File Organization

Tips to make it easier to work with many files

Working with any stacking application involves working with many image files. Organizing the files correctly can save you a lot of time. This is how I do it. Maybe an organization like this will work for you.

I start with a folder for each session. A session is typically a night of shooting for Starry Landscape Stacker or Starry Sky Stacker, or a location when shooting for Long Exposure Stacker. In that folder I create a folder for each set of lights and a folder for each set of darks. Flat-field frames are not associated with sessions and are handled similarly but not in folder by session, rather, in a location for all flat-field frames organized by camera, lens and date.

Dark Frames and Master Darks

Each set of dark frames goes into a separate directory, whose name indicates the exposure settings (e.g., “Dark ISO3200 10Sec”). If there are multiple sets of darks with the same settings, I add a time indication to the name. The sequence number from the first image in the dark frame is a good time indicator because it can be easily compared to the file names for light frames to find which dark frames go with which light frames.

I process each set of darks I intend to use into a master dark frame. I put that master dark frame the folder with the dark frames it was made from.

Light Frames

I put each set of light frames in its own folder. Often these folders are named by the subject. I then, if I am using dark or flat-field frames, I copy the master dark frame and master flat frame I will use with this set of light frames into the folder. Then when processing the light frames simply open all the images in the folder and I get everything I need.

Flat-Field Frames and Master Flat-Field Frames

Flat-field frames are treated much like dark frames, except they are not associated with a session and the naming of the folders specifies the camera, lens and lens settings (aperture, zoom if appropriate) that matter. All the flat field frames and any darks to be used when making the master flat-field frame goes into the folder. Then a master flat field frame can be made by opening all the images in the folder. The master flat-field frame is saved in the folder with the images used to make it. It can be copied to any folders with light frames that will use the master flat-field frame.

Masks

I keep any masks I make for use with Starry Landscape Stacker in the folder with the light frames that the mask applies to.