Cyanogen Imaging ® MaxIm DL

Welcome to Cyanogen Imaging ® MaxIm DL by Diffraction Limited.  

Diffraction Limited manufactures a wide range of scientific imaging products.  This includes SBIG ® cameras, autoguiders, adaptive optics, and filter wheels; MaxPoint telescope modeling and correction software; Quick Fringe interferometry analysis software; MaxDome II dome control systems; and Boltwood Cloud Sensors.  

MaxIm DL is specifically designed for astronomical imaging and other low-light level applications. It operates scientific-grade cameras, DSLR cameras, low-cost imagers, and webcams and other video sources. It also controls filter wheels, focusers, autoguiders, telescopes, focal plane rotators, and observatory domes. A wide variety of hardware is supported through both ASCOM drivers http://ascom-standards.org and proprietary and third-party plug-in drivers. MaxIm DL also includes a wide variety of image processing and analysis features.

MaxIm DL is available in several different levels, with different levels of capability. Therefore some manual sections may not apply to the license you have purchased. If you require additional capabilities, upgrades are available through our website at https://www.diffractionlimited.com.

 

PDF Manual

A PDF version of this manual can be downloaded from our server.  The content is identical to the built-in Help.  To access it use the Help menu PDF Manual command.  

Please note that this PDF file will be cached on your hard drive and is not automatically updated when you install a new version of MaxIm DL; see PDF Manual for instructions on how to update it.

 

Quick Links

Release Notes

Product Levels

MaxIm DL Tutorials

Supported Cameras

Supported Filter Wheels

Adjusting Brightness and Contrast

 

Manual Organization

We recommend that you keep the Contents tab visible while browsing the help, as this makes it much easier to navigate.  The chapters are laid out logically as follows:

  1. Introduction - this section includes release notes, license agreement, and credits and copyright information..

  2. Installation and Upgrades - system requirements, installation procedures and troubleshooting, and information on obtaining upgrades and technical support.  

  3. The Basics - some basic things everyone should know about using MaxIm DL.  There are some significant differences from typical "Paint" type programs that you should be aware of.

  4. Tutorials - the place to start learning about MaxIm DL.  Most of the tutorial steps can be practiced at home using the equipment simulators.

  5. Imaging with MaxIm DL - general background on imaging including both capturing and processing images.

  6. Equipment Setup - how to configure your equipment, with a particular focus on cameras, autoguiders, and filter wheels.

  7. Working With Other Software - information on connecting MaxIm DL to other software, such as popular planetarium programs.

  8. Command Reference - the most commonly used section.  This is organized exactly the same way as the default MaxIm DL menu layout, so it is very easy to find information on every command.

  9. Scripting - information on writing scripts and controlling MaxIm DL from custom software via COM/ActiveX.

  10. Glossary - definitions of terminology you will encounter in the manual.