ap-move-master-to-library

Organize master calibration frames into a structured library.

Overview

ap-move-master-to-library copies master calibration frames from a source directory (e.g., PixInsight output) to an organized library structure based on FITS/XISF header metadata.

Installation

python -m pip install git+https://github.com/jewzaam/ap-move-master-to-library.git

Usage

python -m ap_move_master_to_library <source_dir> <dest_dir> [options]

Options

Option	Description
`source_dir`	Directory containing master frames
`dest_dir`	Destination library directory
`--quiet`, `-q`	Suppress non-essential output (progress, INFO logs, summaries)
`--debug`	Enable debug output
`--dryrun`	Preview without copying
`--no-overwrite`	Fail if destination exists

Output Structure

{dest_dir}/
├── MASTER BIAS/
│   └── {camera}/
│       └── masterBias_GAIN_{gain}_OFFSET_{offset}_SETTEMP_{settemp}_READOUTM_{readoutmode}.xisf
│
├── MASTER DARK/
│   └── {camera}/
│       └── masterDark_EXPOSURE_{exposure}_GAIN_{gain}_OFFSET_{offset}_SETTEMP_{settemp}_READOUTM_{readoutmode}.xisf
│
└── MASTER FLAT/
    └── {camera}/
        └── {optic}/           # Only if optic in header
            └── DATE_{YYYY-MM-DD}/
                └── masterFlat_FILTER_{filter}_GAIN_{gain}_OFFSET_{offset}_SETTEMP_{settemp}_FOCALLEN_{focallength}_READOUTM_{readoutmode}.xisf

Organization Logic

flowchart TB
    FILE[Master Frame] --> READ[Read Headers]
    READ --> TYPE{Frame Type?}

    TYPE -->|MASTER BIAS| BIAS_PATH["MASTER BIAS/{camera}/"]
    TYPE -->|MASTER DARK| DARK_PATH["MASTER DARK/{camera}/"]
    TYPE -->|MASTER FLAT| FLAT_PATH["MASTER FLAT/{camera}/{optic}/DATE_{date}/"]

    BIAS_PATH --> COPY[Copy with Metadata Filename]
    DARK_PATH --> COPY
    FLAT_PATH --> COPY

Frame Type Detection

Identifies master frame type from IMAGETYP header:

MASTER BIAS → MASTER BIAS directory
MASTER DARK → MASTER DARK directory
MASTER FLAT → MASTER FLAT directory

Metadata Extraction

Frame Type	Directory Keys	Filename Keys
MASTER BIAS	Camera	Gain, Offset, Temp, Readout
MASTER DARK	Camera	Exposure, Gain, Offset, Temp, Readout
MASTER FLAT	Camera, Optic, Date	Filter, Gain, Offset, Temp, Focal Length, Readout

Examples

Basic Usage

python -m ap_move_master_to_library /pixinsight/output/master /calibration/library

Preview Changes

python -m ap_move_master_to_library /output /library --dryrun

Fail on Existing Files

python -m ap_move_master_to_library /output /library --no-overwrite

Debug Output

python -m ap_move_master_to_library /output /library --debug

Workflow Integration

This tool is typically used after master generation:

# 1. Generate masters with PixInsight
python -m ap_create_master /raw_calibration /output \
    --pixinsight-binary "/path/to/PixInsight"

# 2. Organize into library
python -m ap_move_master_to_library /output/master /calibration/library

Library Benefits

The organized structure allows:

Quick lookup by camera and optical configuration
Deduplication of identical frames

Default Behavior

Overwrites existing files (use --no-overwrite to prevent)
Reports files copied and any errors
Preserves original files (copy, not move)

Repository

github.com/jewzaam/ap-move-master-to-library

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ap-move-master-to-library.md

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