EP12 - Sunday, 26th July 2020 7:30pm BST - Introduction to Astro Pixel Processor by Mabula Haverkamp

[Grant]

This Sunday at 7:30 we are joined by Mabula Haverkamp the lead developer and founder of Astro Pixel Processor (APP)  https://www.astropixelprocessor.com/. APP was launched in 2017 and is in continuous development, it provides a complete deep sky image processing application with a number of new and innovative features.

APP is being developed primarily by Mabula who has a doctorandus and Master of Science degree in Astrophysics from the University of Utrecht, 2004.

Mabula uses current scientific insights to develop APP besides developing and creating new innovative features and algorithms like it’s unique debayer algorithm Adaptive Airy Disc, Local Normalisation Correction and fully automatic N-View mosaics.

Mabula is going to give us an overview of APP, how it works and what it can do plus a live demo and will also give us a sneak peak at upcoming features due to be introduced soon.

There will also be an opportunity for Q&A at the end.

Meeting details below:

Topic: EP12 - Sunday, 26th July 2020 7:30pm BST - Introduction to Astro Pixel Processor by Mabula Haverkamp
Time: Jul 26, 2020 07:30 PM London

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/96005272477?pwd=dEExcFFGYTUvUkxwOE8zNU5CRGNUUT09

Meeting ID: 960 0527 2477
Passcode: 341269

[barkis]

It's Title gives an impression of a very sophisticated software package. Be interesting
to see this demonstrated, and will attract a large audience I'm sure. The sample Images bode well 
for APP.
Ron.

[assouptro]

I highly recommend APP

the software has transformed my imaging! 

Bryan

[barkis]

6 hours ago, assouptro said:

I highly recommend APP

the software has transformed my imaging! 

Bryan

Your recently posted  Sadr Region image Bryan, was that APP processed ?
Ron

[assouptro]

1 hour ago, barkis said:

Your recently posted  Sadr Region image Bryan, was that APP processed ?
Ron

It was Ron 

The Registration and stacking part anyway, 

The rest was a combination of photoshop and starnet++

I have been using it for about a year, although it is a learning curve as with all of these programs once you get into a routine it’s relatively easy! 😊

Edited July 24, 2020 by assouptro

[edarter]

I used the demo license recently and really liked it. The stacking side of things is way better than DSS. In DSS I was getting all sorts of noise issues with my Eos 600d but APP dealt with them. I felt I was only scratching the surface of the image processing side of APP so this demo will be very interesting. The only reason I've not already bought it is that I'm not doing much AP right now. 

[tooth_dr]

APP is simply fantastic and the personal support by Mabula himself is second to none. 

[Grant]

See you all in about an hour and a half 🙂

[Rattler]

Fantastic software for stacking and LP removal. 

[supernov]

Been a while since I was here, but in the mean time I became the moderator on the APP forum and am helping Mabula in his business. So much fun meeting you all, I had a blast in London at Astrofest as well. See you this evening!

[Datalord]

I am watching right now and I have to say I'm disappointed in the decision to showcase an upcoming niche feature like comet-stacking, instead of trying to show off something that would convince a PI user like me to come over. Mosaic use and more regular mono workflows would have been so much more interesting. Yes, interesting, but definitely not making a convert out of me.

[DaveS]

I'm afraid to say I was hoping for a showcase of the post processing. As things stand I haven't seen anything to make me switch from AstroArt 7, and I think I tried a demo version of APP as well as Star Tools and PI. Also tried Maxim DL for processing. So far AA7 wins for me, while PI just did my head in.

[barkis]

I confess I had never even heard of this APP, but I was struck by the young man who delivered this evenings talk. He certainly made it look easy, and several of you guys are ready familiar with this most recent of Image processing packages. Thoroughly enjoyed this one, although  a bit over my head, I may go for this one. 

Ron.

 

 

 

[barkis]

Just now, DaveS said:

I'm afraid to say I was hoping for a showcase of the post processing. As things stand I haven't seen anything to make me switch from AstroArt 7, and I think I tried a demo version of APP as well as Star Tools and PI. Also tried Maxim DL for processing. So far AA7 wins for me, while PI just did my head in.

Well, one has to be up front about their own preferences. Nowt wrong with that at all.

Ron.

[Astrokev]

Unfortunately I missed the presentation.

Is it available to view anywhere - YouTube for example?

Thanks

[JamesF]

15 minutes ago, Astrokev said:

Unfortunately I missed the presentation.

Is it available to view anywhere - YouTube for example?

The recordings are usually posted on youtube a few days after the presentation, Kev.

James

[Astrokev]

16 minutes ago, JamesF said:

The recordings are usually posted on youtube a few days after the presentation, Kev.

James

Thanks James, that's good to know.

I presume its easy to find and will look out for it. APP is a great program, but I could do with some tips to get the best out of it. Comet stacking is something to look forward to!

 

Kev

[JamesF]

Just now, Astrokev said:

Thanks James, that's good to know.

I presume its easy to find and will look out for it. APP is a great program, but I could do with some tips to get the best out of it. Comet stacking is something to look forward to!

I think Grant usually posts here when he's done it.

James

[newbie alert]

Superb talk, will have to watch that one back again..

Many thanks Mabula 

[PhotoGav]

Thank you Grant & Daz, that was an excellent presentation this evening by the master that is Mabula! Can't wait for him to complete the comet stuff and release it to us - then all we will need is another decent comet.

Great idea to get Mabula back to talk through different parts of APP - it is such a fully featured app now that it takes quite a bit of time to get to grips with everything. Fabulous results every time from it though, so well worth the effort. I await to hear when his next installment will be.

[tomato]

22 minutes ago, PhotoGav said:

Thank you Grant & Daz, that was an excellent presentation this evening by the master that is Mabula! Can't wait for him to complete the comet stuff and release it to us - then all we will need is another decent comet.

Great idea to get Mabula back to talk through different parts of APP - it is such a fully featured app now that it takes quite a bit of time to get to grips with everything. Fabulous results every time from it though, so well worth the effort. I await to hear when his next installment will be.

It’s always going to be tough deciding what to concentrate on in an hour’s presentation of what is quite a wide ranging Astro imaging software package. With Comet Neowise being so prominent (Both in the sky and in the Astronomy community) I guess the requests have been growing to add a comet feature so I’m not surprised Mabula and the team have responded.

However, it is encouraging that some of the well used elements currently absent from the image processIng module are next in the development pipeline, I’m looking forward to these being presented at some point in the not too distant future.
 

Gav, why do we need to wait for another comet, do you not have some subs ‘in the can’?  I tried to create an aligned comet and stars composite in PI, but without success.

[Datalord]

2 minutes ago, tomato said:

I tried to create an aligned comet and stars composite in PI, but without success.

The CometAlignment process in PI works well. It's fiddly as you end up stacking 2 times, but it works. Used it on this.

[tooth_dr]

1 hour ago, DaveS said:

I'm afraid to say I was hoping for a showcase of the post processing. As things stand I haven't seen anything to make me switch from AstroArt 7, and I think I tried a demo version of APP as well as Star Tools and PI. Also tried Maxim DL for processing. So far AA7 wins for me, while PI just did my head in.

There are several video demonstrations of complete processing of an image from start to finish. For example, the MW image he stitched together at the start is there on his website.  The videos last 30+ minutes and would be similar to that talk he gave tonight.  Well worth a look if you are genuinely interested in finding out more.

I really enjoyed tonight and finding out about the much awaited comet feature  

 

[tooth_dr]

2 hours ago, Datalord said:

Mosaic use and more regular mono workflows would have been so much more interesting.

Extensive workflows on the website

https://www.astropixelprocessor.com/mosaic-tutorial-milky-way-to-rho-ophiuchi-by-mabula/

Edited July 26, 2020 by tooth_dr

[Datalord]

Just now, tooth_dr said:

Extensive tutorials on the website

Yes, that's fine once you have committed yourself to the software. I was hoping to learn some points about what APP does different/better than other software. Once convinced, I would see a load of tutorials.