AstroDMx Capture 2.18.1 Released (All Platforms)
I’m pleased to announce the release of AstroDMx Capture 2.18.1. This is a significant release that implements full support for the SVBONY SC571CC full 16-bit camera and also implements a new 16-bit transform as well as other improvements.
SVBONY SC571CC
AstroDMx Capture now has full support for the SC571CC camera. This is a true 16-bit TEC cooled camera which is proving to be an exceptional deep sky camera.
16-bit Transform and Preview Display
This release introduces a highly optimised image processing engine featuring a mathematically robust Median Absolute Deviation (MAD) and Midtone Transfer Function (MTF) transform pipeline. This update provides astrophotographers with precise automated stretching, bringing out faint deep-sky details instantly in the live previewer without manual setup.
The MAD/MTF transform can be improved by changing the display quality setting which is located in the Controls: Preview control group. Note: increasing the display quality uses significantly more memory and requires a relatively fast CPU.
Alongside these visual upgrades, the core rendering engine has undergone a major performance and architectural overhaul. This improves the rendering loop performance significantly especially on single-board hardware like the Raspberry Pi 5
FITS Improvements
Two new keywords have been added.
IMAGETYP: This field holds information about the image intent. It can be set in the primary image capture dialog or is auto-set when capturing calibration frames via the built in calibration capture functionality. The values are:
- Light
- Dark
- Flat
- DarkFlat
FILTER: This is a FITS keyword that holds the filter name. If a supported filter wheel is connected, this information is updated automatically. If not using a filter wheel, then the user can now enter the name of the filter that is currently in use. This is set in the primary capture dialog.
Warning Messages
As AstroDMx Capture continues to grow in capability, the demands placed on the host system have naturally increased. While the software remains compatible with a wide range of hardware, very low-specification systems can sometimes struggle to provide the performance needed for smooth image capture and preview display.
To help users identify potential performance limitations, AstroDMx Capture now includes optional hardware advisory notifications. The application will warn when running on systems with fewer than four CPU cores or less than 4 GiB of installed memory. These notifications are intended as guidance only and do not prevent the software from running. Users who wish to continue using older or lower-powered hardware may permanently dismiss the warnings using the provided “Don’t show again” option.
General
For more information about this release, please see the changelog. The new version (2.18.1) can be found on the main downloads page.