Announcement
Additional Software
Now Available With SBIG Cameras
Updated June 15, 2004

Cyanogen Productions Inc.

Special Offer:

New purchases:  New orders received for most SBIG cameras, excluding "I" models and certain special offers, will include, at no additional cost, TheSky version 4, level II and  CCDSoftV5, both from Software Bisque and a certificate redeemable at SBIG for MaxIm DL/CCD or Mira AP software packages at $50 off the list prices for these packages, subject to the terms and conditions stated below and on the certificate.  If you are not sure if your model includes this additional software, please check the individual description for your particular model camera.   To find out more about any of these software packages, click on the company's logo anywhere on this page.

* Note 6/15/2004:  We have a few copies of Maxim DL/CCD version 3.xx left in stock.  This offer good only while supplies last.   These may be upgraded for free to version 4 by Diffraction Limited.

SBIG and Software Bisque have a long history of cooperation in bringing advanced products to amateur and professional astronomers.  Software Bisque was one of SBIG's first distributors, and they were the first software company to fully support SBIG camera control in their own commercial software products, TheSky and SkyPro.  In 1996, SBIG and Software Bisque jointly sponsored a very successful CCD imaging conference in Santa Barbara.  At the conference, Software Bisque announced the release of CCDSOFT, the 32 bit successor to SkyPro.  Also announced at the 1996 conference was Software Bisque's observatory class Paramount, a fully robotic mount with electronics designed by SBIG.  The latest version of SBIG's camera control software, CCDOPS for Windows 95/98/NT was a collaborative effort.   Now, our two companies have cooperated in the preparation of a promotional CD ROM with demonstration software from each company, including fully functional versions of TheSky (version 4, level II), CCDSoftV4 and CCDOPS.   CCDSoftV5 will be available for free download from the Software Bisque web site.   CDROMs containing CCDSoftV5 will be included with every SBIG camera beginning in September, 2001.  SBIG is proud to include these Software Bisque programs with all new SBIG cameras at no additional charge.

"Make the most of your time at the telescope by using CCDSoft CCD Astronomy Software.  CCDSoft seamlessly integrates both CCD camera control and astronomical image processing functions into a single application.  With its powerful functionality, ease of use and support for many popular CCD camera models, CCDSoft is in a class by itself.  No observatory is complete without it."

"CCDSoft is part of the only integrated environment available for observatory control for Windows.  As a result of this integration, more astronomical discoveries have been made by our customers using CCDSoft during the last three years than any other commercially available package. You can enjoy the benefits of integration by your increased productivity in image acquisition and data reduction."

"We have been providing astronomy software for 16 years, longer than any other company. Our users continuously provide suggestions and ideas for improvement. We strive to continue our tradition of innovation in the astronomical community."

"Our products have gained world-wide acceptance for many reasons. We work hard to provide a friendly, intuitive user interface to all our products.   Rigorous testing methods are used to ensure CCDSoft and other products from Software Bisque are bullet-proof.  Nothing is more demanding than running an all night, unattended script, and CCDSoft has been performing under these conditions for years. In fact, CCDSoft is a core component of a completely automated and unattended satellite image-acquisition observatory at Edwards Air Force base."

"A full-featured graphical planetarium program that will show you "what's up" in the sky on any date, from any place on earth. Regarded as the premier program for learning about and enjoying the fascinating pastime of astronomy, TheSky has features to benefit a wide range of interest levels, from the beginning hobbyist to the seasoned professional." 

"TheSky Astronomy Software brings to your desktop the wonder and fascination of viewing the heavens, whether you are tracing your first constellation, or hunting for yet-discovered celestial bodies. TheSky is as simple to use as it is powerful. Questions along the way? Our comprehensive user’s manual and detailed on-line help will assist you in learning its many features."

"TheSky is written for the Macintosh PowerPC and Windows (95, 98 and NT) operating systems. Since TheSky uses an intuitive graphical user interface, you can experience the power and excitement of the program instantly.  Input your location on Earth and the date and time you wish to view the sky (any date between 4,712 B.C. to 10,000 A.D.) and TheSky will show you the positions of the Sun, the Moon, planets, millions of stars and thousands of other deep-sky objects as they appear from your backyard.  Ever wonder what that faint object setting in the west?  You'll spend hours exploring the heavens from your desktop.  Need help along the way?  A comprehensive, easy-to-read user's guide is included with TheSky software, as is detailed context-sensitive help; thus, you can master TheSky quickly and easily.  In addition, TheSky offers an astronomy tutorial, called "Patterns in TheSky" to help you learn terminology and understand many important astronomical concepts.  TheSky's tutorial includes numerous definitions, as well as scores of illustrations." 

"TheSky can be used to control most commercially available computer-driven telescopes, including the Celestron Ultima 2000^TM and the Meade LX200^TM Series (additional serial cable required) ¹.  TheSky also pioneered the technology for software-guided telescopes; that is, using optical encoders and a serial communications box to sense the telescope's motion.  When used in conjunction with one of these telescopes, TheSky displays real-time cross hairs on your computer screen to show you exactly where your telescope is currently pointing. (If you like, TheSky can also overlay a circle or rectangle on its display to indicate the relative field of view for your telescope.)  You can then click TheSky's Slew To button (or use the Guide To command for software-guided telescopes) to point your telescope to any object in TheSky's Object Database.  You can also use one of TheSky's myriad telescope functions for slewing, jogging, centering, star searching or focusing.  Using TheSky for Windows in conjunction with CCDSoft, you can control both computer-driven telescopes and CCD cameras, creating a powerful system for astronomical observations."

With these CDROMs, camera purchasers will get not only top notch camera control in CCDOPS for Windows 95/98/NT but also the premier star charting, planetarium and telescope control software, TheSky, and Software Bisque's advanced image processing and camera control software, CCDSOFT, all included with the camera all at no additional charge. 

[Note ¹ Telescopes supported in TheSky version 4 include:  Meade LX200, Celestron Ultima 2000, Compustar, BBox by Tangent, Metal BBox by Merlin, University of Iowa, Coordinate III, CompuSky PC, NGC Sky Vector, Sky Commander, Mount Wilson, ACL Telescope, NGC-Max, Sky Wizard, Autoscope, Simulator, Paramount GT-1100, AB Engineering, Showa, Pentax, Internet Telescope and Telescope API.   Some recent GOTO scopes such as Celestron Nexstar and Meade ETX Autostar require upgrading to TheSky version 5.  If you have a question about your telescope please check with Software Bisque.]   

SBIG and Cyanogen Productions have enjoyed a cooperative relationship ever since SBIG camera control was first added to the popular MaxIm DL image processing software to help make up the popular MaxIm DL/CCD package.  With every new update to SBIG hardware, MaxImDL/CCD has quickly been updated to support the SBIG product line.  MaxIm DL/CCD is a powerful yet easy to use image processing and camera control program designed specifically for astronomy applications.  For those new camera customers who desire the additional features found in MaxIm DL/CCD we are pleased to make this package available at a savings of $50 with the purchase of certain SBIG ST or STL series camera.  (Note:  This offer for is not available in the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria or Switzerland).

MaxIm DL

"MaxIm DL lets you take control of your CCD imaging. Forget intimidating manuals and complex commands – powerful image processing capabilities are now within your reach."

"With the release of Version 2.0, MaxIm DL is now even more powerful. Dozens of new features are available. Instantly adjust brightness and contrast just by moving the mouse. Use the latest imaging techniques including DDP, LRGB, LCMY, mosaics, and much more!"

"MaxIm DL is the perfect tool for amateur and professional astronomers using the Windows 95/98/NT platform. Try it now – a demo version of MaxIm DL is available as a free download."

MaxIm DL/CCD

"MaxIm DL/CCD was developed to meet the specific needs of astronomical CCD imaging.   The elegant MaxIm CCD user interface, designed by a professional engineer with years of experience with CCD imaging, provides instant access to all camera and autoguider controls – at all times!"

"Fully integrated with the MaxIm DL image processing package, MaxIm CCD lets you continue working with images during an exposure.  Dual focus/expose controls let you have two preset camera settings – one for focusing and centering, the other for taking images.   The autoguider controls are second-to-none. Advanced features include real-time guide star display, manual or automatic star selection, and declination adjustment. For dual-CCD cameras such as the ST-7 and ST-8, you can autoguide while taking image sequences or tricolor sets – no need to restart the autoguider on each exposure!"

Axiom Research is well known for Mira image processing and data analysis software which has undergone several updates, including the latest Mira version 7 released in 2001.  Mira AP also supports SBIG file formats (read and write) and SBIG camera control.  The basic MIRA and MIRA AP packages are richly appointed stand alone image processing applications. To these platforms, you can add extension modules to tailor MIRA to meet the needs of your application. The MIRA Advanced Camera Control Interface module, or ACCI, is also included for integrating camera control with image processing and analysis.  For those interested in the features of Mira, we are pleased to offer this package at a savings of $50 with the purchase of certain SBIG ST and STL series cameras.  (Note:  This offer for is not available in the Germany, Austria or Switzerland).

Mira AP

MIRA goes where your Science takes You.  MIRA is a modular software system that gives superior results in virtually any scientific imaging application. MIRA is available in two platforms, each designed for a specific type of user:   MIRA AP is optimized for astronomy and space science applications.   MIRA has the same core functionality as MIRA AP but is designed for biomedical research and other laboratory imaging applications.

MIRA AP  is the premier application for processing astronomical images on the PC.  MIRA AP provides all the tools most users need to process and analyze astronomical images from CCD's and digitized photographs. Attention to the mathematical aspects of image processing sets MIRA AP apart from other software. In spite of its advanced capabilities, MIRA AP has a remarkably short learning curve. And much more than just a "How to use" document, the MIRA AP User's Guide provides a wealth of information about rigorous, cutting edge techniques for processing astronomical images.   Researchers, students, and amateur astronomers alike will find MIRA AP a "must have" application for working with astronomical data on a PC.

Mira AP ACCI

The MIRA Advanced Camera Control Interface (ACCI) operates selected CCD cameras directly from MIRA to allow images to be acquired, processed, and analyzed, all in the same software.  The MIRA ® Advanced Camera Control Interface TM , or "ACCI" TM provides not just single frame imaging, but also automated image sequencing, tri-color acquisition, and control automation by Script Control . With more than 50 commands, the innovative ACCI Script Language is extremely powerful, yet simple to use---even by users completely unfamiliar with computer programming.  Simple commands such as Dark=60, filter=3, and repeat=5 direct the camera or filter wheel to take exposures, move the filter wheel, or repeat a group of commands. Real time graphic displays allow you to easily monitor elapsed time, frame sequence number, cooler temperature, and ¾ for astronomical observations Every effort has been made to make the camera control as intuitive and pleasant to use as possible. The complete interface consists of a small tabbed dialog, with each tab page containing settings for related commands.

Revised: June 14, 2004 10:57:47 AM.
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