Stack Images – Bayer (one shot color)

Click(New Job) to open the Select Task form:

Press the Stack Images button.

If you have not yet created a profile then you will be prompted to do so (Manage Profiles).

If you have only one profile, that profile will be used automatically (use Utilities to add a new profile).

Confirm Input Image Type.

Select groups of Input files by color assignment and association with calibration files. (See Create Calibration Masters). This example will use one group, assigning all images to RGB.

Press Select group of image files button and select all image files:

If desired, select the appropriate Dark and Flat files (see grayscale tutorial for example of how to select).

Press Continue:

Modify the suggested Job Name.

Combine File: The default name is the same as the Job Name. Click on the name to change it.

Registration: If your images are already aligned (e.g. guider did not move) then uncheck that box. The top image selected has been chosen as the reference. Click that name to specify another reference (the reference does not have to be one of the processing images).

DeBayer Method: For this example, change the default (Interpolate) to Extract.

Normalize: images will adjust the background levels and intensity scales in each image to improve the effectiveness of data rejection. Normalization can compensate for different sky conditions or even different exposure times. Short sets of images taken under identical conditions do not normally need this but it is generally advisable to normalize.

Data Rejection: Spurious events such as airplanes or cosmic rays can be removed via data rejection.

Expand Job: This may have to be checked for processing large images on a 32 bit OS computer. If you get any “out of memory” errors then always check this box. (This tutorial assumes the Job is not expanded).

Save Job: Allows you to easily re-use the Job, changing parameters or files.

Edit Job: Access all directives that control processing. Use to this override Quick Job default settings.

Run Now: This starts the processing using Quick Job default settings.

See monochrome tutorial for simple Edit examples.

Press Run Now. Forms will be minimized (Jobs may not be edited while running) and the Job will run.

The Start button changes to Pause while the job runs. See Job Processor for more information.

The [Stack] process viewer is opened automatically and shows the combined image as it is built. Other process viewers are available from the Viewers drop down control.

The running Job looks like this:

Upon completion the screen looks like this:

The combined file is automatically saved (unless the save directive was unchecked). But it can also be saved via the save button when that viewer form is active (an active form is indicated by a darker-colored frame; click a form to make it active).

Press the Reset button to restore the Job forms.