To Aggregate or not to Aggregate?

Edward Lubat

I have been making my way through the PI Fundamentals videos (which are really great) and have a question for Adam or anyone else who can answer.  In one of the Deconvolution videos, while making the LDSI, he turns on Aggregate in the StarMask process.  But in the next video, he doesn't.  Can anyone give a little more detail on this feature and when to use it?

Thanks

Ed

BlockHead

I usually do turn it on...but it isn't terrible critical to be honest. (You should try and compare- keep all the other parameters constant..and do a mask with Aggregate on..and one with it off. Blink the two versions. 

It is really more important to create a mask that captures the stars of interest- using whatever means. If, for example, aggregate ends up give you slightly larger stars than without- you can always not turn it on, and do a little dilation with MT. Whatever is necessary to get the structures you need! But to answer your question- it is just me being inconsistent. 

As to *what* aggregate does *exactly*- this is one of the things I do not know. I have asked some other PI gurus..and they cannot explain it either. It would need a good explanation from Juan I think. 

-the Blockhed