Astrophotography is a fascinating and challenging niche in photography that requires a lot of patience and skill. One of the most common techniques used in astrophotography to enhance the quality of your night sky photographs is image stacking, where multiple images of the same subject are taken and merged together to create a final image with improved clarity and detail.
Sequator Star Stacking software is a powerful tool that makes this process much easier, especially for photographers interested in stacking night sky photographs and timelapses. Unfortunately for Mac users, Sequator is only available to PC's running the Windows O/S, but in this article I will discuss how to use Sequator Star Stacking software on a Mac (without needing Windows O/S) using new software from CodeWeavers called CrossOver software.
Install CrossOver Software The first step in using Sequator Star Stacking software on a Mac is to install CrossOver software. CrossOver is a paid software that allows users to run Windows software on a Mac without the need for a Windows operating system. This software is available for purchase (14-day fully functional free trial is also available) from the official CrossOver website. Once you have purchased and downloaded CrossOver software, follow the instructions to install it on your Mac.
Install Sequator Star Stacking Software Once you have installed CrossOver software on your Mac, the next step is to install Sequator Star Stacking software. To do this, open CrossOver software and click on the "Install a Windows Application" button. In the search bar, type "Sequator" and select the appropriate version of the software from the search results. Follow the instructions to install Sequator Star Stacking software on your Mac using CrossOver.
Import Images into Sequator After installing Sequator Star Stacking software, you can start using it to stack your night sky photographs and timelapses. The first step is to import the images you want to stack into Sequator. To do this, click on the "Open" button in the top left corner of the Sequator window. Browse through your computer's files to select the folder containing your images, and click on "Open" to import them into Sequator.
Adjust Settings Once you have imported your images into Sequator, you can adjust the settings to optimize the stacking process. Click on the "Settings" button in the top right corner of the Sequator window to access the settings panel. Here, you can adjust various parameters such as noise reduction, alignment, and brightness. Take some time to experiment with these settings to see how they affect the final image.
Stack Images After adjusting the settings, you can start stacking your images. Click on the "Stack" button in the top left corner of the Sequator window to begin the stacking process. This may take several minutes or even hours, depending on the number and size of the images you are stacking. Once the process is complete, you will be able to view the stacked image in the Sequator window.
Save Stacked Image Finally, you can save the stacked image by clicking on the "Save" button in the top left corner of the Sequator window. Choose a file format and location for your image and click on "Save" to export the final image.
In summary, Sequator Star Stacking software is a powerful tool that can make the image stacking process much easier for photographers interested in astrophotography. By using CrossOver software on a Mac, you can easily run Sequator and take advantage of its features to create stunning night sky photographs and timelapses. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can quickly and easily learn how to use Sequator Star Stacking software on a Mac using CrossOver software.
CrossOver also offers a fully-functional 14-day free trial, so you can try it out before deciding whether you need it or not. In my testing, Sequator running on the Mac was approx. twice the speed than it was running under Parallels and Windows on the same computer. The speed is easily comparable to running the same software on a fast Windows gaming laptop. That to me - makes this combination a home run for Mac users.