APP vs DSS + PS

[rubecula]

I've had a play with APP to see if I should purchase.  So far I'm not convinced.  The first image is my best effort so far with APP.  I know it needs cropping and there's a row of cold (?) pixels that I thought outlier rejejection would remove. Otherwise it looks rather dull and star colours are way off.  The second image is exactly the same data developed with DSS and PS.

 

I've more experience with DSS and PS but am surprised I can't do better with APP.  The lack of documentation doesn't help.  I suppose I could move the APP image to PS or Lightroom and improve it but have any of you got better results from APP alone?

Thanks

[tooth_dr]

Hi Robin

I used DSS a couple of days ago to do a quick stack. I don’t discount it but it’s not in the same league as APP.  But APP isn’t a complete processing tool. It does whey DSS does (and a bit more) but you still need PS. My advice is to stick with it. 

[Ibbo!]

I have a done a couple fully in APP except noise reduction, but normally stack and  align in APP and its over to PS.

[geeklee]

The lack of documentation makes it a challenge but there are some useful videos on the APP website that may help (while not being an exact match to your scenario).  Performing star colour calibration can be a key workflow task for me. 

The stars are have a significant purple/magenta tint - was the first image just a direct stack in APP using RGB combine (just guessing from filters in your signature)?  The stars also appear much tighter in that first APP image... if the colours could be corrected 🙂

Update: Meant to also say I've had excellent results with APP, with minor tweaks elsewhere.

Edited January 17, 2020 by geeklee

[rubecula]

"was the first image just a direct stack in APP using RGB combine ?"  Correct Lee.  This is a HOO image so I've put the OIII data into both the green and blue channels. After the RGB combine I tried several ways using the controls on the right (don't really understand what they are supposed to do) and the HSL selective colour but to no avail.

I'll try taking the individual stacks into PS and see what I can do.

[geeklee]

3 hours ago, rubecula said:

"was the first image just a direct stack in APP using RGB combine ?"  Correct Lee.  This is a HOO image so I've put the OIII data into both the green and blue channels. After the RGB combine I tried several ways using the controls on the right (don't really understand what they are supposed to do) and the HSL selective colour but to no avail.

I'll try taking the individual stacks into PS and see what I can do.

The author, forum moderator and some users are usually quick to assist in the APP forum as well.  I've read plenty of posts where a user has supplied data that they can't get calibrated, coloured as expected and the above have taken a copy and - usually - got the expected result, explaining what they did.  Or they explain why something couldn't be done.

[wimvb]

Have you seen these? By our one and only @swag72

https://www.swagastro.com/astro-pixel-processor-tutorials.html

[DavM]

You need to go to the tools tab and choose remove light pollution, awesome!

Dave

[Davey-T]

On 18/01/2020 at 14:41, wimvb said:

Have you seen these? By our one and only @swag72

https://www.swagastro.com/astro-pixel-processor-tutorials.html

Also an article in February S@N by Sara on Hubble palette using APP.

Dave