[Solved] Problem with matching MasterDarkflats for Flats warning

@moviecells Hi Mike. Once a Master Dark or Master Dark Flat has been created, you don’t need to load and process the raw darks and dark flats anymore. I’d advice you to store the masters in an easily accessible folder and load them into APP when you need them. That should reduce the errors as well because APP will create a new Master Dark Flat and then apparently get confused about which to use. 

@wvreeven

Hi Thanks for the suggestion,

I can try but in the long run i have an issue

I use a master dark so thats not a issue I can try but in the long run i have an issue, I don't like to use master darkflat and flats because i have a rotator and some nights i use it so i have to take a new flat then matching darkflat the next day. 

I only use the new flats and darkflats for that night to load in to APP and also a fresh folder so there is no other master dark flat to use just the new one generated by the new APP session so there should be no confusion over which to use there is only one that matches.

Mike

@moviecells Why do you need new dark flats? No light is involved so dark flats are independent of the camera rotation. In other words, you can use a master dark flat instead.

Also, why do you need dark flats with different exposure times? Do you have flats with different exposure times? If yes, why? Is it because you have different filters that require flats with different exposure times? In that case you should make sure to assign the dark flats or the master dark flat with the corresponding exposure time to the same filter. Then APP will not have to choose anymore and will always select the correct one.

@wvreeven

HI i do know that for dark flats it not needed but darkflat and flat exposure times have to match for them to work and the way i take flats using Nina wizard i end up with different flat exposure times so there for different matching darkflats.

The underline issue is why is APP not selecting them it should do they are there and correct may be Vincent can help to understand why it would be better to fix the issue then just a temp work around it

Mike

@moviecells Sorry if you are unhappy with my attempts to help you solve your issue. From the little you explained so far it was far from clear what your workflow is and why you end up with flats of different exposures.

As for another attempt to help you move forward with your image processing: if you shoot bias frames together with a set of dark flats at one exposure time then APP is capable of scaling the master dark to the various exposure times of the flats which works around the error you get and it saves you time having to take dark flats every time. And before you object that bias frames are no good with modern CMOS cameras: if you avoid taking bias at the very shortest exposure time but instead use for instance 0.01 sec then it is OK.

In any case, I'll ask Mabula to provide an answer since this touches the core of APP.

Hi @moviecells,

Are you loading all those different MasterDarkFlats into APP ? If so then APP should automatically match them with the correct flats.

If this is not happening, then something must be wrong clearly.

The 60sec Ha flats should be calibrated automatically by the 60sec MasterDarkFlat if you have loaded it into APP, APP will not scan that folder in your screenshot. You need to explicitely load it for it to work, did you do that?

Perhaps you can upload the flats and your darkflats for all these filters and I can have a look at it in detail to see what is happening?

Can you upload it here:

https://upload.astropixelprocessor.com/

username & password: upload

Please make a folder with your name and let me know once uploaded and I will have a look 😉

Mabula

@mabula-admin

Hi Mabula

i am not loading master files the workflow is a follows

load lights

load master dark

load flat files

load dark flat files

then integate

the folder i show is the current work folder for APP as it generates files it generates the master dark flats as it goes.

problem is as it get to the point of using the master dark flats it does not seem to be able to match them to contine

let me know if you still need the uploaded files to try.

mike

@wvreeven

so i can shot dark flats at any time if i then take bais as well. so take flats as normal but not matching dark flats

mike

Posted by: @moviecells

so i can shot dark flats at any time if i then take bais as well. so take flats as normal but not matching dark flats

That’s correct. 

@mabula-admin

i will upload some flat and dark flat files tomorrow for you to try

mike

@mabula-admin

I am uploading some darkflats and flats for you to check should be complete in 25 mins. Let me kown how you get on

Also what need by into APP to generate masters for flats and darkflats just the darkflat and flat files or do they need a masterdark as well.

Mike

Hi Mike @moviecells,

As soon as your upload is finished, I will try to process them... so far, I only see that you have uploaded the darkflats ?

Mabula

Posted by: @moviecells

@mabula-admin

I am uploading some darkflats and flats for you to check should be complete in 25 mins. Let me kown how you get on

Also what need by into APP to generate masters for flats and darkflats just the darkflat and flat files or do they need a masterdark as well.

Mike

 

@moviecells, to be able to make master frames, only the subs for those masters are needed. Darks/MasterDarks are by no means necessary to make MasterFlats nor MasterDarkFlats 😉

Mabula

@mabula-admin

Please check again for some reason upload stopped

Mike

Hi Mike @moviecells,

All there now, will look at it right now and will let you know soon 😉 what the problem is.

Mabula

Hi Mike @moviecells,

Thank you for uploading your flats and darkflats. I encounter no problems, all seems to be fine.

I loaded all flats and had them assigned to a filter using the FITS filter tag. Loaded all the darkflats, they were assigned to all channels.

Astro Pixel Processer then created 7 masterdarkflats for the different exposure times. These then were automatically used to calibrate the flats per filter using the matching exposure times. All went automatically and I did not need to select a masterdarkflat like you were showing because all flats could be matched with the correct masterdarkflat per exposure time.

Also tried the following after I created the MasterDarkFlats. I loaded all the single flats and had them assigned to a filter using the FITS filter tag. Then I loaded the 7 MasterDarkFlats using the MasterDarkFlat load button. Then again all went perfectly and automatically.

I did not find any issues. I can only assume, that you are not loading all the darkflats or the already created MasterDarkFlats. APP will only ask you to select a MasterDarkFlat from a list if a flat can not be matched to a MasterDarkFlat based on exposure time. So in that case, the corresponding MasterDarkFlat was probably not loaded into APP. To be clear, APP will not automatically scan the folder with your masters to find them. You need to explicitely load them 😉 with the darkflats or the MasterDarkFlat button.

So, are you sure that you loaded all the darkflats or the already created MasterDarkFlats so all flats could be calibrated properly?

Please let me know if this explains it and solves it for you?

Mabula

@mabula-admin

Thanks for trying, i did say in my first post it does not always happen, i have a feeling it depends sometimes on where i point the working folder too for the final files. I always load the same amount of flats/dark flats all that changes is working directory and the amount of lights. I will keep an eye on future work and see if i can work out a pattern to when it does not work

Mike

@moviecells Do you sometimes use a directory on an external HD as working folder? If yes, is that when this issue happens?

@wvreeven

its a internal SSD drive all i do is sometime make a sub folder in the light folder for the working files so will just have to keep an eye on things to see if i can work out what makes it happen. have feeling at times APP is looking for generated current master files just computed in the wrong place.

ike

@moviecells I reread the whole thread again and I don’t think we asked you what version of APP you use. 

Hi Well warning are back and i tried 3 times and seem to be able to repeat the error I just load all the flat files and then all the dark flat files and process them to make masters and i get this error they should all match so it should work

I have uploaded them to a folder called michael purver can you load and try them need to find out why these seem not to work.

In the meantime i am going to try using a bias master, do i need darkflats at all if i use bias or just bias and flats.

@wvreeven

hi i am using version 1.083 beta 2

Mike