StarTools

Hi, I'm evaluating a number of stacking programs and want to include Affinity Photo, in this case just for its stacking abilities, as it has received favourable reviews in similar evaluations. However, I'm mostly mono and I'm having difficulty in saving/exporting a stack from a filter that has been aligned with other such stacks. I have got as far as stacking two filters separately, and merging them as pixel layers into a single image so that the Arrange Layers by Stars function works, but I'm stumped as to how to take each now-aligned layer out from AP into a file (TIFF I assume) that can then be read by StarTools. Has anyone achieved this? If so, is the result still linear and do you have any opinions re the quality of the stacks? Thanks

I greatly admire Affinity Photo, but I've only used its astro tools twice. In both cases, I used Affinity Photo for both pre and post processing. It worked, but I have the impression that it is unlikely to match the sophistication of dedicated astro programs. There are lot of stacking programs these days, and some of them have matured over many years. I use PixInsight for pre processing. Even though PixInsight irritates me in many ways, you can't deny that its pre processing tools have evolved over a long time and are very competent.

I'm sorry that I haven't answered your question directly, but I hope this overall perspective might be helpful. Dark skies!

Russ

Answering my own query the Export persona can export layers individually as TIFFs or PNGs though the TIFFs aren't readable by ST.

I have successfully stacked and aligned narrowband layers then exported them as PNGs which ST read OK.

The detail seems fine although the images appear a little brighter and don't take stretching to the same level as with other products.

If anyone would like detailed instructions I'd be happy to provide them.

Russ.Carpenter wrote: ↑Wed Sep 22, 2021 3:30 pm I greatly admire Affinity Photo, but I've only used its astro tools twice. In both cases, I used Affinity Photo for both pre and post processing. It worked, but I have the impression that it is unlikely to match the sophistication of dedicated astro programs. There are lot of stacking programs these days, and some of them have matured over many years. I use PixInsight for pre processing. Even though PixInsight irritates me in many ways, you can't deny that its pre processing tools have evolved over a long time and are very competent.

I'm sorry that I haven't answered your question directly, but I hope this overall perspective might be helpful. Dark skies!

Russ

Thanks for your reply, Russ. If only Pixinsight unbundled its pre-processing functions and offered them at a much reduced cost...!

Interesting... I hadn't actually heard about anyone using Affinity for stacking.
Stackers are in essence fairly simple pieces of software (regardless of bells and whistles), so in theory the data "should do the talking" and the resulting stack should be roughly identical to any other stacker when using identical settings (for example Sigma Clipping).

Assuming basic competency (e.g. allowing white balancing to be turned off, etc.), then where things may diverge are forementioned the bells and whistles, as well the sophistication of the registration algorithm used.

I'd definitely be interested in hearing what you think!