Sharpening Nebulosity

[tdgm]

Hello Everyone

I am becoming more familiar with PixInsight but HAVE NOT been able to sharpen up nebulosity of the Veil Nebula. The link and attached image is a image of The Veil total time over 2 hours (OSC camera) PreProcessing manually and Linear Processing with DBE Deconvolution (of Synthetic Luminance) Noise Reduction and even a slight boost in Color Sat with Curves then did a LRGB combine. Now I have not been able to make the nebula pop no matter what I do it is always seems flat. SO WHAT CAN I DO TO INCREASE THE SHARPNESS or MAKE THE NEBULA STAND OUT MORE?

Thanks for  any suggestions

https://www.dropbox.com/s/i2kaqotl20ch5qe/Light%20Intergration%20Veil%20Nebula%202%20hours%2035%20minutes.fit?dl=0

Steve Herrman

[jkmorse]

As a first step, you may want to consider de-emphasizing the stars which tend to overwhelm the target, especially in a crowed star field like the Veil.  Morphological Transform is the tool to use for this, with a star mask and setting the choice to minimum or minimize (can't remember which it is).  Make sure to set the size and shape of the image circle to "circle" (can't remember which button it is but the descriptor pops us when you hover the mouse).  Try settings of anywhere from 5 pixels and higher to see what works best,. along with adjusting the amount slider. 

I think you will be surprised by how much more the target will pop when the stars are diminished.

Best,

Jim 

[tdgm]

That's sounds great so what would be your 2nd step because I feel the nebula in this case is soft or flat almost like slightly out of focus.

But thanks for your response so far

Steve

[Rob Friefeld]

After MT, consider sharpening with MLT, using an inverted star mask to protect the stars you have just reduced.

Typical settings would be:
Layer   Scale   Param
   1        1
   2        2       +0.100
   3        4       +0.075
   4        8       +0.050
   5       16      +0.025
   R       32

with Residual Layer checked, Dyadic, Lineaer Interpolation (3) and nothing else. Starlet transform seems to work well. This is done at the non-linear stage.

[msmythers]

Steve

I took a little different approach. I processed more for keeping the background under control. This way I can bring out the fainter color in the background. The masks before stretching were made from the linear image. The DeconMask is nothing more then a 50 percent gray mask. The range_mask_clone was a made with the range select tool and the screening selection and a star mask subtracted from the range mask.  The last little bit of processing was just tweaks.



Mike

[biosif]

Hi.

This is my version.
I have made some adjustment in every proces, but some was default.

[tdgm]

Hi Mike

I appreciated the process container but I really am a newbie when it comes to creating masks and I have just followed tutorials and there settings and do not know how to judge if my mask is correct. Where can I find a titorials that will increase my knowledge on building masks? Also I have never seen anything on a 50% grey mask What is that?


Steve

[msmythers]

Steve

I can't help you with a tutorial for masking. I've just picked things up here and there from reading as much as I can and also experimenting with every tool and script that PI has. The only mask tutorial I always remember is RBA's 'Star size reduction via Morphological Transformations'. http://www.deepskycolors.com/archive/2011/09/08/star-size-reduction-via-Morphological-.html I consider that the most useful technique in my processing. His tutorial is based on an older version PI and the star mask tool but the settings are the same as the tool we have today.

So the 50 percent gray mask is nothing more then a blank image with the same dimensions as the main image but with a brightness of 50 percent. In PI 50 percent brightness is represented as 0.50 on the scale 0-1. The way you make this image is with PixelMath. The attached image will show you how. You just use the apply button.


Mike

[tdgm]

Hi Mike


Thanks that is really appreciated. I also have gone thru some DeConvolution Tutorials and applied them to my image and I have been apply to sharpening up the image that way as well. Next will be non linear stretching and then adding some MT and wavelet sharpening as well and then see what the image looks like.

Steve

[tdgm]

Hello Everyone that responded to my requests and here is what I came up with.

If any one wnats the process icons etc let me know and I can upload them.

Now it seems the only thing left to do is decrease halos around larger stars. So what would you guys suggest?