MaxIm DL Pro Suite 5.09

MaxIm DL is specifically designed for astronomical imaging and other low-light level applications. It operates scientific-grade CCD cameras, DSLR cameras, low-cost CCD imagers, and webcams and other video sources. It also controls filter wheels, focusers, autoguiders, telescopes, focal plane rotators, and observatory domes. A wide variety of hardware is supported through both ASCOM drivers and proprietary and third-party plug-in drivers.

MaxIm DL is the fastest and easiest way to image the night sky. Whether you want to produce stunning portraits, collect science data, or hunt for new objects, MaxIm DL has the tools you need. Version 5 adds a host of new capabilities, to make imaging and processing faster and easier than ever before possible.

Key Benefits
Complete observatory integration. Controls your camera, autoguider, filter wheels, focusers, camera rotator, telescope mount, and dome. ASCOM compliant.
Built-in mini-planetarium with AllSky and Zoom view helps you maintain "situational awareness":
See a whole sky overview, with the telescope position overlaid.
Zoom in on your target, with field-of-view of the camera superimposed.
Greatly enhanced object database and powerful search capabilites.
Instantly overlay images from the camera to help you identify targets.
Graphically control image plane rotator.
Redesigned camera controls for faster and easier imaging. Create your own presets for finding, centering, focusing, and LRGB sequences.
Multiple autodark buffers allow you to quickly switch between presets without reshooting darks.
Quickly change program configurations. If you use multiple camera/telescope setups, you can instantly reconfigure all software settings in just a few clicks.
Stack images much faster and easier:
Automatically identify stack groups by object ID and color filter - no more sorting through image files!
Automatically reject poor quality images based on criteria you choose.
Calibrate and/or color convert images on-the-fly during stacking.
Align images using a variety of automatic and manual alignment technqiues.
Color combines RGB and LRGB image sets, using a single alignment reference image.
Works from disk to save precious RAM.
Stack multiple images with hundreds of individual subexposures, just drop in a folder and click Go!
Includes a complete image processing toolkit, including a large variety of filters, deblooming, curves, deconvolution, color tools, and much more.

New in Version 5
New Processing Features
New image file thumbnails and both XP and Vista/7 style open/save dialog boxes
Load and save complete program configures
Processing log window
Star profile graph
New Stack command
Automatically or manually generate multiple stack groups, including complete LRGB groups
Automatically grade all images for quality, and only include images meeting your criteria
View grading information for individual images, with manual override
Export image grading information
Pre-measure alignment for all images prior to stacking
Calibrate on-the-fly during stacking; saves time and disk space - New Drizzle capability
Automatically perform LRGB stack after combine
All images in LRGB set are aligned to single reference image
Load up hundreds or thousands of images with multiple different targets, click Go, and MaxIm DL will automatically assemble all of your LRGB sets ready for final processing
Wavelet filters for image enhancement
Easier to use Color Convert (debayer), with presets for many popular camera models
Remove Background Color
New Program Levels
MaxIm DL Basic: webcams, DSI-style cameras, image processing
MaxIm DSLR: Basic plus DSLR support, focuser control, telescope control, astrometry, enhanced image processing
MaxIm DL Pro: all features including DSLR and CCD control, mini planetarium, AO, filter wheels, rotator, dome, photometry
MaxIm DL Pro Suite: Pro with MaxPoint telescope mount modelling and pointing refinement
MaxIm DL IP: all image processing and analysis features, no equipment control, reads DSLR Raw frames
New Equipment Control Features
Built-in Rotator control
Built-in Dome control with slaving, shutter operation
Support for second focuser and filter wheel for autoguider
Built-in mini planetarium with All Sky view and Zoom view
Instantly overlay camera images
Search extensive catalog database by multiple criteria
FOV indicator with Rotator control via mouse
Resizable display
See all equipment status at a glance
Autocenter now accepts PinPoint calibration
Automatic pier flip tracking
Autofocus V-curve display
Improved camera setup
Larger camera control window with most camera settings in one view
Camera control presets let you quickly change between your favorite settings for find, focus, center, and acquisition sequences
Instantly swap cameras
Improved focus information displays with trend graphs
User-configurable camera, guider, and focus status displays
Virtual keyboard for number entry in the dark

Version 5.09:

Observatory Control: Allow "Sync to solved position" from Catalog tab. Focuser tab now shows position and temperature while compensation active, if available from the driver.

Image Display: Added an adjustable center gap to the Crosshair display. Screen Stretch now includes new option to ignore hot pixels when auto-calculating Min/Max values.

Calibration: Added the ability to apply different bad pixel maps for each calibration group.

Remove Bad Pixels: Now automatically adjusts for subframes.

Stack: Can now export image alignment parameters. Fixed a rare crash. Two star alignment now tags the circular cursor with the star number, to reduce confusion during tagging.

Orion: Added support for Parsec 8300M and 8300C cameras. New DLLs for the StarShoot Autoguider were supplied by Orion.

Nikon: added support for new models.

Starlight Xpress: Added support for dithering when running non-SX main camera. Fixed an intermittent crash on disconnecting SX AO.

SBIG: Fixed glitch in AO driver fan enable control. Changed method of camera model enumeration, to allow for differentiation between ST-402 and ST-8300.

Miscellaneous: Prevent Set Calibration from creating a master frame for an empty group. Improved autosave sequence time estimate. Image processing only version now supports scripting. Autoguider output control now releases when changing ports or disconnecting camera. Fixed problem with focus offsets for autoguider. Minor updates to Apogee driver. Fixed problem in Annotate command. Fixed problem in Open Photometry File command. Fixed bugs in ASCOM camera driver cooler control and ASCOM Direct pulse guiding.

Home Page - http://cyanogen.com/maximmain.php