Installing RC Astro tools in PixInsight

These instructions cover installing BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, and/or StarXTerminator in PixInsight.

  • You must have PixInsight 1.8.9-1 or later. Upgrade as needed from the PixInsight software distribution page.
  • In PixInsight, go to Resources -> Updates -> Manage Repositories.
  • Click Add, and enter whichever of the following repository addresses applies. Use copy & paste to avoid typos, and note that these entries are case-sensitive:
    • BlurXTerminator: https://www.rc-astro.com/BlurXTerminator/PixInsight
    • NoiseXTerminator: https://www.rc-astro.com/NoiseXTerminator/PixInsight
    • StarXTerminator: https://www.rc-astro.com/StarXTerminator/PixInsight
    • Repositories containing TensorFlow libraries for Windows are available. Choose only one of the following:
      • TensorFlow GPU acceleration libraries for Windows: https://www.rc-astro.com/TensorFlow/PixInsight/GPU
      • TensorFlow CPU-only libraries for Windows: https://www.rc-astro.com/TensorFlow/PixInsight/CPU
      • On MacOS, there is no additional setup required – if your machine is equipped with an internal GPU, it will be used for acceleration automatically.
      • GPU acceleration on Linux is more involved.
  • After the repository address(es) are entered as shown above, click OK, then OK again.
  • Now go to Resources -> Updates -> Check for Updates. You should be informed that there are two updates for each tool: one for the process module itself, and one for the AI neural network definition file. Click Apply to start the download.
  • Once downloading is complete, click OK and then quit PixInsight to launch the update system. This is just like any other PixInsight update. When prompted to install the updates, click Yes.
  • When PixInsight restarts, you can find your RC Astro tools under Process -> All Processes, or:
    • BlurXTerminator: Process -> Deconvolution
    • NoiseXTerminator: Process -> Noise Reduction
    • StarXTerminator: Process -> Object Recognition or Process -> Mask Generation
  • When you first launch one of the plug-ins, click the “wrench” icon to enter your license key.
  • Once that is done, click the “Select AI” button and choose the latest AI file from PixInsight’s library folder.

If something goes wrong

Occasionally plug-in modules will be removed by third-party anti-virus, anti-malware, or other software. If anything goes wrong with the above procedure, or if your RC Astro tools seem to install and work fine but then stop or disappear from the Process menu, try the troubleshooting steps in this FAQ document.