Stacking software for Linux? Gimp tips?

Two questions: Is there any free or very cheap software that works
under Linux that does image stacking?
I tried RegiStax using Wine, but doesn't end up working.

I tried using ImageMagick's "composite" and while that is so simple and
easy and automatic, if the images aren't aligned and exactly sized, you
just get a blurry blob.

I tried using Gimp and manually stacking, making each image a layer at
X% transperancy depending on number of images... but manually trying to
get each image to fit on top of each other perfectly, I just can't do.
I end up making it look worse than any one of the frames.

Anyway, I just attempted my very first astrophotography, taking about
10 shots of the moon using a digital camera held up to the eyepiece.
Surprisingly not bad! (I definitely need to get a DSLR with a
removeable lens!) If there are any tips on using Gimp to stack images,
I'd be really appreciative! Maybe there's a Web site out there I
haven't found with Google yet?

Thanks!
Liam

Liam wrote:
Two questions: Is there any free or very cheap software that works
under Linux that does image stacking?
I tried RegiStax using Wine, but doesn't end up working.

I tried using ImageMagick's "composite" and while that is so simple and
easy and automatic, if the images aren't aligned and exactly sized, you
just get a blurry blob.

I tried using Gimp and manually stacking, making each image a layer at
X% transperancy depending on number of images... but manually trying to
get each image to fit on top of each other perfectly, I just can't do.
I end up making it look worse than any one of the frames.

Anyway, I just attempted my very first astrophotography, taking about
10 shots of the moon using a digital camera held up to the eyepiece.
Surprisingly not bad! (I definitely need to get a DSLR with a
removeable lens!) If there are any tips on using Gimp to stack images,
I'd be really appreciative! Maybe there's a Web site out there I
haven't found with Google yet?

Thanks!
Liam


Thanks Liam--I had been saving myself up to attempt image stacking
with Gimp, and now eagerly await other's suggestions.

-Sam

In sci.astro.amateur Sam Wormley wrote:
Liam wrote:
Two questions: Is there any free or very cheap software that works
under Linux that does image stacking?
I tried RegiStax using Wine, but doesn't end up working.

I tried using ImageMagick's "composite" and while that is so simple and
easy and automatic, if the images aren't aligned and exactly sized, you
just get a blurry blob.

I tried using Gimp and manually stacking, making each image a layer at
X% transperancy depending on number of images... but manually trying to
get each image to fit on top of each other perfectly, I just can't do.
I end up making it look worse than any one of the frames.

Anyway, I just attempted my very first astrophotography, taking about
10 shots of the moon using a digital camera held up to the eyepiece.
Surprisingly not bad! (I definitely need to get a DSLR with a
removeable lens!) If there are any tips on using Gimp to stack images,
I'd be really appreciative! Maybe there's a Web site out there I
haven't found with Google yet?

Thanks!
Liam


Thanks Liam--I had been saving myself up to attempt image stacking
with Gimp, and now eagerly await other's suggestions.

Give a try to siril, and dont hesitate to send feedbacks

http://dulle.free.fr/alidade/siril.php?lan=en

You'll find kinda (out of date) users guide here

http://dulle.free.fr/alidade/siril/sug/index.html

--
-- francois meyer
http://dulle.free.fr/alidade/galerie.php?maxim=12

Liam wrote:


I tried using Gimp and manually stacking, making each image a layer at
X% transperancy depending on number of images... but manually trying to
get each image to fit on top of each other perfectly, I just can't do.
I end up making it look worse than any one of the frames.

I have not yet tried Gimp for stacking but whatever software you use, it
can be a real pain to stack pictures that are rotated in respect to each
other. They will surely be just that, when you use your camera hand held.
Try getting some adapter for your camera. This will help a lot.

I can't find a way to rotate pictures an arbitrary amount of degrees in the
Gimp, but Photoshop allows this. But it's NOT something you want to to...

"Liam" writes:

Two questions: Is there any free or very cheap software that works
under Linux that does image stacking?
I tried RegiStax using Wine, but doesn't end up working.

The native Linux application I've tried and found to be somewhat
promising is ALE:

http://auricle.dyndns.org/ALE/

It can do some neat tricks, but being a commandline-only application,
it has quite a bit of learning curve. Additionally, it's somewhat slow
with large images.

However, I usually do the stacking and other heavy-duty processing by
running the excellent IRIS under Wine; it works fairly well, with only
some GUI glitches that are easy to work around once you get used to
them. Iris is available at:

http://astrosurf.com/buil/

For the final contrast/curves etc. manipulation in 16-bit per
component color I use Cinepaint.

I haven't tried it yet, but there is AstroStack.

"Liam" wrote:

Two questions: Is there any free or very cheap software that works
under Linux that does image stacking?
I tried RegiStax using Wine, but doesn't end up working.

I tried using ImageMagick's "composite" and while that is so simple and
easy and automatic, if the images aren't aligned and exactly sized, you
just get a blurry blob.

I tried using Gimp and manually stacking, making each image a layer at
X% transperancy depending on number of images... but manually trying to
get each image to fit on top of each other perfectly, I just can't do.
I end up making it look worse than any one of the frames.
...

I've stacked up to about 15 images in Gimp without too much
difficulty. It *is* tedious, but with care you can get excellent
results. Crank up the image zoom to 400% or so, and use
the Layers dialogue to turn individual layers on and off to
verify alignment. Be picky.

Only try to align one layer at a time to the layer you've
chosen as your reference. Don't mess with the options
for compositing them until the alignment - of *all* the
layers - is complete.

If you think there is a need for one, why not write a
Gimp plugin?

Laura Halliday VE7LDH "Que les nuages soient notre
Grid: CN89mg pied a terre..."
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - Hospital/Shafte

laura halliday wrote:
"Liam" wrote:

Two questions: Is there any free or very cheap software that works
under Linux that does image stacking?
I tried RegiStax using Wine, but doesn't end up working.

I tried using ImageMagick's "composite" and while that is so simple and
easy and automatic, if the images aren't aligned and exactly sized, you
just get a blurry blob.

I tried using Gimp and manually stacking, making each image a layer at
X% transperancy depending on number of images... but manually trying to
get each image to fit on top of each other perfectly, I just can't do.
I end up making it look worse than any one of the frames.
...

I've stacked up to about 15 images in Gimp without too much
difficulty. It *is* tedious, but with care you can get excellent
results. Crank up the image zoom to 400% or so, and use
the Layers dialogue to turn individual layers on and off to
verify alignment. Be picky.

Only try to align one layer at a time to the layer you've
chosen as your reference. Don't mess with the options
for compositing them until the alignment - of *all* the
layers - is complete.

Thanks for the tip and advice. Much appreciated.
Especially since I can't get any of the previously mentioned
applications to work in Linux.
(May have to install Windows.)

If you think there is a need for one, why not write a
Gimp plugin?

ROTFLMAO. I'm an English grad. I wouldn't know how to write an
application plug-in any more than I know how to map a genome. =)
But thanks for the idea. =)
-Liam

Liam wrote:

ROTFLMAO. I'm an English grad. I wouldn't know how to write an
application plug-in any more than I know how to map a genome. =)
But thanks for the idea. =)

You may think it's a bit of a joke, but software doesn't
write itself: somebody wrote it, because somebody
perceived a need to do so. Your insistence on free
or very cheap software means it's only going to get
written as a labour of love.

No point in volunteering others (I'm *not* offering:
what I have works for me). You want it? You write it.
Or find some way to make it worth somebody else's
while to write it.

Laura Halliday VE7LDH "That's a totally illegal,
Grid: CN89mg madcap scheme. I like it!"
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - H. Pearce

"laura halliday" wrote in
oups.com:

Liam wrote:

ROTFLMAO. I'm an English grad. I wouldn't know how to write an
application plug-in any more than I know how to map a genome. =)
But thanks for the idea. =)

You may think it's a bit of a joke, but software doesn't
write itself: somebody wrote it, because somebody
perceived a need to do so. Your insistence on free
or very cheap software means it's only going to get
written as a labour of love.

No point in volunteering others (I'm *not* offering:
what I have works for me). You want it? You write it.
Or find some way to make it worth somebody else's
while to write it.

Seriously you could try asking for someone to develop such a plug in by
posting a request on the Gimp forum. One of the developers might be
interested enough to do it.

Klazmon.




Laura Halliday VE7LDH "That's a totally illegal,
Grid: CN89mg madcap scheme. I like it!"
ICBM: 49 16.05 N 122 56.92 W - H. Pearce