Subframing or Region of Interest support

[Former user]

With a drop of CCD cameras and the emergence of CMOS - and the slew of new full-frame cameras coming out from QHY and Zwo - will N.I.N.A. be able to support subframing - or 'Region of Interest'?

This allows the user to use a large format sensor and reduce the area of the sensor to reduce capture file size among other things.

This is supported in TheSkyX and CCDAutoPilot - would be a great feature for N.I.N.A.

I did searches couldn't find any thread/request here for this feature.

[Stanley Dimant]

Subframing is already supported.

Take a snap shot in imaging, click on the top bar over the image an icon with two boxes which enables subframing. Position where needed, in “imaging” subwindow enable subframing and press on the subframing icon over the image again to hide it. Then take an exposure with subframing enabled in imaging.

[nickstarboy]

It would be great to configure this a bit more strictly, such that the same ROI exactly is always used. For example, when using Firecapture with my ASI1600MM, I often used a central 1600x1200 ROI. Clearly for darks/flats to work this must be precise. Can this be implemented? Perhaps it would be an option in sequencer?

[Dale Ghent]

Firecapture and NINA address two vastly different use cases, however. ROI in general is used to increase the frame rate of the camera for planetary imaging, which Firecapture is most geared towards. Long DSO exposures do not require these high frame rates outside of lucky imaging or other niche uses, which one would use SharpCap or Firecapture for anyhow. Honestly, using ROI in NINA is so uncompelling that I would rather see the concept removed in order to simplify both the UI and camera drivers.

[nickstarboy]

I suppose i should explain my use a little better. There are other reasons for ROI - with usb3 framerate is a minimal driver of these. ROI is also used where one simply has no interest in much of the FOV - for example my recent project resolving the Mayall II globular associated with M31. In this case I acquired 30,000 2sec subs which was verging on lucky imaging, as they enabled higher resolution than longer subs. i still required periodic focusing however which isnt offered by firecapture, splendid as it otherwise is. Many other small objects dont require a (for example) 1 degree FOV and storing all this unnecessary data, even with more conventional sub lengths, requires substantial storage and processing overheads. I would use a 1600x1200 ROI in NINA frequently if it were available; my einsteins cross project is another example.

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with regard to complicating the UI i take your point - perhaps such a feature could be enabled with a tickbox in the ‘options’.

[nickstarboy]

Just thought I’d include an image obtained using a 1600x1200 ROI and 2 second subs to show why I do it! Compare this image to other amateur images of Arp240 and you’ll see why i (sometimes) use 2sec subs; consider the data volume of full frame @2secs and you’ll see why I dont do that! And theres just no need for small targets.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/116620666@N08/32824053797/in/dateposted/

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ROI! ROI!

[Stefan B]

Subframing is possible via sequencing using the Take ROI exposure as well as some plugins that offer even more custom ROI exposures