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Post by howie1 on May 19, 2016 7:17:51 GMT
AstroToaster is a freeware application for obtaining semi-live views of astronomical images using a DSLR, CCD or any camera that can produce static astronomical images.
The following link explains in heaps of details and screenshots, the order to download and install and set the initial settings for AstroToaster. I will put up another post shortly which covers using it in the field at night. But first things first ... the correct order to install the software, and what settings should be to work straight out of the box ... thats whats covered in the PDF. If you have already installed AstroToaster I would suggest you still check the settings as per the PDF. NOTE! the initial settings I have in the PDF (link below) should work fine for any camera. AstroToaster only wants to know what filetype it has to find and read (RAW, FITS, TIF etc) and does not care what produced it. If using a mono camera though, you might want to get into DSS settings to turn off Debayer (you will see this in the PDF). I hope that as people find this thread and find out things about tweaking those settings, we'll all hear about them and learn more! In the link below, you have to copy the entire string from https all the way to the ending with "....2cpdf" and paste into your browser. Dunno why? onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=848D63BF1462B9EB!22914&authkey=!ADYWJocxgl_rBzw&ithint=file%2cpdf And as a - for instance - I have personally used AstroToaster getting frames from Canon, Nikon, ZWO and Mallincam cameras using Canon EOS Utilities, direct saves via Eye-Fi card, Firecapture and SharpCap. So long as your images can be put via sd card/cable/wifi/network copy/software into a folder where AstroToaster can monitor it and it is one of the filetypes which AstroToaster can deal with ... it can pass the image to DSS automatically and stack it, derotate it (Alt/Az uses ) and colorise it, sharpen (in the latest version), and save it. cheers
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Post by davy on May 20, 2016 8:50:44 GMT
I cant get it opened
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Post by howie1 on May 20, 2016 11:13:42 GMT
I updated/edited the link in the orig post. Try it again now.
cheers
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Post by davy on May 20, 2016 11:34:17 GMT
Sorry...server having problems, message says
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Post by Dragon Man on May 20, 2016 12:15:12 GMT
Always worked for me
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Post by ChrisV on May 20, 2016 12:53:05 GMT
Thanks Howie.
Very timely. My son is letting me use his 600D, I've downloaded EOS Utilities, and I was sitting there struggling with getting astrotoaster to work. After your instructions, it seems to be kind of working now ! Just waiting on a t-adaptor for the camera.
Should be fun.
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Post by howie1 on May 21, 2016 2:41:12 GMT
Thanks Ken and Chris ... whew ... I couldn't really figure out why the link wasn't working. Still concerned Dave had problems .... Hopefully he tries again and its working for him now.
Yes, Chris, another tool in the tool-chest for astro work. I used to watch "DonBoy" use FireCapture and AstroToaster with his ZWO. And that's what I have always used for the ZWO I own.
I saw MegaBob (think it was) on NSN recently testing image acquisition in SharpCap, but NOT do stacking in SC but instead get AT to monitor the SharpCap folder and do all adjustments in AT. It worked fine except he couldnt get SharpCap to stop creating a new output folder everytime he started a capture run! lol! But it's only one setting in AT to change the folder and in a few seconds its off and monitoring the new folder.
BTW I am putting finishing touches on a new vid showing what the buttons in AT do ... should speed up / help figuring out what they do in AT.
cheers
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Post by davy on May 21, 2016 6:00:14 GMT
Hi howie,I was trying to look at it via my phone,,think thats the problem,will get laptop out tonight and check it out in chill time lol.
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Post by ChrisV on May 21, 2016 8:23:30 GMT
Copy and paste the link. Clicking it doesn't catch the whole thing.
I just never have the time to sit down and watch these broadcasts.
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Post by howie1 on May 21, 2016 16:26:33 GMT
Link to video which describes all I know about how to use AstroToaster ...
Hope people find it useful.
cheers
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Post by davy on May 21, 2016 17:07:29 GMT
Brilliant Howie,,time to practice now,cheers :-)
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Jun 14, 2016 0:46:39 GMT
FINALLY got around to watching this... fantastic video!
I dont think you have enough capture software options!! LOL!
This is going to really help me!
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Post by howie1 on Jun 14, 2016 4:57:50 GMT
Thanks Rick. Hope it helps you out.
Re amount of capture software ... LOL!
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Post by ChrisV on Jun 14, 2016 12:22:57 GMT
So is the stacking and image adjustments in Astrotoaster better than sharpcap ? Or just another way to do it
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Jun 14, 2016 19:35:04 GMT
Chris, I'm not 100% but I would bet that each has their own algorithm for stacking. AstroToaster uses the DSS Engine, right? So they don't even have their own algorithm. I was under the impression that SharpCap has their own. With regard to image adjustments, I would bet that at least some of the options are standard.
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Post by howie1 on Jun 15, 2016 1:55:29 GMT
Chris,
DonBoy and Mark when broadcasting on NSN, have captured the frames with sharpcap then stacked them in AT. They like the colour adjustments available on AT. IE Saturation, hue, R, G, B channels and that fact that they are all adjusted live and on the current stack image. IE you don't have to restart another stack if you adjust anything ... its live on all the frames in the current stack. SC stack, you can only adjust whitepoint, blackpoint, stretch, and contrast/gamma.
The stars do also appear sharper with AT stacking compared to SC when seen at the resolution of YouTube/Google Hangouts video quality. (As thats what they were using when I saw that comparison). Like Rick says, the stacking algorithm in AT is using the DSS engine and it has been around for quite a while.
You are in a better position than me Chris to test that. SC constantly crashes on my PC with my ASI224 so it isnt possible to do a test like DonBoy and Mark have done. But your 224 shots are very good. So if you do persist with AT and get comfortable with it, you could put the 224 into SC on a target object and get your best stacked image saved off SC. Then direct AT to monitor wherever the stacked image frames are created in SC and use AT to get the best stacked image. Would be interesting to see the saved images from SC and AT on the same object and source frames.
BTW, if you do test that, SC has a 'feature' whereby you can specify the folder to output to, and tick OFF create subfolders, but it will still create a new subfolder for each time you stack. So every new stack you will have to repoint AT to that new subfolder to monitor. But for test purposes you only need do it a few times to see any differences.
cheers
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Post by ChrisV on Jun 15, 2016 9:22:49 GMT
Howie
Interesting about Donboy. Broadcasts are never on at a good time for me.
I wondered how AT & SC compared at stacking. Makes sense. SC stacking is really fast so can't be as 'good' as AT.
And the colour adjustment would be nice. The RGB channels never align with each other - so just setting one threshold in SC isn't ideal.
I'll give it a go on the weekend.
Keep saying I'll do a broadcast but always chicken out. My viewing sessions are chaotic and wouldn't make good viewing.
Chris
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Post by Dragon Man on Jun 15, 2016 12:27:17 GMT
Keep saying I'll do a broadcast but always chicken out. My viewing sessions are chaotic and wouldn't make good viewing. Chris Obviously you haven't seen many broadcasts Chris. Some are disastrous, but they are trying Viewers understand the dramas of broadcasting. Running a scope/mount, Camera settings, software settings, and a broadcast show at the same time can be quite a task, and viewers usually know that. Plus, you can talk to them and tell them what's going on and often some of the viewers can help you with any problems as they have already had the same problems. It's all fun
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Post by ChrisV on Jul 2, 2016 1:25:19 GMT
Ken. I had a test run on NSN last night. But the broadcast tool seemed to stuff up stacking in sharpcap., hmmmm.
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Post by Dragon Man on Jul 2, 2016 11:53:44 GMT
Ken. I had a test run on NSN last night. But the broadcast tool seemed to stuff up stacking in sharpcap., hmmmm. Cool Chris. The Broadcast Tool and Sharpcap can't affect each other in any way. They are totally separate softwares in different locations. SharpCap simply controls what happens with the incoming camera signal. Broadcast Tool is simply a screen capture software, and will only show whatever is inside the capture rectangle, and it doesn't care what it is. The only way I can see them affecting each other is if you have a software conflict in your computer. The problem won't be with the two softwares themselves.
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