Astronomical Imaging Software

Welcome to MaxIm DL—the complete integrated software solution for all of your astronomical imaging needs

MaxIm DL

$249.00 USD$649.00 USD

Cyanogen Imaging® MaxIm DLTM is the complete integrated solution for all of your astronomical imaging needs. Whether you are collecting and analyzing science data, or making beautiful portraits of the night sky, MaxIm DL Pro includes everything you need.

Product levels available:  MaxIm LT ($249 SBIG camera control, webcams, and basic processing only), MaxIm DL IP ($349 image processing only),  MaxIm DL Pro ($549 includes all cameras and features), and MaxIm DL Pro Suite ($649 all Pro features plus MaxPoint software, a $50 savings).  See Compare tab below for details.

Also available:  MaxIm DL Maestro – synchronize multiple cameras operating simultaneously.

Free Trial – click the Free Trial tab below to request your free 30-day full featured trial.

No refunds on software after purchase.  Please use our free trial to evaluate the software prior to purchase.

SKU: maxim-dl
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Product Description

Cyanogen Imaging® MaxIm DL™ includes an extensive suite of image acquisition, processing, and analysis tools. Starting with complete observatory integration, MaxIm DL takes you from gathering raw data through to the final high-quality result with the minimum of effort.

A typical imaging sequence will include hours of autoguided images with dither, automatic filter changes, and pier flipping – all the while slewing your dome and monitoring the weather.  Every image is tagged with extensive data in its FITS header. When your weather sensor reports unsafe conditions MaxIm DL will automatically shut down your equipment, park the telescope, and safe the dome.

Once your images are collected, MaxIm DL can automatically assemble your calibration images into groups, select the correct groups for each individual image, calibrate, and stack your images.  You can process hundreds of images from different targets with just a few mouse clicks.

MaxIm DL also includes advanced photometry and astrometry capabilities.  Photometric measurements are made using best practice median-mean and partial-pixel algorithms vetted by professional astronomers.  Astrometric measurements are performed using PinPoint LE, widely recognized as the most powerful and accurate package available today.

Key Features (MaxIm DL Pro level)

MaxIm DL runs under Windows 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.  Please see System Requirements for more information.

Please see Compare tab above for the feature list for each product level.  Additional details are available here.

  • Complete observatory integration. Controls all of your astronomical equipment.
  • Integrates your camera, autoguider, filter wheels, focusers, camera rotator, telescope mount, observatory webcam, remote switches, weather station, and dome.
  • Fully ASCOM compliant.
  • Built-in mini-planetarium helps you maintain “situational awareness”.
  • Designed for efficiency. Create your own presets for finding, centering, focusing, and imaging sequences.
  • Multithreaded hardware interfaces for smooth and responsive operation.
  • Automated shutdown with user-definable triggers (including weather) and sequencing.
  • PinPoint V6 with online all-sky solving – easily recover if your telescope gets lost.
  • Automatic pier flipping with guide star reaquisition.
  • Multistar and differential autoguiding.
  • Monitor and control your observatory with dome webcam, remote switches, and weather monitoring.
  • Stack hundreds of images of different targets in one operation – with automatic alignment and bad data rejection.
  • Blend in narrowband data to create fully realistic images or false color representations of your data.
  • Includes a complete image processing toolkit, including a large variety of filters, deblooming, curves, deconvolution, color tools, and much more.
  • Analyze multispectral photometry data for huge numbers of images including multiple targets; export light curves and AAVSO reports.
  • Instant Raw image color preview – see Raw images in full color without Bayer conversion.

Imaging

  • Complete integration of all your observatory hardware in a single package.
  • Supports your equipment – compatible with more equipment than any competing package. Supports ASCOM equipment plus a huge variety of cameras and filter wheels.
  • Multi-threaded equipment control for smoother operation.
  • Instant presets for quick changing between find, focus, complex imaging sequences, etc.
  • Save and load all program settings – instantly reconfigure for different hardware setups.
  • Built-in mini-planetarium provides full “situational awareness” with advanced features such as instant image overlays, FOV indicator with rotator control, extensive catalog search capabilities, and much more.
  • Instantly recover from a “lost” telescope with PinPoint V6 online all-sky blind solving.
  • Monitor and control your observatory with ASCOM switch controls, observatory webcam, and integrated weather sensors.
  • Automatically execute a script for each image to optimize preview or process on the fly.
  • Advanced imaging techniques such as dither, automatic per-filter focus offsets, AO control, graphical track logs, audible alarms.
  • Highly flexible sequence capability including up to 32 filter/exposure slots and auto-mosaic.
  • Improved autoguider support with enhanced reliability and new guiding modes.
  • AO and TDI (drift scanning) support.
  • Bookmark locations on sky – perfect for session planning and marking unexpected discoveries.
  • Automated pier flipping.
  • Automated observatory shutdown sequences, including multiple triggers and user-defined sequence.
  • Full ASCOM compatibility.
  • Compatible with DC-3 Dreams’ ACP browser-based automation tool.

Processing

  • Intelligent Calibration™ automatically selects the best bias, dark, and flat-field frames for each individual image. Calibrate both your main camera and autoguider without changing settings.
  • Powerful image stacking tool automatically identifies and groups image by target object and filter, automatically rejects poor quality images, and includes multiple automatic and manual alignment modes. Automatically stack and LRGB combine multiple images at once!
  • Narrowband image blending tool takes your stacked and aligned image sets and merges them with intesity and wavelenth controls. Use realistic or exaggerated wavelength values for optimum discrimination of object features.
  • Includes a host of image enhancement filters including:
    • Kernel Filters including sharpen, smooth, Guassian blur, median, dilation, erosion, custom.
    • FFT filters
    • Unsharp Mask
    • Wavelet filters
    • Digital Development Processing
    • Rank filter
    • Local Adaptive filter
    • Rotational Gradient filter
    • Deconvolution filters
    • Background and Gradient Removal
  • Easy-to-use Batch processing and advanced scripting capability.
  • Color tools include stacking, balance, saturation adjustment, pseudo color, color filter, remove background, realign planes.
  • FFT analysis.
  • Generate, save, and reuse background flattening profiles for multiple images and targets.
  • Complete photometry and astrometry capabilties. New photometry capaibilities include unlimited image sets, multispectral analysis, and enhanced target recognition and image quality assessment.
  • Other functions include:
    • Align
    • Stack
    • Remove Bad Pixels
    • Add Noise
    • Remove Bloom
    • Remove Pedestal
    • Resize
    • Histogram Specification
    • Curves
    • Levels
    • Threshold
    • Pixel Math
    • Mosaic
    • Rotation
    • Clone, Edit, and Annotation tools
  • Preserves the dynamic range of your image with high bit depth floating point processing for both monochrome and color images.

Product Delivery

MaxIm DL is delivered via internet download.  Registered users can optionally purchase a USB stick; please contact Diffraction Limited for more information.

Software Returns Policy

All software sales are final.

A free demo period of the MaxIm DL Pro level software, with full technical support is available to determine suitability of the software prior to sale.

Please be aware of the differences in product level before choosing your level for purchase.  Lower software levels do not include all features and all equipment control capabilities; however, it may be possible to upgrade at extra cost.

Please note that all software sales are final.  No refunds are given on software products.  A free demo period with full technical support is available to determine suitability of the software prior to sale.  Please be aware that feature availability varies by product level; see the Compare tab above and here for detailed information.

 

For additional details on product levels, please see the User Manual.

FeatureMaxIm LT (SBIG Only)MaxIm DL IPMaxIm DL ProMaxIm DL Pro Suite
Includes MaxPointXXXYES
Com/ActiveX ScriptingXYESYESYES
Supports FocusMax, ACP, etc.XXYESYES
Built-in PlanetariumXXYESYES
Instrument ControlMaxIm LT (SBIG Only)MaxIm DL IPMaxIm DL ProMaxIm DL Pro Suite
SBIG Camera & Accessory ControlSBIG onlyXYESYES
Camera Control (Third-Party, ASCOM, etc.)XXYESYES
DSLR Control (Canon & Nikon)XXYESYES
Webcam ControlXXYESYES
Filter Wheel ControlSBIG onlyXYESYES
Autoguider ControlSBIG & WebcamXYESYES
AO ControlSBIG onlyXYESYES
Dome ControlXXYESYES
Focuser ControlXXYESYES
Telescope ControlXXYESYES
Observatory Webcam DisplayXXYESYES
Davis Weather Station IntegrationXXYESYES
Boltwood Cloud Sensor IntegrationXXYESYES
Multiple Exposure PresetsYESXYESYES
Autosave SequencesYESXYESYES
Visual Focus ToolsYESXYESYES
AutofocusXXYESYES
Scheduled Exposures (eclipse)XXYESYES
Capture MosaicXXYESYES
DitheringXXYESYES
Tracking Error GraphYESXYESYES
Tracking LogYESXYESYES
Tracking AlarmsYESXYESYES
Move (via autoguider pulse)YESXYESYES
Offset TrackingYESXYESYES
Guider Filter CompensationYESXYESYES
Built-in CatalogsXXYESYES
Automatic Star Chart OverlayXXYESYES
Automatic Observatory ShutdownXXYESYES
Automatic Pier FlipXXYESYES
Multi-Star AutoguidingYESXYESYES
Differential AutoguidingYESXYESYES
Exposure Auto-ScriptXXYESYES
File MenuMaxIm LT (SBIG Only)MaxIm DL IPMaxIm DL ProMaxIm DL Pro Suite
Read/Write AVI FilesYESYESYESYES
Reads DSLR RAW FilesXYESYESYES
Batch Save/ConvertXYESYESYES
Load/Save ConfigurationsXYESYESYES
View MenuMaxIm LT (SBIG Only)MaxIm DL IPMaxIm DL ProMaxIm DL Pro Suite
Annotate ImagesXYESYESYES
Screen StretchYESYESYESYES
Information WindowYESYESYESYES
Pan WindowYESYESYESYES
Zoom WindowYESYESYESYES
FITS Header WindowYESYESYESYES
Graphs WindowXYESYESYES
Log WindowYESYESYESYES
Batch Process WindowYESYESYESYES
Virtual KeypadXXYESYES
Night Vision ModeYESXYESYES
Animate/BlinkYESYESYESYES
Equalize Screen StretchYESYESYESYES
Analyze MenuMaxIm LT (SBIG Only)MaxIm DL IPMaxIm DL ProMaxIm DL Pro Suite
PinPoint AstrometryXYESYESYES
PhotometryXYESYESYES
FFT AnalysisXYESYESYES
View MenuMaxIm LT (SBIG Only)MaxIm DL IPMaxIm DL ProMaxIm DL Pro Suite
Intelligent Image CalibrationYESYESYESYES
Align ImagesYESYESYESYES
Stack ImagesYESYESYESYES
Remove Bad PixelsYESYESYESYES
Add NoiseXYESYESYES
Remove BloomXYESYESYES
Remove PedestalYESYESYESYES
Resize/Double Size/Half SizeYESYESYESYES
Make Pixels SquareYESYESYESYES
Stretch (linear/log/gamma)YESYESYESYES
Histogram SpecificationXYESYESYES
CurvesYESYESYESYES
LevelsYESYESYESYES
ThresholdXYESYESYES
Pixel MathYESYESYESYES
Filter MenuMaxIm LT (SBIG Only)MaxIm DL IPMaxIm DL ProMaxIm DL Pro Suite
Kernel FilterYESYESYESYES
FFT FilterXYESYESYES
Unsharp Mask FilterYESYESYESYES
Digital DevelopmentYESYESYESYES
Range-Restricted FiltersXYESYESYES
Rank FilterXYESYESYES
Local Adaptive FilterXYESYESYES
Rotational Gradient FilterXYESYESYES
Wavelet FilterXYESYESYES
DeconvolveXYESYESYES
Flatten/Remove GradientXYESYESYES
Color MenuMaxIm LT (SBIG Only)MaxIm DL IPMaxIm DL ProMaxIm DL Pro Suite
Combine Color (RGB, LRGB)YESYESYESYES
Color StackXYESYESYES
Split TricolorYESYESYESYES
Convert to MonoYESYESYESYES
Pseudo ColorXYESYESYES
Convert Color (de-bayer)YESYESYESYES
Extract Bayer PlaneXYESYESYES
Realign PlanesYESYESYESYES
Color BalanceYESYESYESYES
White BalanceXYESYESYES
Adjust SaturationXYESYESYES
Remove Background ColorXYESYESYES
Color SmoothingXYESYESYES
Color Adjust (graphical)XYESYESYES
Quick ColorYESYESYESYES
Narrowband BlendingXYESYESYES
Extra ToolsMaxIm LT (SBIG Only)MaxIm DL IPMaxIm DL ProMaxIm DL Pro Suite
Supernova Search Tool XYESYESYES

To request your MaxIm DL Pro Demo please submit your full name (first and last) and valid email address. You will be emailed the required demo license and a link from which the demo may be downloaded (35 MB download).

The demo is the full MaxIm DL Pro product.

Please be aware of the differences in product level before choosing your level for purchase.  Lower software levels do not include all features and all equipment control capabilities; however, it may be possible to upgrade at extra cost.

No refunds are available for software products.  See the Compare tab above and here for more detailed information.

 

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  • Note: Use this form to purchase an extension to your upgrades. Software Updates are downloaded by using the Help menu Check For Updates command in MaxIm DL.

    Our upgrade policy is explained here.

    To renew your software support subscription, please enter your current software serial number, and your current contact email below so we can determine what discounts you're eligible for.

  • Your MaxIm DL Serial Number.

User’s Manual

Installation, and operating instructions for all product tiers of MaxIm DL.

Link

Japanese Manual

MaxIm DL Manual – Japanese translation by Toshihito Watanabe.

Link

Getting Started Guide

Quick start guide for new users of MaxIm DL.

Link

ASCOM Platform

In order to control most astronmomical equipment you will need to download and install the ASCOM platform. MaxIm DL V6 requires the ASCOM Platform version 6 or greater.

Link

Extras for MaxIm DL

This page collects together a number of extras including scripts, plug-ins, and third party software that works with MaxIm DL

Link

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