I'd like to open FITS files in CC

[johnb41279714]

Complete newbie to PS CC here. I take multiple exposures of the night sky and stack them in software to make dim, Deep Sky Objects (DSOs) like nebulae and galaxies visible. This method is very popular among astrophotographers. The format of choice both for acquisition and stacking appears to be FITS files. Currently I can't find a way to open FITS files in PS. I have to convert my FITS files into something PS opens natively. I know of 2 old standalone freeware packages which can do this but I wondered if anyone knew of a way to do it from within PS. 

[Just Shoot Me]

Can you then, in whatever program is creating these FITS files, save/convert/export that FITS file to a TIF image file?

Once converted to a TIF file it thewn can be opened in many different image viewing or editing programs.

[johnb41279714]

The acquisition software I use is the very popular "Sharpcap Pro". I shoot in RAW mode and Sharpcap automatically saves those as FITS. I stack the FITS files in "Deep Sky Stacker" and it creates a FITS file result. I can, at that stage, save the result as a TIF. I wondered, however, why convert to TIFF and why FITS isn't a format that PS will work with since it's so popular in astrophotography? Many, if not most, astroimagers seem to use PS for post processing so I would have thought there was a demand.

[Jeff Arola]

Space Telescope Science Institute has a photoshop plugin, but it's for 32 bit versions of photoshop and they decided rather than do 64 bit, just to offter a stand alone application.

http://hubblesource.stsci.edu/sources/toolbox/entry/fits_liberator/

There is a paid version of a FITS plugin for photoshop windows 64 bit versions.

https://astroshed.com/fitsplug/fitsplug.htm

[johnb41279714]

Thanks Jeff. I use FITS Liberator but I haven't tried fitsplugin. At $A50 it's another expense I'd hoped to avoid when subscribing to PS CC. I suppose I wondered why such an expensive, "do it all", package like PS CC doesn't automatically open FITS anyway!

[davescm]

You can raise a feature request at the link below , where it will be seen by Adobe staff.
https://feedback.photoshop.com/photoshop_family

As always, whether such a request is implemented is a balance of demand vs cost

Dave

[johnb41279714]

Thanks Dave - I'll try that though I can't imagine that Adobre are unaware of the demand for this feature.

[jane-e]

The acquisition software I use is the very popular "Sharpcap Pro".

You might ask on the Sharpcap forums: https://forums.sharpcap.co.uk/

~ Jane

[johnb41279714]

Thanks Jane. I felt sure that PS CC would have already provided this function and was surprised when I discovered it didn't! It's only one extra step in the workflow but...

[billm51937703]

Liberator does not work............fails to create a tiff file that PS can edit.......it opens but is totally unstretched and not usable!

[billm51937703]

Link is no good, no such place for adding a "feature request", does not even take you to the URL spelled out!

[billm51937703]

Would be a great addition to their arsenal....................thousands of astophotograhpers world wide would welcome the ability to got straight into PS to edit their images vice having to jump through several hoops to get there!

[davescm]

The link was good in 2020 when the reply was made. However, that separate forum for bugs and feature requests has now been combined with this forum and posts can now be raised as bugs or ideas. I've moved the entire thread to 'ideas'.

Dave

[billm51937703]

Thanks for the update...........will try that avenue.............so many stacking programs do not create editable .tiff files and being able to open and edit .fit files in PS would be a great addition to the program.

[billm51937703]

Add the ability for Photoshop to open and edit .fits files created with astro cameras and smart telescopes such as the Seestar S50.  This hobby is continually growing, and with the new user friendly smart scopes the number of users is sure to soar...............get on board and increase the PS community by adding this capability.

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

NASA has a "Fits liberator" plugin available for Photoshop: https://esahubble.org/projects/fits_liberator/download_v23/

[Lumigraphics]

ImageJ will open FITS files and has analysis functions, being a scientific imaging app.

imagej.net

[billm51937703]

Tried that, followed the recommended install steps, choose the executable, actions, scripts, and plugins folders.........but when I start PS it says one or more plugins is not available, and if I try to open a .fits file it says PS cannot open.  Back to the drawing board.....................

[billm51937703]

Looked at it, beyond my scope as yet..........download is not available, unless you go to some other site, on-line version has menu items I don't as yet have a clue as to how to use.   I just need something that will open a .fits file as a stretched image and let me save it as a .tiff for working in PS.  Thanks for the feedback, and will continue to give it a look to see if I can figure it out............meanwhile, still looking.

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

https://www.vertopal.com/en/convert/fits

is an online converter. Try that if you need simplicity.

[billm51937703]

Same problem, the .tiff it generats is not an PS editable image, you still have to open the file in Siril or some other astro editing program to strecth the image and then save it again as a .tiff from that program to get something you can edit in PS.  Thanks for trying...............

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

Change the extension to .tif not .tiff

[billm51937703]

Out of pocket right now.............will give that a try later or tomorrow, and many thanks for your assistance.

[Kevin Stohlmeyer]

Wish I could test more but dont have a FITS file readily available. Will try to download one from the Hubble site later.

[billm51937703]

Well, got rained out of the plans so gave it another try............from their converter I choose TIF, JPG, and PNG, all producted the same results a zip folder with three black images that have no content unless they are opened in a program that can stretch the images...........it's as if all the converter ends up doing is changing the extension, but the file content is still in FITS format.  Be happy to send you FITS file if there is a way to do that in this forum, or I can put one in my Drop Box and send you the link.................

[billm51937703]

Here is a link to one of the .fits files I am trying to work with in my drop box.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1msnihi9y6tzczh38q5ou/Stacked_C-49_10.0s_IRCUT_20240201-233114.fit?rl...