What software to use for stitching mosaic images?

General
1

Hi,

Just started to use the mosaic function in SG and have some images taken.
I would be happy if I could get suggestions on software to use for stitching them together?
I have software for making each frame ready. I would very much like to have an automated process as I have many frames for every position.

Thanks,
Mats

2

MSICE is very good and free… It always stitches things where Pixinsight fails to do so.

2 Likes
3

I don’t have any experience with MSICE, but Pixinsight has never failed me yet… Here is a good video from @harry

http://harrysastroshed.com/pixinsight/pixinsight%20video%20html/pixinsighthomeinter.html

4

Another video showing how to use Pixinsight to merge a mosaic.

(Although if I read your post correctly you’re looking for an easy way to make it happen. I don’t think there is one of those.)

Karl

Pixinsight is not unlike SGP… both of them seem to me to be proof of Clark’s Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

5

also - there’s almost no way for PI to fail if you use the ImageSolver/MosaicByCoordinates/GradientsMergeMosaic flow. in this method a mosaic can be made even if the overlap between panes is zero (or even less than zero).

rob

6

You can use PS photomerge after you stretch your images. It is pretty good.

PI always gives me some type of gradient issue between the two images. It is really frustrating.

7

GMM does help with that, but you have to have good SNR in each panel and remove any LP gradients beforehand. it probably helps to use dnaLinearFit to get the panel brightnesses similar before attempting the stitch.

is a 3x2 mosaic made using this technique. it helps that the image is Ha in terms of lessening the gradients but i still had to remove them.

1 Like
8

Thank you för the video Karl. By automation I ment that I don´t need to align manually as I have tried before. That did not work out very well. :-/

9

Thank you all for giving me advise. I have downloaded PI trial and MSICE.
PI looks to have a steap learning curve but I will follow the videos.

Thank you
Mats

10

Off topic of the thread, but damn, pfile, that’s a stunning image.

Karl

11

Mats,

With Pixinsight you don’t align manually. You use Pixinsight’s registration process, and, together with gradient merge; it’ll stich your panels together.

Best of luck.

Also: Warren Keller has a new Pixinsight book out… just last month. It is worth reading if you’re new to Pixinsight.

(I have the dead tree version… I can’t comment on the Kindle version.)

Karl

12

Great tips from you all!

Have now used MSICE on my first attempt and it worked very well.

There are 16 panels. I haven´t got enough time on all yet to have good SNR,
The total time are 12,5 hours. The panes are between 30-55 minutes.

The stitched image:
Heart Nebula

The mosaic:
Mosaic

Filter: H-alpha
Camera: ATIK 314L+
Mount: EQ6 PRO
Telescope: Meade LXD55 SN 8"

I would also like to give my thanks to the fantastic SG Pro software.
It has done the work so much easier. Everything works perfectly.
Okay, I haven´t tried the median flip yet :wink:

This forum is also great, thanks!

Mats

13

Beautiful image. Might I ask. . .When using MSICE, did you do any preprocessing of the individual mosaic panels before using MSICE, like stacking with calibration frames and/or stretching? I found I needed to do some preprocessing before using MSICE but getting each mosaic panel to have good balance between each was difficult.

Agree, SG Pro software is the best!

Thanks,
mahaffm

14

I used Maxim DL. Calibrated all frames with master dark. Combined with Sigma Clip, then Digital Development (Filter type none) on the combined pane. Saved as TIF 16-bit uncompressed with Auto Stretch.
Then Simple Panorama in MSICE.
Levels on the stitched image in PS to brighten up it a bit.

Thanks,
Mats

15

Thanks Mats for the info. It was very helpful.

Regards,
mahaffm

16

You are welcome!
A correction on the text. I saved the TIF in 8-bit, not 16 bit.

Mats

17

That is a great first attempt - looking at the image, however, I can see lines and joins. Similarly to others, I use PixInsight, with DNA linear fit and GMM. I do not try and register them to each other, but to a background star canvas, generated by StarGenerator script.

You do need considerable patience and my PixInsight project exceeded 32 GB at one point!

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