Fivel

Here is the 16 bit image, reduced to fit this forum size requirements. starless_12 Nov 2023 Comet C2023 H2 Lemmon-16 bit.tiff

Hello and Happy New Year. I have enjoyed using the app for many years. Ihave a problem though using the FFT filter tool. I am trying to remove faint star streaks from a comet image. I am working on the comet only (used Starnet++ i Siril) but cannot get rid of the star streaks. All other tools/filters in Siril and AP do not remove these trails. I had hoped that the FFT filter could remove them, but when I use the brush tool nothing changed in the image. I tried using both 32 bit and 16 bit versions of the comet only image and still no change. Am I expecting the FFT filter to do a task, that it may not be designed to do? I followed tutorials, on how to use the FFT brush, to black out the nodes on the axes and the streaks. Am I missing something, i.e. an inverse FFT to be applie)? I appreciate any help with this as it is all new to me. Fivel

Thanks for your reply "firstdefence". I did perform all those steps. I even tried starting with a new folder on my desktop. I got the same issue no matter how I installed the Plugin. I can see the plugin but the two tools stay grayed out. My image, and layer were as recommended. Since this has been a known issue with Catalina (and other OSs) someone must look into this. Fivel

Hi Richard and thanks for your reply. I do astrophotography and need to compare some AP plugins. Yes, I followed all the instructions on the Focus Magic website, the preferences and tried all the suggestions here and on other sites. Nothing allows the tools to be active. I wonder if James Ritson sees these posts and if so, can he help?

Hello again. I posted my topic on 28 December 2022, but still have not received any reply. I am trying to compare this plugin with a similar Topaz Labs lpugin. Can anyone help me get the Focus Magic plugin to work? Thanks Fivel

I realize that much of this issue has been posted before. I installed the plugin (version 5) and it shows up, but the two tools are greyed out. I have tried installing it both ways, have ensured that I selected a pixel layer, and that the color is an RGB format. The support team at Focus Magic suggested I contact this support team. I hope you can help me get this plugin working properly. Happy New Year to all! Fivel

Thank you Lee for your update. As to the issue, there is a workaround, but it is not as quick and easy to use. On any macro I right click and select Edit macro. That puts the macro in the macro panels instead of the library. Finally to use the macro I must press the play button. I hope that after all these years someone can get this issue fixed. Thanks again for an otherwise outstanding application. Fivel

This was brought up several years ago, but I do not see that there was a fix for this issue. I can get the macros to open/work with a mouse, but not with my Wacom Intuos Draw pen/tablet. There is no preference setting for tablets either. I enjoy AF for my astrophotography processing, but would prefer to use a pen than a mouse. Is there a current fix for this old issue? Thanks and stay well. Fivel

Thank you for the many improvements in this version. The Astrophotography stacking works quite well. Unfortunately, using the subject filter is quirky and unpredictable. When more than one circle ids used, you cannot tell what to expect as a resulting background removal. This could possibly be a bug, but with little information on using it, it is hard to determine if it is a bug. I did view the video tutorial, but he glossed over that filter. He only used one circle for his work. Maybe a short video tutorial for that filter, showing more specifics/examples on gradient removal, would help. Then we can post our comments with better details. Stay well, and keep up the great work on AF. Fivel

Thank you Serif for the AF update version 1.9. The new stacking options are a great addition. For future updates, can the stacking options be added, for planetary stacking and comet alignment stacking as in Deep Sky Stacker? Planetary aligning and stacking will require manual or automatic alignment points. It will also need to open planetary videos, especially AVI and SER formats. The Comet aligning/stacking should have three options: 1. Align on stars 2. Align on the comet 3. Align on both I realize that this is a very complex operation for step 3. It may require two alignment runs and two stacking runs then stacking the two results. Thank you again for the great work on Affinity Photo, and the other packages.

Thanks to all for you quick and helpful suggestions. To answer v_kyr, I choose the freehand selection tool, then on the first layer-Background or Pixel (at the bottom of the Layers list) I draw the selection around the area to be adjusted. After I make the adjustment, I click on the "Deselect" menu. Then I "select" a new area and apply an adjustment. That will only affect the previous, deselected, area, and not the new one. For Walt-that is not what I desire to accomplish. I want to make adjustments to a new area. They may be similar, but may add more adjustments. I will try the suggestions from the rest of you. Thanks again to all. Fivel

Hello to all. I am running this app on an iMac with OSX El Capitan. My issue is this. I can use the tool to select an area of a layer, and apply some levels and other (colors) adjustments. Where I have a problem, is when I deselect that area, and select a new one. The adjustments effect the previous selection, and not the new one. I am trying to use this method to clean up and adjust several areas of an astro image. Is it even possible to do this on one layer (Background)? Thanks in advance. Fivel

I have been enjoying this app and sharing info about it. I and friends use it to process astro photos. Two more tools that would help are: 1. Erode filters, such as in Gimp to shrink stars 2. Vertical and horizontal gradient removal, automated if possible. The gradient map does not perform this function. Thank you. Fivel

Although the request to work with fits format images is not new, I hope to keep this request alive. Along with that capability, would be the need to provide a tool, to debayer color fits images from a one shot color astro camera. That tool should be able to get the camera sensor matrix ( such as RGGB or GRBG) from the fits image header data. Here's hoping. Fivel

Hi to all. I previously asked if the Photoshop Astronomy Tools package could be used as a plugin for AP. Since that is not possible, what is the chance of your programmers writing their own code to emulate those tools? I realize that it would entail adding some features to AP to catch up to Photoshop's set of features. Then the astronomy type tools programming could do the emulation. That would open up this fine application to a worldwide group of astrophotographers. I have not used Astronomy tools myself, since I don't have or want Photoshop. Fivel

Thank you MEB, I now have the update and the free downloads. Fivel

Hello. I have a few problems related to version 1.6. 1. Since I own version 1.5.2 do I need to pay for the version 1.6. 2. When I open the app I don't get the message to update. 3. Also, I tried to log in to the store and it fails. When trying to get the site to send instructions to update my password nothing happens. I don't even see anything in the spam folder. Please advise. Fivel

Thanks to all for suggestions and help. MEB, I will try exporting the file with "Save Affinity Layers" to see if it works. As to upgrading to Sierra, I may yet go that route. Fivel

Thanks Callum, I hope someone else is using Mavericks. R-C-R, I have been holding off upgrading to OS X Sierra since I would have to re purchase several applications to run on that platform. At least I see that I can use my current AP version (1.5.2) with Sierra. Decisions, decisions. Fivel

Hi again Callum. Did you get a chance to use the image I posted? I hope you can repeat my issue. As I mentioned in the original post, I tried both Merge and Flatten but it still crashed Preview. Has anyone else seen this problem? Fivel

Hello Callum. I don't know if I can attach such large files (minimum 38MB). I may need to PM you with it. Let's see if it gets posted. I am on a late 2009 iMac using Mavericks. Fivel DSC04699-Flare_2.tiff

Hello. I need help with the exporting of AP MAC Tiff files to work with MAC Preview program. When I try to use Preview/Tools/Adjust Color, it crashes Preview. I think it has to do with AP adjustment layers. I tried Flattening and Merge but they did not help. How do I export the TIFF files to work with Preview?

Hello DWright, thanks for the suggestions. I tried all of the Distortion filter that might gel reshape the stars, but nothing works to (Nudge or Squeeze) the whole image, Since I want to correct all the oval shaped stars, at the same time, I need a tool that can do that. So far, no luck. Fivel

Hello again. In AP 1.5.2 the Distortion Filters have no effect. I tried them in a duplicate layer, as well as the base (pixel) layer. I am trying to Nudge, move, pinch etc. oval shaped stars, to make them round. In Photoshop, this is done with- Duplicate Layer, Darken mode Filters/Other/Move, (Nudge with arrow keys), in pixel increments. Then merge the layers In AP nothing similar has any effect. Fivel

Thanks to all-I'm getting a better handle on these tools. Sima-I do the stacking in other applications (Lynkeos, Sequator, DSS etc.) then I save them as 16 Bit TIFF files, to use in AP. R-C-R- As I practice more, I get a better idea of how to ensure that the correction tools use the proper color. It's a bit tedious though, but it works. Can you have the development team look at the way Photoshop Elements simplifies the use of similar tools? There is no changing to pixel layers, no holding Option/dragging nor need for the magnified circle. What you select, by one click, is what the tool delivers. I hope AP can simplify the process also. Thanks again for all the help. Fivel