some advice to start using DMap?

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soldevilla
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Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:49 pm
Location: Barcelona, more or less

some advice to start using DMap?

Post by soldevilla »

Finally I have powerful new Mac on my desk. That means I have less money on my Visa, but I can do more with Zerene. :D

Now I do am not afraid stacks of 100 frames, making stereo pairs, or using DMAP. Or use retouching tools !!!

I tried to do an stack of nice sample of jarosite. Perhaps it is not the right mineral to start with these new possibilities for me, too much transparency and shine. I tried several levels in the cursor and do not understand what it offers. I see that reduces flares, but introduces violet stripes as CA, and the focus areas are sometimes not well defined, as PMax offers.

I'm a little lost with these new possibilities. Does anyone have some text to learn how to use DMAP?

I will show too an stereo pair. Is easier to see the lost image areas. The pair have not any photoshop work, directly from Zerene.
Image

Image

rjlittlefield
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Re: some advice to start using DMap?

Post by rjlittlefield »

soldevilla wrote:Does anyone have some text to learn how to use DMAP?
There is a tutorial, "How To Use DMap", linked on the main Zerene Stacker Tutorials index page.

The sort of subject+illumination shown here, with such bright facets, will be challenging to stack with any method. That's because when those facets are out of focus, their expanded but still very bright blurs will tend to obscure darker areas behind them and near to the side. In general, the stack will be easier to work with if you use more diffused "softer" illumination to tone down the bright reflections.

--Rik

soldevilla
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Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:49 pm
Location: Barcelona, more or less

Post by soldevilla »

Very useful, Rik, thanks.
Now I´m doing some SMap stacks, in order to see how the result vary when I change the parameters.

A doubt... Every stack I try Zerene need to aling all the frames? It not have the possibility of remember the first frame alignment and only apply it in each stack?

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

The alignment is automatically re-used whenever possible.

If you add or remove frames, or reverse the order, or change any of the settings at Options > Alignment, then the alignment has to be computed again. Otherwise the alignment information is re-used.

However, the first pass of DMap always has to be done, even if you just want to change the slider position. This pass includes alignment, so it will run faster after the first time. But yes, it does repeat some calculations that logically could be re-used if the software were smart enough to do that.

--Rik

soldevilla
Posts: 684
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:49 pm
Location: Barcelona, more or less

Post by soldevilla »

"If you ..... change any of the settings at Options > Alignment, then the alignment has to be computed again." Ah!!!!! :oops:

New serie for stack. After a one PMax and four Dmap, I have re-alingned this five images and I have obtained a nice result.

Image

ChrisR
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Post by ChrisR »

Don't forget the "Batch" option.
You can set up a routine set of Dmap stacks, with different positions set on the sliders.
I'd suggest about four, with an additional one with the Contrast Threshold way off to the right, for backgrounds.
Sometimes a small area such as on an edge, is best addressed with one particular setting.

As a one-off, you can let it run for variations in the Estimation and Smoothing radii separately too. That answers the "I wonder what would happen if...?" once and for all!

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