Help with LRGB processing

[morls (Stephen)]

Hi,


I finally managed to get some time under the stars last night, and for the first time used my LRGB filter set to grab some images of Jupiter and Saturn. I grabbed 1000 frames of each, saving in .ser format. I'm able to process each individually in Registax (ver. 6.1.0.8), which I then save as single .tif files.


I've been scratching my head and searching all morning, but I'm stuck as to how I go about bringing these LRGB .tif files together in Registax. If I open them all at the same time in a new session, there are 4 frames, but when I go to stack there is a message saying "only 1 frame, continue?"


I'd be intersted to know how others assemble the LRGB images. For instance, when I process the .ser video files in Registax, do I need to select the "colour" and then "LRGB" checkboxes, or save this step until assembling final images?


Any help would be welcome. I don't have photoshop...


Cheers
Stephen

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

hi stephen

i don't think you can blend them in registax. you will need to use something like photoshop to copy each finished stacked image to the appropriate channel.

GIMP is a free software which is really just as good as photoshop these days. https://www.gimp.org/

I'm by no means a planetary expert but my workflow would be something like below:

1. Use PIPP https://sites.google.com/site/astropipp/ to centre planet and align all frames - separately for R G B

2. Run Autostakkert to use lucky imaging and maybe apply a drizzle or sharpen; https://www.autostakkert.com/

3. Registax open the image up and use the wavelet sharpening

4. Winjupos to apply derotation http://jupos.privat.t-online.de/index.htm (also Winjupos can put rgb together you just need to have the naming of the files in winjupos format - PIPP can help with that too)

5. Photoshop to put the image together (if not done in winjupos) - applying to the right channel.

[morls (Stephen)]

Thanks Russell, that sounds like a good workflow. I'll give it a shot.

[morls (Stephen)]

Another thing I'm not sure of is how to handle the LRGB components. You mention channels, but I'm afraid my knowledge of this area is very very basic. I'm familiar with using photoshop to overlay images in layers, and adjusting the opacity.

Are the LRGB files treated differently than full colour or monochrome files in software such as GIMP or photoshop? Do I have to tell the software "I'll be assembling an image out of these LRGB files. This is the L, this is the R..." etc? In other words, do I need to set up a special workspace to assemble LRGB images?
Sorry for the tangled question, as you can tell I'm very new to this processing.

[morls (Stephen)]

Just found the colour channels in GIMP, so have answered my own question.
(note to self: RTFM!)

[LostInSp_ce]

Originally Posted by morls

Do I have to tell the software "I'll be assembling an image out of these LRGB files. This is the L, this is the R..." etc? In other words, do I need to set up a special workspace to assemble LRGB images?

Yes you do as you've just found out.

What Russell has outlined sums it up very well. However, I'll add that the most important thing with LRGB planetary imaging is having a good file management system in place. This is critical for both processing and if you'd like to contribute data for scientific research which is a benefit of mono imaging.

[morls (Stephen)]

I would very much like to contribute data for research, but I think that is still some way off. Are there any resources for learning the basics of file management and LRGB processing that could help get me started towards producing useable data?

[Tulloch (Andrew)]

Hi Stephen, I would watch these videos to help you put it all together.
http://planetaryimagingtutorials.com/

1000 frames is far too few - You can capture for 3 minutes on Jupiter without getting into problems with planet rotation, and you should be able to image at >100fps easily with your system. Try 1 minute per filter and you should get lots more frames to work with.

I only capture in colour with an ASI224MC, and on my last capture (see images in the Solar System Images forum) I took 27000 colour frames and stacked the best 7500 or so.

Watch the videos above, you will learn a lot (at least I did ).

Andrew

[morls (Stephen)]

Thanks Andrew, I'll check it out.