the forums, but I am planning to start imaging regularly in 2020, hence the interest in your book.
I've placed an order just now (about Ten minutes ago) - no Email from Paypal or your website confirming order as of yet. I'm not sure if I've successfully pre-ordered, given that my purchase is prior to the 6th January 2020. I'm about to head off to bed (I'm in Australia, so it's late here), but will check my Emails in the morning.
I guess, am I too late for the pre-order, of have I snuck in in time? Will I be able to access the digital PDF reference guide like others have who placed their order(s) obviously before I did...
I'm very new to PixInsight, and seeking all the written help I can get and go through at my own pace in the coming months.
Many thanks for writing this book!
Cheers,
Dave from downunder
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Hi Dave,
Thank you for your order! You may have misunderstood the preorder process. You can preorder between now and the date the book is launched, there's no deadline for that. Now, if you preorder, as an "advance" you will receive a pre-release digital copy of the Process Reference Guide, yes, but that's a process that I need to execute manually as orders come (each digital book is personalized, with your name in it), and that's why you haven't received your copy of the Process Reference Guide yet. On average, people should expect getting their copy in 24 to 48 hours.
I hope this helps! Thanks!!!
RBA
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Hi Rogelio,
All good. Still no Email. Have you checked that your webserver's SMTP server isn't listed on a RBL etc? That some people get the pre-purchase Emails and others don't means it's working, but there's an intermittent issue (usually RBL from my extensive experience).
Enjoy Christmas, I'm in no rush. I just wanted to make sure that I'd snuck in with the pre-purchase for the extra goodies.
Cheers,
Dave
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Dave,
I appreciate the concern, although if I said that on average people should expect getting their copy in 24 to 48 hours, please wait up to 48 hours before wondering if something went wrong. It's also probably more suitable to write to me privately. Although I am happy to answer any questions here, remember, this is not a support forum for my book, so questions about shipping, notifications, order status, etc. are probably better addressed by writing to me directly.
Never mind when I replied to you earlier I was about to catch a 12 hours flight, followed by a 2 hours flight, followed by a 4 hours drive, followed by Xmas eve dinner with the family, followed by a LONG SLEEP!! You kind of wrote at a bad moment, too :smiley:
In any case, you should have received your email by now. Now, if you didn't get that email, let me know via email. (since you mentioned it, I did check the SMTP log and the email went through BTW)
Happy Holidays!
RBA
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Hi Rogelio,
I completely forgot about this (old age lol!). I wasn't referring to the reference guide - earlier on in the thread, some people were saying that they didn't get confirmation Emails etc. That's what I was referring to :-)
Holidays were good, but not long enough at this end.
I'll reply to your Email shortly.
Cheers,
Dave
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Good Day....
Is the publication still planned for March 2020?
Content looks very interesting - hoping that for a PIN (PixInsight Novice) Head - this will flatten the learning curve and provide some immediate satisfaction in my journey.
Without the Light Vortex and Warren Keller book, I'd be treading water or thrown in the towel.
Love the results that I've gotten after only following these step-by-step cookbooks - now need to build a deeper understanding to self-diagnosis and remediation of my subs.
Jim