AstroPixelProcessor - what are the benefits?

[Astro Noodles]

I currently process with DSS and GIMP but decided to download a trial of APP with a view to upgrading my processing software.

I have had a play around with APP a few times, but so far the results are no better than I am currently able to achieve.

What are the advantages of APP ? What features should I be concentrating on using that are better than DSS and GIMP ?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[DaveS]

I don't know about APP, but have you tried AstroArt 8?

[scotty38]

My view is if you're experienced enough you'll know what you're missing in your current software OR you'll know that your happy with your results and that is 99% of it IMHO.

When I started I knew nothing, and still don't pretty much, so I jumped right in and bought PI as I could see it was a decent package and thought if plenty of folk can get decent results then at least I know the software won't be at fault so I'll just dive in and learn it.

I think it "could" be a mistake hoping a new piece of software could bring about revolutionary new results especially if you're doing well already.....

[Avocette]

I own both APP and PI. My choice these days is to use APP to load Lights, Darks, Flats, Dark Flats, perform Tab 3 Star Analysis to check the quality of my images (useful graphing functions) and then Tab 6 Integration to stack the best of them using the default settings. I use the Tools Tab 9 to Crop the result to get rid of dither edge effects, and then Tools Tab 9 Light Pollution Removal which is absolutely brilliant. Often I save a stretched version of this image as a jpeg to share directly with friends and that may satisfy me at least temporarily, especially if I’m keen on capturing more images of the target. I save all the final integration, crop and light pollution removed images as FITS files. When I am ready to carry out more processing, I import one or other of these FITS files into PI to make use of more delicate control with star removal as an option and also noise reduction. I am experimenting with GHS in PI.

[gilesco]

4 minutes ago, Avocette said:

I own both APP and PI. My choice these days is to use APP to load Lights, Darks, Flats, Dark Flats, perform Tab 3 Star Analysis to check the quality of my images (useful graphing functions) and then Tab 6 Integration to stack the best of them using the default settings. I use the Tools Tab 9 to Crop the result to get rid of dither edge effects, and then Tools Tab 9 Light Pollution Removal which is absolutely brilliant. Often I save a stretched version of this image as a jpeg to share directly with friends and that may satisfy me at least temporarily, especially if I’m keen on capturing more images of the target. I save all the final integration, crop and light pollution removed images as FITS files. When I am ready to carry out more processing, I import one or other of these FITS files into PI to make use of more delicate control with star removal as an option and also noise reduction. I am experimenting with GHS in PI.

I bought APP first, and later PI, I do the same - I work with Mono frames, so I tend to use APPs combine RGB tool + light pollution, then work on the resulting composite in PI - both linear and then non-linear.

Although I must add I'm very much still getting to grips with PI.

[Clarkey]

6 minutes ago, Avocette said:

I own both APP and PI. My choice these days is to use APP to load Lights, Darks, Flats, Dark Flats, perform Tab 3 Star Analysis to check the quality of my images (useful graphing functions) and then Tab 6 Integration to stack the best of them using the default settings. I use the Tools Tab 9 to Crop the result to get rid of dither edge effects, and then Tools Tab 9 Light Pollution Removal which is absolutely brilliant. Often I save a stretched version of this image as a jpeg to share directly with friends and that may satisfy me at least temporarily, especially if I’m keen on capturing more images of the target. I save all the final integration, crop and light pollution removed images as FITS files. When I am ready to carry out more processing, I import one or other of these FITS files into PI to make use of more delicate control with star removal as an option and also noise reduction. I am experimenting with GHS in PI

I tend to do similar. I stack and initially process in APP and then transfer unstretched files to Affinity or Startools depending what I am doing. For OSC it is possible to separate the 3 channels and process separately before re-combining. I have not tried using it yet, but APP is meant to be very good for mosaics.

The jury is still out on PI. I trialled PI but did not get too far with it - it was like trying to write left-handed! I might give it another go at some point - but at the moment I am working on getting my dual rig up and running.

[edarter]

Have had APP for a while, for stacking its light years ahead of dss, though I have to say for more general image processing I do find the interface a bit unintuitive. I'm currently using the free trial of PI which I intend to use for image processing. At this point I envisage using APP for stacking and PI for everything after that.

[raadoo]

Just like @edarter and @Avocette, I too use APP for stacking only. Unlike @edarter, I find APP's interface quite intuitive - much more so than PI's WBPP.

For me, the advantages vs something like DSS are that it makes loading multi-night frames a trivial task. I usually image over 6 or more nights and I find it quite easy to load up flats and lights for each session, while masters have their own load function. I also appreciate the options to play around with various algorithms to compare results. And I echo @Avocette's comments on the Light Pollution Removal tool - just brilliant.

After stacking, the resulting fits file goes straight into PI where it goes through a bunch of acronyms before exporting separate TIFF files for the background and stars into PS.

[tomato]

I also follow what appears to be a popular workflow: calibrate and stack in APP, rotate, crop and LP removal in APP, then on into PI or StarTools.

On broadband images, I generally get better colour with PI’s Photometric colour calibration rather than APP’s calibrate star colours.

[Adam J]

On 10/06/2022 at 15:38, Astro Noodles said:

I currently process with DSS and GIMP but decided to download a trial of APP with a view to upgrading my processing software.

I have had a play around with APP a few times, but so far the results are no better than I am currently able to achieve.

What are the advantages of APP ? What features should I be concentrating on using that are better than DSS and GIMP ?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I am not sure about gimp but the Channel combiner and the LP gradient removal tool and the very good mozaique processing are the stand out features of APP. But there are others too. I mainly use it for stacking / pre-processing as opposed to actual image manipulation. 

Adam 

Edited August 1, 2022 by Adam J

[900SL]

I've moved over to SiriL. It takes a bit of effort initially (YouTube tutorials) but for stacking and processing it's pretty good.  I think a few are put off as it initially appears complex, but it's not. 

Background extraction, photometric colour balance, a-sine stretching, frame by frame calibration,, they upgrade functionality every month.