Pixinsight First Attempt

[Stub Mandrel]

I generated a lot of data last night, mostly RGB and my my flats were with the Ha filter... so I need to take a new set of flats before finishing thiose images.

The one narrowband image was the Crescent. I stacked in DSS then did a very basic STF stretch and combine in Pixinsight, background neutralised and then tried to use a mask for a final curves.

Boy, it's a foul user experience!

Here's my first result, which looks OK but feels like what Pixinsight wanted to give me and that I have far less control than usual. I'm sure there are ways and means. Can anypone point me at good step by step tuorials (not video ones, as even the simplest leave so much out or unexplained). I'm afrioad I went o Astra Image for NR... and I think it needs more curves/star reduction etc...

 

 

Edited August 9, 2020 by Stub Mandrel

[Jkulin]

Hi Neil,

I’ll send you some links in the morning

[Jkulin]

Hi Neil,

As promised: -

Shawn is really very good as explaining the manner in which he works https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIwWoJv_vi1US5zjyjRs_lg

His website is: - https://visibledark.ca/

I have also found  to be https://www.lightvortexastronomy.com/ excellent.

And finally Chuck gives you a rough and ready process tutorial that works: - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCllh0nUmlREEvoskaq9b3A

Hope that helps?

[Stub Mandrel]

3 hours ago, Jkulin said:

Hi Neil,

As promised: -

Shawn is really very good as explaining the manner in which he works https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIwWoJv_vi1US5zjyjRs_lg

His website is: - https://visibledark.ca/

I have also found  to be https://www.lightvortexastronomy.com/ excellent.

And finally Chuck gives you a rough and ready process tutorial that works: - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCllh0nUmlREEvoskaq9b3A

Hope that helps?

Thanks, The lIght Vortex tutorials look like what I've been searching for.

[Jkulin]

2 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Thanks, The lIght Vortex tutorials look like what I've been searching for.

Yep Neil, Shawn really is a laid back person who doesn't umm and arrh, he makes it simple to understand and adapt to your own needs.

[Stub Mandrel]

Well the most useful thing about those tutorials is they tell you WHY not just WHAT which makes the lessons learned transferrable.

I'm still to get into masks but this Iris from a couple of nights ago doesn't seem too bad!

[SyedT]

A couple more things:

1. Starnet - Excellent for creating starless masks, and has a Pixinsight module. Download here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/starnet/

2. Scripts - Custom scripts created by Herbert Walter, including some excellent sharpening and star mask tools. Download here: http://www.skypixels.at/pixinsight_scripts.html

[Stub Mandrel]

Last night's data, thrashed.... I will return to these when I get home, I'll process in PS, compare and see what's inexperience with PI and what's deficiency in the data.

You can see some of the colour is badly posterised.

[oldannie]

If you  want to spend some money try Adam Block's Pixinsight tutorials - he does two: Fundamentals and Horizons.  Have got the first one and think it exceptionally good and comprehensive.  A lot of hours of video tuition which means you can run Pixinsight alongside and follow what he is doing. All in all very well presented and very clear explanations.

 

Annie

[Stub Mandrel]

Thanks, but I really stuggle with video tutorials. I find step by steps like the Light Vortex ones bewtter, I use them like a reference book as I have a non-linear brain.

Back home at last, time to process the data with PS, compare the results and identify weak and strong points.

[TerryMcK]

I know what you mean with PI Neil. I’m still on my trial with PI, still looking at the links that John showed, just ordered Inside Pixinsight, watched numerous Youtube’s, watched the Stargazine presentation last Sunday and know I’ve only scratched the surface.

However having said that I’ve seen so much good work done with PI I shall be adding it to my arsenal. I use PS professionally so will always have that along with Topaz DenoiseAI, APP and others.

[dannybgoode]

I use a mix of vids, written tutorials (there’s some excellent ones in the links on this thread) and of course Inside PixInsight. Wouldn’t be without that book although I did find other tutorials easier to follow to just get going with the very basics. 
 

The book though covers just about every process in-depth and covers the technically nitty gritty too without getting too bogged down (although it is heavy going in parts). 
 

I do really like PI though and now I’m getting comfortable with the basics think it is the best option for all the technical aspects of processing image data but I do still fall back on my various ‘normal’ photo editing suites for final tweaks. 

[pc387]

One thing i noticed with the images above is a green colour cast (at least  on my screen). 

Hit the green kill switch by using SCNR at the default setting (i usually apply this a couple of times during post-processing)

Those greens will become yellow/gold with a bit of further processing.

 

pc387

 

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, pc387 said:

One thing i noticed with the images above is a green colour cast (at least  on my screen). 

Hit the green kill switch by using SCNR at the default setting (i usually apply this a couple of times during post-processing)

Those greens will become yellow/gold with a bit of further processing.

 

pc387

 

I agree the narrowband images are too green, especially in the background, the iris image has a magenta cast. Both look better on my laptop, but don't stand viewing on my PC.

I'm familiar with SNCR (it's available as a PS plugin called HLVG), but I find that it takes the life out of 'foreground' greens if I use it too early.

I'm also tempted by HSO rather than SHO, so images are mostly red and blue, with gold where there is sulphur.