My Astrophotography Tool Acquired ASI224MC Subs Are Crashing DSS!??

[wesdon1]

Hi all. To keep it short, here goes...

I acquired 101 x 10 second sub exposures of the dumbbell nebula/M27 using "Astrophotography Tool" software/program, and shooting them with my ZWO ASI224MC Camera. When I try to register & stack all the subs in DSS, it crashes DSS!? The files are .TIF, and as I say, I used APT and a ASI224MC camera. I cannot understand why this is happening?? I even tried just stacking 7 or 8 subs, incase my computers memory was struggling, but it was exactly the same outcome, as soon as I click "OK" to start registration n stacking, the screen freezes then DSS crashes and disappears?? 

If anyone can help, I'd be mega grateful. ( incase it's important, I noticed the subs were all black & white, despite my camera being a colour camera? )

many Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Wes.

[newbie alert]

Usual thing is to use fits format on capture

Not sure if using a 224 makes a difference, the usual thing is it's a planetary camera run on ser or avi short exposure but rapid frame rates... Sure you can use for deepsky but files are going to be large

Edited June 7, 2023 by newbie alert
Added info

[newbie alert]

A quick search brings this up

t's RGGB, but different app call it different

I think the yellow one is correct

you need to adjust the white balance to make the color better

[Paul M]

From the DSS FAQ I got this screen dump:

 

 

I

 

I don't know whether APT (which I use also) does anything unusual to TIF files, I only save my subs as FITS images. But it does seem that DSS does have issues with TIF. 

My usual process is to save subs as FIT, stack in either ASTAP or DSS, export the stack as TIF, then ruin the final image in PhotoShop

 

[happy-kat]

Does DSS crash if you just register?

[wesdon1]

@happy-kat Not sure, haven't tried that, i'll try it tonight, thanks. Thanks so mu7ch for your help, I really appreciate it. And i'm so sorry for late reply, there's been a family emergency with my cousin. Thanks so much

Wes

Edited June 13, 2023 by wesdon1
missed a bit

[wesdon1]

On 07/06/2023 at 21:55, Paul M said:

From the DSS FAQ I got this screen dump:

 

 

I

 

I don't know whether APT (which I use also) does anything unusual to TIF files, I only save my subs as FITS images. But it does seem that DSS does have issues with TIF. 

My usual process is to save subs as FIT, stack in either ASTAP or DSS, export the stack as TIF, then ruin the final image in PhotoShop

 

@Paul M Thanks Paul, i'll try some of whats suggested in the FAQ page. Thanks again, and so sorry for such late reply, we've had a family emergency with my cousin so haven't had a moment to do anything mate. Thanks again so much Paul

Wes.

[wesdon1]

On 13/06/2023 at 17:31, wesdon1 said:

@Paul M Thanks Paul, i'll try some of whats suggested in the FAQ page. Thanks again, and so sorry for such late reply, we've had a family emergency with my cousin so haven't had a moment to do anything mate. Thanks again so much Paul

Wes.

@Paul M Hi again, Paul. So I have tried many different things, and nothing helps. But one part of your suggestions has only just caught my attention when I was re-reading your suggestions. You mentioned that DSS seems to have issues with TIF's? Well, surprisingly, after trying everything I could with the Tif's in DSS during recent week or two, I came to the conclusion that the problem must actually be with how I was saving my subs/acquiring my data in APT. I was thinking I must be doing something wrong during the acquisition phase of the process. Then fast forward to 3 minutes ago, while reading your suggestions again, it all seemed to make sense, I must need to save my subs as FITS rather than TIF files? So I'm going to try that out when I next get outside to image. 

Thanks so much for your help Paul, I really appreciate it mate.

Clear Skies, Wes.

[Elp]

If saving the files as tif do they open normally in windows image viewer so you can see the image (ie when you double click an image file in the folder?).

When using my Canon I use Canons Digital Photo Professional to convert from the cameras native RAW format .CR2 files into .tif, DSS doesn't have an issue with them.

It must be something to do with how they're being saved by APT, maybe the compression method/container.

[wesdon1]

23 minutes ago, Elp said:

If saving the files as tif do they open normally in windows image viewer so you can see the image (ie when you double click an image file in the folder?).

When using my Canon I use Canons Digital Photo Professional to convert from the cameras native RAW format .CR2 files into .tif, DSS doesn't have an issue with them.

It must be something to do with how they're being saved by APT, maybe the compression method/container.

@Elp Hi Elp! Thanks so much for your advice! 

I don't have problems with the canon files Elp, it was/is a problem with my APT TIF subs/files I acquired imaging the Dumbell nebula with my ZWO ASI 224MC camera. Every time I tried to register and/or stack the 224MC TIF files/subs, DSS would would crash and close within 2-3 secs of clicking start. I think I may have a solution though, I am going to start saving my subs in APT as FITS files, because another SGL member mentioned that DSS sometimes has issues with TIF files

[Elp]

Agree, you'll have little issue with various astro software with fits, the only thing I don't like about them is there's very few options to browse through them quickly like you can in windows with jpeg or tiff files, a workaround I use is to load the fits into DSS and then browse though them like that. It's a useful thing to be able to do as sometimes very bright satellite trails do not stack out, even with aggressively narrow kappa sigma settings. The space junk has got to a point I'm imaging 1 or 2 of them every other minute.

Edited June 18, 2023 by Elp

[wesdon1]

25 minutes ago, Elp said:

Agree, you'll have little issue with various astro software with fits, the only thing I don't like about them is there's very few options to browse through them quickly like you can in windows with jpeg or tiff files, a workaround I use is to load the fits into DSS and then browse though them like that. It's a useful thing to be able to do as sometimes very bright satellite trails do not stack out, even with aggressively narrow kappa sigma settings. The space junk has got to a point I'm imaging 1 or 2 of them every other minute.

@Elp Oh right? Thanks for pointing that potential issue with the FITS Elp, I wasn't aware of it. Thanks mate.

Yes the space junk is getting awful, I nearly always see a satellite through my 'scopes eyepiece when doing 3 star alignment for GoTo, and same as you, I get a lot of subs with sat trails through them. It's going to get much much worse because Elon Musk is literally flooding the night skies with thousands of cheap sats and he plans to launch 10's of thousands more in coming years! it shouldn't be allowed! Then we have the risk of "Kessler Syndrome" if any sats collide and cause the kessler syndrome and the skies become littered with debris, making not only astro-imaging difficult, but also potentially imprisoning us all on earth because getting into orbit would be impossible without being shot to pieces by space debris!  Scary!