Focus stacking on Linux

anemone · 07-29-2018, 10:20 AM

Hello!

I would like to try to focus stacking on Linux. What are my real options? Hugin wasn't really co-operative.

I wouldn't want to spend a day to set some environment up and get just bad results if someone can tell me not to go there or tell what workflow would lead easy and good end result.

**pentaxfall** · 07-29-2018, 10:37 AM

Originally posted by anemone

Hello!
Hugin wasn't really co-operative.

I think that is an understatement. I wasted a week to get hdr-panorama. Then I moved to PtGui Pro made for Win7. I run PtGui under Wine and it is blazing fast.

Not sure whether PtGui supports Focus stacking. Check out this thread.

Google Groups

anemone · 07-29-2018, 11:53 AM

That thread is older than average whisky people drink

Thanks for direction.

However one hour surfing around panotools didn't got me closer to my target. Some people had done it with a lot of effort but I still can't believe this isn't really solved problem.

**szs** · 07-29-2018, 12:16 PM

I'd be interested as well....

**olepap** · 07-29-2018, 12:55 PM

I have had some success using hugin in the terminal. First align_image_stack and then enfuse. Sometime it works very good. Other times it does not work, and I find it very difficult to make it work. I have some notes about it saved somewhere - I will see if I can find them.

Align image stack - PanoTools.org Wiki
http://hugin.sourceforge.net/docs/manual/Enfuse.html
https://patdavid.net/2013/01/focus-stacking-macro-photos-enfuse.html

Zerene Stacker is much easier to use and more often gives a good result. It is not free, but it saves time and frustration.

stacker [Zerene Stacker]

sundown · 07-29-2018, 01:20 PM

Find a simple Photoshop focus stacking tutorial on youtube and apply the same steps in Gimp. Certainly worked in my case for landscapes which is usually done with 3 images. But I can't say if it will be good if you're trying to focus stack macro images as I don't have experience with that.

anemone · 07-29-2018, 01:30 PM

The patdavid.net link looked quite promising. Maybe some code to automate the process with zero effort would make great tool...

---------- Post added 07-29-18 at 11:35 PM ----------

Originally posted by sundown

Find a simple Photoshop focus stacking tutorial on youtube and apply the same steps in Gimp. Certainly worked in my case for landscapes which is usually done with 3 images. But I can't say if it will be good if you're trying to focus stack macro images as I don't have experience with that.

Concratulations. You have good target and simple use case. I wish I had too.

I have number of resistors in row, each resistor is in focus in one image and image count comes closer to 30. And I have image sets from four directions.

ddb · 07-29-2018, 02:43 PM

Ubuntu is my default system, for many reasons, photography is just my new hobby.

I use ubuntu 18.4 with an old apple cinema 27 hooked to Nvidia GC

Software: GIMP 2.8 for stacking, Darktable is a Darkroom knockoff and Raw Therappe for raw handling.

Suggested Hardware: Wacom Bamboo, or Monoprice - works fine with ubuntu generic drivers, with at least 4th, 5th gen i7, 16 MB ram, m2drive, recent Nvidia

Installation is super simple couple of <enter> hits and ok's, no additional drivers necessary, choose factory Nvidia driver to avoid occasional deep sleep freezes.

all mentioned software is available via snap <software icon>

just to be honest: I spent 25 and bought luminar 18 for windows online because Lightroom had no stacking feature available, but for basics, Ubuntu does it for me.

Last edited by ddb; 07-29-2018 at 03:22 PM.

krazny · 07-29-2018, 02:54 PM

Have you tried Siril?

Mainly used for astrophotography so not really a focus stacking software but I do find that it helps with landscape photos with different focus range.

**GUB** · 07-29-2018, 03:08 PM

Macrofusion is the only one I have had success with on Ubuntu. I think it is a graphical front for enfuse. I think with it and Hugin it is just a case of getting the settings right -- and there is way too many of those settings!!

**kiwi_jono** · 07-29-2018, 03:28 PM

I have been wondering this too. Macrofusion + enfuse certainly looks worth trying.
Like the look of Zerene Stacker, but not sure I can justify buying that for my casual use (if it was student price I would but I'm not a student).

**GUB** · 07-29-2018, 03:36 PM

Funny thing about Macrofusion is it insists on opening with a small window. But it won't display a preview image with a small window. I presumed it was a broken program for months until I happened to maximise the window.!

anemone · 07-29-2018, 04:37 PM

I didn't test these yet, but I after this thread has given some ideas, I hit github:
GitHub - pulsar123/Macro-scripts: A set of BASH scripts and C++ programs representing a complete workflow for processing macro focus stacking photographs. Utilizes other open source packages (dcraw, Hugin, ImageMagick) internally. The Deadpixels scri

Those tools might give some easy to use workflow.

And if anyone is wondering, I use Arch Linux.

travelour · 07-29-2018, 10:28 PM

Thanks for posting this. I've been away from Ubuntu for a while. However, I'd like to migrate back to Linux in the near future.

ddb · 07-29-2018, 10:54 PM

Originally posted by pentaxfall

I think that is an understatement. I wasted a week to get hdr-panorama. Then I moved to PtGui Pro made for Win7. I run PtGui under Wine and it is blazing fast.

Not sure whether PtGui supports Focus stacking. Check out this thread.

Google Groups

I had Hugin and Lua working in ubuntu 16 but never bothered to fix the dependency issues after the upgrade. stacking plugin will likely be a new feature in the next darktable upgrade, consequently, developers walked away from the project. same old google practice.

Standalone Hugin Panorama stitcher and batch converter are still working but tend to crash.

here is the protocol:
https://pixls.us/articles/aligning-images-with-hugin/

07-29-2018, 10:20 AM	#1
anemone Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 165	Focus stacking on Linux Hello! I would like to try to focus stacking on Linux. What are my real options? Hugin wasn't really co-operative. I wouldn't want to spend a day to set some environment up and get just bad results if someone can tell me not to go there or tell what workflow would lead easy and good end result.

07-29-2018, 10:54 PM	#15
ddb Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: LA Photos: Albums Posts: 35	Originally posted by pentaxfall I think that is an understatement. I wasted a week to get hdr-panorama. Then I moved to PtGui Pro made for Win7. I run PtGui under Wine and it is blazing fast. Not sure whether PtGui supports Focus stacking. Check out this thread. Google Groups I had Hugin and Lua working in ubuntu 16 but never bothered to fix the dependency issues after the upgrade. stacking plugin will likely be a new feature in the next darktable upgrade, consequently, developers walked away from the project. same old google practice. Standalone Hugin Panorama stitcher and batch converter are still working but tend to crash. here is the protocol: https://pixls.us/articles/aligning-images-with-hugin/ Attached Images Last edited by ddb; 07-29-2018 at 11:48 PM.

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07-29-2018, 10:37 AM	#2
pentaxfall Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Bangalore, India Posts: 561	Originally posted by anemone Hello! Hugin wasn't really co-operative. I think that is an understatement. I wasted a week to get hdr-panorama. Then I moved to PtGui Pro made for Win7. I run PtGui under Wine and it is blazing fast. Not sure whether PtGui supports Focus stacking. Check out this thread. Google Groups

07-29-2018, 11:53 AM	#3
anemone Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 165 Original Poster	That thread is older than average whisky people drink Thanks for direction. However one hour surfing around panotools didn't got me closer to my target. Some people had done it with a lot of effort but I still can't believe this isn't really solved problem.

07-29-2018, 12:16 PM	#4
szs Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Morelia, Michoacán Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 105	I'd be interested as well....

07-29-2018, 12:55 PM	#5
olepap Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13	I have had some success using hugin in the terminal. First align_image_stack and then enfuse. Sometime it works very good. Other times it does not work, and I find it very difficult to make it work. I have some notes about it saved somewhere - I will see if I can find them. Align image stack - PanoTools.org Wiki http://hugin.sourceforge.net/docs/manual/Enfuse.html https://patdavid.net/2013/01/focus-stacking-macro-photos-enfuse.html Zerene Stacker is much easier to use and more often gives a good result. It is not free, but it saves time and frustration. stacker [Zerene Stacker]

07-29-2018, 01:20 PM	#6
sundown Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 164	Find a simple Photoshop focus stacking tutorial on youtube and apply the same steps in Gimp. Certainly worked in my case for landscapes which is usually done with 3 images. But I can't say if it will be good if you're trying to focus stack macro images as I don't have experience with that.

07-29-2018, 01:30 PM	#7
anemone Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 165 Original Poster	The patdavid.net link looked quite promising. Maybe some code to automate the process with zero effort would make great tool... ---------- Post added 07-29-18 at 11:35 PM ---------- Originally posted by sundown Find a simple Photoshop focus stacking tutorial on youtube and apply the same steps in Gimp. Certainly worked in my case for landscapes which is usually done with 3 images. But I can't say if it will be good if you're trying to focus stack macro images as I don't have experience with that. Concratulations. You have good target and simple use case. I wish I had too. I have number of resistors in row, each resistor is in focus in one image and image count comes closer to 30. And I have image sets from four directions.

07-29-2018, 02:43 PM	#8
ddb Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: LA Photos: Albums Posts: 35	Ubuntu is my default system, for many reasons, photography is just my new hobby. I use ubuntu 18.4 with an old apple cinema 27 hooked to Nvidia GC Software: GIMP 2.8 for stacking, Darktable is a Darkroom knockoff and Raw Therappe for raw handling. Suggested Hardware: Wacom Bamboo, or Monoprice - works fine with ubuntu generic drivers, with at least 4th, 5th gen i7, 16 MB ram, m2drive, recent Nvidia Installation is super simple couple of <enter> hits and ok's, no additional drivers necessary, choose factory Nvidia driver to avoid occasional deep sleep freezes. all mentioned software is available via snap <software icon> just to be honest: I spent 25 and bought luminar 18 for windows online because Lightroom had no stacking feature available, but for basics, Ubuntu does it for me. Last edited by ddb; 07-29-2018 at 03:22 PM.

07-29-2018, 02:54 PM	#9
krazny Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 31	Have you tried Siril? Mainly used for astrophotography so not really a focus stacking software but I do find that it helps with landscape photos with different focus range.

07-29-2018, 03:08 PM	#10
GUB Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Wanganui Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,138	Macrofusion is the only one I have had success with on Ubuntu. I think it is a graphical front for enfuse. I think with it and Hugin it is just a case of getting the settings right -- and there is way too many of those settings!!

07-29-2018, 03:28 PM	#11
kiwi_jono Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Christchurch, New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,394	I have been wondering this too. Macrofusion + enfuse certainly looks worth trying. Like the look of Zerene Stacker, but not sure I can justify buying that for my casual use (if it was student price I would but I'm not a student).

07-29-2018, 03:36 PM	#12
GUB Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Wanganui Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,138	Funny thing about Macrofusion is it insists on opening with a small window. But it won't display a preview image with a small window. I presumed it was a broken program for months until I happened to maximise the window.!

07-29-2018, 04:37 PM	#13
anemone Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 165 Original Poster	I didn't test these yet, but I after this thread has given some ideas, I hit github: GitHub - pulsar123/Macro-scripts: A set of BASH scripts and C++ programs representing a complete workflow for processing macro focus stacking photographs. Utilizes other open source packages (dcraw, Hugin, ImageMagick) internally. The Deadpixels scri Those tools might give some easy to use workflow. And if anyone is wondering, I use Arch Linux.

07-29-2018, 10:28 PM	#14
travelour Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Tenryu Posts: 27	Thanks for posting this. I've been away from Ubuntu for a while. However, I'd like to migrate back to Linux in the near future.