Thanks guys,
I am glad people like these videos too.
I have since discovered the free NASA program FITS Liberator.
see link:
http://www.spacetelescope.org/projects/fits_liberator/
It can stretch 32 bit image straight off Deep Sky Stacker
when they are saved as FITs files.
It gives more shades of brightness when stretching.
This was proven in my last processing of the Centaurus A galaxy which I posted on flickr.
The data coming off my CCD camera is 16 bit & not 12 bit as in most DSLR cameras.
There was however 32 bit data available after stacking
which helped to bring out the faint halo of the galaxy.
I used the stretch function x^1/5 which they say is compression
but it actually stretched the galaxy halo out of the noise far better than 16 bits.
The files from FITs liberator can be saved in 16 bit format for use in Photoshop.
Louie does not go into background flatten for gradient removal.
Another free program is called Fitswork4 which has
a function called : background flatten, variable flatten
which will enable a mask of the bright areas & remove gradients which is vital for most pics.
Maybe I should do a video tutorial on all of this but most people would already know this?
cheers
Allan
