AutoIntegrate v1.88 - Auto processing decisions

AutoIntegrate
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This release makes AutoIntegrate choose more processing settings automatically based on your data. Every automatic choice is listed with its reason at the end of processing and saved to the image history.

PixInsight: Script / AutoIntegrate
PixInsight repository: https://ruuth.xyz/autointegrate/

Auto image stretching

  • Image stretching has a new default option, Auto, which picks the stretching method when processing starts. Choosing a method explicitly always overrides it, and the target type no longer disables an explicit choice.

  • With target type Galaxy or Star cluster, Auto uses MultiscaleAdaptiveStretch, or Masked Stretch if MultiscaleAdaptiveStretch isn’t available.

  • With no target type or Nebula, Auto analyzes the image to decide:

    • MultiscaleAdaptiveStretch for images with a small, bright target such as a galaxy, star cluster or bright nebula.

    • Auto STF for images that look flat, such as frame-filling or dark nebulae.

  • The analysis measures image contrast after removing gradients and was tuned on about 100 test targets. It runs once per run, on the luminance image in LRGB and on the Ha image in narrowband, so all images get the same method.

  • It can be turned off with Use in Auto in Postprocessing / Stretching. The Sky analysis button runs the analysis on the preview image.

Auto processing

  • New Auto SPCC, on by default: RGB data is color calibrated with SPCC. If plate solving or SPCC fails, ColorCalibration is used instead of stopping.

  • New Auto local normalization, on by default: used for each filter whose images come from several nights.

  • New Auto drizzle, off by default: drizzle is used when images are undersampled and there are enough of them. Drizzle should be used only with dithered data. Auto drizzle cannot detect dithering, so it is not enabled by default.

  • The flowchart shown before processing marks Auto steps until they are decided.

Auto tool selection

  • Settings / Tools uses radio buttons, so only one tool per processing step can be selected.

  • The first option, Auto, picks the best available tool when processing starts and prefers AI-based tools.

  • Tool settings moved into the matching processing sections. A new Sharpening and deconvolution section holds the BlurXTerminator and GraXpert deconvolution settings. The Tools tab now holds only the GraXpert path and the MLDenoise model.

SPCC filter and sensor curves

  • New Filter set and QE curve options in Postprocessing / Color calibration / SPCC. Mono filter sets are for mono cameras with RGB filters, OSC sets are for colour cameras. If you know your filters or sensor, select them for more accurate colours.

  • With Auto, the curves are chosen from the data:

    • Mono RGB filter data uses Chroma R, G and B filters with the Sony IMX411/455/461/533/571 QE curve. These are close to typical mono RGB filters and sensors.

    • Colour camera (OSC and DSLR) data uses the Sony colour sensor UV/IR cut curves, as before.

    • Seestar data is detected from the image keywords. The LP filter uses the Seestar LP curves; otherwise the Sony IMX462/662/585 UV/IR cut curves are used.

  • Curves are read from the PixInsight filters database, with a built-in copy used if it isn’t found.

  • The same curves are also used with SpectrophotometricFluxCalibration before MultiscaleGradientCorrection.

Enhancements live preview

  • Options with a slider now update the preview directly while you move the slider: curves, saturation, gamma, adjust channels, adjust shadows, ExponentialTransform, UnsharpMask, clarity and leave some green. Use Apply to change the image.

  • Moving a slider checks its option automatically. All checked slider options are previewed together, in the same order Apply runs them.

  • Curves have a curve graph.

  • Saturation uses a continuous amount instead of iterations. Whole numbers give the same result as the old iteration counts.

  • The new Live preview option turns live preview on or off. The new Downsample live preview option makes it faster with large images.

  • The standalone Image Enhancements tool now has the Curves section.

Fast mode

  • New option Subset, now the default. It uses 10%, or at least 10, of the light files per filter, picked evenly from the whole list, at full image size.

  • Master calibration files are still made from all calibration files, and only the selected lights are calibrated and processed. This makes it quick to check a data set or try options and palettes.

  • A reference image you selected yourself is always included in the subset.

  • Options S and M still downsample images (at most 2048 pixels on the longest or shortest side). Their binning is fixed.

FastIntegration and large data sets

  • Fast SubframeSelector measures 32 files picked evenly from the whole session instead of the first 32. It no longer filters outliers, since only part of the files is measured.

  • The reference image is the best image from the middle half of the files if its SSWEIGHT is at least 80% of the best.

  • With field rotation on alt-az mounts, such as the Seestar, this leaves less low-coverage area at the image edges.

  • The integrated image now gets image type Master light.

  • The documentation has new tips for processing Seestar files.

Windows at end of processing

  • The new default Keep integrated and final images closes intermediate images, so AutoContinue starts from the integrated images.

  • The old Default option is renamed Keep all images.

  • Windows at the end of the processing option is in the Other / System settings section.

  • LowRejectionMap_ALL is renamed AutoCropInfo. AutoContinue still accepts the old name.

MLDenoise and noise reduction

  • The MLDenoise model file is set in Tools / MLDenoise, visible also in simple mode. Standalone Image Enhancements has the setting too.

  • The native MLDenoise process is tried first with the Auto option.

  • ACDNR is skipped also when DeepSNR is used, it was previously skipped when other AI tools were selected.

Preview

  • The preview can be zoomed in up to 8:1.

  • A zoomed image can be moved by dragging it with the mouse.

Other improvements

  • ImageIntegration buffer size and stack size are now configurable.

  • Auto STF shadows clipping can be configured.

  • Continuum subtraction uses stars as the color calibration white reference and has a new amount option.

  • StarNet2 uses its unscreen option.

  • AutoContinue, and a normal run, stop right away if a final image such as AutoRGB is already open, instead of failing at the end.

  • A clear error is shown if a setup file has no files.

  • The Preview AutoSTF option is renamed AutoSTF during processing. A new option, AutoSTF when browsing, controls stretching of file previews.

  • Interface settings that are saved on exit are grouped into a Preferences box with a Save button.

    Bug fixes

  • A user-selected reference image was lost when only a subset of light files was used.

  • A setup file with no files crashed with a null error.

  • The flowchart showed the MultiscaleAdaptiveStretch background step in the wrong order.

  • RGB stars deconvolution now respects No sharpening.

  • Dialog layout fixes, the Expert radio button alignment, and the manual filter files checkbox.

  • GradientCorrection falls back to ABE when it fails.

  • Fixes to AutoContinue, the FastIntegration reference image and fast mode binning.

  • Fast mode S and M binning.