Post-processing using Astro Pixel Processor

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jpiquette
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Post-processing using Astro Pixel Processor

#1

Post by jpiquette »

I have captured a series of light frames using SharpCap. No pre-processing was done (no darks, flats, etc applied during capture). I would like to do the post-processing using Astro Pixel Processor. When I capture, for example, the flat frames using SharpCap, do I simply choose to save the individual flat frames as they are captured? That is, are the flat frames that are saved in that way in a suitable format for use in Astro Pixel Processor?

A second question: Is it possible to do any sort of post-processing directly within SharpCap? That is, can I apply the newly captured flat frames to the light frames I previously captured directly within SharpCap, or is the use of 3rd-party software required for doing any sort of post-processing?

Jean
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Re: Post-processing using Astro Pixel Processor

#2

Post by admin »

Hi Jean,

yes, you can save individual flats in SharpCap to (for instance) FITS format to then use them in APP or other post-processing software. The same for dark frames, etc. This is probably the best approach if you are going to do all your post-processing in another application (you *can* create master darks and flats in SharpCap directly, but this opens the possibility of odd results as part of the processing is being done the 'SharpCap' way and part is done the 'APP' way, and who knows if they are exactly the same?)

SharpCap also can do the processing for you in terms of dark/flat correction, background removal, satellite trail removal, etc - all this is available in the 'Preprocessing' section in the right hand control panel in SharpCap.

If you are using SharpCap to capture images *without* using live stacking then any changes made by things you have turned on in the preprocessing section end up in the saved image files/videos.

If you are using SharpCap for live stacking and have *also* set up to save the RAW frames while live stacking, the RAW frames are untouched by preprocessing, even when preprocessing is turned on.

cheers,

Robin
umasscrew39
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Re: Post-processing using Astro Pixel Processor

#3

Post by umasscrew39 »

"............ (you *can* create master darks and flats in SharpCap directly, but this opens the possibility of odd results as part of the processing is being done the 'SharpCap' way and part is done the 'APP' way, and who knows if they are exactly the same?)"

I can tell you from first hand experience, that creating master darks and flats in SharpCap and then do processing in APP, will result in odd results. Maybe you will have better results, but my long exposure images were very odd trying it this way. When I used the same software for flats/darks/dark flats and then processing, no issues occurred.

Addendum: I should have noted that, for some unknown reason, the master darks and flats from SC worked much better when using them in PixInsight vs. APP.

Bruce
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