GraXpert astronomical background extraction - better than PixInsight DBE?

[@steffen1181]

Hi, here is Steffen, one of the developers of GraXpert. Thank you for presenting this tool! You can already change the box size by clicking on the advanced tab on the right. This will open a panel with a few more other options. There you can change the sample size.

[@VisibledarkAstro]

Thanks for the info!

[@kekkoukedarake110]

Steffen, I am using macOS Monterey v12.6. When open the software, it returns "GraXpert can't be opened because Apple can not check it for malicious software." Normally I can open by authorizing through security in preferences but unable to. It also says "This software needs to be updated. Contact the developer for more information." That is why I am writing to you. Please help.

[@steffen1181]

@@kekkoukedarake110 Hi, GraXpert is not signed by an Apple Developer Certificate because that costs money. That means MacOS won't execute it without explicit whitelisting by the user. I will just copy and paste the answer of David, another developer, to someone who had a similar problem. The following steps do this for me in a reproducible way: - (if installed previously) remove the old GraXpert installation from the programs folder (i.e., move it to the trash). - double click on the downloaded .dmg. MacOS 'mounts' the .dmg file and should open it in a new window in Finder. - copy 'GraXpert' from this window into the programs folder (e.g., via drag & drop) From here it gets a little bit strange and I have to open GraXpert always two times until it starts: - Start GraXpert via double click from the programs folder. After a short time MacOS complains that it can't analyze the application. - Open GraXpert again, but this time via ctrl + right-click -> Open. A slightly different dialog should open, where you have to explicitly confirm the launch again. As I understand it, this step is equivalent to allow application startup via System Preferences/Security & Privacy/General (just a bit shorter). Unfortunately, this ctrl + right-click "workaround" won't work the first time you open it - for whatever reason. Afterwards you should be able to open GraXpert simply via double click. These steps have to be repeated for each new GraXpert release / download Please also note that GraXpert probably won't run on MacOS Mojave (10.14.) or older.

[@kekkoukedarake110]

@@steffen1181 Thank you Stef fen. It worked. Now I will enjoy your program.😃

[@AstroB7]

Thanks for the awesome tool. Could I contribute to it on GitHub ? I am a python developper. Thanks Steffen. Awesome software here :)

[@astrophotocologne]

Thank you Shawn to introduce GraXpert to a broader audience. We worked on the Mac alternative already but it requires some steps to follow: You always should use the latest version which is always the one you get from our homepage. Then you should move the app to the application folder and either start it from the console or from the launch pad. If you did that once it should always start perfectly. If your security programs give alerts, you can trust Graxpert as it will not harm your Computer. Thats just because either Windows nor Mac know the program and so they are kinda sceptic. Sample size can be choosen from the advanced tab btw.. Great Video that shows how easy GraXpert is to use, and yes, its for free! I always use it now even though i love DBE in PI , but GraXpert is easier to use and gives as good as not better results.

[@angryBOT]

Regarding your subscriber ratio: That is actually a good value for KZbin! Man well received channels are over 60%.

[@peterraymond3653]

I'd say left image looks better. I'm subscribed and your videos have been a huge help to me. I've no idea why viewers don't subscribe because your vids are straight to the point and your presentation is spot on 👍

[@KerryCarlsen]

Hi Shawn. Thank you for another tutorial on image processing software. The one on the left is the GraXpert image and is the better of the two. The one on the right still has some gradient showing in the bottom left of the image. I appreciate the time you put into your channel. I have learned much from you...thank you!

[@ianwatson8599]

I’d say left is dbe and right graxpert . Also I’ve been a subscriber for about a year or so. Learnt so much from you, no brainer for anyone not subscribed to do so! Cheers Shawn

[@garyw.2224]

Good stuff! As others have said, I believe the left image is the Graxpert image. The right-hand image had some lingering gradient in the lower left corner, something I often see with DBW.

[@thepuffybird]

Thanks for this. Dont know about it. Gonna check it out. I think the left image looks better.

[@gregerianne3880]

Great review/tutorial! Thanks, Shawn. I'm anxious to try this.

[@kekkoukedarake110]

Shawn, The reason why I started watch your channel initially was because Wayne Parker always highly talks about you. But now I watch your channel mainly because you provide me with most practical solutions. Background theories are important but your practical explanation create good base for me to understand background theories later. This is another good presentations! Thank you. I think the left one is done by DBE, Pixinsight.

[@VisionCommunications]

Wow! That's a great tip. Thank you! Just now subscribed!

[@AstroQuest1]

Nice video and thanks for doing the comparison. Never heard of GraXpert but will check it out. I like the left one better which is what I believe is the GraXpert one. Cheers Kurt

[@paulhumberstone5784]

Great video, as usual Shawn. Thanks. Downloaded it. It is so easy to use ( plus it is free!) and has already given fabulous results on images where I have had some problems with gradients, in the past.

[@ASC-Explore]

Hi, just quick feedback, please lock the focus on the camera the pulsating focus strains the eyes. Thanks for bringing this tool to my attention

[@sknarberg]

Thanks for showing this new tool 👍 I would say that what I know of this target, the result you've got, messed up the nebulousity, probably due to the sample points being in the nebulousity area. I am subscribed 👍😀

[@jonb6894]

I've been using GraXpert for a few weeks. It works just as well as the $$$ alternatives imo.

[@DrewJEvans44]

Awesome as always, Shawn. Thanks for bringing this great software up! I find it working better on auto sample points than DBE.

[@KopLamp]

Siril does the RBF background extraction too (for free as well). Very helpful video. One a different image-improving subject; I was playing around with free alternatives for astrophotography in regards to noise reduction. I found one in the name of AstroDenoisePyGUI which is based on the microscopy tool CSBDeep. Not sure if there is a certain UI library used, but the two are strikingly similar in its layout.

[@rickdurham264]

I discovered AstroDenoisePy about 4 months ago and have found it very useful, even better that it is free as well!!

[@bradleykotch]

Shawn, I'm a somewhat recent subscriber. Really enjoying your channel! From my situation, I might be able to answer your viewer vs subscriber ratio dilemma. As I learned the hobby, I had to seek out certain answers in a certain order. To subscribe to a channel (whether it was yours or someone else's) just didn't pertain to my level of imaging. In many cases, I only needed about half or less of a channel's content of information. It's not that you were doing anything wrong, I just wasn't there yet!

[@indysbike3014]

It would be interesting if you also had GradientXTerminator and see them side by side. And perhaps Siril too. I think the left one is GraXpert.

[@OptiquevideoFPV]

Wow thanks it looks really good ill go have a try for sure

[@an35tares]

Thank you very much Shawn for this video ! You convinced me to try Graxpert ! I take my pictures in the city and I get very much gradient within my pictures ! Yet I use a filter (Idas-lps P3) for that but with the del light it's very difficult to eliminate the light pollution especially on the galaxy ! But on the nebula, no problem with my l-extreme !

[@rtpman1953]

Thanks for the informative video. I'm thinking the GraXpert is the one on the left. It seems to have correctly taken care of the gradiants but didn't over-correct the corner vignetting. Now, if only a developer could correct for strong CMOS reflections on very bright stars, hint, hint.

[@ChristianProulx]

Nicely done Shawn, I'll make mine for the French community of the world, take care.

[@jean-marclemoine9636]

Thank’s Shawn Seems to work well. I will try it. Right image is DBE Pixinsight? JM

[@PopeAstro]

Shawn thanks for sharing!! You are a G! I appreciate you. ARIS from The Bay

[@normanhey8016]

No idea why folks watch your content and don't subscribe, other than you don't have to be a subscriber. I for one am happy to be a subscriber if it helps you put up these informative sessions. Thanks. It would have been informative to see the background model that GraXpert generated. That would make comparing the two results (seeing the PI-generated background as well) a bit more "fair", since we don't see what settings you used in DBE. There is clearly a difference between the two images, but without knowing how DBE was configured, I am just going to toss a coin. 😕

[@VisibledarkAstro]

Thanks Norman. I actually show the background models and such in my most recent video I posted yesterday "the big reveal - GraXpert". That might be what you're interested in. Thanks for the comment. Cheers.

[@MakeAMark]

Interesting. You should test the APP function "Remove Light Pollution," on the same data set. That function removes gradients in a similar fashion I think.

[@mikevollmer8418]

I am a subscriber, but I find "the hand is quicker that the eye". You know where you are going but it is very hard to keep up with you with my data. I really appreciate that you speak well, and don't have background music. Just wish your mouse would slow down.

[@garyanderson6192]

Tha ks for another tutorial Shawn. Now that this is integrated into pix, how do you access the tool controls from within pix?

[@Astrophotography_Channel]

Hi Shawn one of my best creators!! best is the shot on left? graXpert?? when the solution?? thanks for all you made

[@oq17]

Hi - I just subscribed to. Thank you . I have a really novice question . Is the image I load into graxpert an image I’ve already processed and stretched and saved as a tif file ? I use Gimp to stretch my photos. Would I use graxpert after gimp for instance ? Thank you !

[@stilianoskalatzis7491]

An other great video Shawn, thanks for the info and intro to this program. I'm guessing the left image is the GraXpert one. When will the answer be revealed? Thanks again and rock on!

[@SKYST0RY]

I don't know which image is the PI vs GraXpert image, but I prefer the right one more due to the higher contrast, less softness and greater saturation.

[@alecalden216]

Hi Shawn, another great video. I have just come across Graxpert and have a simple question. I am a Pixinsight user and as everyone know the files of choice ar xisf. My question is having Pixinsight processed, calibrated and stacked my images I have an xisf master file, how do I open this in Graxpert? Do I save the xisf master file in some other format to open it in Graxpert. Thanks for your help.

[@AstroHunter5280]

I cant wait to try this bad boy

[@allenbaylus3378]

I am curious if you would care to do a comparison between PI Automatic Background Extraction and Dynamic Background Extraction.

[@CaptRescue2]

Looks very interesting. I am subscribed eh. Hey hoser when we gonna find out the answer?? Put the images on your website, youtube image quality is a knob!

[@enriqueboeneker]

Hey Shawn! Fun challenge, yes! Look, the one with DBE is the one on the right. But, anyway, their result is very close to one another. I have one question though. I know you are fond to place the sample boxes at the edge of the pictures, especially if they have lots of nebulosity. What if, only this time, you do not place any sample box on the IC 434 nebula? And one further question, did you place similar size sample boxes and more or less in the same place on DBE (I assume you did, of course)? On the other hand in GraXpert I do not have the ability to preview what each box is sampling. I have found out that avoiding stars as much as possible is very benefitial for the final outcome. I will give GraXpert a try, although must say that I am very happy with DBE. Thank you so much for putting out these videos, Shawn. They have helped me a lot. Keep up the good work, and don't worry about statistics, just put out what you feel it's going to be useful for your viewers. Cheers!

[@mickeyhuffman1511]

the right one is PIX DBE

[@massimo541]

Many Thanks 😁

[@llamarvasquez1803]

Man this is awesome! Do you do this to combine channels or can you do it to each channel?

[@robj144]

Good video. Isn't the grid tolerance related to where it puts the sample points when you create a grid, like Siril?

[@ClausTuxen]

Just downloaded it to my Mac, and it opens perfectly, but its extremely lack-ish, not running smooth.

[@boswix6209]

GM Shawn, at the end of the video when you mixed and matched the two images, the one that you processed in PI with dbe, did you do the dbe edges or processed it similar by adding the sample points like you did with the new program? Just curious. Long time follower and happily subscribed 🤗 You have helped me in many ways and I appreciate your insight and sharing.

[@viewintospace]

The language they use on the discord channel is German.

[@VisibledarkAstro]

Yes that's it. Lol I couldn't remember when I was recording the video and didn't want to stop.

[@brianastrodoc2886]

Hi Shawn, looks like the left image has less gradient. I use Pixinsight solely for my post processing so I hope the left one was done by PI.

[@Jacq_Deepsky-Villa-Karimunjawa]

The Sample size you desired is under the "advanced" tab 😀

[@oq17]

Once I save the image with the background removed - can I then stretch it further or less in a tool like gimp ? Or is it “locked” at this point ?

[@Norm42551]

Thank you Shawn. I find that GraXpert does a good job removing the gradient. However, the images appear somewhat grainier than those of PI using DBE. That seems to persist no matter what percent stretch that I use. Also, do you have a video on how to reduce the number of stars without completely removing them? Thank, Norm.

[@VisibledarkAstro]

I haven't noticed this on my images. I will have a closer look next I use it. Reducing the number of stars, I think the best way would be to remove the stars from the linear image and then manually stretch that image. The brighter stars will emerge before the fainter smaller ones do, perhaps giving the effect you want.

[@michaellorentzen1672]

Ok so your pitch worked. I subbed.

[@dmcmahon999]

I have a thought regarding why some of us don’t subscribe. I did go ahead just now and subscribe but have some thoughts

[@VisibledarkAstro]

The analytics show I should have around 30k subscribers. Interesting to me that was all. I didn't expect everyone to suddenly subscribe 😳 🙃 😆

[@VisibledarkAstro]

Thanks for the sub!

[@MrBengourben]

Hi. Thanks and great review. I was trying this out last week, but for some reason the UI resolution was tiny on my desktop. So small, I couldn't read it. All my other imaging softwares display properly. Anyone have any ideas?

[@giohelp]

You are great!!!

[@jonathanpearceff]

It might be good, but I can't find out as for about the last three weeks while trying to download, it constantly fails with network errors.

[@alsajooo]

Subscribed! All you had to do was mention it in a way that made me feel bad. 😂

[@Laurent_BARTHELEMY]

Hi , you can increase box size in advenced settings tab on the right...,😁

[@VisibledarkAstro]

Excellent. I didn't look there. 😕 oops

[@astrobri]

I reckon pixinsight is the right hand side 🤗

[@stuparker776]

Hi Shawn Thanks for this.I am a Subscriber:).This looks interesting just another program to open though. the image on the left looks better and I think from GraXpert.BTW I am getting a little more familiar with PI.I must apologize for the silly questions a few months back thanks for your patience.I would be keen for a 1 on 1 at some stage if you still do that Cheers Stu

[@VisibledarkAstro]

Absolutely. Feel free to contact me again. Thanks!

[@AstroHunter5280]

Question. Would you use Graxpert as well as DBE?

[@VisibledarkAstro]

No I wouldn't use both. One or the other.

[@AstroHunter5280]

@@VisibledarkAstro thank you! great video!

[@davidschaeffer5322]

You left them the same. Left is graX pert, right Is DBE.

[@iw4sthere]

I download it already on my macbook 13 pro but i did not work

[@dereksmith4517]

Nice

[@dmcmahon999]

How can I message you offline?

[@VisibledarkAstro]

The subscriber thing was more an experiment just to see. 😆 I saw a youtuber asking in his video and the response was interesting.

[@iw4sthere]

Cannot work on may macbook 13 pro

[@tomhoskins4913]

The one on the left.

[@dgv646]

A bit of feedback as you requested: you really need to be far more succinct. You spend a lot of time explaining very simple steps and take lots of tangents. For instance, this video is just short of 20 minutes. Take a step back and truly think whether such a basic task really requires a 20 minute long tutorial (consider that most people who watch this video are well aware of background removal techniques). If you can get to the point more quickly I think probably people who are on the fence may be more likely to subscribe.

[@VisibledarkAstro]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@refetastro]

Excellent video Does include denoise on this proces ? Or just stretching ?

[@Rafastro]

I feel Pranked. All that time of your rambling, and at the very end you don’t tell us, which is which😂 I just don’t understand. Where is our benefit on that as subscribers to your channel? 95% of the people that watched this are familiar with DBE, maybe 15 minutes explaining how grad expert works, was too much?

[@VisibledarkAstro]

The only rambling is your comment. My channel. My video. If you don't like it go away. Lol. Start your own channel then. Don't be so critical of others efforts when you're hiding behind a keyboard. It's a two part video. The reveal is in the second video. Geez.

[@Rafastro]

@@VisibledarkAstro sorry, you asked for critique, and I gave it. Next time don’t ask if you don’t mean it.🙄 Especially when you’re begging for likes and follows. Sounds like all you want is for your ego to be stoked, otherwise, go away. Been a follower for some time, and my comments were with the best of intentions. Seems like Adam Block was right….

[@JacekModrakowski]

No difference.

[@VisibledarkAstro]

Hard to see in the video. There is a difference though. Cheers.

[@refetastro]

Wow I can’t tell the difference.