Bad Pixel Map Scripting

Hello George.

You can do this semi automatically using the Batch processing tool in Maxim DL.

The first time you use the Batch Processing tool it takes a few steps to set up but for future use you will find it fairly easy and quick, even so, there is not a one click operation in Maxim that I am aware of though you could probably write a script to do it.

Refer to the attached image as necessary.

Initial setup:

1: Start Maxim DL and load a suitable image that shows the dead column, open the "Remove Bad Pixels" tool in Maxim and select a suitable blank map in the box "Bad Pixel Map" i.e. Map 1, Map 2 etc or overwrite and older named map that is no longer required, edit the map name to "Give a meaningful name" for the Map. You can store and overwrite up to 20 named maps.
2: Create the bad pixel map using either "Auto Generate" or the manual "Mouse Click" method and apply the map using the "Process" button. Refine the map as necessary using the "undo" "redo" buttons until you have a good
correction map, save the map using the "Save Map" button.

Create a Batch Process:

1: Close all open images and tools to start with an empty desk top.
2: From the "View" menu on the top tool bar open the "Batch Process Window", press the "double-right arrow" key above the "Clear" button to open the process queue window. Both the Operation Queue pane on the left and the Process Queue pane on the right should be empty.
3: Open a single image on to the desk top that you want to process for bad pixels .
4: On the "Batch Process" window press the "Start Recording" button.
5: Open the "Remove Bad Pixels" tool and select the named bad pixel map that you created from the drop-down list.
6: Press the "Process Button" in the "Remove Bad Pixels" tool to complete the step.
7: In the "Batch Process" window press the "Stop" button, the first step of the batch process will now appear in the left pane under the "Operation Queue" and you should see "Process, Remove Bad P..." listed.
8: At this stage you have created a batch process with only one step to remove a bad column and/or bad pixels.
9: Save the "Batch Process" now with a suitable name so you can find it again in the future. It will save in your designated location a file with the .csq extension (command sequence file), i.e. Bad column removal SBIG 8300.csq. The "Batch Process" will be saved with any configuration relevant for each tool in the process queue, in this case with just a "Remove Bad Pixels" tool selected the "Batch Process" will be stored with your named bad pixel map. If you want to run the same "Batch Process" but with a different camera/set of data then you would have to create a new "Batch Process" using a different bad pixel map.
10: Close the "Batch Process" window and any open tools and image files without saving.

Applying the batch process to all future files in a folder.

1: With an empty desktop open a single file you want to process for the bad column and launch the "Remove Bad Pixels" tool, ensure the correct bad pixel map is selected applicable to that camera/image and press the "Process" button This is just a check to ensure the process runs correctly and the map is still valid. Close the tool and the image without saving.
2: From the "View" menu launch the "Batch Processing Window"
3: Press the "Load" button and choose your previously saved command sequence file, i.e. Bad column removal SBIG 8300.csq, the process "Remove Bad P..." will appear in the left hand side "Operation Queue" pane.
4: If the "Process Queue"pane is closed press the "Double-Right-Arrow" key just above the "Clear" button to open it.
5: Press the "Files" button and navigate to the folder containing all the images you want to run the process "Remove Bad Pixels" on, select all and "Open" the files will appear in the right pane, "Process Queue". scan though the list, any files that should not be there you can highlight and click the "Remove" button to take them out of the list.
6: At the bottom of the "Process Queue" pane use the drop down menu under "Disposition" to decide whether to choose "Rename originals", "Rename results", "Overwrite originals" or "Save results in". In the Subfolder window you can leave that as "New" or Give it a Name, the processed images will then appear in a new folder within the source folder if the "Save results in" option is selected.
7: You are now ready to run the batch process, If you want to run the process automatically then ensure there is no check mark placed in the "Man" box next to each process in the "Operation Queue" pane.
If you want to manually change some aspect of each process in the operation list then click on the "Man" box to the right of each process to place a check mark and each time the operation runs that process Maxim will stop with the particular tool open and wait for you to "ok" etc before it runs the next step. Assuming you want to fix the bad column in each file automatically then no check mark should be set.
8: Press the "Run" button which is the "Double-Right-Chevrons" key, just above the "Save" button, (reminds me of the old "fast forward key on tape player!).
Each image file loaded in the Process queue will be opened, the process(es) listed in the operation list will be applied to that image, the image will be saved in the designated folder, the source image will be closed and "struck" through in the process queue list to show it is complete.
9: At the end of the sequence all the files in the Process Queue pane will be "struck through" and the job is finished, any errors will appear as pop-up messages, you can close the Batch Processing window, you should now have a new folder full of images that have had the "Remove Bad Pixel" tool applied.

This is a simple use of the Batch Process tool. You can add as many steps to the "Batch Process" recording as you like, or re-order the steps, remove individual steps etc.

H.T.H.

William.

Attachment 8110