DSS is not processing dark or flat frames

[sshenke]

Hello, can someone help please. Deep Sky Stacker is not processing my dark or flat frames at all. Even though it recognises it when first added, it doesnt produce master files and when I start the stacking process, it says that there are no dark or flat frames as seen in the attached screenshot. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Would appreciate your help. Thanks

[Adam1234]

Have you registered the files?

[sshenke]

2 minutes ago, Adam1234 said:

Have you registered the files?

yes I did, then selected a reference frame  and then re-registered using teh reference frame

[Adam1234]

The only other thing I can think of then is ensuring that you're dark and flats match the light frames. Sorry I can't be of much help

[sshenke]

9 minutes ago, Adam1234 said:

The only other thing I can think of then is ensuring that you're dark and flats match the light frames. Sorry I can't be of much help

ok, thanks. They do match. very frustrating indeed

 

[almcl]

You seem to have got a lot of groups (4 in the screen shot). 

If the darks and flats are in different groups to the lights they won't be stacked. 

Try putting them in the same group as your lights, if they aren't already?

[sshenke]

18 minutes ago, almcl said:

You seem to have got a lot of groups (4 in the screen shot). 

If the darks and flats are in different groups to the lights they won't be stacked. 

Try putting them in the same group as your lights, if they aren't already?

almcl, thank you so much.  Your solution works.....!!!  have a great day!! btw, can I ask what the purpose of those group tabs is.

[GraemeH]

I can't remember if the frame count in the middle bar is for all loaded frames or only for the checked ones.  Are your darks and flats checked in the file list?

[almcl]

11 minutes ago, sshenke said:

, can I ask what the purpose of those group tabs is.

Not an expert but, if you take subs on different nights, you can put the lights and flats (and darks if you use them) for the different nights in the groups and DSS will process them individually before combining.  This is helpful if you have dust bunnies that move between sessions, for example.,

[jgs001]

That's exactly it almcl... The groups allow for stacking sets from different nights with appropriate calibration frames for each night. However, the first group (main) is used for all other groups, so if you have something in there that is for one specific night, you should remove it and put those into their own group. if you have something like a master bias frame (for example) that doesn't change, you could put that in the main group, then it will be applied to all other groups. If not, add one image file to main, to open group 1, then remove it from main.

[Ronclarke]

Have you tried Batch stacking?

[toxic]

easy way to use dss 

open dss

now open the folder you have you files in then select all the light frames and drag them into dss and select light frames.

now open your dark frame folder and select all the darks and drag and drop them into dss and select dark frames.

and so on and son all into the same main window.

ps if you want it to stack all of your light frames select the lowest score in the score list as your reference frame.

hope this helps.

Edited February 11, 2020 by toxic
forgot picture

[happy-kat]

It feels like a deja vue moment, lowest score is lowest quality score I thought,  I liked to pick the highest scoring frame which usually has the lowest FWHM value neatest stars.

Edit, though I've already deselected the lowest scored if on inspection the stars are too ropey for me. 

And I recall now picking the lowest score as the reference frame can help if stacking is reluctant to use all the frames.

Edited February 11, 2020 by happy-kat

[toxic]

2 hours ago, happy-kat said:

It feels like a deja vue moment, lowest score is lowest quality score I thought,  I liked to pick the highest scoring frame which usually has the lowest FWHM value neatest stars.

Edit, though I've already deselected the lowest scored if on inspection the stars are too ropey for me. 

And I recall now picking the lowest score as the reference frame can help if stacking is reluctant to use all the frames.

yes it is a last resort to stack more frames but it allso deals with more difficult subs

 

[Starwiz]

2 hours ago, happy-kat said:

And I recall now picking the lowest score as the reference frame can help if stacking is reluctant to use all the frames.

This isn't working for me.  

I have a recent batch of Ha frames where it was only stacking 43 frames out of 118.  I've just tried using a lower scoring frame as the reference and now it says it's only going to stack one frame.

Perhaps the stars just aren't good enough.

John