ImageSolver with SurfaceSplines

[Andres.Pozo]

I have a new version of my scripts (ImageSolver, AnnotateImage, MosaicByCoordinates, ...) with a new method for distortion correction based on Surface Splines. This method is much more robust than the previous based on n-degree polynomials and it is easier to use. This method is now used by all my scripts.

There are a few more changes:

• General:
• Distortion correction using surface splines.
• Orthographic projection
• ImageSolver:
• Simplified the user interface
• New algorithm for using distortion models. The new version produces much better results when using distortion models and it can solve more images than before.
• Added option for noise reduction
• Selection of the projection of the image
• Better star detection
• ManualImageSolver:
• Better generation of distortion models.
• Can solve images using a reference image with projection different to Gnomonic
• AnnotateImage:
• New Messier catalog
• Improved NamedStars catalog.
• Improved "Constellation Lines" layer
• AperturePhotometry:
• Fixed button "Browse output directory"

The current version is still a beta. I am testing everything and it be very helpful if anyone helps me with the testing.

The scripts can be downloaded from:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71653208/PublicScripts/AdP.zip

I have draft versions of the documentation of ImageSolver and ManualImageSolver:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71653208/PublicScripts/ImageSolver.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71653208/PublicScripts/ManualImageSolver.pdf
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/71653208/PublicScripts/Projections.pdf

[msmythers]

Andres

Thanks for the update and the hard work. The updates look very nice! I'm looking forward to using them very soon.


Mike

[oldwexi]

Andres!
Thanks for your  hard work and distributing it for free!
Will take me some time to check all the new features and improvements.

Gerald

[msmythers]

Andres


Just had a chance to use some of the new scripts with an image from this posting,http://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?topic=8618.0. http://www.astrobin.com/full/187792/0/  They worked just fine. I like the addition of the Messier Catalog and the color choice,haha. I don't know if this is something new or I had overlooked in the past but I see the the Arp and VdB catalogs in the Annotate image script have magnitude filters. Could this filter be added to the other catalogs such as PGC and so on for more precise annotations?

Again thanks for the hard work and dedication.


Mike

[Alejandro Tombolini]

Thanks Andres!!

Saludos, Alejandro.

[Andres.Pozo]

Hi Mike,

The catalogs that do not have magnitude filter in AnnotateImage is because that catalogs do not have magnitude data. I can not filter what doesn't exist 

[bhwolf]

Hi Mike,

The catalogs that do not have magnitude filter in AnnotateImage is because that catalogs do not have magnitude data. I can not filter what doesn't exist 

Fantastic set of scripts Andres! 

Hmmm ... while really only a problem with widefield, what about a filter for apparent diameter for PGC?  Certainly not ideal as I realize the size in arcmin doesn't necessarily mean it is visible or not within the image, but it still might help for widefield images where you might want only galaxies say half an arcmin or larger. 

[james7]

I'll give these a try and thanks for your continued effort to support a great set of PI scripts.

[Philippe B.]

Thank you Andrès for your work !


As I am using distorsion correction for my RH200 shoots, I will let you know how perform splines instead of old one which was not perfect on complicated optics like RH200. It is IMPOSSIBLE to stack images without doing a distorsion correction on theses optics.


Many thanks for this (sorry to tell you this 2 years after !!!) ! Many thanks also for the new improvment !
 
Philippe

[Andres.Pozo]

Thanks Philippe. It is good to know that the scripts are useful.

The new beta version has some known problems that I have already fixed but not published. However, there is still a problem that I cannot fix until the next version of PI. There is a problem in how the splines are stored in the images and until Juan changes the behavior of the properties of the image the splines are not going to work well.

I have already ready some improvements that I cannot publish until this is fixed. I.e. MosaicByCoordinates and AlignByCoordinates have a new "fast mode" much faster than before and with a very good image quality.

[Philippe B.]

Hi Andrès
So, we will wait the next release (hope it will be soon the 1.8.4)
We are still shooting with our telescopes, so processing will be only in september !

[Andres.Pozo]

Philippe,

FYI, the open problem is this:
http://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?topic=8655.0

Andrés

Hi Andrès
So, we will wait the next release (hope it will be soon the 1.8.4)
We are still shooting with our telescopes, so processing will be only in september !

[jkmorse]

Andres,

+1!! on all the thanks from others.  These are great tools.

Best,

Jim

[Philippe B.]

Hi Andres
I would like to thank you with the new version of all your scripts

I have done a mosaic with distorded Riccardi-Honders telescope and only your scripts can work for this (but I got problems)
- Image Solver
- Correction distorsion (along with imagesolver and StarAlignment)
- Catalog Star Generator
- Align by coordinates : this was the only process which have done the job !!!!!


I will send you a private email on problem I got. Distortion is complicated 

I would like to ask you something : sometimes I don't have access to internet or I would like to use a local catalog on my hard disk (like UCAC4 or USNO for example). Do you think it could be possible in the future to add this possibility in all your scripts ? 



Anyway, thank you again for your hard work. 
Cheers

Philippe

[Andres.Pozo]

I have done a mosaic with distorded Riccardi-Honders telescope and only your scripts can work for this (but I got problems)
- Image Solver
- Correction distorsion (along with imagesolver and StarAlignment)
- Catalog Star Generator
- Align by coordinates : this was the only process which have done the job !!!!!

Why are you using AlignByCoordinates? MosaicByCoordinates can do more things and it uses the same algorithm internally.

I will send you a private email on problem I got. Distortion is complicated 

Yes. I have spent lots of time with the *#$ distortions 

I would like to ask you something : sometimes I don't have access to internet or I would like to use a local catalog on my hard disk (like UCAC4 or USNO for example). Do you think it could be possible in the future to add this possibility in all your scripts ? 

The functions for file access in PJSR are very limited and those catalogs are really big. I don't know if sometime I am going to be able to implement large offline catalogs. Perhaps I could implement the capability of download a subset of the catalog and store it locally. I have to think about it.

Andrés