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Integration Previews

Integration Previews create a quick combined preview from selected cloud-backed captures.

They are meant for review and decision making. Use them to check whether the data is worth continuing, compare frame selections, show progress on a Community Target, or choose a visual representative for a target before doing a full processing run.

Where To Find Them

Open the captured images for a scheduled target. The target capture dialog contains Integration Preview Builder.

That same dialog also includes capture regrading tools, saved preview cards, comparison controls, and the full preview display.

Requirements

Integration previews need Cloud Service data.

Before building one, check that:

  • the target has full-quality cloud uploads enabled
  • enough accepted frames are uploaded to Cloud Service
  • the frames are linked to an imaging goal
  • grades are current enough for your minimum-grade filter
  • matching master darks and flats exist if you want calibrated previews
  • Cloud Service quota has room for the generated preview

Build A Preview

  1. Open the target's captured images.
  2. Open Integration Preview Builder.
  3. Choose the imaging goal.
  4. Choose the minimum grade, or keep Any accepted grade.
  5. Set Use Frames.
  6. Choose the preview scale.
  7. Choose calibration mode.
  8. Choose the rejection method.
  9. Start the preview request.

The builder shows helpful estimates before you start, including selected frame count, total exposure, average grade, and an estimated processing duration.

Builder Options

Imaging goal chooses which goal/filter set supplies frames.

Minimum grade limits the input to accepted frames at or above the selected quality level.

Use Frames controls how many eligible frames are used. A value of 0 means all eligible frames.

Preview scale controls output size. Full-resolution preview access depends on the active subscription/cloud entitlement.

Calibration can be Auto or Off. Auto attempts to match master darks and flats from Cloud Service.

Rejection method can use sigma clipping. When sigma clipping is selected, the sigma value controls how aggressively outlier pixels are rejected.

Calibration Matching

When calibration is set to Auto, AstroManager checks the selected frames against enabled cloud masters.

The builder reports whether a master dark and master flat are available for the selected frames.

Matching depends on metadata, especially:

  • frame type
  • filter
  • exposure
  • temperature
  • gain
  • offset
  • binning
  • equipment
  • effective date range

If the preview says calibration is missing, open Cloud Service > Masters and check the master metadata.

Saved Previews

Saved previews appear as cards in the target capture dialog.

Each card can show:

  • status
  • request time
  • frame progress
  • runtime
  • scale
  • minimum grade
  • calibration mode
  • matched dark and flat indicators
  • rejection method
  • noise summary when available

AstroManager keeps a limited number of saved previews per imaging goal. If the limit is reached, delete an older preview before creating another one.

Compare And Inspect

Select a succeeded preview to open it directly in AstroManager.

Use Compare on another succeeded preview to compare two preview results in the same preview surface. This is useful when checking:

  • calibrated vs uncalibrated output
  • different frame counts
  • different grade thresholds
  • different sigma clipping values
  • old data vs new data

Succeeded previews can load full image data for zoomed inspection inside AstroManager. This avoids leaving the app just to inspect a generated preview.

Cancel Or Delete

Running preview jobs can be cancelled.

Completed, failed, or cancelled previews can be deleted. Deleting a preview removes that preview from Cloud Service storage, but it does not delete the source image subs.

Community Target Images

Integration previews can be used as Community Target images.

This is intended for progress and collaboration: a team can show the current combined state of a target without waiting for a final processed image.

Community Target previews load directly in AstroManager and avoid unnecessary external open-link behavior.

Troubleshooting

If the builder cannot start, check that there are eligible cloud-backed frames for the selected imaging goal.

If the preview limit is reached, delete an older saved preview for that imaging goal.

If calibration says dark or flat is missing, check the Cloud Service Masters metadata and make sure the assets are enabled.

If the preview takes longer than expected, reduce frame count, lower preview scale, or avoid expensive rejection settings for quick checks.

If quota is tight, delete old previews or export archives from Cloud Service.