PI Workflow

A Simple, Flexible, and Optimized Processing Suite for PixInsight

PI Workflow is a comprehensive astrophotography processing interface that unifies the entire post-processing pipeline into a single environment. It offers One Preview to Rule Them All: A single, high-performance, interactive preview panel shared across all tabs and tools. It also add new and powerful comparison toolslike Interactive Split-Screen (Split View), Multi-Algorithm Comparison Grid and 8-Slot of Transient Memory. Enjoy

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🌟 Key Features & Advantages

🚀 Simple and Flexible Workflow

• Logical Sequencing: Structured into four sequential, non-destructive tabs: Pre-Processing, Stretching (Star Split), Post-Processing, and Channel Combination.
• Smart Image Selection: Automatically detects and filters appropriate master files (R, G, B, L, Ha, OIII, SII, etc.) from your workspace.

👁️ Universal Preview Canvas

• One Canvas to Rule Them All: A single, high-performance, interactive preview panel shared across all tabs and tools. No more cluttering your screen with dozens of temporary preview windows.
• Fast Downsampled Calculations: Speeds up slider adjustments in real-time using a resolution reduction factor (1 to 6). PixInsight only runs the full-resolution calculation when you commit the change.

⚖️ Advanced Comparison Tools (Unique to PI Workflow)

These comparison features solve classic workflow bottlenecks and are not natively available in PixInsight:

• Interactive Split-Screen (Split View): Click the Split button to divide the preview pane. Slide the vertical division bar side-to-side to inspect the exact "before" (original/previous) and "after" (processed candidate) details in real-time.
• Multi-Algorithm Comparison Grid: With a single click, compare multiple algorithms side-by-side in a custom mosaic grid:
  • Gradient Correction: View MGC, AutoDBE, ABE, and GraXpert results at once.
  • Star Split: Compare SXT and StarNet2 separation layers side-by-side.
  • Sharpening: Compare BXT, Unsharp Mask, HDRMT, LHE, DSE, and Cosmic Clarity in a 3x2 grid.
• 8-Slot Transient Memory: Save up to 8 processing stages per tab and toggle between them instantly with simple left/right clicks to evaluate subtle parameter adjustments.

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🛠️ The Pipeline at a Glance

1. Pre-Processing (Linear Phase):

   • Plate solving integration.
   • Gradient Correction (MGC, AutoDBE, ABE, GraXpert) with live gradient-model preview.
   • Color Calibration (SPCC with Gaia DR3/SP catalog, Auto Linear Fit, Background Neutralization).
   • Deconvolution (BlurXTerminator, Cosmic Clarity).

2. Stretching (The Dynamic-Range Switch):

   • Star Split: Separate stars from nebulae (using StarXTerminator or StarNet2) before stretching to protect star profiles.
   • Dual-Zone Stretching: Independent stretching for the Starless layer (hyperbolic, reveal gas) and the Stars layer (logarithmic, preserve colors) using VeraLux, MAS, AutoSTF, Statistical Stretch, or Curves.

3. Post-Processing (Non-Linear Perceptual Phase):

   • Noise Reduction (NoiseXTerminator, TGVDenoise, Cosmic Clarity).
   • Sharpening (BlurXTerminator, USM, HDRMT, LHE, Dark Structure Enhance, Cosmic Clarity).
   • Color Balance (Hue/Intensity wheels, Saturation, SCNR).
   • Curves Transformation with real-time histogram overlay.
   • Procedural Masking (Range Mask, Color Mask, FAME) with live staging.

4. Channel Combination (The Final Blend):

   • Multi-slot composition (up to 6 layers) allowing LRGB, RGB, and Narrowband (Ha/OIII/SII) blending.
   • Real-time preview of layer opacities, curves, and blend modes (skipping the native PixInsight double-resampling pixelation).

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💾 Installation

Option A: Automatic Updates via Repository (Recommended)

This is the easiest method. It ensures you always have the latest version with automatic update notifications inside PixInsight:

1. Open PixInsight.
2. Go to the top menu and select Resources > Updates > Manage Repositories (Recursos > Actualizaciones > Administrar repositorios).
3. Click the Add (Añadir) button.
4. Paste the following URL:

   https://ninocabra.github.io/PI-Workflow/
   

5. Click OK, then click OK again to close the manager.
6. Go to the top menu and select Resources > Updates > Check for Updates (Recursos > Actualizaciones > Buscar actualizaciones).
7. PixInsight will find the script. Click Apply (Aplicar) and restart PixInsight.
8. The script will be available under Script > Utilities > PI Workflow.

Option B: Manual Installation

1. Download PI-Workflow.zip from this repository.
2. Extract the contents. You will find a src/scripts/ folder structure containing:
   • PI Workflow.js
   • PI Workflow_UI.js
   • PI Workflow_resources.jsh
   • PI Workflow_help.xhtml
3. Copy these four files into your PixInsight installation's script folder (usually C:\Program Files\PixInsight\src\scripts\).
4. In PixInsight, go to Script > Feature Scripts, click Add, select the directory where you copied the files, and click Done.

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👥 Authors & Support

• Developed by: @Ninocabra
• Support: For questions, bug reports, or feature requests, please open an issue in this GitHub repository.