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ASIDeepStack: What is it and how to use it to stack files for astrophotography

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A Brief Introduction

ASIDeepStack is a deep sky stacking software (only supports 16-bit fits files for now). It offers many capabilities, including image preview, stack, histogram stretching and much more. It can process various types of files such as lights, darks, flats, bias, etc. and accordingly, after stack it will also improve the image signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

 

How Does It Look Like?

ASIDeepStack interface1

ASIDeepStack interface2

Area A: Setting Bar. Including settings and help.

Area B: File List Area. Including Bias, Flat, Dark, Light four tabs, empty current tab button and so on.

Area C: Stack Area. Including open save path, start stacking, and switch single/stacked display.

Area D: Histogram Setting Area

Area E: Full-screen Button

Area F: Vertical Tool Bar

Area G: Capture Display Area

Area H: Status Bar. It shows current display image info and loading progress.

Area I: Image Processing Area

A Guide On How to Stack files

① Open ASIDeepStack. Let’s start stacking with lights files, so click the “Light” tab in File List Area (Area B).

② Click the ”Select Light” button, then select the Light files that need to be stacked in the pop-up dialog.

③ The files will be imported after you choose. You can watch the progress bar at the lower right corner of Status Bar (Area H). When the importing is finished, “Load Completed” will be prompted.

Select Light

The start stacking button in Stack Area (Area C) is now available. You can click the play icon to draw forth the stack window and then start stacking, but let’s just wait for a second.

④ If you need to re-select the Light files, you can click the sweep icon in the top right corner to remove all files under the current tab.

⑤ Import other calibration frames (darks, bias, flats).

Select Dark&Flat&Bias

⑥ When done importing all calibration frames, now you are free to start stacking. As mentioned in ③, a stacking window will pop up. After you complete stacking all files, it will automatically close and then show you the stacked image.

Stacking

Stacked

⑦ The main adjustment options in the “Image Processing” module are brightness, contrast and saturation. You can also stretch the upper “histogram” to further process the displayed image. When processing, if you think the result is over-processed, then you can click the “Reset” button to restart.

For beginners, we recommend you use “Auto”. For advanced astrophotography enthusiasts, you can adjust the brightness, contrast and saturation by yourselves. If the image still has much noise after processing, we recommend you check “Noise Reduction”. This would help.

When all work is done, don’t forget to save the image. The next step is about how to save it.

Image Processing

 

⑧ Click the setting button in Area A to set the file save path.

Save Path Set

 

Click the save button in Area F to save. By default, jpg and FIT format files are saved in the set path.

The saved path will also be displayed in the lower left corner of the software.

Image Saved

Click the folder button in Area C to find the image file just saved.

Here is the comparison before and after stacking:

Before Stacking

After Stacking

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17 Comments

  • Franco Broi
    Posted 2021年8月31日 at am3:16

    A couple of questions:

    If I want to export the raw staked image, am I right in thinking that I have to press reset on the histogram? What about contrast and brightness, should I zero them also?

    I’m new to astrophotography so have only just recently started stacking images but the initial results look surprisingly good. I took some dark frames with ASIAir and added them into the stack but they appeared to make no difference. Could this be because there is no noise in the Light frames? Looking at the darks I can see quite a bit of amp glow but I guess this is at a low level which is being amplified by viewer. The camera is ASI294MC-Pro.

    Overall this is an easy application to use and produces good results – I think!

    Cheers,

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    • sara.liu
      Posted 2021年9月9日 at am8:35

      Image processing only saves to jpg file.
      Fits file saves the raw data.

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  • Оксана
    Posted 2021年9月10日 at am10:25

    When it comes to stacking; it does stack the files but there’s no options for any type of quality control. It just stacks what you put in, unlike DSS which registers each file first and you can choose the quality of the subs you want to use. There is a noise reduction tick box, but this is an automatic setting and I’m not sure what it does because there was still noise on the completed image, as well as satellite trails. My conclusion from trying it; Handy to have but I won’t be using it as a replacement for DSS in it’s current form.

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    • sara.liu
      Posted 2021年9月15日 at am10:30

      We have all adopted the form of automation. Users can do stacking without selecting any parameters. As for the option of image quality control, in fact, it is also made in the software. Bad images will be automatically eliminated.

      0Likes
  • 3plus2equals5
    Posted 2021年9月23日 at pm12:58

    I can open deepstack and load light frames. When I hit the begin stacks arrow, it begins stacking and then the program closes abruptly at 33% complete. I am using the latest release. Also, Windows 10 is up to date with zero missing or corrupt files. What are the minimum hardware requirements? I.e. ram, processor speed, etc. what am I doing wrong. I really want this to work! Much invested in Zwo products. Than you! James

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  • Jay
    Posted 2021年11月20日 at pm11:18

    You say it only supports 16bit files. Does that mean it does not yet support lower bit files from 14bit cameras? This might affect my choice of new camera.

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    • Memory Ji
      Posted 2021年12月15日 at am8:23

      No matter the bits of the camera itself is, it can be saved as a 16-bit file;)

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  • Christian
    Posted 2021年11月22日 at pm9:17

    I have the Problem, that bright stars are getting strange points and lines in the middle of them after stacking.
    The single exposures ar looking fine.
    The camera is a ASI2600MC-Pro.

    0Likes
  • Martin
    Posted 2021年12月25日 at pm4:30

    Can’t find a link or place where to download the software.
    Please send me a link
    Thank sounding advance
    Martin

    0Likes
  • CJ
    Posted 2021年12月29日 at pm6:28

    Is ASIDeepStack capable of stacking bin2 frames (e.g., RGB frames taken in bin2) to a bin1 (e.g., Lum frames) reference frame and perform upscaling like DeekSkyStacker?

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  • Bill
    Posted 2022年1月23日 at pm9:17

    I am using an ASI533MC and ASIDeepStack 1.5.5 on a Mac. It works very well. The default for saving the stacked file is .jpg. But the size of the file is rather small (less than 1 MB) so I assume it is compressed (?). Can I change the format and amount of compression for the saved file? In particular, can I change the format to .tif?

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    • Memory Ji
      Posted 2022年1月27日 at am10:32

      Hi Bill,

      The .jpg file is for preview, you can also find the fits file at the same location (folder name is ASIDeepStack)

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