StarTools 1.0.26 User Manual “There are as many schools of astroimage processing as there are astrophotographers.“ - Rogelio Bernal Andreo, Astrophotographer, DeepSkyColors.com Last updated 20 March 2011 Copyright © 2011 SiliconFields All Rights Reserved Please contact us through our website at http://www.startools.org if you find any mistakes, factual errors or copyright/usage violations in this manual. StarTools 1.0 User Manual Table of Contents Introduction..........................................................................................................................................7 Getting Started and system requirements.............................................................................................8 Processing with StarTools..................................................................................................................10 An address to beginners and advanced users.................................................................................10 Making your data StarTools friendly.............................................................................................11 What StarTools does and does not do............................................................................................11 Interface..............................................................................................................................................13 Modules..............................................................................................................................................16 Wipe....................................................................................................................................................19 Overview........................................................................................................................................19 Usage.............................................................................................................................................22 Color...................................................................................................................................................27 Overview........................................................................................................................................27 Usage.............................................................................................................................................28 Contrast...............................................................................................................................................30 Overview........................................................................................................................................30 Usage.............................................................................................................................................31 LRGB.................................................................................................................................................34 Overview........................................................................................................................................34 Usage.............................................................................................................................................35 Levels.................................................................................................................................................37 Overview........................................................................................................................................37 Usage.............................................................................................................................................38 Lens....................................................................................................................................................42 Overview........................................................................................................................................42 Usage.............................................................................................................................................43 Synth...................................................................................................................................................45 Overview........................................................................................................................................45 Prerequisites...................................................................................................................................45 4 StarTools 1.0 User Manual Star Mask.......................................................................................................................................46 Telescope modelling......................................................................................................................46 Star Synthesis.................................................................................................................................50 Examining an output sample..........................................................................................................54 The ethics of using synthesised components in your image..........................................................57 HDR....................................................................................................................................................58 Overview........................................................................................................................................58 Usage.............................................................................................................................................61 Crop....................................................................................................................................................64 Overview........................................................................................................................................64 Usage.............................................................................................................................................65 Sharp...................................................................................................................................................66 Overview........................................................................................................................................66 Usage.............................................................................................................................................68 Bin......................................................................................................................................................71 Overview........................................................................................................................................71 When should you consider software binning.................................................................................71 Usage.............................................................................................................................................73 Magic..................................................................................................................................................74 Overview........................................................................................................................................74 Usage.............................................................................................................................................79 Boost...................................................................................................................................................80 Overview........................................................................................................................................80 Usage.............................................................................................................................................81 Example- Removing blue and violet halos due to chromatic aberration.......................................85 Layer...................................................................................................................................................96 Overview........................................................................................................................................96 Usage.............................................................................................................................................96 Example 1- Integrating frames of different exposure lengths.......................................................99 Example 2- Rounding elongated stars.........................................................................................101 Heal...................................................................................................................................................111 Overview......................................................................................................................................111 5 StarTools 1.0 User Manual Usage............................................................................................................................................111 Masks................................................................................................................................................112