<p>I've had success with <a href="http://hugin.sourceforge.net/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hugin</a>. It's a panorama creator, but it can be used to rotate, resize, and relocate images into a coherent whole. It has a few different automated profiles, but sometimes they are a bit off with star stacks. You can manually select the guide stars though.</p>

<p>A really good program for after that is <a href="https://www.gimp.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">GIMP</a> and the plugin <a href="http://gmic.eu/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">G'MIC</a> to stack and remove noise.</p>

<p>Unfortunately it's not a single package like RegiStar, but it's free and can do quite a lot!</p>

<p>Before
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/h6W8W.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/h6W8W.jpg" alt="Before"></a></p>

<p>After
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NxMew.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NxMew.jpg" alt="After"></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T17:12:58.053Z
This looks promising. I could not install it manually even following the instructions given, so I ended up using a PPA. For those interested, here it is: http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2014/01/install-hugin-via-ppa-ubuntu-linux/
Gabriel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T23:24:42.583Z
Ah, bugger! Did you manage to get it all installed finally? I use Windows primarily, so I haven't tried any of these on Linux, but I knew they could run on it
Tanenthor
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-16T00:35:18.727Z
I could install it, yes. I used it for about 10 min and it crashed my system entirely. Like monster crash :( Anyway, it looks like a good tool, perhaps it just doesn't get along with Linux all that well.
Gabriel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T15:12:12.673Z
2016-04-15T16:33:23.793Z
2016-04-15T16:33:23.793Z
Tanenthor
<p>I'm looking for a free, open-source and Linux compatible alternative to the <a href="https://www.aurigaimaging.com/index.php" rel="nofollow">RegiStar</a> software.</p>

<p>I need it to automatically combine several images into a single frame, where each individual image shows a portion of a large observed region.</p>

<p>Individual images also overlap by some amount, and need to be aligned and possibly rotated before superimposing them onto the final frame.</p>

<p>I believe RegiStar does all this but: a- it is not free, b- it is not open-source, and c- it seems to run on Windows only.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T16:12:35.060Z
I tried astrometry.net but it won't recognize my images (they are JPEGs)
Gabriel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T16:12:56.157Z
Have you tried [Montage](http://montage.ipac.caltech.edu/)? It is now under the BSD 3-Clause License.
skytux
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T16:15:39.280Z
No, it uploads the images fine. The service finds no results for at least one of my images.
Gabriel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T16:15:58.707Z
@skytux I have not. I'll give it a try.
Gabriel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T16:21:16.260Z
@Gabriel, I may have some bash scripts using Montage, if you are interested then I can have a look... good to see that you work with Andrés P.
skytux
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T16:26:28.910Z
Thank you @skytux, I'll let you know about those scripts, much obliged. Now I'm wondering how did you know I work with AP :)
Gabriel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T16:54:49.023Z
From your profile and arXiv, @Gabriel! I'm from Cba :)
skytux
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-15T17:11:28.090Z
I forgot my site is in my profile. Now I've looked you up too :) Saludos Germán!
Gabriel
<photography><software><alignment>
Open source alternative for RegiStar (align, rotate, and combine images into single frame)
Gabriel
# Open source alternative for RegiStar (align, rotate, and combine images into single frame)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-15)

I'm looking for a free, open-source and Linux compatible alternative to the [RegiStar](https://www.aurigaimaging.com/index.php) software.

I need it to automatically combine several images into a single frame, where each individual image shows a portion of a large observed region.

Individual images also overlap by some amount, and need to be aligned and possibly rotated before superimposing them onto the final frame.

I believe RegiStar does all this but: a- it is not free, b- it is not open-source, and c- it seems to run on Windows only.

**Tags:** photography, software, alignment

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I tried astrometry.net but it won't recognize my images (they are JPEGs)  
> **username_1**: Have you tried [Montage](http://montage.ipac.caltech.edu/)? It is now under the BSD 3-Clause License.  
> **username_0**: No, it uploads the images fine. The service finds no results for at least one of my images.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 I have not. I'll give it a try.  
> **username_1**: @username_0, I may have some bash scripts using Montage, if you are interested then I can have a look... good to see that you work with Andrés P.  
> **username_0**: Thank you @username_1, I'll let you know about those scripts, much obliged. Now I'm wondering how did you know I work with AP :)  
> **username_1**: From your profile and arXiv, @username_0! I'm from Cba :)  
> **username_0**: I forgot my site is in my profile. Now I've looked you up too :) Saludos Germán!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-04-15. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I've had success with [Hugin](http://hugin.sourceforge.net/). It's a panorama creator, but it can be used to rotate, resize, and relocate images into a coherent whole. It has a few different automated profiles, but sometimes they are a bit off with star stacks. You can manually select the guide stars though.

A really good program for after that is [GIMP](https://www.gimp.org/) and the plugin [G'MIC](http://gmic.eu/) to stack and remove noise.

Unfortunately it's not a single package like RegiStar, but it's free and can do quite a lot!

Before
[![Before](https://i.sstatic.net/h6W8W.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/h6W8W.jpg)

After
[![After](https://i.sstatic.net/NxMew.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/NxMew.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This looks promising. I could not install it manually even following the instructions given, so I ended up using a PPA. For those interested, here it is: http://ubuntuhandbook.org/index.php/2014/01/install-hugin-via-ppa-ubuntu-linux/  
> **username_2**: Ah, bugger! Did you manage to get it all installed finally? I use Windows primarily, so I haven't tried any of these on Linux, but I knew they could run on it  
> **username_0**: I could install it, yes. I used it for about 10 min and it crashed my system entirely. Like monster crash :( Anyway, it looks like a good tool, perhaps it just doesn't get along with Linux all that well.  

---

