Documentation Describing How To Get Started

[joestat]

Hi folks,

I have been a long-time user of Maxim DL and I am trying to learn PixInsight.  Is there a document somewhere, preferable pdf, that gives the very basics starting from "calibrating images".  I have captured flats, flat-darks, and bias frames to use in calibrating the "light" images.  Where is the calibrate process described when using PixInsight.

Thanks in advance . . . Joe in Tucson

[Roger B]

Hi Joe,

I'm like yourself just getting into PI from MaximDL & photoshop....   

I started by watching Harry Page's videos to get me started you can see them here

http://www.harrysastroshed.com/pixinsighthome.html

Roger

[joestat]

Thanks Roger.  I will check out the tutorials, but I'm kind of an old-fashioned guy who needs a book in front of him.  Hmmm . . . maybe I'll watch the tutorials and then write the 1st chapter on fundamentals.

. . . Joe S. in Tucson

[Harry page]

Hi

A little out of date perhaps but my user guide might be of interest  http://www.harrysastroshed.com/pixuser/pixuserhome.html

If not I look forward to your guide   


Harry

[MortenBalling]

@Joe: The learning curve is very steep, especially in the beginning. Once you get familiar with the basics, you start to relax and have fun with each Process. Then PI gets really awesome!

@Harry: Thanks for your tutorials. They helped me a lot! Without them, I might have given up. I appreciate your work very much.

[jkmorse]

Joe,

I'm like you and like hardcopy, though I can't recommend Harry's Tutorials highly enough since they really help getting started. 

In any event, here is the latest iteration of a cribsheet I have been developing.  As a recent convert from the world of CCDStack and Photshop I needed something at my side as I worked through the various processes.  Its by no means perfect and you are encouraged to experiment with all my settings, but it have a well worked workflow and some explanation of how to use the various tools.  I keep updating, for example I just changed my workflow to recommend no doing any noise reduction in the linear (pre permanent stretch) phase .based on tests I have been running in the last day or two so clearly its a work in progress.  If you would like a Word version to tailor to your own needs, just drop me an email.

It is a steep curve, but well worth the effort and my no means overwhelming.  Hell, if I can do it, anybody can.

Best of luck,

Jim

[rleisenz]

Hi Tucson-Joe,

there are a lot of hints and tutorials in the forum.
This tutorial is extremely helpfull: http://pixinsight.com/tutorials/master-frames/en.html
This might also be of interest:
http://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?topic=2564.0

It is right, there is a lot to learn and documentation is spreaded. But
i found that i rather read a lot of forum messages than eating a fat manual.
The more time you can invest the bigger is the later happiness factor.

I also like the videos from the Harry man.     ....and apply it to the image.

Thanks for reading
Robert

[niteman1946]

.......  I keep updating, for example I just changed my workflow to recommend no doing any noise reduction in the linear (pre permanent stretch) phase .based on tests I have been running in the last day or two so clearly its a work in progress. .......
Jim

Hi Jim,
first, thanks for your cribsheet effort. Very good work.

This is a tangent to the OP's question, but I am curious about your decision to avoid noise reduction in linear mode.  I have found just the opposite with TGVdenoise following dgbarar's (Don) recommendation on this thread.
http://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?topic=6027.msg40877#msg40877

I find the TGV function much more effective than the others, and without having to use a mask.

Sorry if this is redundant.  I see another thread on noise reduction.

Mark

[jkmorse]

Mark,

Thanks for that.  I have not tried TGVD but had been using ATWTNR.  I will give TGVD a try and see what comes out.

Thanks,

Jim

[jkmorse]

Mark,

You were completely right and the sad part is I had those tips on use of TGVD already in my Tool Notes.  I found that dropping the Strength 2 orders of magnitude and the smoothness one order of magnitude was necessary but that gave excellent results in cleaning up my images.

As a result, attached is rev15 which corrects for that change.

Thanks for pointing out my hiccup,

Best,

Jim

[oldwexi]

Hi Jim!
Great work your "cribsheet"!!!
It looks like you spent already a lot of work and brainpower into it.
Really excellent.

May i ask for an extension?
As i am a fan and extensive user of the process "LinearFit",  maybe you can add it
to the list of  Linear Tools. I personally use it in every Image always anywhere before RGBCombine
on an Image without "borders" .

Using LinearFit results after RGBCombine in a still linear color image which can be seen
with STF Stretch using "Linked" Colorchannels and where the median shoulders of the RGB-histogram
are more above each other...

LinearFit is also very helpful when you merge a separate linear Luminance into a linear RGB using
the L*a*b channel extraction and L*a*b channel combination.

Anyhow, thanks for your great helpful work.
Gerald

[jkmorse]

Gerald,

Great idea and looks like a useful tool to explore.  I will add it to the next version.

JIm

[Eddy Timmermans]

Jim,
When you create a synthetic luminance, do you first extract the R, G and B channels from a RGB image ?
I shoot with a DSLR, so do I forst extract the channels ?

BTW excellent Cribsheet

Eddy

[jkmorse]

Eddy,

With a DSLR you would need to extract the RGB channels since its the separate channels you put into the ImageIntegration tool to create the SynLum.

Best of luck and thanks for the kind comments.

Jim