New in PixInsight 1.8.5: FrameAdaptation

[jkmorse]

Geez, take a little time away to retire and have my hip replaced and all of a sudden, 1.8.5 is on the horizon 

Juan and Co., thank you so much for the continued dedication.  Gonna have lots to add to my workbook when all of these fun new tools start appearing in the update list.

Best,

Jim

[cdesselles]

As usual, I am in complete awe of the time and talent put into PixInsight by the foremost astrophotography processing team on the planet. What you gentlemen do is nothing short of amazing.

 

[mmirot]

I don't see this in the release of 1.8.5.

Did it get cut from the release?

Max

[pfile]

it's called "LocalNormalization" now

rob

[brew]

I'm trying to get this to work, and have a couple of questions.

1) When I select a reference image in LocalNormalization, do I use one reference across all filters, or a separate reference for each filter set? I am currently using a Luminance image, the same one used for alignment.

2) When I use Subframe Selection, I specify a fits keyword to hold the calculated weight for the image (SSWEIGHT). I see this keyword in the approved images. However, after StarAlignment the aligned images do not contain the SSWEIGHT keyword. LocalNormalization runs against the aligned images, right? So, LN does not see the weights. This doesn't seem right. Doesn't ImageIntegration also need to see the weights? 

3) When I run ImageIntegration against the aligned images (including the localNormalization files) the process console indicates that the local normalization data is found, but is not being used (green message). How do I make sure the files are being used? Is this due to the missing keyword, or something else?

[GordonH]

I tried the new LocalNormalization with the Output Files stored in the same directory as the previously registered images.  The process runs to conclusion with a ".xnml" file for each of the image files.
In ImageIntegration I set Normalization to Local normalization but get:

"Warning: Local normalization data not available - No normalization will be applied!

Note: The image files are RGB

What am I missing?

[pfile]

you need to add the LN files to the ImageIntegration tool... there is a button to the left of the file list.

rob

[Juan Conejero]

Please bear with us while we complete a few tutorials on the new tools released with PixInsight 1.8.5. LocalNormalization is a powerful but complex image analysis tool requiring a full description and detailed usage notes. The same applies to PhotometricColorCalibration.

[GordonH]

rob,
Thanks, I should have payed more attention.

That did the trick.

Gordon

[RichInLesta]

I just updated to 1.8.5 and was following the updated Pre-Processing instructions at http://www.lightvortexastronomy.com/tutorial-pre-processing-calibrating-and-stacking-images-in-pixinsight.html and hit a snag when adding the Local Normalization files.  I get the attached error.  I'm going to continue processing without adding the new normalization files, but would like to know if it's something I may have done incorrectly.

Thanks

UPDATE 08.24.17:  I think I figured it out.  There's some ambiguity in the creation of the "normalized" images in the instructions on Light Vortex (just at this step!  The rest is awesome).  In the instructions, this step appears after the images have had the drizzle data added.  The step to add the normalization data files appears to use the PRE-DRIZZLED images; that is, the instructions themselves doesn't clarity this, and the accompanying graphic shows the pre-drizzled images.  It's when I used the pre-drizzled images that I received the attached error.  I re-ran the LocalNormalization process on the POST-DRIZZLED images, and I could then add the normalized image files that this created to the ImageIntegration process.

[joelshort]

I'm playing around with the new LocalNormalization process and ImageIntegration process. My basic question is, is it ever possible that using LocalNormalization with rejection stacking will result in a slightly higher SNR than just stacking without any rejection (and therefore without LocalNormalization)?

I am finding that in many cases when I stack a set of images without rejection, and then stack with rejection and LocalNormalization, the LN stack has a higher SNR which doesn't quite make sense to me.

For example, I stacked a small set of 12-5min images.  Without rejection the SNR reported in the process console was 1.33+04.  When using Windsorized Sigma Clipping and LN the resulting SNR was 1.54+04.  This seems to be a common occurrence with small stacks of images.  However with larger stacks and using LinearFit rejection the resulting SNR is lower than the non-rejected stack, which is what I would expect.

[alcol]

you need to add the LN files to the ImageIntegration tool... there is a button to the left of the file list.

rob

Hi Rob, can you expand on where this button is. I am having trouble trying to find the xnml files after producing them with LocalNormalisation. I can see them in Windows File Explorer but ImageIntegration doesn't seem recognise xnml files and I can't therefore Add Files to ImageIntegration.

Probably something simple I am missing??

[pfile]

check the screenshot above, you'll see the button right under 'add files'

rob

[alcol]

Thanks Rob,

not sure why but my ImageIntegration input panel doesn't have these extra boxes in, it looks the same as the old version of PI. I downloaded the new version a few days ago and just checked and it says in the program files that it is the new version.

Presumably I should re-install the new version??

[pfile]

hmm, have you installed all the available updates? something is definitely wrong... maybe somehow the old version did not get uninstalled?

rob