SIRIL directory structure

[pmrid]

I have decided to give SIRIL a run.

But I'm having some trouble deciding on a directory/sub-directory structure thatr will best suit.

The cause of the problem, I think, is that I am trying to accomplish too much.

I have multiple mounts, scopes and cameras. I use diferent combinations of equipment according to the time of year and targets available. So, for example, an EQ6 with a 5 inch refractor and OSC CCD with NB filters; or an AM5 with a 94mm refractor, a MM or OSC CCD etc. It's an embarassingly long list.

I gather SIRIL requires lights, darks, flats and bias subs to be placed in particular locations. It cannot, for example, allow me to gather multiple images/subs of different targets, scopes, filters etc in these same subdirectories. I gather I have to create a separate tree for each target scope CCD and filter combination and obviously, that does not allow me to mix scopes, filters etc.

That tends to maske to a pretty untidy file structure and, frankly, one I find a bit confusing.

So I am wondering if anyone else who has more experience with SIRIL has figured out an optimum structure.

[AstroViking]

Hi Peter,

OK, where to start..... If you already know something I'm describing, feel free to ignore it and skip ahead.

First, as you said, Siril requires the images in a particular directory structure.

Let's say that I'm imaging NGC253, so my directory structure for one night's work (assuming I am only using one telescope / camera / filter combination) will look like this:


NGC253
+ Lights
+ Darks
+ Biases
+ Flats
Now, within that 'Lights' folder I can have images from multiple nights - provided I do not change the telescope / camera / filter combination.

If I then decide to use a different filter and collect more date, then I have to have 2 'home' directories for Siril to work with.

Yes, you need to run Siril twice - once over each 'home' directory - to stack each set of data into it's own 'result.fit' file.


NGC253_NoFilter
+ Lights
+ Darks
+ Biases
+ Flats
NGC253_Filter
+ Lights
+ Darks
+ Biases
+ Flats
If I then change telescopes, I will repeat each directory structure so that each telescope / camera / filter combination has it's own set of directories.


NGC253_Scope1_NoFilter
+ Lights
+ Darks
+ Biases
+ Flats
NGC253_Scope1_Filter
+ Lights
+ Darks
+ Biases
+ Flats
NGC253_Scope2_NoFilter
+ Lights
+ Darks
+ Biases
+ Flats
NGC253_Scope2_Filter
+ Lights
+ Darks
+ Biases
+ Flats
As you pointed out, it can get very messy! And you have to manually run Siril over each set of data. In. my example above, I would have to run Siril 4 times and have four output files that I then need to process / combine / whatever manually into my final image.

The downside to the above structure is that you will have multiple copies of your configuration images (particularly the Darks and Biases), taking up disk space in each 'home' directory.

(Yes, you can move the configuration files around as you process each dataset but that can get confusing and if you're like me, you'll forget to move them and then wonder why Siril is complaining.)

To get around this, I use a tool called 'Sirilic' for multi-configuration stacking. I tell Sirilic where all the relevant files are (for each session that I want to stack) and hit the 'Go' button. Sirilic then builds the Siril stacking script, stacks each set of data into an output file and then stacks those results files into one final output file.

I will point out that Sirilic is not user friendly and getting it installed, configured and working is possibly a topic for another post.

One other thing - Siril is VERY disk-space hungry. I once tried to stack a couple of night's worth of short duration images (several hundred exposures) and even with 700GBytes of space, Siril used it all up and failed.

Does this help at all?

Cheers,
V

[pmrid]

Hi Steve (V),

first - thank you. I am grateful for your very generous assistance.

Second - it is as I expected (feared might be a better word).

As I am easily confused these days, I can see disaster looming with every change of target, scope, filter etc. It would be more than my fading powers of concentration could manage I think.

But thank you again, in all sincerity.

Peter

[AstroViking]

Hi Peter,

You're very welcome!

There is a solution to all this - albeit a (potentially) costly one.

AstroPixelProcessor.

You configure the stacking routine to stack each night's data (APP calls them sessions, and also allows you to use the same calibration images for multiple sessions - no copying or moving files) and then hit the 'Go' button.

APP can handle different focal lengths, cameras, filters, you name it. It's mosaic stitching capability is incredible.

Hopefully someone who knows more about APP can step in here and help.

Cheers,
V.

[Cyberman]

Peter, you could have a look at ASTAP and see if it would suit your needs. It's free. I use it to stack lights from my modified DSLR from multiple sessions. You just put all your lights from multiple sessions in the one tab, all your flats from multiple sessions in the one tab, all your darks in the 1 tab, all your dark flats in the one tab. It will automatically stack the correct light with the correct flat, darks and dark flats. You don't have to make directories for each night. I found it stacked multiple sessions better than DSS. I think it also can automatically sort different filters for you but I don't use filters so not sure on this. Not sure if it will do different cameras and different focal lengths. It might, but you might have to do a google search on this or may be more experienced ASTAP users might help here. ASTAP is also a plate solver and image analyzing tool. Best of luck ,Rob.