Project Name

Fexible Image Transport System FITS utilities using anaconda, astropy, tkinter.

Purpose: Uses simple gui control panel to select and process FITS and JPG files.

This project in not intended to replace more powerful tools in this class but as a learning aid. See DS9.

Table of Contents

• General Info
• Technologies Used
• Features
• Screenshots
• Setup
• Usage
• Notes
• Source Files
• Project Status
• Room for Improvement
• Acknowledgements
• Contact
• License
• Copyright

General Information

• Q: What is it? A: User interactive program intended to allow exploration of astrophotography FITS files.
• Q: What is the goal? A: The overall goal is to have a custom FITS post-processing tool usable in the field.
• Q: What problem does it (intend to) solve? A: Provide visual and transformed data about FITS images for debugging and learning FITS post-processing.
• Q: What is the purpose of your project? A: An expandable tool useful for post-processing FITS images in the field. Just add more gui and functional callbacks.
• Q: Why did you undertake it? A: I want to see colorful images in the field and have something to do during long exposures.

Technologies Used

Highly Recommended

• anaconda - python environment with packages installed
• atom with script - editor

Required

• anaconda - python environment with packages installed (optional)
• astropy - astrophotography library
• tkinter - GUI
• matplotlib - MATLAB-like plotters
• PIL - picture library
• os - directory and files
• re - pattern matching

Optional

• MacOS 12.0.1

Features

List the ready features here:

• histogram plot with save
• image plot with save
• JPG split into FITS with save

Screenshots

Setup

1. Install anaconda
2. Install atom with, at least, script
3. Clone repository for project source files and images directory.

Use the detailed installation instructions at Astropy Installation.

Usage

1. Open clone in atom.
2. Select main.py.
3. Run. Use cmd-i in atom or "> python main.py".
4. Check the directory paths in the GUI.
5. Use GUI to select image files and operations.
6. Look for INFO: and ERROR: messages in terminal.

Notes

• This program uses the "images" directory for image files (or tries to).

Source Files

• main.py - main program
• gui.py - control panel
• fits_plotters.py - fits file plotters as callbacks
• rgb_plotters.py - jpg file plotters as callbacks

Project Status

Project is: in progress (/ complete / no longer being worked on).

Room for Improvement

Improvement:

• GUI is clunky
• Hard to select image files not in images directory
• Add more color processing

To do:

• Fix directory text box change doesn't update files combobox
• More post-processing capabilities

Acknowledgements

• This project was inspired by not wanting to spend $ on a real post-processing tool and learning how to post-process.
• This project was based on [this tutorial] (https://whitaker.physics.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2038/2017/02/PythonTutorial_Metivier.pdf).
• Many thanks to those Open Sourcers and individual contributors for tools and examples.

Contact

Created by @karstdiver - feel free to contact me!

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.

Copyright

Copyright (c) 2021 Karst Diver