PS is driving me nuts can anyone help please

[Ewan]

Hi, i was out till 2.30 lasrt night imaging M44, M40, M82 & M81, just processed 6 subs of M40 (testing tracking) in DSS but when i try to load the Autosave.tif file, saved by DSS, by (double clicking) into PS an Out Of Memory error appears, the file is only 75.9Mb, if i click on another one that i saved out with settings embedded which is 104Mb it loads, why oh why does PS do this ?

I have previously been able to load 150Mb images into PS without a problem or rather i have only just noticed the above strange behaviour, maybe it's because one is embedded & the DDS Autosave file is not ?

If anyone can shed some light please feel free as i just want to process my images :-)

[Jannis]

I'm not sure about that one as i've never got that error before. i've been able to open the autosave easily after closing dss. I have 16GB RAM, but i havent' checked how much it used when opening teh autosave.tif compared to the saved tif though.

However i don't really see any point in doing it as you're supposed to save the stacked picture to a file when done in DSS anyway before you contineue processing in PS...

[opticalpath]

You've probably already checked all this, but ....

First I'd start up Task Manager and if the problem occurs take a look under the Processes tab to see what memory is being used by what processes/ applications; maybe some running process is holding on to a chunk of RAM; any applications that can be shut down?

Next, I'd check Photoshop Preferences/ Performance: how much RAM have you allocated for PS to use?

Then I'd think about any recent changes, e.g. new version of PS or an OS upgrade?

Last, have you allocated a PS scratch disk on a removable external drive? I can't remember details but I seem to recall there can be problems under some circumstances if you're running with the drive sometimes connected, sometimes not.

However, if you've really changed nothing and it was working OK before, and now not ..... dunno ..... something to do with how you're saving from DSS into PS, or have you always done it that way?

Adrian

[melsky]

I had this the other day, to solve it I reloaded the Autosave TIF into DSS and did a "save file as"

Worked for me.

Mel

[RikM]

I have never been able to open the DSS autosave files in PS. Does it save a 32bit file as a default?

[Dave]

I have the same problem opening stacked files, but once it has stacked the image, I now use "Save Image as..." and it opens OK then.

[Tim]

The file output that goes "Autosave.tiff" is a 32 bit floating point file, and it is the one to use if you have a program that can open it and work with it in 32bit mode.

The histogram and saturation and other muck about sliders in DSS are just for previewing the image.

Certain *.tiff formats seem to upset various graphics applications, Like Mel, I quite often find myself opening them in one or the other to re-save it as itself so that it opens in the desired program. For instance, Pixinsight won't open Registar *.tiff files, I have to open them and save them in PS first.

While it isn't a direct answer, hopefully it will give you a workaround Ewan?

[Ewan]

Thanks guys,

I did read Pixinsight could handle the 32bit files then save as like you say.

Got me out the mire now i can crack on.

[Ewan]

Ok here's what i have done so far, i stacked the images in DSS, the Autosave .tif i can open in Pixinsight fine, didn't do any adjustments in Pix i just saved it out as a 16 bit file is this correct so far ? this now opens in PS fine.

One thing that i am really struggling with is the images colours, that always seem to still come out bluish, am i meant to adjust the RGB sliders in DSS so they are all on top of one another ? on the DSS help pages it shows a nicely coloured image with the RGB slider graph below & the red, green & blue graph's are side by side (maybe just an example) or do i leave these alone entirely ?

If my image does a have a blue hint to it, which it does, in PS i have used Levels to get the RGB graphs to all look the same & i also use the Hue option but i cannot seem to get the core looking yellow, stars yellow etc.

If anyone can point me in the right direction for this proble id be much appreciated.

[Ewan]

Just re stacked this data in DSS, saved out as Enbedded 32Bit Rational format & it loaded straight into PS @ 229Mb, so i think the file size crashing is done (thanks for the info everyone) now to get the colour correct.

[Tim]

Ewan, don't use the colour sliders in DSS, they are just for previewing and dont handle the operation properly.

[Tim]

Do you have a full version of Pixinsight?

If so, do this:

Open the Autosave.tiff in PI

Under the Process Tab, go to Intensity Transformations > Hisotgram Transformation.

Now select the file in the drop down box in the tool.

By clicking on each of the Red, Green and Blue buttons individually, you will be able to adjust the BLACK POINT ONLY on the histogram. Pull it up to a wee bit behind the start of the spike. Do this for each channel, then click apply.

Now use the RESET button in the tool. Your colours should be fairly well aligned, but you can nudge the black points around to get them balanced, but at no point go into the area of the spike.

when I have this right, all I do then is pull the MID slider to the left until it comes to the steep part of the spikes right hand side. Apply and reset.

Now redo the Black point, and then apply/reset.

Finally, pull the mid point to the end of the line of the histogram, if you can do so without making it too noisy.

This fast method is what I use every time for initial processing, it is quick, repeatable, and you get to work with the whole range in an easy way.

Just shout if I didn't explain it very well

Cheers

Tim

[Tim]

If your image still has a colour cast, you can use the SCNR colour noise reduction tool in PI.

Just select the problem colour, guess how much to reduce it by, and Voilá!

Or else in PS, you can use the selective colour tool to bring errant colours into line, or if it is a general hue, then the sliders under the main Image tab for colour work well.

But if you balance the colours individually in the histogram, you shouldn't have this problem

[Ewan]

Thank you Tim i am trying this right now, sliders are very sensitive so i see your point about very small adjustments (took me a couple of goes), i get the idea & i normally use PS to do this but for some reason the RGB colour peak displays, on the right pane in PS, were not showing for this particular image but does with others of mine, the only thing i can think of the image format but thats another story.

I have pm'd Olly as well, quite a biggy, with screenshots of the inital stacking in DSS, all my settings shown in case i am making a stupid error right at the beginning but i am sure i'm not, could the blue have anything to do with my cameras white balance at all ? i have Magic Lantern installed so i'll be looking at removing this as well i guess.

Thanks for the feedback Tim & i'll be sure to post back how i get on.

[Ewan]

Tim, i have strectched the image with PixInsight LE version, this is what i have so far (pic below) and a screenshot of the save format as i am not sure which to use or which is the best option for me, i do have PS CS6 if that matters ?

I assume as the Blue channel peak is taller this is what is causing the blue tinge ? how can i lower / shorten this without making is wider or is that what i have to do ?

Sorry for all the questions Tim.

[Ewan]

Solved RGB channel peaks not showing up in PS, after stretching then Dynamin Extraction & saving as 16bit.tif i then loaded into PS & got this.

I'm not very used to PixInsight whereas i find PS a little easier Tim, so i can carry on stretching in PS ? or go back to Pix ?

[Tim]

Whatever program you are most comfortable with, there's more than one way to skin a cat

Are you using a CLS filter by any chance?

You might find it easier to balance the colours using the Colour Balance sliders in PS, but again go easy on them

[Ewan]

I had no filter on that night as i do not have one that fits the SCT Adapter to T-Ring, i have an LP & a UHC-S filter but only 1.25" but vignetting might be a problem, i guess if the object does not fill the frame i could work with one of my 1.25" filters though.

Got to do my homework on which filter(s) to use on which object though.

I had a couple of more tries with M81 & the pictures i have looked do have quite a lot of blue detail, so a lot more data needed anyway & an unmodded dslr does not help either i guess.

Got to rig my new guider up & have a test, silly question but can i test my guider out before it gets dark ? (no laughing please)

[Tim]

It can usually be too sensitive to the light to get anything decent, but you can always make a stop mask for it.

[Ewan]

A stop mask ? to reduce the apature of the objective you mean ?