Aligning and Combining Multiple Night Masters (LRGB and Mono)

Bryn Evans

Hi all,

first post. I have the Fundamentals but not the horizons videos. Having had a hiatus from the hobby for a few years and never really used PI before, I'm starting on the journey. I have the process down for an ok result for combining LRGB images on a single night (based around WBPP). 

My question is, how do I combine images (I have master lights for each channel) made from different nights? So I have 2 x each of LRGB that I would like to combine into a single image.

Furthermore, how do I ensure that they are all aligned properly (use the star align on each master?). I've searched around a lot and can't seem to find anything other than pixel math, which to be honest with you, the prospect of doing scares me quite a lot! Is there a process (WBPP?) that can do this with masters?

Thanks

Bryn

BlockHead

Hi Bryn

If I understand your questions correctly... 

I think want you want to do is use Calibrate Only.

You calibrate each data set (from each night) with their own flats and biases/darks (if necessary). 

Then you will use StarAligment on ALL of these data across all nights. 

Then you will use ImageIntegration on ALL these data across all nights.

Finally you will create a single LRGB (eventually). 

Is this the direction you were going for?

-the Blockhead

Bryn Evans

Yes I think that is it. Thank you Adam. 

I was doing that for each night in WBPP then trying to do something with the each night's masters rather than the star aligning the original files from each night together.

Just to clarify:

Using WBPP I have previously calibrated and cosmetically corrected, star aligned and created channel masters for each night. So from what you are saying, I should take all the cosmetically corrected calibrated files (c_cc suffix) that I generated from each night and staralign all of them together? Presumably choosing any image (a good one) from any night to act as the alignment frame?  and then use all the registered files (c_cc_r) created after the starAlign in ImageIntegration?

Apologies for stepping through, just want to confirm which files I should be doing what with as this is all pretty new to me!

BlockHead

Yes... you got.Good job!

(this is what I demonstrate in my workflow videos)

-the Blockhead