PIXINSIGHT HELP....PLEASE?

[cloudbuster]

Hi all....and merry xmas top u all...hope santa bought u some astro goodies!! please can u help me? i purchased pixinsight some months ago, but still don't know how to use it properly. i took the following image the other night, and couldn't process out the colours properly, as per Steppenwolf's effort. can someone please tell me how to do this please....i don't even know which tools to use!

http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-deep-sky/168182-not-so-much-horse-head-pigs-ear.html

Hoping someone can help.

cheers

bob

[swag72]

You must watch these videos http://www.harrysastroshed.com/pixinsighthomenewbie.html , they are like PI gold. They will get you going and give you a good feel for the basics. There's also tutorials on the PixInsight forum and loads of stuff on the forum too. http://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php

[Dougie]

As Sara says, watch Harry's videos, they are very good and easy to follow.

You will need to watch them over and over and eventually things fall into place.

I saved the videos to my hard drive and constantly refer to them.

I've organised my folder structure in the order that Harry has laid out, saving the file and renaming at each stage.

[ollypenrice]

I must admit that I can't cope with some of it even with Harry's help and do lots of mechanical things in Astro Art first. I also finish in Photoshop because of the selection tools and 'hands on' which is how I enjoy working. However, PI is invaluable for some things. I'm just waiting for expert guests to come along and get me up to speed!!

Olly

[cloudbuster]

thanks guys and gals....have pm'd u sara.

cheers

bob

[Tim]

Bob,

Breathe in.........breathe out........relax............

Here's what I do:

Stack your picture as per normal. Then open the 32bit Fit Autosave file produced in Pixinisght.

Under the processing tab, look for Histogram Transformation.

Select your picture in the tool. ( I usually work on a clone copy to save messing up an original I can use again sometime)

Click on each of the colour channels, and drag the little histogram triangle thingys up to just before the start of the spike in the graph, and the MID point triangle, drag that backwards to a point halfway between where it starts, and the end of the spike in the histogram.

After doing that for each colour, red, green, blue, reset the tool using the little icon in the bottom right corner of it.

Repeat to taste.

This will give you the basics of your image, with the colours all balanced and stretched without too much noise.

If you then go to the CURVES transformation tool you can use the LIGHTNESS/LUMINANCE tab to pull up the detail if necessary without adding colour noise.

Hope that helps you a little.

Cheers

Tim

[Tim]

PS, your scope could do with a tweak on the collimation, the reflection artifacts on alnitak show a displacement.

[cloudbuster]

thanks for the superb advice tim....appreciated muchos! will give it a bash now....collimation tomorrow!

cheers

bob

[harry page]

Hi

Have a look at my vids they should get you going

If you like send me your image and I will do a little tut video

Up to you of course

Harry

[Tim]

If you like send me your image and I will do a little tut video

Harry

Harry, is that where you go.... "tut, tut tut!!" ?

(Loving that LHE tool btw!)

[cloudbuster]

Hi

Have a look at my vids they should get you going

If you like send me your image and I will do a little tut video

Up to you of course

Harry

Hi Harry...my horse head pic, as u requested. I do hope that u can show me how to improve it. i do have pi....and have seen your superb videos....but i'm not very good on the old laptop, so if u could show me how, then i would be eternaly gratefull.

best wishes, and hope to hear from u soon.

bob

[harry page]

Hi

I only every tut at myself , when I do some thing useless which of course is every day

Glad you like the LHE , do we get a sneak preview of your works

On another thread of course

Harry

Harry, is that where you go.... "tut, tut tut!!" ?

(Loving that LHE tool btw!)

[Tim]

Bob, any chance of the 32 bit autosave file being uploaded anywhere? By the time the picture gets to a jpeg and then scrambled by the forum software there isnt much left to play with

Cheers

[harry page]

Hi

Here is a quick demo ( video ) of bobs Data , not done everthing but should get him on the right road.

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

Harry

[cloudbuster]

nice one harry....really greatly appreciated!

will give it a go asap!

cheers

bob

[cloudbuster]

well i managed to follow Harry's superb video....thanks very much Harry, but mine seems to of lost sharpness of the original, and also the colours are not as good as Harry's! anyway, here it is...anymore tips anyone?

Happy new year to you all!

cheers

Bob

[harry page]

Hi

I do not think Dss is doing your data any good as the colours I got out of AA5 were far better

I do not know dss but perhapes others can give advice

Harry

[Space Bat]

Pi is an amazing programme - and it is well worth just playing and playing with it and learning the features...I am pleased with how well I have progressed using it...although haven't played in a bit.

So stick with it

Harry's guides are excellent to get you going...the rest as they say is up to you, your patience and endeavour