Hello all,
The latest version of the PixInsight Standard core application, 1.0.1.221 Beta 3, is now available for download:
http://pleiades-astrophoto.com/download/STD/index.html This is another step towards the final release. This version includes important enhancements to the core application's GUI, new processes and added functionality.
This release is entirely based on our customized version of Qt 4.1.3 and PCL 1.0.1.77 RC4.
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New ImageContainer FunctionalityWith this release we introduce ImageContainer, a new functionality of the core PixInsight Standard application that has been designed to facilitate batch processing tasks applied to large amounts of disk files and/or image views.
ImageContainer objects are ordered collections of references to images. Each reference can point either to a disk file or to a view (an opened image or a preview). There is no specific limit on the number of elements that an ImageContainer object can contain.
Once an ImageContainer object has been defined, any suitable process can be applied to it. This includes regular process instances (e.g. single process icons) and ProcessContainer instances as well.
When a process is applied to an ImageContainer object, the process is executed sequentially on each ImageContainer element. Several customizable options are available to control the behavior of ImageContainer during execution. For example, an
error policy can be specified to define what to do in the event of error: continue execution, abort execution, or ask the user.
ImageContainer items fully support
wild specifications for both file items and view items. Wild specifications use the standard '*' and '?' wild characters. For example, a view ImageContainer item could be:
Image01->*
which refers to all previews currently defined in the Image01 image. Similarly, '*->*' refers to all previews defined in all images, and a single asterisk '*' refers to all opened images.
For file items, wild path specifications can also be freely defined in the standard way. For example:
/home/images/*.fit*
refers to all existing FITS image files on the /home/images directory (note the last asterisk, which allows for inclusion of both the .fit and .fits extensions).
For each element of an ImageContainer object a mask image can be specified, including automatic mask inversion. However, masks must be available as opened images; they cannot refer to image files on disk.
An
output directory can be specified for file ImageContainer items. This is the directory where output images will be written, once processed. By default (if no output directory is specified), output files are written to their source directories.
Also for file ImageContainer items, an
output template can be defined. The output template provides automatic naming rules for output files. A number of macro-expressions are available to build output templates. For example, the following template:
&filename;.jpg
will cause ImageContainer to write every processed file item as a JPEG image. Much more complex templates can be used. For example:
&filename;_&datetime;&extension
This template will write output files with their original format, but a string representing the current date and time (in the UTC time scale) will be appended to the file name, after an underscore character. We'll publish a complete list of the available template macros on a specific documentation.
Finally, ImageContainer provides a user-definable
base directory that permits
relative paths to be specified for file items (relative paths are file paths not beginning with a root specification (/) or a drive letter). Relative paths are very useful because they allow reusing ImageContainer instances on different systems and platforms, since a relative path is independent on any actual directory tree structure.
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New AutomaticBackgroundExtractor (ABE) Process AutomaticBackgroundExtractor (ABE among friends) is a PixInsight process written by core PTeam member Carlos Milovic. ABE provides a flexible and fast way to generate
synthetic background models from astronomical images. These models can be used for
sky gradient correction, along with many other applications.
Many of you probably know the original ABE command-line application that Carlos wrote during Summer/Fall of 2005. This new version is a port of the same algorithms to the PixInsight/PCL platform, with a number of additions and enhancements.
ABE's miniwebsite is still available with lots of information, documentation and examples:
http://www.pleiades-astrophoto.com/pixinsight/abe/With this new process we have two different tools for background modelization / gradient correction in PixInsight: DynamicBackgroundExtraction (DBE) and AutomaticBackgroundExtractor (ABE).
DBE is a highly interactive tool that allows for extremely accurate and adaptive gradient and vignetting correction. It is the tool of choice for difficult targets, when there are few free sky background regions and/or wildly varying gradients with strong local irregularities.
ABE is an automatic tool that doesn't require user interaction (other than defining a few parameters). It is extremely accurate and robust, and is the best tool to fix gradient problems when there are anough free background areas.
With these tools, PixInsight cannot be beaten now for the tasks of background modelling and sky gradient correction.
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New SCNR (Subtractive Chromatic Noise Reduction) ProcessThis process is a port of the classic SCNR process from the PixInsight LE application, with a few improvements.
SCNR is a very useful tool for
green noise removal. You have a complete description of this process on the Process Explorer window. Select SCNR, under the NoiseReduction category, and extend the right panel of Process Expolorer to read it (to extend the right panel, click the ">>" button on the bottom row of the Process Explorer).
A complete documentation for SCNR can also be found in the official PixInsight LE documentation.
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New Customizable Preferences for Standard File Format Support ModulesNow you can define a default set of values and parameters for each standard file format included in the PixInsight platform: FITS, TIFF, JPEG, JPEG2000 and DSLR RAW.
Default parameters can be specified for each format through specific Preferences dialogs. To access these dialogs, select a format on the Format Explorer window, and click the Edit Preferences button (right panel).
Default format parameters are applied each time a new file is generated. For example, you can define the default JPEG compression quality, the compression mode used to write new TIFF files, and so on.
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Comments, suggestions, bug reports, etc, are always welcome.
The Pleiades Development Team
