From: "Jon Iverson" <ji425bt@earthlink.net>
Date: June 6, 2006 4:01:02 PM MDT
To: <Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] getting AVIs into a file format that will work with IIDC and Keith's stacker?
Hi Milton,
Thanks for the quick response! Yes, I can open the AVIs on the Mac with Keith's stacker. However, when I select specific frames, save the workspace, and then reopen later, the individual frames appear distorted (like they've been stretched) with a line through the center.
Thanks,
Jon
----- Original Message -----
From: Milton Aupperle
To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 5:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] getting AVIs into a file format that will work with IIDC and Keith's stacker?
Hi Jon;
1) First off, can you open and play the AVI file with the QuickTime Player on a Mac or on a PC?
If you can't play it, the there is no codec for it decompress the video. So you need to get that codec installed on the Mac before the vide data can be used by any application.
Under Windows, I believe you can determine what codec it was created with by examining the "Properties" of the .avi file.
2) If youy can't find that codec on the Mac (lots of them do not exist on the Mac such as Huffy YUV, Microsoft MP4 flavors 2 and 3, various Bayer codecs etc ), then Virtual Dub
will be able to convert any playable AVI into an RGB24 AVI format, which should be a loss less conversion (Youcma's only deliver 8 bit). You can then copy the enormous files over afterwards.
3) Astro IIDC does import nor manipulate FITS files. It can save frames as uncompressed FITS files, but it won't do anything with them.
HTH..
Milton J. Aupperle
President
ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting
Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist
#1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.
Calgary Alberta Canada T2R0N5
1-(403)-229-9456
www.outcastsoft.com
On 6-Jun-06, at 2:57 PM, Jon Iverson wrote:
After being a Win user for so long and only recently acquiring the Mac
specifically for astro work, I am running into a few problems, mainly due to
my lack of experience with the Mac. My biggest problem is file
compatibility. I have scores of AVIs that were recorded with a Toucam and
Win laptop that I would like to reprocess with Keith's stacker and IIDC. I
see that Keith's program appears to recognize the AVI, but then keeps
distorting the files after I try and save them. I have tried converting
AVIs to FIT and so far, I can't get either program to work with the FIT
files. Can someone provide some pointers for the best conversion method--
from AVI to any of the Mac program formats- and a method that will preserve
the contents of the original AVI (no loss)?
Thanks to all,
Jon