StarNet Software

AI-powered software for star removal and noise reduction in astrophotography.

Documentation

This section collects technical notes and usage guides for StarNet and DeepSNR: PixInsight and command-line references, input behavior, data-quality guidance, and workflow examples.

This section currently contains basic documentation. More usage notes, examples, and workflow details will be added as the site grows.

StarNet PixInsight module reference

StarNet2 2.6.0 adds Restore clipped pixels under Linear Data Options and remembers interface settings between sessions. This reference covers linear data, remembered settings, and star-layer outputs.

Input guidance

These points apply before running StarNet from PixInsight and usually matter more than changing module settings:

  • Use color images when possible. Processing channels one by one is usually worse because separate channels carry less context.
  • Grayscale images can work, but very round, soft grayscale stars are more likely to be missed.
  • Linear images are often the best starting point when you can control the stretch used for star removal.
  • If StarNet removes bright non-star structures, adjust the stretch or try 2× upsampling before assuming the image is unusable.

Linear data and Restore clipped pixels

Enable Linear data for linear images. The module uses the current ScreenTransferFunction (STF) stretch, or an automatic stretch when no STF stretch is set, then returns the result to linear form.

In StarNet2 2.6.0, Restore clipped pixels under Linear Data Options is enabled by default when Linear data is active. It restores original channel values clipped by the stretch's shadows threshold after the image is returned to linear form. Other channel values retain the processed result. It cannot recover information already clipped in the input image.

Uncheck this option to reproduce the earlier linear-data behavior. With 2× upsampling, restoration happens before downsampling, so resizing and rounding can still change individual pixel values.

Remembered interface settings

The interface remembers its last-used options across PixInsight sessions. Use Reset to restore factory defaults. Imported process instances keep their own parameter values; saved interface settings do not change script defaults.

PixInsight output behavior

The module replaces the active view with the starless result and can create auxiliary star images:

  • Starmask produces a subtractive star layer for addition-based recombination.
  • Unscreen stars produces a star layer for Screen blending.
  • Protect highlights remains enabled by default to preserve bright regions.

Starless and star-layer images are not guaranteed to reconstruct the original exactly, especially in saturated highlights, regions brightened by processing, or when resizing and rounding affect pixel values.

Troubleshooting

When reporting a processing problem, include the full PixInsight Process Console log. It identifies the module version and build, backend initialization or fallback, and total processing time. A GPU warning followed by successful CPU initialization means processing can continue on the CPU.

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