Problems creating BPM in Astro Pixel Processor!

[oldannie]

Always having problems with something - thank goodness for this forum!

Decided to try  the 30 day trial of APP and thought I would make a start by creating a bad pixel map .  Sara Wager's video tutorial makes it look very straightforward  so I think am just missing something very obvious.  Have loaded some LRGB    flats and some 300 sec darks.  Sara doesn't appear to load any bias frames but have tried the process with and without bias frames and can't get either to work.  After loading flats and darks have checked calibrate and under the 'BPM' submenu have set hot pixels kappa to 2 and cold pixels to 50% simply following Sara's video.  Have made sure 'bad pixel map' is checked and pressed calibrate again but nothing happens!  I notice on Sara's probably older version of APP she checked calibrate at the end of the BPM submenu whilst this option isn't  on my version so have clicked on calibrate at the top of the screen - am not sure this is relevant but can't for the life of me see what's  going wrong.  It's really frustrating when you think it's something obvious that you can't see - grrrrrrr!

 

Annie

 

 

 

 

 

[oldannie]

Same thing happening - ie. nothing when I try to create master flats, darks and bias.  Obviously being quite dim but very frustrated!

 

Annie

[StarDodger]

Stupid question,  it you are loading all the light too..?

[oldannie]

No the bad pixel map as per Sara Wager's video tutorial just the flats and darks are loaded and obviously for the master calibration files just the bias, darks and flat frames.

[StarDodger]

Just now, oldannie said:

No the bad pixel map as per Sara Wager's video tutorial just the flats and darks are loaded and obviously for the master calibration files just the bias, darks and flat frames.

Not sure it’s done like that in newer version, it’s all done together now, just chuck all the files in there, click correct boxes, and calibrate, it will do the rest for you, it’s superb software....

[PhotoGav]

Hi, here are my notes for using APP to create Master Calibration frames... hopefully they might help.

 

Create Master Files

 

‘Set Work Directory’ to ‘_Master Files’ folder in Astro Photography folder (I've created the folder in the right place before starting)

Bias

1) Load – Load all bias frames into bias section

2) Calibrate – scroll down to Master Bias section

integrate = median

outlier rejection = sigma clip

kappa = 3.0

iterations = 1

Click ‘calibrate’ button

Go to _Master Files folder and rename MasterBias

 

Bad Pixel Map

1) Load – Darks, Flats & MasterBias

2) Calibrate – scroll down to bottom area

Select ‘create Bad Pixel Map’

Deselect ‘create MasterBias, -Dark, -Flat’

Click ‘create Masters’

 

Darks

1) Load – Load all dark frames into dark section

Load MasterBias

2) Calibrate – scroll down to Master Dark section

integrate = average

outlier rejection = sigma clip

kappa = 3.0

iterations = 1

Click ‘calibrate’ button

Go to _Master Files folder and rename MasterDark_sublength

 

‘Set Work Directory’ to ‘Process’ folder in project folder.

 

Flats

1) Load screen – Load all flat files into flat section

Load MasterBias & BPM

2) Calibrate screen – scroll down to Master Flat section

integrate = average

outlier rejection = sigma clip

kappa = 3.0

iterations = 1

 

Click ‘calibrate’ button

 

Go to Process folder in finder and rename file to MasterFlat_[FilterName]

 

Return to 1) Load screen and click clear

 

Repeat for all flats

[PhotoGav]

Just looking at the latest version I have installed (1.074.1), I see that I haven't updated the notes to reflect button names - where you see "click 'calibrate' button" in the notes, read "click 'create Masters & assign to Lights'".

Good luck and let us know how you get on...

[oldannie]

Thanks guys - the fact that I have the newer version may account for my problems.  Thanks for all those notes Gav.  It may be tomorrow before I get chance to have another go but will report back - hopefully it will be 'thumbs up'.

 

Annie

Edited June 15, 2019 by oldannie
mis-type!

[oldannie]

Gav - your notes have proved invaluable and have now been able to create a BPM and create masters - what a relief!!  I do have a couple of questions though as am being a bit slow on the uptake!

1. I have assumed that the processes you outline above for creating a BPM and creating masters are undertaken separately ?

2. APP will create a BPM with just darks and flats though it obviously won't calibrate the flats without a master bias.  Is the quality of the BPM reduced without the master bias?

3. Why do I need to load the master bias when creating a master dark ?

4. When creating a master flat why include a BPM?

I may have just mis-read your notes - It wouldn't be the first time I'm being dim!

Thanks

Annie

 

 

[PhotoGav]

Annie, great news that you are having some success and making forwards progress! I’m not sure I know the answers to all your questions... the overriding answer to all of them is simply - that’s the way I do it and it works!

1. Yes, I create the masters first and then process the subs. Mainly because I reuse Masters from project to project. I think it is possible to load everything up, dark frames, bias frames, flat frames and lights and then click go and it will do everything in one big lump. I don’t tend to work that way.

2. No idea!

3. I think because the MasterBias is subtracted from the darks, so the MasterDark has no bias, the same is true of the MasterFlats. You then load the MasterBias with the Lights, the MasterFlats and MasterDarks so the Lights have Bias, Dark and Flat all subtracted.

4. I don’t know. I guess it either isn’t used or it acts like a dark frame subtraction for the Flats. I refer to my earlier comment - it works for me that way!

I look forward to hearing how you get on and what discoveries you make along the way. I am always keen to hear how to improve my use of APP. It’s a great tool for processing, but I have so much to learn about it! I always wonder why I load a MasterDark and a BPM... aren’t they doing the same job in slightly different ways? I just get on and do what I always do and am happy with the outcome so try not to question too much!

Gav.

[oldannie]

I'm pretty much the same Gav - if it works for me I do it!   The APP forum seems promising!

Thanks again Gav - much appreciated.

Annie

 

 

[tomato]

It’s been so long since I’ve processed any subs I’m beginning to forget my workflow, but I do remember that I use the ‘process in one big lump’ approach. This is because I set up and take down each time so I have new flats for every session. Also I have been experimenting with CMOS cameras with a wide variety of exposure times so again, I’ve got very specific sets of darks to play with.

Generally if I’m disciplined about loading the correct calibration frames with the lights, APP crunches the numbers without returning any warning messages.

I’m sorry, I would post some specific APP settings but I’ve packed my processing PC ready for an imminent house move.