AutoIntegrate Image Stretching Tool

AutoIntegrate
1

AutoIntegrate Image Stretching Tool

1. Overview

This script is a standalone tool derived from the AutoIntegrate script. It is designed solely for Image Stretching—the process of converting linear (dark, raw) astrophotography data into a non-linear (viewable) image. It provides a single interface to apply various complex stretching algorithms without needing to manually manage multiple PixInsight processes (like ScreenTransferFunction or HistogramTransformation).

Location: Script / AutoIntegrate
Repository: https://ruuth.xyz/autointegrate/

2. User Inputs & Parameters

The user interface is divided into three main steps:

  • Target Image:
    • Select the view/image you wish to stretch from the dropdown list.
  • Stretching Method:
    Choose the algorithm best suited for your specific target type:
    • Auto STF: Standard PixInsight stretch. Good for a quick baseline.
    • MultiscaleAdaptiveStretch: Advanced stretch that adapts to different structures.
    • Masked Stretch: Great for preserving color. Works best for smaller bright targets like galaxies.
    • VeraLuxHMS: A hypermetric stretch designed to maintain contrast in high-dynamic-range targets.
    • Arcsinh Stretch: Preserves intense color data during stretching; often used for stars.
    • Histogram Stretch: A basic non-linear stretch (median or peak based).
    • Masked+Histogram: A hybrid approach combining the control of Masked Stretch with a Histogram prestretch. Histogram prestretch may help with pinpoint stars.
  • Fine-Tuning (Context-Sensitive):
    Depending on the method selected above, specific sliders will appear:
    • Target Background: Adjusts how dark the background sky should be (a good value is usually around 0.1 - 0.2). Lower values yield darker skies.
    • Adjust Shadows: Optionally clips black points to ensure you are utilizing the full dynamic range without losing real data.
    • Link Channels: (For AutoSTF) Uncheck this if your image has a strong color cast (like a green hue from an OSC camera) to align color channels automatically.
  • Undo and redo:
    There are undo and redo buttons for easier iteration between different stretches.
  • Save and load setup:
    It is possible to save settings to a json file, and load settings from a Json file.
  • More info: https://ruuth.xyz/AutoIntegrateInfo.html\#stretching

3. Output

  • A new image: A new stretched non-linear image is created that is ready for final post-processing.