Version 2.0
OSC Multi-Night Stacking is a Python + PyQt6 GUI Siril application script that automates the creation of Siril 1.4 scripts for multi-night deep-sky stacking projects using Siril-style directory layouts.
It provides a Sirilic-like interface using the new Siril Python API that is fully portable, written in Python, and designed for users who capture multiple nights of imaging data and want a one-click way to generate correct Siril processing pipelines.
- This is mostly a bug fix and feature enhancement release. No new features.
- The script was trying to maximize framing on the individual panels when processing mosaics. This was being ignored by Siril becuase is didn't have any registration data at that point so the maximize framing is now only applied on the final mosaic image registration and stack.
- The Drizzle Mosaic (advanced, hugh file) feature (final mosaic) has been removed with the Siril workflow didn't really support this. You can now only Drizzle the panels in this release.
- When Compression was enabled not all the intermediate files where being compressed during the final merge, registration, and stack of the individual panels. That is now fixed.
- The main feature that has been added in this version is mosaic pre-processing stacking.
- Allows mosaic pre-processing and stacking of standard rows x columns grid layout panels that applications such as Nina generate.
- Allows for adjustment of border feathering (px) or overlap (%).
- Allows for selection of Global reference frame.
- Drizzle per panel or the whole mosaic.
- Allows for adjusting the canvas scale.
- Automatic panel layout creation.
- Compression of drizzled intermediate fit images in now supported and enabled.
Limitations
- The mosaic feature is for traditional telescope configurations and NOT for smart telescope use. There are others tools and scripts for smart telescope mosaic processing.
- The mosaic functionality in Siril needs RA/DEC coordinates in the fit images in order to do platesolving. For this reason the script will more than likely not work with images that are generated by DSLR cameras.
- Script now will use the Siril Python API by default to run the ssf script and not use siril-cli.
- Script will now default to the current Siril working directory when the script is started.
- Added Force siril-cli checkout to allow user to use siril-cli if they really want that. This allows the user to abort the ssf script within the OSC Multi-Night Stacking Python script.
- Added Quick start Instructions to the Help Menu
- Added various Tool Tips.
New enhancements:
- Now compresses final register and stack fit files instead of just the intermediate session fit files.
- Limitation: register and setapplyreg commands will not compress fit files if drizzling is enabled due to a limitation with Siril 1.4 where the drizzling functionality does not support compressed fit files.
- Added pack Sequences feature - this allows you to pack the fit or fz files into a SER or FITSEQ sequence file. This allows us to overcome the 2048 open file limit on Windows.
- Off by default
- Auto, FITSEQ, and SER are the options that can be used.
- Pack Sequences only will pack LIGHT frames. LIGHT frame pack threshold is configurable and can be lowered and raised as needed.
- Auto uses the FITSEQ sequence file format (recommended for maximum compatibility) where is puts the fit or fz files into into a single file for stacking.
-
Multi-Night Project Handling
- Supports OSC images.
- Supports any number of nights of imaging under a single project root.
- Ability to Create, Save, and Load Project json files.
- Automatically merges registered and stacked data across nights.
- Generates night-specific and global Siril script for calibration, registration, stacking, and post-processing.
- Final stack copied, mirrored, and opened in Siril
-
Automatic Directory Detection
- Uses Siril style directory structure.
- Detects camera name, gain, offset, binning, and exposure length from FITS headers for file naming.
-
Script Generator for Siril 1.4
- Produces fully commented
.ssfscripts compatible with Siril 1.4 Beta 3/4. - Handles master bias/dark/flat creation automatically.
- Adds mirrorx -bottomup at the final stage to correct FITS orientation.
- Includes optional setcompress 0 for lossless FITS saving.
- Drizzle: Scaling, Pixel Fraction, Kernel
- 2-pass registration toggle
- Global stacking options (sigma or winorized rejection (sigma high and low), mean)
- 32-bit output for final stack
- Produces fully commented
-
UI Highlights
- Qt-based tabbed interface for Project, Nights, and Processing Settings.
- Live detection of unsaved project changes (with save prompt).
- Configurable Siril executable path and project output root.
- Abort Run button (graceful stop)
-
Validation & Logging
- Generates project-specific log files.
- Siril console logging via sirilpy
- Performs validation on missing calibration frames b=and bad paths.
ProjectRoot/
├─ Session 1/
│ ├─ process/
│ ├─ LIGHTS/
│ ├─ DARKS/
│ ├─ FLATS/
│ └─ BIASES/
├─ Session 2/
│
Use this 7-step guide to run the Multi-Night Stacking Python Application and process all of your sessions in Siril 1.4.
- Siril 1.4 Beta 4 (with Python scripting enabled)
- Python 3.10 + with
PyQt6,astropy, andsirilpyinstalled
-
Downlaod osc-multi-night-stacking.py
- Place the script in your Siril Scripts directory.
- Refer to the Siril 1.4 doc on how to set a Siril Scripts directoey.
-
Open Siril 1.4
- Start Siril normally.
- Ensure that the script is visiable in the UI. (Scripts->Python Scripts)
- Refer to the Siril 1.4 Script doc if it is not.
-
Launch the Application Script from the Scripts -> Python Scripts menu in Siril
- The OSC Multi-Night Stacking script GUI will open alongside Siril.
-
Create or Load a Project
- Click New Project → choose your target root folder
- Check or uncheck features and options
- Add Sessions as needed
- Add LIGHTS, FLATS, DARKS, BIAS frames to Sessions or Panels as needed
- The app auto-detects all session folders (Session 1, Session 2, …) if they were previously created.
- Check or uncheck features and options as needed
-
Prepare Working Directory (Symlink?copy Files)
- Inside each
Session Xfolder. - The application writes its
.ssfscript files into this folder and Siril uses it as the working directory. - Why: Siril reads and writes intermediate calibrated and registered FITS frames inside this directory.
- Each session will therefore have:
Session 1/process/ Session 2/process/ ...
- Inside each
-
Generate Siril Script
- Confirm features and option settings.
- Click Build Siril Script
- The application writes its
.ssfscript file into the working directory
-
Run Siril Script
- Click the Run Siril Script button in the main window.
- The application automatically executes the configured
run_project.ssfSiril script via the Siril Python API or uses thesiril-clias a backup - Progress and script output appear in the console log panel in Siril and in a log file in the working directory
- When finished, your combined stack is saved automatically as
[ProjectName]_final.fitand loaded into Siril
| Step | Action | Time |
|---|---|---|
| ① | Launch Siril & Python app | 1 min |
| ② | Create or Load project & verify sessions | 2 min |
| ② | Configure Settings and Images | 5 min |
| ③ | Generate scripts | < 1 min |
| ④ | Run Siril script | Typicallly 5-??? minutes per session depending on the # of subs |
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. See <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.