Astroart Forum

Hello fellow Astroart users,

Anyone have a good work-flow for using a one-shot color camera with Astroart 5 or even 4? Ive been using Astroart for acquisition and processing for years but only with a mono camera (SXV-H9). I purchased a second hand MX7c to use mainly on brighter objects and comets while my other camera is dedicated to Narrow-band imaging.

I researched into the processing steps involved but most web sites and forum posts refer to the use of plug-ins for color synthesis. I'm under the assumption that AA's built in CCD Color Synthesis routine is superior to these older plug-ins.

How does Astroart's pre-processing routine with CCD synth. selection box enabled handle the following options?
1.Auto-alignment: Will this option need to be disabled as to not disturb the Bayer matrix?
2. Flats: Is it best to create a master Luminace-only flat or does the built-in routine handle the flats differently when CCD color is enabled.
For darks I do create a master dark which is needed to remove the amp glow present if the camera is used in self-guide mode.

Thanks,
Bill

Hello,
1) It will not disturb, aligning (e.g. shifting) is done after the color synthesis, so it does not disturb the Bayer matrix.
2) Usually a grayscale flat is enough. If your image has not dust halos (so only gradients) you may skip the flat and correct the gradient with Gradient Removal.

About darks, in modern cameras a defect map or simply hot pixels removal, give the same result.