CCDSoft's Host of Image Processing Features

As well as assisting you in taking images, CCDSoft provides you with a large suite of functions for processing your images. The following is list of the image processing functions and other features found in CCDSoft.

 

Feature Brief Explanation
Align Centroids Manually aligns two or more images by shifting them according to a common pixel on the images.
Blink Compare Quickly flashes between two of your images to make differences really stand out.
Background & Range Manually adjust how the maximum and maximum values are mapped to the display.
Combine Combines two of your images through Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, Blend, And, Or, Exclusive Or, Dark Subtract, or Flat Field.
Column Repair Fixes damaged or defective pixels in a column by replacing these pixels with an average of adjacent pixels.
Convert To Converts any of your images to grayscale or black and white, and converts your 24-bit images to 8-bit, 256 color format.
Custom Filters Allows you to create, save and restore custom digital filters and apply them to your images.
Copy Copies the image to the Clipboard.  This is useful to transfer your image to another application.
Crop Duplicates a selected portion of an image, maintaining the original image's bit depth.
Duplicate Creates a new image that is the exact duplicate of the original.  This includes header information for FITS and SBIG-type file formats.
Equalization Reassigns your brightness levels equally across the entire range of pixel values.
Flip Horizontal Reverse the image from left to right.
Flip Vertical Inverts the image.
Histogram Brighten Non-linearly brightens your images.
Histogram with Statistics Graphically represents data for scaling your images to the display. 
Kodalith Create a black and white image at a specified brightness threshold.
Live Zoom Magnifies your images using either Normal or Linear mode.
Outline Display edges within your images.
Paste Creates a new image from the Clipboard's bitmap.
Palette Display Displays the palette associated with your images, and allows you to modify colors with complete control. (The Palette dialog provides many functions, including Rotate Palette, Animate Palette, assign an X-Ray, False Color, Red, Green, or Blue palette, or create your own.)
Pixellize Averages your pixel brightness values over a specified region.
Posterization Limits the number of brightness levels present in your images.
Print Prints a hard copy of your images.
Resampling Makes your rectangular pixels square.
RGB Combine Produces true color images by combining the three color components of your images.
RGB Brightness Adjust the red, green and blue channels of a color image.
Richardson-Lucy Algorithm A popular image processing technique used to dramatically improve detail in CCD images.
Rotate Rotate your image at any angle.
Remove Hot/Cold Pixels Removes pixels that have anonymously high or low values compared to surrounding pixels.
Scripting CCDSoft powerful COM object model allows scripted control of the camera and other functions. See CCDSoft's help file for details.
Shift Moves an image a specified number of pixels (horizontally, vertically or both axes).
Size an image Expand or compress images.
Smooth Filters Filters your images with Average, Custom Average, and Blur filters.
Transfer Function Allows you to graphically define your own transfer functions to stretch, scale, and mask your images.
Unsharp Mask Enhances faint detail in your planetary images.

Other Useful Features Explanation
AutoAstrometry* Determine the astrometric solution for your image with the click of a button!
Auto Supernova, Comet or Minor Planet detection* CCDSoft can compare two or more images and determine the differences between them.  Potential minor planets are outlined for your inspection.  These minor planet observations can be sent to an IAU-formatted text file for submisson.
Digitized Sky Survey Support Retrieve and display pictures from the Digitized Sky Survey (18 or 102 CD-ROM set).
Night Vision Mode Preserves your night vision by displaying a red screen while downloading images.
Undo Undoes the last image processing operation.
Show Images as a Movie Create your own astronomical movies by showing a collection of images in rapid sequence.
IAU Minor Planet Observation Reports* Automatically generate the IAU-formatted text file to submit your minor planet observations.
Multimedia Assign movies, sound, or text to your CCD images.
Image Information Displays information about your image files. (Many image formats are supported by CCDSoft, including all SBIG file formats, BMP, DIB, EPS, FITS, GIF, IMG, JPEG, LNX, PCD, PCT, PCX, PDS, PhotoCD, RLE, TGA, TIFF, WPG, and more.)
Live Zoom Quickly zoom into any portion of your image with the Live Zoom tool.
Three-dimensional Graph of Image Data View your image as a graphical, three-dimensional surface plot. 

 

image3.jpg

Sample Three Dimensional Graph of Inset Star Field
Scripted Operation CCDSoft powerful COM object model allows scripted control of the camera and other functions. See CCDSoft's help file for details.