star masking for HDR

[Harry page]

Hi Dave

What we are doing when we use something like filezilla Is use the internet to connect your computer directley to another ( In this case pixinsight )
You at no time visit any web page

If you see the attached you do the following and see

1) Enter host , username and password and click quick connect

2) You will then on the lower left your files listed

3) On the right you can see the incoming file

Just drag your file with the mouse to the incoming file and watch at the bottom as progress is shown

You then have uploaded your file to pixinsight

I an sorry I do not know anything about sendspace!!!!!!!!

Regards Harry

[dhalliday]

no...at first glance you have lost me...I looked at the attached image...do I type the address shown ,ie
pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?ation=dlattach;topic=1276.0 etc etc    ie how do I link my computer to Pixinsights? this is not something I have ever done before....
I really don't understand your lingo...

What is wrong with just picking the file up from the link I gave you Isn't that what file storage sites are for ??
I have sent large files this way many times...
IS pixinsight concerned about viruses or something...?

I really feel there must be something wrong,communication wise, that this cannot be made more clear to me ,I am getting higher BP....

Maybe someone can tell me,someone who actually is as slow as I am...

Dave

[Harry page]

Hi Dave

Ok I will download file from where you say , but when you get time look at filezilla again as its handy as even I have a FTP account
so you could upload files to me if the mood took you

Breath deeply now and lower you blood pressure as hobbies are meant to be fun, Infuriating, difficult, impossible , but fun

Regards Harry

[Harry page]

Hi Dave

Have downloaded your image .

I know you are asking about star masks , but I would say for a start the colour is a long way out!

Can you tell us how and what with you took this image

Regards Harry

[dhalliday]

OK...here is a DSS stack of M57,which is the subject I was originally posting about.
It is a 2 Drizzle version,with a ? slt uncollimated Vixen VC200L...so the stars are a bit funny to begin with...(Drizzle seems to "blob" my {fuzzy} stars...)

In order to "ehance" the faint structure in the (bright) ring,I have been playing with unsharp,and HDR...
Both of these tend to "corrupt" my stars...
These are 3 minute exposures,with an Astronomik CLS filter...probably they are "overexposed" to start with...
Again though,what I am most interested in is relatively simple ways to create effective star masks,that let me play around with M57,and leave my (imperfect) stars alone...

Again,I don't know what happened to that M27...lets just pretend you never saw that...

looking forward to what can be done;

Dave

link;http://www.sendspace.com/file/2kdii9

[Harry page]

Hi Dave

Have had a look at the image and The stars are quite badly shaped and the colour is very purplish

I did try HDR wavelets and it does not appear to have a large effect on the stars

Is the shape due to collimation I had a similar problem but it was down to my dew heater

Harry

[dhalliday]

Harry;

The purple may be the CLS filter...I will try to restack with custom WB.
Regarding star shapes....well...I guess it might be collimation...(rats !!)
In the individual JPEG's they look a bit "odd" too...

Starting to feel that  buying the Vixen was not such a great idea......
Any chance you could comment on star masking anyways....lets pretend they are normal stars,and I want to do some kind of color shift...I still need to know how to protect them...

Thanks,by the way,for your interest...

Dave

[Harry page]

Hi Dave

I presume you are trying to use the star mask!

Its not a straight forward thing to use and perhaps cannot describe it in a few lines

So will do a video jobbie, give me a day or so

Harry

[Juan Conejero]

Hi Dave,

Sorry for the delay, but I cannot work on your image at this moment. I still must solve some pending issues with the new version (1.5.5) that are being more difficult than I expected (which isn't anything new, indeed ). I'll play with your image after releasing 1.5.5, which must happen within a few days.

Harry, better wait until the new version because there are important changes in the masking system!

[Harry page]

Hi Juan

Crickey I have only just worked out the old One


Harry

[dhalliday]

Harry;
are you still out there

I need (more !!) help...
every time I try to install the (June) new version...I get a system that freezes up...
I suspect I have somehow failed to completely "delete" the old one...
I am still (happily) using 1.4

Is there a "Pix upgrade for Dummies" that you can talk me through...?
Do I just go to my control panel and "uninstall"
are there hidden files I am missing?
do I need to toss the old version right out of my recycle bin (reluctant to try this...)
any hints would be appreciated,but I am getting along OK with the old one for now..

thanks

Dave
 

[Harry page]

Hi Dave

I am still here , You can't rid of me that easily

I Normally uninstall from the control panel , as this should remove all the program files
Then do a fresh full install , I have not had a problem doing it like this
I wonder why the old version is in the recycle bin as uninstalled programs do not usually go there
I suspect you are just deleting the desk top Icon and not doing a proper install
The only file that is left on your computer after removal is your activation key
Shout if there is still a problem

Regards Harry

[dhalliday]

where do I find that activation key?
How can I then install a second version on my 2nd (office) computer ?

[Harry page]

Hi Dave

You can install a second version of the software

And I have just copied Pixinsight instructions on how to do so below

Regards Harry

4. Installing PixInsight on Several Computers

Your commercial End User License gives you the right to install PixInsight on any computer you own. However, you should understand how PixInsight licenses work in order to carry out multiple installations correctly. Knowing this is also very important in the event you need to reinstall PixInsight (because you substitute your hard disk, for example).

The first time you install and activate your copy of PixInsight, it will create a special license file on your hard disk, as we have seen on Section 2 above. Considering the importance of this topic, let us repeat part of the information already given there. The license file has the following name:

   .pixinsight-license

and is located on your personal folder. On Windows, your personal folder typically is:

   C:\Documents and Settings\<your_user_name>

where <your_user_name> is your actual user name. On Linux, your personal directory is:

   /home/<your_user_name>

Note that the license file is hidden on Linux, since it begins with a dot character.

The license file is extremely important. If there is no valid license file on your personal folder, then the core PixInsight application will require an online license activation to run. This is precisely what happens when you launch PixInsight for the first time.

However, note that the activation codes that our system has generated for you (see section 2 above) can only be used once. As long as you don't lose your license file, you'll never need to reactivate your license. You just have to copy the .pixinsight-license file to your personal folder on any computer you own before installing and running PixInsight, and all will work without problems, requiring no active Internet connection.

So please make a backup copy of your .pixinsight-license file, just after installing and activating your copy of PixInsight for the first time. The license file is very small (typically it's only a few kilobytes), so it fits in any media. This will allow you to install and run PixInsight on any computer you own without needing to reactivate your license.

[Juan Conejero]

Hi Dave,

every time I try to install the (June) new version...I get a system that freezes up...

32-bit versions of PI 1.5.2 don't work on certain AMD processors. This has been fixed in PI 1.5.5. Have you tried this new version? You should have no problems to run it on your computer.

Do I just go to my control panel and "uninstall"

Correct. Do it just as Harry has explained in a previous post.

are there hidden files I am missing?

Absolutely not. When you uninstall, all PixInsight files are deleted. The uninstall procedure is fully automatic.

You just need a valid PixInsight license file on your home folder. This is your .pixinsight-license file which you definitely must have on the computer where you can run PixInsight. Again, Harry has described this nicely.

If you ever find that you've lost your license file, then no problem, we can arrange it for you --you won't get rid of us so easily

do I need to toss the old version right out of my recycle bin (reluctant to try this...)

Never!!! Always use the uninstall Start menu item.

Let me know how it goes.