Ability to output .XIFS

[BipTunia]

PixInsight made the idiotic update in 1.9 to not allow .FITS as Master Flats, and Master Darks.

"This is because PI stores important metadata in XISF that FITS can’t reliably hold, and the calibration process relies on it.⁠Pixinsight"

If SharpCap won't / can't add that ability, I may just stop updating PixInsight. I don't use much that's been added in the last couple years.

If you plan to this the future, I will stop updating PixInsight until then. I turned off updates on it today.

[Howardk]

Move over to seti astro suite pro

[admin]

Hi,

it looks like there is no suitable file format support library to read/write XISF that SharpCap could use (all the options are either read-only, have licenses that are incompatible with commercial software or are in languages that are no help as far as SharpCap is concerned). That puts a practical level block on doing this.

Additionally, while it can be productive, we don't recommend the approach of partially processing (like making master darks/flats) in SharpCap and completing the processing in other applications. There are lots of pitfalls around this approach - cases where the hidden assumptions in how processing in one application works are in conflict with different hidden assumptions in the other application.

cheers,

Robin

[BipTunia]

Thanks.

And as I learn more about this (from the Pixinsight Facebook group, which has most of the devs), they don't trust any other program to "get it right" anyway.

I like that you allow the ability to make Master Flats and Darks even though you say it's not the best way.

I don't like when software removes an existing feature like they're doing, in a program that costs more than nothing and more than the pittance you charge.

I ranted in depth on that group about it. Can link if you want, but maybe part of it was I was just having a difficult day. lol. But I really don't like when programs do that.

Microsoft does it all day every day because "they know better than us" or something.

The music DAW Reaper does it right. They don't remove old features when they add new ones. In fact, they're the only DAW that still supports VST2, which is cool since there are a lot of free old unique VST2 soft synths around. Everyone else deprecated at the suggestion of Steinberg (makers of VST format) was very pushy about "This is the old way, get rid of it."

[admin]

Hi,

thanks for the reply - I understand the problem with software taking away useful features (and often adding crap) in a headlong rush to be more modern. I still use a version of Quicken (personal finance software) from 2004 for similar reasons. I am typically reluctant to remove stuff from SharpCap unless it is so broken that it basically can't work properly, with only a few examples over the years that I can think of.

Just to clarify, the idea of making master darks/flats in SharpCap is really so that you can use them in SharpCap when live stacking - of course you can save them and try using them in other workflows, but there are all sorts of potential pitfalls if you try that. If you are going to do your stacking in PixInsight or DSS then I would usually suggest keeping the individual dark/flat frames when capturing dark/flats in SharpCap, then feeding those individual frames to your stacking program and letting it make the master flat.

cheers,

Robin

[timh]

Being quite lazy and a 'good enough' sort of person I must admit that I also use the sharpcap generated master darks and flats directly in PixInsight. I seem to get results that are fine although I suppose that I'll never know if they could have been better.

With the changes in PI it now just requires one extra step to use them. There is a batch processing file conversion script that will convert .FIT files into .XIFS files that is quite quick and easy to use

Tim

[admin]

I wonder what PI does when it fails to find the expected extra data in the master darks/flats - just carries on anyway (in which case the whole 'only load from XIFS' is a joke), or does it throw its toys out of the pram?

cheers,

Robin

[BipTunia]

or does it throw its toys out of the pram?

Is that British for "they're being childish power trippers"?

I basically told one of them as much on the thread.

I turned off updating on PI right after that. And that's not throwing my toys out, I just like it now and don't want it to update on its own and get worse, for me.

I basically use the same tools 10 on there I used 4 years ago.

I did the same thing with Reaper a few years ago, but I really like their one main dev (same guy who invented Winamp, and the first decentralized file sharing program).

I also don't use much of SharpCap, but I'm really into the one thing you told me about recently. And I'm slowly learning more as the needs arise.

Pixinsight also aren't quick (or maybe at all into) being willing to take really really good feature suggestions. You are.

They have their own agenda there.

PI is a really useful thing, but that program also makes stuff harder to use than it needs too. Even just naming good features and tools with really klunky non-intuitive autistic names. (I'm an aspie, I can say that. lol)

And how difficult and non-intuitive using their crop tool is, for example. Compared to EVERY OTHER visual editing program where you just drag and cut.

This meme really nails that.

[admin]

or does it throw its toys out of the pram?

Is that British for "they're being childish power trippers"?

Very British I guess - it has hints of tantrum and also of causing your own misfortune via the tantrum (after all, a baby who has thrown their toys out of the pram in a strop no longer has their toys...).

I love the Meme photo - very accurate - I always struggle finding the thing I want, particularly in the Process list...

cheers,

Robin

[BipTunia]

or does it throw its toys out of the pram?

I love the Meme photo - very accurate - I always struggle finding the thing I want, particularly in the Process list...

I wonder if there is a PI dev who uses that program entirely from the command line.
Kind of feels like it was built to run that way.