Byeos and flat frames

[ve1drg]

I can't seem to find how or where I made flat frames with BYEOS.

What screen or location did I use.  And can it really be done right using BYEOS?

 

 

[admin]

A flat frame is just another regular image but with a whit light source.

Goto image capture and select FLATS in image type (so that FLATS is in your image file name) and then take few test image adjusting the exposure time until your histogram in about 2/3 in fro the left.

Alternatively you can set the shutter speed in BYE to AV-FLAT and let the camera decide the exposure length.

Regards,

[astroman133]

Flat frames go in the same folder location as the light frames. Look in your Settings for the specified Download folder and any sub-folders. If you set the Frame Type to FLAT, the Save To location to the PC, and include the <frametype> in your Filename template your flat frames should be easy to spot.

Whether they can be "done right" is up to you.

There are several ways to shoot flat frames and the technique varies with the method.

I shoot flat frames with an artificial light source. Even there you can shoot dome flats, light box flats, or electroluminescent (EL) panel flats. I use an EL panel which I hang over my objective. It is always the same brightness, so I can always use the same capture plan for a given scope/camera/filter combination.

Regardless of which type of flat frame method you use, the histogram of the raw data should be well centered.

[s3igell]

Here is a Thread which explains additional details about BYE and AV-Flats:   Taking Flats in Current Version of BYE

[s3igell]

1 hour ago, ve1drg said:

I can't seem to find how or where I made flat frames with BYEOS.

What screen or location did I use.  And can it really be done right using BYEOS?

Take a quick look at your Settings - specifically the "Sub-folders" setting.  If you have selected "LIBRARY Style", it will be in the Flats subdirectory then Date.

[ve1drg]

3 hours ago, s3igell said:

Take a quick look at your Settings - specifically the "Sub-folders" setting.  If you have selected "LIBRARY Style", it will be in the Flats subdirectory then Date.

Yes.  I have that set as you said.

 

But where do you run the program to deal with making flats. I remember avi was part of it.

 

 

[astroman133]

Flats are typically shot by defining a capture plan with the frame type as "Flat" instead of "Light". Of course the exposure will be different.

Are you confusing avi with the AV-Flat shutter setting? The AV-Flat setting lets the camera's exposure circuitry choose an appropriate shutter speed. You can then look at the histogram of that image and adjust it, as necessary to put the histogram where you want it to be.

[s3igell]

1 hour ago, ve1drg said:

And can it [Flats] really be done right using BYEOS?

Yes, most BYE Users are able to produce usable Flats within BYE.

The exact "Best Way" will depend on numerous factors:  1) Your Equipment (Scope / Filter); 2) Your Light Source for Flats (EL-Panel, Laptop/Tablet Screen, Light-Box, T-shirt at Dawn); and 3) Your AP Imaging Software (some insist on "Matching ISO" while others Don't).

My suggestions for Beginners:

1. Practice at home before counting on your Flats procedure in the field.
2. Use a controllable Light Source - start with your Tablet or Laptop Screen (make sure it overlaps the Aperture of your Optics by at least 1/2")
3. Setup a Capture Plan:
4. Use Frame-Type="FLATS" so that BYE doesn't try to Dither between Frames
5. Use Shutter="AV" and ISO="100" (unless your AP Image Software INSISTS on "Matching ISO" to your Lights Images) as you want your Shutter Rate to be significantly Slower than the Refresh Rate of your Light Source (60hz for Light Bulbs, LEDs, and most Tablet Screens) else you'll get a Shutter Shadow which ruins your Flats
6. Shoot a few Frames
7. Look at the Histogram for these Frames - if the Hump is anywhere near the Middle (or even just decently away from either Left and Right Edges) you are GOOD for most AP Image Processing Software
8. Take a Good Number of Flat Frames - 20-50 - and feed these to your Software

Remember:

1. You should Take Flats at the End of Every Imaging Session - You can't easily Reuse Flats because the Dust Motes change with every Assembly / Disassembly
2. You can take your Flats Indoors if you can keep your Imaging Setup (Optics, Focuser, Filters, Camera) together - simply Cap the Ends and Remove Complete from your Mount (No Disassembly or Rotation, restore Focuser to same basic location as during Imaging)

[ve1drg]

5 hours ago, s3igell said:

Yes, most BYE Users are able to produce usable Flats within BYE.

The exact "Best Way" will depend on numerous factors:  1) Your Equipment (Scope / Filter); 2) Your Light Source for Flats (EL-Panel, Laptop/Tablet Screen, Light-Box, T-shirt at Dawn); and 3) Your AP Imaging Software (some insist on "Matching ISO" while others Don't).

My suggestions for Beginners:

1. Practice at home before counting on your Flats procedure in the field.
2. Use a controllable Light Source - start with your Tablet or Laptop Screen (make sure it overlaps the Aperture of your Optics by at least 1/2")
3. Setup a Capture Plan:
4. Use Frame-Type="FLATS" so that BYE doesn't try to Dither between Frames
5. Use Shutter="AV" and ISO="100" (unless your AP Image Software INSISTS on "Matching ISO" to your Lights Images) as you want your Shutter Rate to be significantly Slower than the Refresh Rate of your Light Source (60hz for Light Bulbs, LEDs, and most Tablet Screens) else you'll get a Shutter Shadow which ruins your Flats
6. Shoot a few Frames
7. Look at the Histogram for these Frames - if the Hump is anywhere near the Middle (or even just decently away from either Left and Right Edges) you are GOOD for most AP Image Processing Software
8. Take a Good Number of Flat Frames - 20-50 - and feed these to your Software

Remember:

1. You should Take Flats at the End of Every Imaging Session - You can't easily Reuse Flats because the Dust Motes change with every Assembly / Disassembly
2. You can take your Flats Indoors if you can keep your Imaging Setup (Optics, Focuser, Filters, Camera) together - simply Cap the Ends and Remove Complete from your Mount (No Disassembly or Rotation, restore Focuser to same basic location as during Imaging)

My question from the beginning was about where could I do flats from BYEOS.  What screen. What box .. etc.

I understand what and how flats are made and used. What I can't  remember is where is the screen or box for Flats on BYEOS..

 

[astroman133]

There is no "screen or box" for flats in BYE.

Navigate to the Imaging screen. Select "Flat" from the Frame type dropdown list in the Camera Information Center, load/define your capture plan and start imaging.

[admin]

[AlanMccarthy]

On 6/11/2017 at 1:56 AM, admin said:

Wow - as a newbie - this just saved me having to ask a quite few questions - top man - picture worth a thousand words - thanks

[trevor@woldsweather.co.uk]

So you don't set a duration for Flats?

[astroman133]

With the steps above, the camera sets the exposure duration. What you can do is either use that, or if you have an artificial light source for your flats you can use the exposure that the camera chose as a starting place for determining the actual exposure that you will use going forward.