PixInsight For Dummies (Like Me!) | Part 2: Stacking

In this video I'll walk you through the basics of using PixInsight's "Weighted Batch Preprocessing" script, which is used to stack your photos.  This is a very powerful tool, but it does have some problems.  For example, if you are stacking high-res photos then the software will save all new versions of your RAW images.  These new photos can take up lots of space on your computer.  Of course, you can always delete them later, but it's just another hassle to deal with.

I've also found that PixInsight takes considerably longer to stack my images when compared to DeepSkyStacker or ASI Studio's DeepStack tool.  In one example, PixInsight took over 2 hours to stack 100 photos!  The same batch of photos was stacked in less than 5 minutes using ASI Studio.

There are some benefits to using the Weighted Batch Preprocessing script though.  First of all, you can really make use of the metadata and keywords in your images.  This makes it easier to include multiple nights worth of data, or just stay organized.  PixInsight also has an "Astrometric Solution" tool that uses your focal length and pixel size to help determine what stars are visible in your image.  It can then essentially "plate solve" your final stacked photo.  This data can later be used in the "SpectroPhotometricColorCalibration" tool to accurately fix the white balance and colors of your image.  

I'd highly recommend checking out Adam Block's tutorials for more information on Weighted Batch Preprocessing.  He has a wealth of information regarding the various settings.  You can find his YouTube channel here:

https://www.youtube.com/c/adamblock

00:00 - Weighted Batch Preprocessing Intro

01:09 - Load Lights, Darks, Bias, Flats

03:16 - WBPP Settings

05:09 - Begin Stacking

06:04 - Find Stacked Files

08:12 - Delete Unnecessary Files

09:25 - Stack in ASI Studio

11:38 - Recap 

12:54 - Outro