StarTools

I'm just wondering if anyone can provide the current 'best practice' settings for combining raw files in DSS, in preparation for processing in startools.

I shoot a mirrorless/mini-DSLR that creates 24mpix raws. I shoot bias, dark and flat files.

I often go for Kappa-Sigma stacking for the lights and 'median' stacking for the darks/flats/bias. I'm moving towards trying longer exposures (6mins up to 10 mins) so will end up with fewer subs overall and so will switch to average or median stacking for those. I'm more used to shooting many more shorter subs (2 to 4 mins usually)

How much do I need to worry about the Blackpoint and 'per channel calibration' type options for the light files?

This thread may be useful http://forum.startools.org/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=720

all so this one too http://astro.ecuadors.net/processing-a- ... startools/

I'm wondering because I can't even seem to step off of the curb.

I thought I would learn how to use StarTools by downloading a pre-made image set like this one: http://www.rawastrodata.com/dso.php?type=nebulae&id=m42 (I chose the 2013 set), stack it in Deep Sky Stacker then load it into StarTools and start playing. Why does everything have to be so complicated? What I stacked wouldn't load into Startools. I'm getting really frustrated. I didn't think I was stupid but I'm reevaluating.

Wildcat_Pines wrote:I'm wondering because I can't even seem to step off of the curb.

I thought I would learn how to use StarTools by downloading a pre-made image set like this one: http://www.rawastrodata.com/dso.php?type=nebulae&id=m42 (I chose the 2013 set), stack it in Deep Sky Stacker then load it into StarTools and start playing. Why does everything have to be so complicated? What I stacked wouldn't load into Startools. I'm getting really frustrated. I didn't think I was stupid but I'm reevaluating.

Hi Jon,

Have a look at Burly's link (which links to Ecuador's excellent tutorial).
It has an item about DSS and DSS settings.

Tips for DSS specifically when using StarTools:

“No background calibration“.
In RAW settings, uncheck both Auto White Balance and Camera White Balance.
Use FITS as the “Final image format” and load the auto-generated autosave.fts on StarTools. If you manually save at the end of the session, DSS will try to apply a histogram curve – it will ask you and you can embed it instead, but the autosave file is your guarantee of untouched data. If the autosave is a TIFF file, it might use compression which StarTools doesn’t support and in that case you’d want to convert it to FITS or uncompressed TIFF using other software.

So, best to save the resulting stack as a FITS file (32-bit integer preferred). This should import into StarTools no problem. It's probably saving the file as (proprietary) compressed TIFF right now, which StarTools doesn't support.

Does this help?

Ok Ivo. I'll work on it this week. Sorry to get all whiny, I was really frustrated.
Thanks
Jon

Wildcat_Pines wrote:Ok Ivo. I'll work on it this week. Sorry to get all whiny, I was really frustrated.
Thanks
Jon

No worries Jon - any troubles let us know and we'll get you sorted. There are always some hoops to jump through, but once everything is operating smoothly, AP is meant to be fun and rewarding.
Clear skies!

Ivo, I've already worked this out by following the steps you referred me to in Astro Blog Delta. I was outputting data in tiff format rather than fits. I thought startools would accept tiff but I guess there's some compression or something that it doesn't like. Some day we'll all look back and have a good laugh, right? Thanks, Jon

Perhaps worth noting here (given this thread's prominence) that, as of version 4.2.3 (Jan 2020), DSS has altered its options on RAW white balance with a new setting requested for StarTools.

Previous versions had "Use Auto White Balance" (which should be unchecked) in the RAW DDP Settings page.

4.2.3 now replaces this with "No White Balance Processing" (which should now be checked for StarTools users).

Hope this is helpful.

I open tif files in dss then save as a fits file for data I download to play around with .