Mosaic

[Glider]

Over the past couple of weeks I've captured these 3 images spanning the sky from the Horsehead to M42.

I've been playing at merging them together in a mosaic.

I've had some success with a program called AutoStitch. It happily merges the middle frame with the M42 frame but has never merged the HH frame.

How do you do this sort of thing?

[martin_h]

I think there is not enough overlap to work properly. Tryed it in MS ICE and it wouldn't have it.

Might be able to do it in PS tho

[Glider]

OK, looks like I need to grab some more space above the HH to increase the overlap. I needed to fill the mosaic there anyway.

Does MS ICE, and something like AutoStitch automatically level the backgrounds, contrast, colour, etc.

I can see how I could align and mosaic in PS but imagine leveling everything up for background, contrast and colour would be a nightmare. Or is there a trick to it, anyone got a tutorial?

[martin_h]

Had a go in PS..

[Glider]

Wow, that is exactly what I've been seeing in my minds eye as I knelt in the snow over the last week or 2. You've made it all worth while.

Could you give me a clue how you equalised all the background, etc in words of one syllable?

[martin_h]

Had another play....bit hard only with JPG's but hey ho!

I just set the black point to all the pics to about 30

[johnb]

Hi

Im looking at creating a similar Mosaic but had planned to stack my 3 sets of images in DSS using Mosaic mode ?, from reading this maybe I need to

Stack each pane in DSS in the normal way then stitch together then process in PS ?

Regards

John B

[martin_h]

You need to look at the top right image as well, it needs another crop or something...there are some overlaping frames showing. I've pushed the image to show them. If you click the image to get the larger size you can see the overlaps.

To set the black point for the images, open them all in PS, click one and goto Levels, double click the black eyedropper and a box will open, tick the R,G,B buttons in turn and set to about 30 for each one, click ok. Then use the eyedropper in a blank bit of background, it will ask if you want to use the setting for all.......hit yes.

Then make the other two pics active in turn and use levels - eyedropper in a bit of background for them.

[Glider]

Yes, I had DSS in standard stacking mode, perhaps the overlap only mode would be better, or simply crop after stacking as you say.

I'll have to have a look in DSS at the mosaic mode. I hadn't seen that. I bet that'll make my PC sweat.

At least I know I'm not wasting my time grabbing more subs, thanks guys.