Starlight Live Version 3.4

[Bill S]

Good evening

I was rambling round the Starlight Xpress website and noticed that the version of Starlight Live offered for download is version 3.4 (released 16/3/19). I seem to have missed this appearing. It's described as having 'bug fixes and more advanced support for all SX cameras and the SX filter wheel.'

Does anyone know any more details of the changes? I've downloaded it and looks the same as 3.3, which is what I have been using. (So hopefully it won't confuse me when I use it.) I did notice there seem to be more colour spaces available (Mono, CYGM, RGGB, GRBG, GBRG, BGGR).

There's also a program called 'Starlight Vision' available, which is described as control software for most SX cameras. Again, does anyone know more about this? It crashed when I ran it.

Best regards

Bill

 

 

[Mike JW]

Hi  Bill,

I have been using it for months and I have not noticed any differences for me as mono user. I still find that if I attempt to do dark frames the system collapses and I get very odd looking, totally useless and unusable shots. (it could be me doing something wrong).

Mike

[HiloDon]

Hi Bill,

Version 3.4 was primarily developed to be compatible with some of the higher res SX cameras like the 674, 694 and 814.  For some reason they would only work in Bin X2.  Simon added the extra color space options because SX uses different ones  for different cameras.  Not sure why, but I just purchased a SX674C Pro and it uses a GRGB color space.  SX will send you new firmware to change it to RGGB if you would prefer that.  Other than that, I am not aware of other changes.  I think the Starlight Vision is just a name change, but I think it’s only a Windows version.

Hope this helps to clear things up.

Don

[JamesF]

I'd have thought SX has to use whatever filter array pattern the manufacturer applies to the sensor, though perhaps some sensors might be available with more than one filter pattern.  My colour Lodestar is cyan/magenta/yellow/green in some combination though I can't remember what off the top of my head.

SX might be able to change the apparent pattern (between RGGB and GBRG, for instance) by delivering the rows of each frame in reverse order (assuming the frame has an even number of rows) or similarly for columns (meaning RGGB would become GRBG).  I guess you could do that with a firmware change.  The image would just effectively appear upside down or left-right inverted compared with the alternative pattern.

James

[HiloDon]

Hi James,

I think it’s how the software reads the data.  Other software like Nebulosity has the same options.  I’m no expert on this, but I think the firmware establishes the read pattern and the software must match it.  The color Lodestar as far as I know is CYGM.  The SX RGB cams like the Ultrastar were RGGB.  Then for some reason SX changed the firmware to something different.  It doesn’t affect the image other than the color is messed up and you can see the bayer mask grid.

Don

[arenosa]

Hi there,

Has anyone installed version 3.4 on Mac OS Catalina? Does it work? The 3.3 version it didn't work for me so I had to ungrade the SO to Mac OS Mojave version.

Thanks a lot.