DSS problem...no saved stacked image

[wasyoungonce]

Hi folks.

Today DSS started to play up.

I input my normal images (canon RAWs, CR2s) from the previous night & registered & stacked them with DSS. All this progressed OK, but.

Problem is ...there is no finished image....Nada.:shrug:

There is an "Autosaved tiff" file but this is corrupted in some way as Photoshop will not open it..it just prompts with a text box stating there is a problem opening this file. There is nothing in the DSS main screen...no image at all, just a grey main screen.:confused2:

OK I thought maybe the image is very dark (as sometimes is in DSS but OK in photoshop). But, when I select "save picture to file"...I get a prompt...."there is no picture to save"? :screwy:

What the?:mad2:

I tried using JPGs in stead of RAWs...same problem. I tried last nights images (JPGs and RAWs) ...same problem "no final image" in DSS!

So I un-installed DSS, download a new installed the latest...same problem.

Yet I can access all images ok thru Photoshop or other image processing programs...just not stack them with DSS!

A search shows this has occurred to some IIS users before but there doesn't appear to be a resolution.

Anyone...anyone even their kids have any ideas on this? I am in some need as I'm having picture stacking withdrawals.

Here are some screen shots:

[spearo]

How much memory have you got left in the computer?
perhaps its just running out of memory?
frank

[wasyoungonce]

Hi frank...heaps 124GB on "C" and 240GB on "D".

2GB RAM. Using XP 32 bit so it can only address 3 GB in any case.

Everything is the same as the day before it's just like DSS has gone walkabout.:rofl:

[allenandholmes]

I'm probably not much help but I downloaded DSS 3.3.0 on Thursday morning (8th Oct) and have not had any trouble stacking Maxim DL Image (Colour) files. In fact, I'm very impressed with its ease of operation for a newbie like me.

[wasyoungonce]

Thanks...downloaded & tried that version as well...no joy.

I'll try another uninstall/reinstall & this time clear the registry entries as well.

[tlgerdes]

Hi,

I have a "special" version of DSS that might help, it doesn't need an install, just run the EXE. It writes everything it needs into a virtual registry hive. So can co-exist with existing installed versions, yet remain completely independant.

This was created with an Application virtualisation program called Thinapp.

I am happy to send you a copy, but it is 7Mbytes.

Trev

[wasyoungonce]

Thanks Trev.

I un-installed, cleaned registry and reinstalled DSS...still no go. It's mad I tell ya.

If you send it my inbox for email is probably limited to 20Mb so it should pass on.

I'll PM my email address.

[wasyoungonce]

News from the battle front.

I found I had been clicking "register checked pictures" and this was mucking up my DSS stacking routine...aka it failed to finalise an image.

When I just clicked "stack checked pictures' all is good. It stacks fine & finishes up with my stacked image.

But if I performed the "register checked pictures" 1st then clicked "stacked checked pictures" then it goes haywire just like above".

Maybe "register checked pictures" adds something to the images?

Sigh!


edit to above>

It's still playing up. I managed to stack some JPGs ok but not CR2's.

I did the same files on another computer ok as well. I'll try the CR2's on the other computer.

Thanks for the DSS file Trev. I have it & will give it a go.

[wasyoungonce]

Alll righty narrowed it somewhat.

The files (CR2s) stack ok on another computer (a lappy) I installed DSS on!

Yet they do not stack on my main processing computer!

Trev I've still to try your ver of DSS I'll be doing that ASAP.

[wasyoungonce]

And sorry Trev your version of DSS didn't work as well.

It appears to be a problem on this computer. The Lappy processes & stacks DSS files just fine and gives a file result. This computer just goes thru the motions but gives no file!

Damn....this is an E8600 processor & the Lappy is a T2310...a quantum difference in processing power.

Looks like I have some work ahead sorting this computer! I might try the DSS yahoo group (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/DeepSkyStacker/).

But just quietly now if you have any friends who have similar troubles, can you please find out how they fixed the issue.:lol:

[kustard]

Hi there,

I've not used photoshop but on the 2nd image I notice the files seem to be running from a network location, is this correct?

If so, maybe your computer doesn't have the correct permissions to save to the network drive and so is crashing when trying to save the file.

[wasyoungonce]

Thanks Simon. but what I've done is transferred the files via memory stick between computers.

Actually last night I used the canon utility to take the snaps in lieu of my cheap intervalometer and txfr from the camera to the lappy (and focus etc) via USB. I then tx'd them to a memory stick to to my main computer.

I thought this camera to lappy connection (using the canon utility) may have caused file issues when saving them..but I didn't think so.

All these files stack Ok in DSS on the lappy but not on my main computer.

All this just started today for what ever reason.

Maybe I'll try a system restore to a earlier time. Anyway I couldn't see the image of one of the targets I was trying ...NGC7293 in my finderscope...so I just snapped away hoping my 1 star align was spot on...it was alll the files are ok.

Here is a quick & dirty process of it (done on the lappy).

Some progress at least. I'll try the DSS forum as well. This has taken me a full day so far to sort this...sigh!

[wasyoungonce]

Finally success at last.

I did a system restore to 2 days earlier. System is now fine and I can stack & process files with DSS on the main computer.

What a battle! The Mother of all battles...well not really but a royal pain in the A%k!.:mad2:

I'll leave this post up as someone may also have similar issues to me in the future. Although I must say it appears others have suffered this same fate prior to me but no one had any fixes!

Now I'll put some effort into learning flats/darks & bias files.....;)

[spearo]

HI
I think the restore may have reintalled the canon WIA files
that might explain why one comp didnt work but another did?
Something to do with recognisign the CR2s correctly ?
anyways,
good old system restore fixed it
gotta love that function
frank

[Octane]

Could it also have been outputting 32-bit TIFFs (instead of 16-bit) which Photoshop was failing to recognise?

Just a thought.

Regards,
Humayun

[wasyoungonce]

Not sure. I installed the canon utility on the lappy, download pics using it from the camera then onto a USB pen drive to the main computer.

No main computer files were touched but I still suspect it had something to do with the canon utilities on the lappy. Maybe it added something to the RAW files.:shrug:

In anycase it (the main computer) also wouldn't stack & process JPGs with DSS either, even older files.

I checked the files were output as 32Bit Tifs from DSS. Funny thing is I could open & view all the files with photoshop but I couldn't stack them with DSS! Is it TIF or TIFF (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tagged_Image_File_Format)?

In anycase why are we using TIFs they haven't had a major update since 1992! :shrug:

I now give thanks to the XP computer restore Gods and will give an offering for their help...I'll swear off Vista for life!:rofl:


Edit:

I've posed this problem over at the Yahoo DSS forum (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/DeepSkyStacker/) so lets see.

[White Rabbit]

I was having the same problem a while back, it was driving me nuts. I figured out that I had unchecked the autosave tiff feature. You know how DSs always creates an auto save tiff? Well when you uncheck that it does not create a stacked image.

Sandy

[wasyoungonce]

That's appears to be the consensus of those knowledgeable folk at the yahoo DSS forum (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/DeepSkyStacker/).

Although I'm pretty sure I check it was ticked ok and that DSS was sure enough making an autosave.tif ...but...I couldn't open it with photoshop.

Sigh !...who knows now. One of the mysteries of modern man!:confused2:

[wasyoungonce]

Just an update.

I kept getting fails..."no output file generated"!

Finally I tracked it to the output file location. I had installed the new version & hadn't selected an output file location.

It appears that this was causing the problem. Once I selected this it went from not working to "works fine!"

This I believe is a D'OH moment.:lol:

Maybe someone can learn from my mistakes.