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Pixinsight - getting started


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Hi Adam...  So you have succumbed!   I followed the tutorials at Light Vortex Astronomy - Tutorials which I found very good then got Warren  Keller's Inside Pixinsight and have recently got (on recommendation  of  @wimvb)  Rogelio Bernal Andreo's Mastering Pixinsight which is excellent and available as a .pdf for $25 or ,pdf plus paper for $55 plus postage.  

Dave

 

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This 12 part Pixinsight total beginners tutorial was what got me started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIXJJqew6rQ

 

Pixinsight seems impossibly difficult at first sight. But after processing a few datasets, the basic steps become really rather easy! And from there on you can choose to make it as easy or complicated as you like. 

Obviously the workflow is a little different between LRGB imaging, narrowband imaging and OSC imaging. How are you imaging?

Edited by Viktiste
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1 hour ago, tooth_dr said:

What have the other beginners followed to get onto PI?

Mostly internet resources:

  • Youtube videos by Richard Bloch
  • LightvortexAstronomy tutorials
  • Pixinsight.com web site
  • Pixinsight resources http://www.pixinsight.com.ar/en/
  • Warren Keller's book is an ok reference, but isn't really my style. It's definitely not my PixInsight "bible"
  • RBA's web site deep sky colors has a section with interesting tutorials
  • (RBA's book Mastering PixInsight)
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1 hour ago, pc387 said:

If you're into visual learning, I'd recommend this site https://www.ip4ap.com/ run by Warren  Keller.

It's subscription based (not too expensive) but there are some free primers. It covers beginners; intermediate and advanced with plenty of  demo's.

 

pc387

I found his tutorials too casual/cursory. As in his book, he describes what each tool can do, but unless you're an absolute beginner, there isn't very much to be learned. The book is a good reference, though. Especially for a beginner. YMMV, as they say. Since he increased the subscription rate, I no longer put mine there. Too little ROI (return on investment). Otoh, I may put my money on Adam Block's site. Expensive? Yes. But if you follow his youtube chanel, you know there's quality there.

Just my € 0.02

Edited by wimvb
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Thanks guys.

I've ordered RBAs book, as I prefer to have something initially to just read through rather than different resources.  Once I know what I'm looking for I'm sure I'll be better placed to look around the net.

1 hour ago, Viktiste said:

Obviously the workflow is a little different between LRGB imaging, narrowband imaging and OSC imaging. How are you imaging?

Thanks, so I would do either LRGB or NB imaging.  I do have a OSC (D800E) that I use with a lens, but mono CCD imaging is my main interest.  I currently use APP for stacking and mosaic alignment etc, and have no desire to change from this, it's the processing of the stacked data that I want to work on.

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+1 for the Light Vortex Astronomy tutorials, I followed them to the letter and at least got a result, I then moved onto Warren Keller’s book, swiftly followed by “Mastering Pixinsight”, which is much more my style. I also use APP for calibration and stacking and have no desire to change. As far as I know, it is not essential to carry out these steps in PI in order to get the best out of PI’s processing tools.

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6 hours ago, tomato said:

I also use APP for calibration and stacking and have no desire to change. As far as I know, it is not essential to carry out these steps in PI in order to get the best out of PI’s processing tools.

Is APP faster at pre-processing than PI? I find PI slow when there are lots of large files (read: cmos) involved.

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I have paid for the live tuition and demos from Warren and Ron Belcher in their MastersOfPixinsight.com courses. They are $35 per session in the PixInsight for Newbies course. The sessions are recorded for access later and you get download access to the files.
Those recorded sessions can be bought subsequently if you want to join in.

I have found it invaluable and the next live session is in January. They run a session at 7PM GMT and another at 7PM EST usually on a Tuesday.

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4 hours ago, wimvb said:

Is APP faster at pre-processing than PI? I find PI slow when there are lots of large files (read: cmos) involved.

Wim APP is faster at all processing than PI. I have a very fast xeon processor based machine (with loads of RAM and fast SSD’s) that I use for processing images and PI takes noticeably longer times. However there are some who say PI does a better job. I’ve yet to see that difference.

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8 hours ago, wimvb said:

Is APP faster at pre-processing than PI? I find PI slow when there are lots of large files (read: cmos) involved.

Historically on modest CCD file sets I found APP and PI to be about the same. I have recently invested in a dedicated desktop PC for image processing, this makes reasonably light work of CMOS data sets in APP, I confess I haven't run these through PI as I am OK with using APP for this part of the process.

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