Keep all files or just master files?

[CraigD1986]

Quick question. When you have finished with a project, do you archive all of the files (ie. All lights, darks, flats, dark flats, etc) or do you delete the individual files and just keep the stacked mater files?

On the same subject, when creating a dark files library for a cooled astro camera, do I need to just keep the master files or each individual frame? So when I re-use the dark files, can I just load the master file into DSS?

[tomato]

With the relatively low price of mass storage these days, I tend to keep everything but I guess once you have created a master calibration frame that works, there is not much value in keeping the individual subs. I never delete my light subs though, I might use a different software package to stack them etc in the future, and they just took too much time and effort to capture to throw them away.

[Craney]

.... and it is possible to stack 'lights' even though they have come from different combinations of sensors and scopes. 

Every now and again I do a 'super-stack'  of data from several years on a certain object to see if I can extract any more detail out of it.   You have to except that the final image is framed by the session with the smallest field of view.

 

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by Craney

[Catanonia]

Delete everything other than the following

• Light Data
• Master Dark, Master Bias, Master Flat
• Final Image

Everything else can be created from them and no need to archive them.

I have just tidied up my storage and reduced it from 2tb to 1tb. It does start to mount up if you don't keep on top of it especially if you have a large megapixel camera.

[CraigD1986]

Thanks everyone. Will spend some time deleting some old calibration files when I next get some spare time and it’s cloudy.

[Hals]

I'd add keep your current master dark flat too, if you use them.

Sorry didn't fully read the excellent advice from Catatonia properly !

Edited February 9, 2022 by Hals
My stupidity !