CCDALIGN

Aligns images graphically by interactive object selection

Description:

This program aids the registration of images which may not be related by simple offsets (see FINDOFF and PAIRNDF if they are). It also has the capability of dealing with groups of images which are almost registered (frames which have not been moved on the sky) saving effort in re-identification of image features.

The basic method used is to supply a list of images and an optional reference image. The first image or the reference image is initially displayed and you are invited to mark the positions of centroidable image features on it using a graphical interface. This window then remains on the screen for reference while you identify the same features on each of the other images in the same way.

After centroiding you are then given the option to stop. If you decide to, then you will have labelled position lists to use in the other CCDPACK routines (the labelled positions will be called IMAGE_NAME.acc). If you choose the option to continue then a full registration of the images will be attempted. This may only be performed for ’linear’ transformations.

After choosing a transformation type the procedure will then go on to calculate a transformation set between all the images; this is used (with the extended reference set from REGISTER) to approximate the position of all possible image features, which are then located by centroiding and a final registration of all images is performed. The resultant images then have associated lists of labelled positions, and attached coordinate systems which may be used to transform other position lists or when resampling the data.

If the EXTRAS parameter is true you may also enter, for each of the original images, a group of images which is almost registered with it (within the capabilities of centroiding, i.e. a few pixels). In this way similar registration processes can be performed on many almost-aligned images without additional work from the user.

The graphical interface used for marking features on the image should be fairly self-explanatory. The image can be scrolled using the scrollbars, the window can be resized, and there are controls for zooming the image in or out, changing the style of display and altering the percentile cutoff limits. The displayed index numbers of any identified features on each image must match those on the reference image (though it is not necessary to identify all of the features from the reference image on each one), and there is also a control for selecting the number of the next point to mark. Points are added by clicking mouse button 1 (usually the left one) and may be removed by clicking mouse button 3 (usually the right one). It is possible to edit the points marked on the reference image while you are marking points on the other images. When you have selected all the points you wish to on a given image, click the ’Done’ button and you will be presented with the next one.

Usage:

ccdalign in

Parameters:

CONTINUE = _LOGICAL (Read)
If TRUE then this command will proceed to also work out the registrations of your images. Note that this is only possible if you are intending to use linear transformations (this is the usual case). [FALSE]
EXTRAS = _LOGICAL (Read)
If this parameter is true, then for each image (or Set of images, if USESET is true) from the IN list you will be prompted to enter a group of corresponding names which represent more files of the same type pointing at (almost) the same sky position as the one in the IN list. CCDALIGN will then centroid the marked objects in all the images in the same group so that multiple similar registrations can be done at the same time. [FALSE]
FITTYPE = _INTEGER (Read)
The type of fit which should be used when determining the transformation between the input positions lists. This may take the values

  • 1 – shift of origin

  • 2 – shift of origin and rotation

  • 3 – shift of origin and magnification

  • 4 – shift of origin, rotation and magnification (solid body)

  • 5 – a full six parameter fit

  • 6 – self defined function

[5]

IN = LITERAL (Read)
A list of the images to be displayed in the GUI for interactive marking of features. The names should be separated by commas and may include wildcards.
LOGFILE = FILENAME (Read)
Name of the CCDPACK logfile. If a null (!) value is given for this parameter then no logfile will be written, regardless of the value of the LOGTO parameter.

If the logging system has been initialised using CCDSETUP then the value specified there will be used. Otherwise, the default is ’CCDPACK.LOG’. [CCDPACK.LOG]

LOGTO = LITERAL (Read)
Every CCDPACK application has the ability to log its output for future reference as well as for display on the terminal. This parameter controls this process, and may be set to any unique abbreviation of the following:

  • TERMINAL – Send output to the terminal only

  • LOGFILE – Send output to the logfile only (see the LOGFILE parameter)

  • BOTH – Send output to both the terminal and the logfile

  • NEITHER – Produce no output at all

If the logging system has been initialised using CCDSETUP then the value specified there will be used. Otherwise, the default is ’BOTH’. [BOTH]

MARKSTYLE = LITERAL (Read and Write)
A string indicating how markers are initially to be plotted in the aligner widget. It consists of a comma-separated list of "attribute=value" type strings. The available attributes are:

  • colour – Colour of the marker in Xwindows format.

  • size – Approximate height of the marker in pixels.

  • thickness – Approximate thickness of lines in pixels.

  • shape – One of Plus, Cross, Circle, Square, Diamond.

  • showindex – 1 to show index numbers, 0 not to do so.

This parameter only gives the initial marker type; it can be changed interactively while the program is running. If specifying this value on the command line, it is not necessary to give values for all the attributes; missing ones will be given sensible defaults. [""]

MAXCANV = INTEGER (Read and Write)
A value in pixels for the maximum initial X or Y dimension of the region in which the image is displayed. Note this is the scrolled region, and may be much bigger than the sizes given by WINX and WINY, which limit the size of the window on the X display. It can be overridden during operation by zooming in and out using the GUI controls, but it is intended to limit the size for the case when ZOOM is large (perhaps because the last image was quite small) and a large image is going to be displayed, which otherwise might lead to the program attempting to display an enormous viewing region. If set to zero, then no limit is in effect. [1280]
MORE = LITERAL (Read)
If EXTRAS is true, this parameter is used to get a list of images corresponding to each one which is named by the IN parameter. These lists are always got interactively; MORE values cannot be given on the command line. For any given response the null value (!) may be supplied, indicating that there are no similarly aligned images. If the original image is included again in the supplied MORE value, it will be ignored, since it already forms part of the group being considered. [!]
PERCENTILES( 2 ) = _DOUBLE (Read)
The initial low and high percentiles of the data range to use when displaying the images; any pixels with a value lower than the first element will have the same colour, and any with a value higher than the second will have the same colour. Must be in the range 0 <= PERCENTILES( 1 ) <= PERCENTILES( 2 ) <= 100. This can be changed from within the GUI. [2,98]
REFNDF = LITERAL (Read)
The name of an additional reference image (or Set); this is the first image displayed and the one which will be visible while you are marking points on all the others. If the null value (!) is supplied then no additional reference image will be used, and the first one in the IN list will be the first displayed. [!]
USESET = _LOGICAL (Read)
This parameter determines whether Set header information will be used. If USESET is true, then CCDALIGN will try to group images according to their Set Name attribute before displaying them, rather than treating them one by one. All images in the IN list which share the same (non-blank) Set Name attribute, and which have a CCD_SET attached coordinate system, will be shown together as a single image in the viewer for object marking, plotted in their CCD_SET coordinates.

If USESET is false, then regardless of Set headers, each individual image will be displayed for marking separately. If the input images have no Set headers, or if they have no CCD_SET coordinates in their WCS components, the value of this parameter will make no difference.

If a global value for this parameter has been set using CCDSETUP than that value will be used. [FALSE]

WINX = INTEGER (Read and Write)
The width in pixels of the window to display the image and associated controls in. If the image is larger than the area allocated for display, it can be scrolled around within the window. The window can be resized in the normal way using the window manager while the program is running. [450]
WINY = INTEGER (Read and Write)
The height in pixels of the window to display the image and associated controls in. If the image is larger than the area allocated for display, it can be scrolled around within the window. The window can be resized in the normal way using the window manager while the program is running. [600]
ZOOM = DOUBLE (Read and Write)
A factor giving the initial level to zoom in to the image displayed, that is the number of screen pixels to use for one image pixel. It will be rounded to one of the values ... 3, 2, 1, 1/2, 1/3 .... The zoom can be changed interactively from within the program. The initial value may be limited by MAXCANV. [1]

Examples:

ccdalign ∗ continue=no
This will display all the images in the current directory and invite you to mark corresponding image features on each one in turn. When you have done this, the centroids will be calculated and you will be left with a position list with the extension ‘.acc’ associated with each one.
ccdalign "x1008,x1009,x1010" refndf=xmos extras=yes continue
Here the EXTRAS parameter is true, so for each of the named images you will be prompted for a list of other images which were taken pointing in the same direction. The file ‘xmos’ is being used as the reference image, so that will be presented first for marking features. When you have marked features on all four images, the program will go on to match them all up and produce a global registration, attaching a new coordinate system in which they are all registered to each file.

See also

“General linear transformations”, IDICURS, PAIRNDF.

Behaviour of parameters

All parameters retain their current value as default. The ’current’ value is the value assigned on the last run of the application. If the application has not been run then the ’intrinsic’ defaults, as shown in the parameter help, apply.

Certain parameters (LOGTO, LOGFILE and USESET) have global values. These global values will always take precedence, except when an assignment is made on the command line. Global values may be set and reset using the CCDSETUP and CCDCLEAR commands.

Some of the parameters (MAXCANV, PERCENTILES, WINX, WINY, ZOOM, MARKSTYLE) give initial values for quantities which can be modified while the program is running. Although these may be specified on the command line, it is normally easier to start the program up and modify them using the graphical user interface. If the program exits normally, their values at the end of the run will be used as defaults next time the program starts up.