StarTools

Hi there Ivo,

Please excuse me if I am requesting some features which have already been requested, but here is my list.
1. How about an official list of already requested features (which we can just +1 to so that the community can aid you in deciding their priority), this also prevents duplicate requests.
2. I am a bad user, been a programmer myself, I seldom RTFM , so when I saw some people post logs of the processes they followed I saw you have a log file of the current session (which I found in the startools folder and also withing the folder of the edited image), how about making a button of something to view the current log (next suggestion may make this a moot point.)
2.1 In the folder where you are busy editing a file there are a few .trk files (e.g. ST10.trk), these get left over after close the app, why?
3. You currently allow for multiple undo operations right?, why not display a history log like ps or lr does and allow a user to jump back directly (you could explain to the user that if they then perform any operations after the jump they will not be able to jump forward again. This would allow users to jump back and forth in history, to see how you have progressed.
4. How about tool-tips on the main window with a brief explanation of each modules function, if fact I would love (don't ask me how) if for each module two small example before and after images could be shown, an image would thus in many cases explain the main functionality of each module better than words...
5. This relates to saving the entire process state, which I know you acknowledge doesn't current exist, but I have a few suggestions which since I dont know the inner workings may be invalid, stupid or duplicate suggestions
5.1 I how you are using gigs of ram and thus dont support this feature, but hey disk space is not an issue for many people, I would happy if just dump your objects to disk, since I often do not have time to finish a process flow. (You also "forced" me to upgrade to 16GB RAM, startools loves 16GB RAM. )
5.2 I assume you store each modules final "output" as an image in memory so that the user can undo an operation with this in mind.
5.2.1. this takes lots of space, why not write out each steps output to disk and just "cache" the previous output in memory, that way RAM becomes less of an issue
5.2.2. if you implement the above then following this logic for all operations means you have the ability to save the entire session, thus saving the word from people going mad
6. Settings, I noticed the tool does not have a settings section,
6.1 If you create any temporary files it would be nice to be able to specify the location where these files are stored,
6.2 Would be nice to be able to specify user definable default values for various modules (which users could share with each other)
6.3. Would be nice if via the settings section you could enable the tool to automatically save the process log in the same location as the file you are saving.
7. The contract icon looks like a pizza, I love pizza.... (so you should have an oder pizza button)
8. There is no make coffee button
9. There is no make/order coke/pepsi (not going there) button
10. I had to make a 10 point list thus my final request is that you give yourself a pat on the back for creating such a great tool

Regards
Grant

grant.pullen wrote: 8. There is no make coffee button
10. I had to make a 10 point list thus my final request is that you give yourself a pat on the back for creating such a great tool

I fully support these two features, Ivo.

grant.pullen wrote:Please excuse me if I am requesting some features which have already been requested, but here is my list.

Many thanks!

1. How about an official list of already requested features (which we can just +1 to so that the community can aid you in deciding their priority), this also prevents duplicate requests.

Very useful indeed! +1... Though the feature request sub forum sort-of serves the purpose of a list as-is.

2. I am a bad user, been a programmer myself, I seldom RTFM , so when I saw some people post logs of the processes they followed I saw you have a log file of the current session (which I found in the startools folder and also withing the folder of the edited image), how about making a button of something to view the current log (next suggestion may make this a moot point.)

I could, but there is no reason why you wouldn't just open the file in your favorite text editor alongside StarTools? I try to keep the application & interface as lean and task-oriented as possible. Believe it or not, but a lot of development time actually is spent on finding ways of getting rid of buttons & sliders or superfluous features.

2.1 In the folder where you are busy editing a file there are a few .trk files (e.g. ST10.trk), these get left over after close the app, why?

The latter is a bit of a bug on the Windows version (Linux and MacOSX use the /tmp folder) - I should be using the Temporary Files folder on Windows.

3. You currently allow for multiple undo operations right?, why not display a history log like ps or lr does and allow a user to jump back directly (you could explain to the user that if they then perform any operations after the jump they will not be able to jump forward again. This would allow users to jump back and forth in history, to see how you have progressed.

Actually, no. There are no multiple undo operations in StarTools. StarTools doesn't follow the traditional sequential way of doing things. Rather it functions (largely) as one big preview where you keep tweaking aspects of the data. This is why StarTools yields better results than any other software when, for example, performing noise reduction or color calibration. It's also the reason why there is no distinction between linear and non-linear data, and why overcooking and clipping your data is very, very hard. For more information look here.

4. How about tool-tips on the main window with a brief explanation of each modules function, if fact I would love (don't ask me how) if for each module two small example before and after images could be shown, an image would thus in many cases explain the main functionality of each module better than words...

I've been thinking along those lines, but more in the form of a built-in 'live' tutorial.

5. This relates to saving the entire process state, which I know you acknowledge doesn't current exist, but I have a few suggestions which since I dont know the inner workings may be invalid, stupid or duplicate suggestions
5.1 I how you are using gigs of ram and thus dont support this feature, but hey disk space is not an issue for many people, I would happy if just dump your objects to disk, since I often do not have time to finish a process flow. (You also "forced" me to upgrade to 16GB RAM, startools loves 16GB RAM. )
5.2 I assume you store each modules final "output" as an image in memory so that the user can undo an operation with this in mind.
5.2.1. this takes lots of space, why not write out each steps output to disk and just "cache" the previous output in memory, that way RAM becomes less of an issue
5.2.2. if you implement the above then following this logic for all operations means you have the ability to save the entire session, thus saving the word from people going mad

There is a little bit more going on than that. StarTools makes use of the mathematical properties (whether a operation is commutative) of suitable operations in order to cut down on memory use and disk space when keeping track of the signal evolution. This allows StarTools to get by with keeping track of much less data than is otherwise required (so unfortunately, most data is already written to disk - StarTools owes its rather heavy memory use to its 'meta preview' way of giving the user control over the final outcome of a module.). As long as a mathematical operations are commutative, StarTools can use inverse mathematics to reverse an operation and thus 'undo' an operation. Because this is inherently sequence independent, you can undo operations in any sequence, and you are not just stuck with rolling back linearly like in traditional processing applications. This allows StarTools to perform 'time-travel' like feats where you can go back in history to change the past in order to affect the present and future.

6. Settings, I noticed the tool does not have a settings section,

To be honest, this is by design. If there is any way I can keep the application clean, simple and consistent I will do it. Great software design (IMHO) is about creating something that 'just works' TM. As a software engineer working on heavily task-oriented software most of my life, I've come to regard software as a necessary evil rather than something that's there for the sake of its own glory. IMHO a 'settings' or 'configuration' section in an application is a bit of a cop-out. It's the UI designer and developers saying 'I don't really know exactly what I want to do with my application. Let's give the user some generic controls so they can decide.' In that case (again IMHO) you haven't really thought through how the user will be using your software and what will get the user from A-to-B in the best way.
I may have to reach for that cop-out some day though. 'But this is not that day!'

6.1 If you create any temporary files it would be nice to be able to specify the location where these files are stored,

Hopefully the Windows bug fix (see 2.1) will circumvent this.

6.2 Would be nice to be able to specify user definable default values for various modules (which users could share with each other).

I've done my best to make all parameters data-dependent (e.g. they will never have the same setting between images, even if you image with the same gear). Combinations of settings that *are* roughly data independent, I have tried to put into presets. If you have any suggestions for presets, I'd love to hear them! Alos, if you have settings that you think are always the same between data sets, then I'd like to know, because it means I they are probably redundant.

6.3. Would be nice if via the settings section you could enable the tool to automatically save the process log in the same location as the file you are saving.

I agree that more smarts in this area are preferable. I'm working on something...

7. The contract icon looks like a pizza, I love pizza.... (so you should have an oder pizza button)

Yes, I get this suggestion a lot. I will start a poll where people can nominate their favorite pizza joint soon.

8. There is no make coffee button

I am acutely aware I've been falling behind the competition (notably PixInsight 1.7 'Starbucks'), and I'm sorry. I'm still researching the relevant algorithms - this stuff is hard you know!

9. There is no make/order coke/pepsi (not going there) button

Not gonna happen. Sodas are bad for you. As opposed to beer of course. The full-fat stuff, not those 'light' abominations. StarTools is, and always will be, a fully beer-based application.

10. I had to make a 10 point list thus my final request is that you give yourself a pat on the back for creating such a great tool

Comment like these make my day Grant & Gordon!

2. I am a bad user, been a programmer myself, I seldom RTFM , so when I saw some people post logs of the processes they followed I saw you have a log file of the current session (which I found in the startools folder and also withing the folder of the edited image), how about making a button of something to view the current log (next suggestion may make this a moot point.)

I could, but there is no reason why you wouldn't just open the file in your favorite text editor alongside StarTools? I try to keep the application & interface as lean and task-oriented as possible. Believe it or not, but a lot of development time actually is spent on finding ways of getting rid of buttons & sliders or superfluous features.

Understood about using your own editor, and keeping it simple, however that means the user must know the following. (1) That the files exists, in the first place. (2) Have a "real" editor that updates content in "real" time, if they use it as I do. Let me explain, the tool does not currently save the state, thus I leave it open over many hours/days, and then when I get back to it, I want to remember where I left off, what was the last operation applied etc. thus its novce to know I have just applied operation x... but this logic could be wrong, since its linear and tool is not strictly linear correct?

4. How about tool-tips on the main window with a brief explanation of each modules function, if fact I would love (don't ask me how) if for each module two small example before and after images could be shown, an image would thus in many cases explain the main functionality of each module better than words...

I've been thinking along those lines, but more in the form of a built-in 'live' tutorial.

6.1 If you create any temporary files it would be nice to be able to specify the location where these files are stored,

Hopefully the Windows bug fix (see 2.1) will circumvent this.

If you need alpha testers for anything, just shout, alpha is better than beta right , since "a" comes before "b"

9. There is no make/order coke/pepsi (not going there) button

Not gonna happen. Sodas are bad for you. As opposed to beer of course. The full-fat stuff, not those 'light' abominations. StarTools is, and always will be, a fully beer-based application.

Unfortunately I HAVE to disagree on this point.
1. Statistically speaking, when we look at direct causes of death water is the most dangerous substance to drink, since may people drown in it, slip on it, skid on the solid form of it etc...., how many people die each year from soda?... In fact I think they need to remove that H2O additive to the drinks and just add more caffeine/sugar/artificial sweeteners etc.
2. Beer , as good as it is , does not contain caffeine, which is required for long or late/early hour image processing ...
3. Some people, also like other beverages, thus only supporting one beverage is a form of discrimination.... myself I typically start a work day with 2 x tea, then a 1l soda (diet, only after the caffeine, and I LIKE the after taste wha ha ha ha) then one coffee (caffeine) then another 1l soda (caffeine), another coffee... go home another 1l (soda) and then 0.5l ice cold milk... don't ask.... (And if you were wondering I plan to live forever, so far so good)


Take care
Grant