Profiled Starmask Recombination

Purpose and expected result

Profiled Starmask Recombination adds a stars-only image to a matching starless base, then uses a saved Star Profiler v1 or v2 detection list to choose where that addition is visible. It is intended for a nonlinear starless/stars pair from the same registered image when only selected stars should be restored or their edges should be reduced before restoration.

With a valid profile, the expected result is the untouched starless base outside the generated mask and starless + tightened-stars inside it. Invert Selection reverses those regions. OK creates a new still named <starless> - <stars> - MERGED and closes the process; the selected inputs are not replaced. Without a nonempty profile, however, no mask is generated and the process performs a full unprofiled addition. Treat a loaded, checked profile as a required input even though OK does not enforce it.

At a glance

Item	Current behavior
Menu path	Process > Star Processing > Profiled Starmask Recombination
Enabled when	The top-level descriptor remains available without an active image. Preview and OK enable only after both image selectors resolve; profile controls enable after a profile list loads
Inputs	Starless Image, Stars Image, and an optional .anspv1 or .anspv2 profile. Image selectors list all open still/sequence views without compatibility filtering
Outputs	One new still named <starless> - <stars> - MERGED; a sequence selection contributes only its currently displayed frame. Preview snapshots create auxiliary stills
Recommended state	Geometrically identical nonlinear float starless/stars stills plus the profile detected from the same geometry before either branch was resampled or cropped
Profile scope	The current in-memory list can be filtered destructively; Reload restores the file. Profile coordinates are rasterized against the selected Stars Image dimensions without identity/geometry validation
Mask support	An internal mono profile mask only, painted by the engine: binary areas are each star's fitted ellipse scaled and softened by the exact Gaussian; shaped masks use the engine's star-mask shapes. Ordinary active target masks are not applied
Preview support	Full-frame asynchronous result, profile overlays, display autostretch, zoom/channel/display controls, and snapshots. Preview area crops the stars and the painted mask to the same area; Switch image shows the starless image
Sequence support	No true sequence output. OK always creates one still from the currently displayed selected images
External dependencies	None; a profile must already have been created or saved by Star Profiler

Before you start

1. Use a starless/stars pair from the same registered image. Confirm equal width, height, and channel count; selectors do not check compatibility.
2. Use a profile created on that same geometry. Cropping, resampling, rotation, or selecting a profile from another image moves the mask away from the stars; out-of-frame profile areas are silently clipped.
3. Prefer floating-point images when the stars may sum above one. Two floating-point images read from files keep their sum above one; a pair that includes an integer image is read as fractions of full scale (a signed integer counted from its smallest value) and its sum is held at one.
4. Load the profile and confirm Current Stars is nonzero before OK. An empty, cleared, or execution-time failed profile produces no mask and restores the entire Stars Image.
5. Preview area crops the stars and the painted mask to the same area as the starless image, so an area preview shows the recombination of that area.
6. A profile that cannot be read is reported under Load Star Profile; the star list is then empty and the profile controls are disabled until a valid profile loads.
7. OK reads the Stars Image, the current star list, and every mask, edge, and inversion setting when it is pressed; a later change reaches the next run only.

Procedure

1. Open Process > Star Processing > Profiled Starmask Recombination and select the matching Starless Image and Stars Image.
2. Enter or open a .anspv1 or .anspv2 Path. Confirm the displayed Current Stars count and inspect Show Star Profiles over the image.
3. Open Stars Filter if only a subset should be restored. Tune with its Preview, click OK only after checking the count, and remember that confirmation replaces the in-memory list. Use Reload to recover the saved list.
4. Start with Binary Areas, Scale Factor 1.00, Soften Edges 2.00, and Tighten Edges 0.00. Switch to a shaped profile only when a graded radial transition is wanted.
5. Enable the main Preview. Inspect at 100% for star alignment, retained halos, hard mask boundaries, color fringes, and clipped cores. Show Star Profiles changes only the overlay, not the recombination.
6. If necessary, adjust Scale Factor for binary geometry or % Pixel Increase plus Pixel Increase for shaped geometry. Increase Tighten Edges cautiously because it subtracts an edge map from the Stars Image.
7. Use Invert Selection only when the complement of the listed stars should be restored. Click OK to create the new merged still, then verify its name, history/state, geometry, cores, halos, and frame borders.

Complete parameter and action reference

UI label/action	Type and unit	Runtime default	Persisted-default exception	Valid values, step, or constraints	Effect of increasing, decreasing, or selecting	Dependencies and enable/visibility rules	Quality, artifact, runtime, memory, or disk trade-off	Scope: preview/execution, channel, mask, still/sequence	Persistence
Starless Image	Image/sequence selector	No Image	None	Any open view; addition requires the same width, height, and channel count as Stars Image	Supplies base B, metadata, preview display state, and name prefix	Required for Preview/OK; no type/state/alignment filtering	Wrong geometry/state gives displaced or double structure	Preview/OK; all stored channels; current frame only for a sequence	Dialog lifetime
Stars Image	Image/sequence selector	No Image	None	Any open view compatible with Starless Image	Supplies stars layer S and dimensions/type for the profile mask	Required for Preview/OK; profile coordinates are not validated against it	Non-star residuals and misalignment are restored directly	Preview/OK; all stored channels; current frame only	Dialog lifetime
Path	Editable profile path	Empty	None	Filename must end in v1 or v2, case-insensitively, and contain the matching profile data	Typing immediately attempts a load and chooses the v1/v2 mask/filter engine from the suffix	Image selection is not required to load; nonempty list enables profile actions	Invalid text can show repeated errors; a failed load empties the list and disables the profile controls; profile file/list consumes memory	In-memory star selection and internal mask	Dialog lifetime; path itself is not saved here
Open profile (...)	File action	—	Remembers folder key __PROF_STAR_MASK_RECOMB_FOLDER__	Filter shown as Files (*.anspv1;*.anspv2)	Selects the last chosen file and assigns Path	Always available	File parse/I/O cost; no geometry check	Profile load	Last folder persists; selection lives in dialog
Reload profile	Button	Disabled	None	Current nonempty valid Path	Reloads the saved profile, discarding in-memory filtering	Enabled after a profile list loads	Useful recovery; reparses and regenerates mask	Profile/list/mask	File is source of truth
Clear profile	Button	Disabled	None	Click	Empties Path, closes an open Stars Filter, unloads the list, and clears the mask	Enabled after a profile list loads	Subsequent Preview/OK becomes full addition unless another profile is loaded	Profile/list/mask	Not persisted
Current Stars	Read-only count	0; field initially disabled	None	Nonnegative list size	Shows current loaded/filtered list size	Enabled after a valid list loads	A zero count means no profile mask even if the file was syntactically valid	Display/list	Updates for accepted filter changes
Stars Filter	Button/dialog	Disabled	None	Requires nonempty profile and both selected images	Opens the version-specific filter inventory below	Enabled only for a nonempty list and selected pair	Filtering reduces mask work; OK is destructive in memory	Profile list and overlay/mask	Reload recovers file contents
Show Star Profiles	Checkbox	On but disabled	None	Off/On	Shows/hides profile geometry overlay; no sample effect	Valid profile required; meaningful with a view/Preview	Dense overlays can obscure inspection	Display only	Dialog lifetime; Reset does not change it
Invert Selection	Checkbox	Off but disabled	None	Off/On	Off restores stars under mask A; On restores the complement 1-A	Valid profile list required	Wrong polarity can restore all unwanted stars or background residuals	Internal mask blend	Dialog lifetime; Reset turns it off
Scale Factor	Multiplicative geometry	1.00	None	0.00–2.00; step 0.05	Enlarges binary v1 circles/v2 ellipses and profile overlay	Valid profile required; affects Binary Areas, not shaped mask synthesis	Large values merge regions; zero degenerates binary geometry	Binary mask and display overlay	Dialog lifetime; Reset 1.00
Tighten Edges	Amount	0.00	None	0.00–2.00; step 0.03	Subtracts more four-direction edge magnitude from the entire Stars Image before addition, reading a constant zero border at each row's ends	Valid profile controls enable it, but the operation is global before mask blending	Can shrink halos but also darken/erase edges and create color artifacts	All stars channels before masked/full addition	Dialog lifetime; Reset 0.00
Shape	Selector	Binary Areas	None	Binary Areas, Bell, Truncated Bell, Linear, Truncated Linear, Cubic, Quadratic	Chooses filled detected geometry or a circular radial profile	Mask Generation group requires a valid profile	Shaped wings overlap by maximum; v2 shaped modes discard ellipticity/angle	Internal mono mask	Dialog lifetime; Reset Binary Areas
Soften Edges	Gaussian blur scale	2.00	None	0.00–10.00; step 0.03	Broadens binary-mask transitions	Enabled/effective only for Binary Areas	Reduces hard seams but can restore halos/background farther from stars	Binary mono mask	Dialog lifetime; Reset 2.00
% Pixel Increase	Radius multiplier	0.50	None	0.00–1.00; step 0.03	Sets shaped radius multiplier; 0.50 means half the base radius, not +50%	Enabled only for non-binary Shape	Small values truncate stars; large values merge wings	Shaped mono mask	Dialog lifetime; Reset 0.50
Pixel Increase	Additive radius	0 px	None	0–20 px; step 1 px	Adds a fixed radius after the percentage multiplier	Enabled only for non-binary Shape	Dominates small stars first; large values increase overlap/cost	Shaped mono mask	Dialog lifetime; Reset 0
Preview	Checkbox	Off; disabled	None	Off/On	Creates/destroys asynchronous full-frame preview	Both images required; a profile is not required	Repeated mask/type/filter work allocates full-frame buffers	Preview only	Dialog lifetime
Preview pane	Image viewer	Processed result	Execution autostretch supported	Pan/scroll and actions below	Displays result without committing inputs	Exists with Preview	Holds result, alternate, display, and mask buffers	Preview only	Preview lifetime
Fit To Window	Preview action	Fitted initially	None	Click or Ctrl+Shift+F	Fits the whole frame	Preview required	Resampling can hide one-pixel misalignment	Display only	Viewer lifetime
Zoom In	Preview action	Current scale	None	Click; 1.25x relative zoom	Enlarges local detail	Preview required	Less context	Display only	Viewer lifetime
Zoom Out	Preview action	Current scale	None	Click; reciprocal relative zoom	Shows more context	Preview required	Less pixel detail	Display only	Viewer lifetime
Zoom 100%	Preview action	Current scale	None	Click or Ctrl+Shift+1	Shows one image pixel per display pixel	Preview required	Best for masks, edge subtraction, and clipping	Display only	Viewer lifetime
View Channel	Preview selector	RGB for RGB; disabled Grayscale for mono	None	Stored/derived RGB, CIE, HSL/HSV/HSI, and YCbCr components	Changes displayed component only	RGB result required for derived channels	Helps reveal channel-dependent edge artifacts	Display only	Viewer lifetime
Display Mode	Preview selector	Inherits Starless Image Linear/Autostretch state	None	Linear, Autostretch	Changes visualization only	Autostretch enables settings	Stretch can conceal clipping or exaggerate mask boundaries	Display only	Preview view state
Autostretch Settings	Preview dialog action	Disabled in Linear mode	Shared values load when opened	Opens display settings; Apply Stretch hidden	Tunes preview display	Autostretch mode only	Does not change output samples	Display only	Viewer-scoped
Switch image	Preview action	Profiled result shown	None	Click, Space, right-click, or Ctrl+Shift+O	Toggles between the result and the starless image	Preview required	Compares the recombination with its base	Display only	Preview lifetime
Preview area	Preview checkbox/overlay	Off	None	Off/On; move/resize overlay	Crops the stars and the painted mask to the same area as the starless image and shows their recombination there	Preview required	A smaller area is less preview work	Preview/snapshot	Preview lifetime
Take snapshot	Preview action	No snapshot	None	Click or Ctrl+Shift+K	Re-executes into an auxiliary still	Preview required	Adds full processing/memory	New still	Each click creates a view
OK	Dialog action	Disabled	None	Click	Creates <starless> - <stars> - MERGED and closes after success	Both images required; profile not required; no compatibility precheck; the Stars Image, the star list, and every setting are read when OK is pressed	Full addition occurs if the profile is absent or empty	One new still	Inputs unchanged; dialog closes after success
Reset	Dialog action	—	None	Click	Resets Scale, Tighten, Invert, Soften, percentage/pixel growth, and Shape to their initial values	Does not clear selectors, Path, filtered list, Show Star Profiles, or Preview	Restores mask controls while retaining selection	Dialog controls	Not a factory-state restore
Close	Dialog action	Enabled	None	Click	Closes the window without starting a run	Remains enabled	Does not delete snapshots or prior merged stills	Dialog	Discards dialog state

Stars Filter dialog

UI label/action	Type and unit	Runtime default	Persisted-default exception	Valid values, step, or constraints	Effect of increasing, decreasing, or selecting	Dependencies and enable/visibility rules	Quality, artifact, runtime, memory, or disk trade-off	Scope: preview/execution, channel, mask, still/sequence	Persistence
v1 Intensity Min/Max	Data-derived range	Full observed range	—	Current extrema; step 0.1	Narrows retained v1 intensity	v1 only	Can remove faint or bright stars	Current list/mask	Dialog until OK
v1 Quality Min/Max	Data-derived range	Full observed range	—	Current extrema; step 0.1	Narrows v1 quality	v1 only	Quality is not the v2 metric	Current list/mask	Dialog until OK
v1 Radius Min/Max	Data-derived pixels	Full observed range	—	Current extrema; step 0.1 px	Narrows v1 radius	v1 only	Excludes tiny detections or large structures	Current list/mask	Dialog until OK
v2 Mag Min/Max	Instrumental magnitude	Full range; Min starts at larger/fainter value, Max at smaller/brighter value	—	Current extrema; step 0.1; retains Max <= Mag <= Min	Narrows v2 instrumental flux magnitude	v2 only	Not a calibrated catalog magnitude	Current list/mask	Dialog until OK
v2 FWHMx Min/Max	Data-derived pixels	Full observed range	—	Current extrema; step 0.1 px	Narrows major-axis width	v2 only	Can select sharp/broad fits	Current list/mask	Dialog until OK
v2 FWHMy Min/Max	Data-derived pixels	Full observed range	—	Current extrema; step 0.1 px	Narrows minor-axis width	v2 only	Combine with FWHMx to avoid shape bias	Current list/mask	Dialog until OK
Random selection	Percentage	100%	—	0–100%; step 0.5%	Retains exactly that share of the stars the ranges kept, chosen from a seed, so the same stars are kept while the filter is open	Both versions	0% keeps no star	Current list/mask	Dialog until OK
Include Neighbors	Checkbox	Off	—	Off/On	Adds spatially intersecting neighbors after a threshold/random filter	Effective only when another filter is active	Can expand selection substantially in dense fields	Current list/mask	Dialog until OK
Preview	Checkbox	On	—	Off/On	Updates overlay/count while tuning without committing the list	Both versions	Large lists can refilter noticeably	Overlay/list preview; not output pixels by itself	Not persisted
Filtered Stars	Read-only count	total/total	—	Read-only	Shows retained/original counts	Always visible	No processing effect	Filter dialog	Not persisted
OK	Button	—	—	Confirmation required	After Yes, replaces the process's in-memory star list and closes	Refusal leaves list unchanged	Removed stars require Reload to recover	Profile list/mask	Not written to profile file
Reset	Button	—	—	Click	Restores data-derived ranges and 100% random selection	Preview/Include Neighbors are not explicitly reset	Recomputes preview	Filter dialog	Not persisted
Cancel/Close	Button/window action	—	—	Click	Restores original overlay/list and closes	—	No data change	Filter dialog	Not persisted

How the algorithm works

Conceptual pipeline

1. Load the profile version from the filename suffix and keep its star list in memory. Optional Stars Filter confirmation replaces that list.
2. Rasterize a one-channel mask at the selected Stars Image dimensions. Binary Areas use filled v1 circles or v2 rotated ellipses; shaped modes evaluate one of six circular profiles and combine overlaps by maximum.
3. On every run, the engine paints the mask over the whole Stars Image and crops it, like the stars, to a preview area as the framework crops the starless image.
4. Read both images in one domain: two floating-point images that state a physical quantity in their own units, any other pair as fractions of full scale. If Tighten Edges is positive, subtract the stars' four-direction edge magnitude, reading a constant zero border at each row's ends, and hold the result to [0,1] in a normalized domain.
5. Add base and processed stars in double, holding the sum at one in a normalized domain. If a profile mask exists, blend between base and sum using that mask or its inverse. Otherwise publish the full sum. Every sample is written once in the higher of the two images' representations.
6. Keep the starless image's record, append the recombination to its lineage, mark the result nonlinear with operation profiled-starmask-recombination, and open the named still.

Profile-mask synthesis

For v1 Binary Areas, each profile record supplies a circular radius r; the mask draws a filled circle with radius Scale Factor x r. For v2 it draws a rotated ellipse centered at the fitted position with full axes 4 x FWHMx x Scale Factor and 4 x FWHMy x Scale Factor, rotated by the negative fitted angle. Soften Edges then applies the engine's exact Gaussian of that standard deviation; the mask is a 32-bit float image in [0,1].

Shaped modes first choose base radius R_base = v1 radius or max(v2 FWHMx, v2 FWHMy), so v2 ellipticity and angle are discarded. The final radius is

R = (% Pixel Increase) x R_base + Pixel Increase.

For distance d from the center, the six functions are:

• Bell: exp(-d^2 / (2 R^2)).
• Truncated Bell: min(1, exp(0.5) x exp(-d^2 / (2 R^2))).
• Linear: max(0, 1 - d / (3 R)).
• Truncated Linear: max(0, 1.5 - 1.5 d / (3 R)).
• Cubic: max(0, 1 - (d / (3 R))^3).
• Quadratic (implementation label): max(0, 1 - (d / (3 R))^4).

The engine samples within a 3R bounding box, clamps each contribution to [0,1], and keeps the maximum where profiles overlap. Despite its label, Quadratic uses a fourth power. The dialog passes a broad 0..100 diameter filter, so normal profile records are controlled by Stars Filter rather than a separate shaped-mask size range.

When the effective shaped radius is zero—both the percentage contribution and Pixel Increase produce R=0—the generated mask remains black. With Invert Selection off, that preserves the starless base and returns no stars; with Invert Selection on, the black mask selects the complement and returns the full sum. This differs from an absent profile, which generates no mask and therefore always takes the full-addition branch.

Edge tightening, addition, and mask equations

Let B(x,c) be starless, S(x,c) the original stars layer, E(S) the modified Sobel magnitude, t Tighten Edges, and A(x) the generated mono mask. The edge stage is

S_t = clamp(S - t E(S), 0, 1) in a normalized domain; for two floating-point images stating a physical quantity S_t = S - t E(S), not held.

E sums the absolute horizontal, vertical, and two diagonal 3x3 responses and multiplies by 0.05, independently per stored channel, and reads a constant zero border beyond the first and last sample of each row. It darkens detected edges; it is not deconvolution, morphological shrink, or halo-aware fitting.

The additive result is R = min(B + S_t, 1) in a normalized domain and R = B + S_t for two floating-point images stating a physical quantity. With Invert off, O = B(1-A) + RA; with Invert on, O = BA + R(1-A). Mask zero therefore preserves the base and mask one restores the processed stars, unless inverted.

The result is written in the higher of the two images' representations in the ranking sint8 < uint8 < sint16 < uint16 < sint32 < uint32 < float < double, with or without a mask. There is no lower clamp, so a negative floating-point sum remains negative; an integer result saturates when it is written. A signed integer image is added as a fraction counted from its smallest value.

Boundary and failure behavior

• A pair of unequal width/height or channel count is refused at execution with the star image does not have the starless image's size and channels.
• The profile is read on the thread pool, the latest request winning. A file that cannot be read is reported under Load Star Profile and leaves an empty list, so the profile controls are disabled and a run performs the full unprofiled addition.
• A valid empty list also creates no mask. OK remains enabled from the image selectors alone and performs the full sum.
• Profile identity and geometry are unchecked. Mask raster bounds clip to the selected Stars Image; off-frame detections disappear and coordinate mismatch selects the wrong content.
• The edge sampler reads a constant zero border at the left and right ends of every row, so frame edges can darken slightly when Tighten Edges is nonzero.
• Ordinary active masks are ignored. The generated mask is mono and applies to every output channel.
• True per-frame sequence processing is not implemented. A pixel that the starless image's, the stars' or the mask's validity rejects keeps the starless image's samples; a sample that is not a finite number in a pixel its image states valid makes the run fail. The engine's mask painting and recombination honour the run's stop.

Parameter interactions and starting points

Combination	Conservative starting point	Too weak looks like	Too strong looks like	Adjustment order
Binary selection	Scale 1.00, Soften 2.00, Tighten 0.00	Selected halos/stars are cut off	Neighboring regions merge; too much background returns	Filter list -> Scale -> Soften -> Tighten
Shaped selection	Truncated Bell, percentage 0.50, pixels 0, Tighten 0.00	Small cores or abrupt wings	Broad overlapping restoration	Filter list -> shape -> percentage -> pixels -> Tighten
Edge control	Tighten 0.00, inspect at 100%	Original star halos remain	Dark rims, erased edges, channel fringes	Mask geometry first -> raise Tighten in small steps
Complement restoration	Build/check normal mask first; then Invert	Unwanted stars remain excluded	Nearly the entire stars layer/background residual returns	Validate count/overlay -> normal Preview -> Invert
v2 elliptical fits	Binary Areas at Scale 1.00	Circular shaped mask misses elongated wings	Large ellipses merge in crowded fields	Filter FWHM -> Scale -> Soften

Inputs, outputs, and metadata

• Inputs: one displayed Starless Image, one displayed Stars Image, and an optional saved .anspv1 or .anspv2 star profile. The two images must match in width, height, and stored channel count; profile coordinates are not checked against either image.
• Output: OK creates one new still named from both inputs with - MERGED. It does not modify either input. A selected sequence contributes only its currently displayed frame; no output sequence or auxiliary mask view is published.
• Pixel type: the output is written in the higher of the two images' representations, with or without a generated profile mask.
• Metadata and history: the output keeps the Starless Image's record - its acquisition record, exposure included, header cards, and plate solution - with the recombination appended to its lineage, and is marked nonlinear with operation profiled-starmask-recombination. History records the two image names, the add operation, the number of profiled stars, how they were painted (binary areas with scale and softening, or the shape with its percentage and pixel increase), the edge tightening, and the inversion; it does not record the profile path. The profile file itself is never rewritten.
• Temporary data: mask, edge, sum, and alternate buffers are in memory. There is no external process, temporary file, overwrite prompt, or partial output to clean up.

Worked example

For a controlled check, use matching float mono stills with representative samples B=0.20, S=0.30, Tighten Edges 0, and a profile mask that is A=1 at a selected star, A=0.5 at its softened boundary, and A=0 elsewhere. The expected non-inverted outputs are 0.50, 0.35, and 0.20. Invert changes them to 0.20, 0.35, and 0.50.

Before accepting the astronomical result:

• verify the overlay is centered on the intended stars at 100%;
• compare Current Stars before and after filter confirmation;
• inspect bright cores for upper clipping and RGB stars for color fringes;
• inspect left/right frame borders when Tighten Edges is nonzero;
• confirm the result is a new ... - MERGED still and the input views are unchanged; and
• switch to the alternate only to compare against raw full restoration, not to judge original versus processed.

Performance

Mask work grows with star count and covered area. The engine paints the binary and the shaped masks alike, in parallel over the mask's rows, each pixel keeping the largest contribution any star makes, so the mask does not depend on the order of the list or the number of threads; v1 and v2 profiles take the same path. Large Scale/Pixel Increase values enlarge covered areas and overlaps. Preview, edge tightening, integer working copies, addition, mask, and display each require full-frame buffers; peak memory can be several image copies.

OK creates one still even when a sequence view is selected, so there is no sequence progress dialog. The engine's mask painting and recombination honour the run's stop. Disable Preview while changing many filter/mask controls on large images, then re-enable it for a deliberate full-frame check. OK runs on a worker from a snapshot of the Stars Image, the star list, and the controls taken when it is pressed, so a later change reaches the next run only.

Warnings and limitations

• A profile is operationally optional but scientifically required for selective restoration; no profile means full addition.
• A failed profile load leaves an empty list and disables the profile controls; a run then performs the full addition.
• Profile/image geometry and image-pair compatibility are not prevalidated.
• Tighten Edges affects the entire stars layer before the profile blend and reads a constant zero border at each row's ends.
• Preview area crops the stars and the mask to the area; Switch image shows the starless image.
• Output is always a still from current displayed images, not a processed sequence.
• The output is in the higher of the two images' representations, masked or not.
• Reset restores Soften Edges and the other mask controls to their initial values and retains the profile, filtered list, selectors, Show Star Profiles, and Preview state.
• Random filter selection is drawn from a seed and keeps exactly the share asked; filter OK is destructive only to the in-memory list, and the profile file is never updated here.
• OK reads the inputs and settings when it is pressed; a later change reaches the next run only.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix	Evidence basis
Every star returns	No/empty profile or a failed load at execution creates no mask; an inverted black mask also selects the full sum	Reload a valid profile, confirm Current Stars > 0, Preview with Invert Selection off, and inspect the mask effect	Process source
No stars return in shaped mode	Effective shaped radius is zero and Invert Selection is off, producing a black mask	Raise % Pixel Increase or Pixel Increase; preview the mask before OK	Shaped-mask and blend source
Overlay/mask misses stars	Profile came from different geometry or branches were cropped/resampled	Use the profile and pair from the same unchanged registered image	Mask raster source
the star image does not have the starless image's size and channels	Width, height, or channel count differs	Match all three properties; do not rely on selectors	ProfiledStarmaskRecombinationProcess::executeTypedProcessImpl
Load Star Profile reports an error	The file is not a readable .anspv1/.anspv2 profile; the list is now empty	Load a valid profile; a run without one performs the full addition	process_utils::readProfileStars
Dark rims or colored borders	Tighten Edges too high, or the zero border at each row's ends	Reduce Tighten Edges; inspect 100% frame borders and channels	an::recombineStarMask
Shaped v2 mask looks round	Shaped mode uses max FWHM as a circular radius	Use Binary Areas to preserve fitted axis ratio/angle	Profiler mask source
Percent 0.50 makes masks smaller	It multiplies radius by one half	Raise toward 1.00 and/or add Pixel Increase	Mask equation/source
Result is held at one in bright cores	The pair includes an integer or normalized image, so both are read as fractions of full scale and the sum is held at one	Expected for such a pair; two floating-point images read from files keep their sum above one; reduce the stars layer upstream if needed	process_utils::recombinationReading

Related workflow steps

• Star Profiler — create, inspect, filter, and save v1/v2 profiles.
• Star Mask — generate binary or shaped masks directly from an image without a saved profile.
• Starmask Recombination — add a full stars layer with an optional user-supplied mask.
• Star Reduction — reduce stars against a matching starless reference rather than restoring a selected profile.
• Glossary — image-state, profile, mask, and clipping terminology.

References and provenance

• The shaped profile masks use the engine's star-mask shapes, adapted from DeepSkyStacker's star-mask shapes under the BSD 3-Clause License of Luc Coiffier and the DeepSkyStacker contributors, whose licence notice Help > About AfterNight reproduces with its credit.

This page is source-first (S) with focused synthetic/unit validation. The menu, registry, UI builders, profile/filter lifecycle, v1/v2 mask creators, edge filter, add/blend kernels, and preview framework were traced. AfterNight was not launched. No approved astronomical profile/pair or sequence was processed; visual quality, real profile correspondence, production timing, and peak memory remain unverified.