Should I add 'all frame' types ?

So you take these frames for various reasons;

- Bias - this is to correct for readout-noise
- Darks - this is to correct for hot pixels and amp-glow
- Flats - this is to correct for vignetting and dust

Instead of Bias, many also take darkflats, which basically are bias frames but then taken with a little longer exposure (the same as the flats to be exact).

For each of these you take a good amount. For Bias and Darks, usually at least 40 (ideally about 100, but 40 is a also fine). Flats, about 10-20. These you can all load in together with your lights if you want, APP will then calibrate the calibration frames correctly and create Masters. These Masters are then used to calibrate the lights.

@vincent-mod

Thankyou. I understand the frame types, I am trying to understand more of how APP handles them based on the following:

1) should I add them all to APP "1) Load" ?  or should I only add a certain combination. What happens if I loaded ALL TYPES i.e. Bias and Darkflats does APP calculate which ones to use i.e. Bias over Dark Flats, or will it just process the all.

2) do all my frames have to be of the same rotation? My current flat frames when viewed individually are rotated portrait, whereas everything else is rotated landscape. Should I retake them, or does APP calculate any rotation?

Ah ok, just wanted to make that clear first. 😉

1) If you assign them correctly and load all in, APP will process them in the right order.
2) Flats rotation, good question, I think that's going to be an issue yes. APP is expecting the same dimensions (never tried to use rotated flats so, not sure).

Great thankyou.. will redo my flats. The camera must have been slightly orientated in a way, it thought it was being held as a portrait.

Is there anything wrong with using Bias and Dark Flats together ?  From what I understand Bias frames are at the shortest exposure the camera can perform at while the Dark Flats are at the same exposure as the Flats. Comparing both Bias and Dark Flats could be at different exposure lengths and therefor hold different 'noise'. 

You can try to use the "batch rotate" tool in tab 9. I've never used it for this specific case though, but you may want to try that first before retaking the data.

Bias and darkflats can be used together, when properly assigned APP will use the darkflats for the flats and bias for the lights. However, be aware that some sensors (mainly the new CMOS type) have issues with bias, darkflats seem to be fine as well to use as bias for many sensor types. At least in my Canon 6D, bias works fine.

many thanks !