Can't get photos to align when stacking

[georg.viehoever]

...Does anyone notice that the BPP script is subpar to the integration processes?

No, its usually already better than DSS. But: The BPP integration results are usually good, but not perfect. To squeeze the last bit of information out of the captured photons, you really need to carefully tune the ImageIntegrationParameters, and that is best done outside the BPP script.
Georg

[Phil Leigh]

Don't worry about, I make fun of myself too much for someone else to offended me.

I've been messing around with this Batch PreProcess script and I'm very surprised at how much better this stacks than DSS.  It seems like the alignment is better too, but the bad pixel subtraction is amazing. 

Whats the deal with the message that pops up after you hit the start button on the BPP script?  It says something like this script is used just to give you a visual of the data you have to work with and it doesn't do as good of a job that the processes do.  Is that the case?  Does anyone notice that the BPP script is subpar to the integration processes?

What that message is saying is that the final output from the BPP - from the integration step - is probably not as good as it could be because there are some parameters (specifically the high/low clipping levels) that need to be carefully chosen on an image by image basis and that the default output from BPP integration is just a starting point. You can simply load the registered images into the Integration Process and tweak to your hearts content. Usually the high clipping point needs to be set between 2 and 5...

There is nothing subpar about the output from the BPP script as far as the calibration and registration images are concerned.

The output from Pi always exceeds what DSS can do by a significant margin in my experience - even with its default integration settings...

To answer your other question... no, when the BPP script completes no image is opened... the masters (bias dark flat and light) will have been generated in the output folder you specified in the script.

[Jameedon]

I gave up on the Image Integration tool for a while and was just using the Batch Pre Process script for a little bit because I was putting to much time into trying to figure out what I was doing wrong but now I think I'm ready to give it another shot.  I've tried with several different batches of files that stacked fine in BPP so the problem isn't bad subs or star trailing, its me.  When I load the registered files created by the StarAlignment tool in the ImageIntegration tool the result I get is a stack with no attempt of alignment.  I think I need to begin with the basics. 

What is the correct order to use the processes to get an aligned, calibrated, stacked image?  Do I begin with adding my subs into the StarAlignment tool, pick a Reference Image and set the Working Mode to Register/Match Images and leave the default settings for Star Detection and Star Matching? 

When StarAlignment is finished then am I supposed to use the registered files it created and load them into ImageIntegration?  Thats how Harry's Astro Shed's tutorial does it but when I follow it I don't get the results he does.

And what am I supposed to do with my darks, flats and bias?  At this point I'm not even sure what tool I input my calibration frames.

I'm not stupid, or at least that's what I thought before I tried to read PixInsight documentation...

[Josh Lake]

Whoa, don't made work for yourself! 

BPP has done a great job at all of the steps you mention: calibration, alignment, and a preview of stacking. You should have subfolders that contain your registered and calibrated images.

Now you want to run Image Integration on the set of files in Registered. BPP ran through those to give you a Master folder with a pre-done stacked image with default parameters, but you want to use Image Integration to get the most out of your data while still eliminating artifacts.

The documentation goes deep: http://pixinsight.com/doc/tools/ImageIntegration/ImageIntegration.html

Generally, if you have a decent number of files (12 or more), use Winsorized Sigma Clipping and work with the control sliders. I found this Powerpoint very useful in learning how to hone my settings:

http://www.astrosurf.com/jordigallego/articles/Image_integration_JGallego.ppt

From Jordi Gallego's site: http://www.astrosurf.com/jordigallego/articles.html

[Phil Leigh]

If you are able to run the BPP script successfully it will create the registered images that are the input to the ImageIntegration Process.

The registered file are already calibrated (bias/dark/flats have been applied to each one). All you have to do is run the ImageIntegration Process against the Registered image files and play with the parameters. When you run the ImageIntegration process it creates a new image onscreen(this image is not saved to a file!). This is very helpful to compare different parameters.

It is vital to pick a Reference frame when using the ImageIntegration Process. This needs to be the "best" frame in terms of star FWHM etc
If you don't specify a Ref frame, the first file in the list is used...which may not give you the best results
The SubFrame Selector  is under Scripts - Batch  processing... just below BPP!
it will measure the frame quality for you.

[sctall]

anyone-

This might be a stupid newbie question, but it is what it is.
I have attached a csv from the subframe selector script.
There is a lot of info and I don't fully understand what it all represents.
Could someone please break it down for me.
I would like to know what the best image of the 10 would be used for a reference using the attached stats.
I have more subs, this was just a sample.
These are from LP skies, and it would be good to know about the data.

Thanks
Scott T.