LayerBlender – Layers for PixInsight
Ever wanted to have layers in PixInsight, the way Photoshop or GIMP do, and maybe better? If yes, you’re in the right place!
Welcome to LayerBlender!
* LayerBlender is part of the PS DarkRoom Suite bundle.
Welcome to LayerBlender, a PixInsight process module that brings image layer compositing to our astrophotography workflow. If we have ever wished we could stack images in a layer-based editor without leaving PixInsight, this is exactly what LayerBlender is for.
LayerBlender lets us build a stack of images, each on its own layer, and blend them together using a rich set of blend modes, per-layer opacity, and masks. We can work non-destructively, tweak blend parameters, and blend the result at any time.
LayerBlender also goes well beyond simple blending. We are not limited to predefined blending modes like Lighten, Color or Hard Light. We can write our own PixelMath expressions as blend formulas for any layer, and we can also apply any installed PixInsight process to the layers below as a process layer – similar to what other programs call adjustment layers – where any layer can be a PixInsight process (from HistogramTransformation, to MultiscaleGradientCorrection, MorphologicalTransformation and dozens of other processes) that adjusts the images below, turning LayerBlender into a flexible, non-destructive processing pipeline right inside the compositor.
Another great feature is that at any time we can save our entire stack of images with their masks, blending modes or formulas, and even independent process layers, as a single XISF file that when we later open within LayerBlender, it will bring our stack back right where it was, including images, masks, blending modes, formulas, and process layers.
And more!!
Try it for free
LayerBlender is not free, but you can try it for 30 days, fully functional. Every feature is available to everyone.
To use LayerBlender after the trial period, you need to get your forever license below. No subscription fees! Your copy is yours to keep and use forever. You would also receive free upgrades within the major version you purchased.
Installing it, in three steps
Every PixInsight process made by Deep Sky Colors is installed through DSC Hub (DSC = Deep Sky Colors), our free PixInsight process. One address gets you the hub, and the hub gets you the rest.
1. Add this repository to PixInsight:
Where do I add it?
- Open PixInsight and go to RESOURCES > Updates > Manage Update Repositories.
- Click Add, and enter the address above exactly.
- Click OK to save it, then OK again to close the window.
2. Go to RESOURCES > Updates > Check for Updates. DSC Hub appears already selected, so click Apply and restart when PixInsight asks.
3. Open PROCESS > DeepSkyColors > DSCHub. You are now looking at every process we make, with its version, what it does and what changed in its latest release. Select LayerBlender, click Download and install, and restart. It appears under PROCESS > DeepSkyColors.
DSC Hub is free, it installs only what you select, and it leaves the rest of your PixInsight setup alone.
Prefer to add one repository per process? LayerBlender still has its own: https://repo.deepskycolors.com/LayerBlender/
Register your copy, use it forever
LayerBlender can be registered for personal use under a paid license. If you wish to use LayerBlender for commercial, business, or organizational purposes, please contact us to discuss appropriate licensing options.
No subscriptions, all free v1.xx updates. Your copy is yours and once registered, it will never be deactivated. You can install and use it on any machine you have also installed PixInsight, for any of the available operating systems (your registration is valid for all offered platforms) or number of installations, as long as they are for you to use.
Click on the Buy LayerBlender button below to register your copy.
NOTE: After you make your purchase, you should receive an email from us, usually within 15 minutes. If, after 15 minutes (but not before that) you still haven’t received our message, please check your spam folder. If still nothing, contact us.
LayerBlender Documentation
LayerBlender’s full documentation is accessible from within LayerBlender itself – we just need to click on the Documentation button in LayerBlender and it will appear in PixInsight’s Documentation browser. We have also made the same documentation available online, here, so you can see all LayerBlender has to offer:
Credits
LayerBlender was developed using the PixInsight Class Library. Any product derived from the PCL, including LayerBlender, must reproduce the following acknowledgment:
This product is based on software from the PixInsight project, developed by Pleiades Astrophoto and its contributors (http://pixinsight.com/).
The above statement refers to our use of the PCL to develop LayerBlender only. LayerBlender is developed independently, without any relation to or contributions from Pleiades Astrophoto.