Scan Folder on Astro Live Stacker

Quick Start

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:33:38 +0000

Introduction

By the end of this chapter, you will have:

Configured the only required settings for a quick start with ALS’s default settings.
Started your first stacking session and obtained your first results.

In the shoes of the character…

Throughout this journey, you will embody a new ALS user:

Username: Your username is astrogeek
System used: You use ALS on a Linux system
Organization of subs: Your acquisition system saves the subs in the astroshots folder of your home directory, organized by target with subs in Light subfolders.

Concepts

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:33:39 +0000

Introduction

By the end of this chapter, the basic concepts of ALS will be familiar to you.

You will understand what ALS does and how it does it.

Stacking

Stacking is the process of combining multiple subs of the same target to generate a more detailed and contrasted image than a single sub.

The quality of the result increases as more subs are used.

Comparison of 8 stacking results
The number of stacked subs is indicated at the top left of each image

General Tab

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:46:48 +0000

The most critical ALS settings are presented in the General tab.

Overview

This tab is divided into 3 sections:

The General tab in ALS preferences

Scanner

Scan Folder

ℹ️ This setting can only be modified when the session is stopped.

Defines the path of the folder monitored by ALS to detect subs recorded by your acquisition system.

Scanner

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:33:39 +0000

Overview

The Scanner module is the entry point for your subs in ALS.

It is responsible for:

Monitoring the appearance of subs in the scan folder
Loading the detected subs

ℹ️ Existing files are ignored

Files present in the scan folder before the Scanner module is started are not detected

ℹ️ Detection of subs is recursive

Subs are detected regardless of the level of subfolders where they appear within the scan folder

Quick Start

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:33:38 +0000

Introduction

By the end of this chapter, you will have:

Configured the only required settings for a quick start with ALS’s default settings.
Started your first stacking session and obtained your first results.

In the shoes of the character…

Throughout this journey, you will embody a new ALS user:

Username: Your username is astrogeek
System used: You use ALS on a Linux system
Organization of subs: Your acquisition system saves the subs in the astroshots folder of your home directory, organized by target with subs in Light subfolders.

Concepts

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:33:38 +0000

Introduction

By the end of this chapter, the basic concepts of ALS will be familiar to you.

You will understand what ALS does and how it does it.

Stacking

Stacking is the process of combining multiple subs of the same target to generate a more detailed and contrasted image than a single sub.

The quality of the result increases as more subs are used.

Comparison of 8 stacking results
The number of stacked subs is indicated at the top left of each image

General Tab

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:46:48 +0000

The most critical ALS settings are presented in the General tab.

Overview

This tab is divided into 3 sections:

The General tab in ALS preferences

Scanner

Scan Folder

ℹ️ This setting can only be modified when the session is stopped.

Defines the path of the folder monitored by ALS to detect subs recorded by your acquisition system.

Scanner

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:33:38 +0000

Overview

The Scanner module is the entry point for your subs in ALS.

It is responsible for:

Monitoring the appearance of subs in the scan folder
Loading the detected subs

ℹ️ Existing files are ignored

Files present in the scan folder before the Scanner module is started are not detected

ℹ️ Detection of subs is recursive

Subs are detected regardless of the level of subfolders where they appear within the scan folder

Quick Start

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:43:39 +0000

Introduction

By the end of this chapter, you will have:

Configured the only required settings for a quick start
Started your first stacking session and obtained your first results.

Initial configuration

On the first start, ALS introduces the configuration steps required to get started:

ALS needs to know the paths of two critical folders:

The Scan folder: The folder where ALS monitors the arrival of new subs.
The Work folder: The folder where ALS saves the produced images.

ALS welcome screen with setup options

Concepts

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:33:39 +0000

Introduction

By the end of this chapter, the basic concepts of ALS will be familiar to you.

You will understand what ALS does and how it does it.

Stacking

Stacking is the process of combining multiple subs of the same target to generate a more detailed and contrasted image than a single sub.

The quality of the result increases as more subs are used.

Comparison of 8 stacking results
The number of stacked subs is indicated at the top left of each image

General Tab

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:46:48 +0000

The most critical ALS settings are presented in the General tab.

Overview

This tab is divided into 3 sections:

The General tab in ALS preferences

Scanner

Scan folder

ℹ️ This setting can only be modified when the session is stopped.

Defines the path of the folder monitored by ALS to detect subs recorded by your acquisition system.

Scanner

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:38:13 +0000

Overview

The Scanner module is the entry point for your subs in ALS.

It is responsible for:

Monitoring the appearance of subs in the scan folder
Loading the detected subs

ℹ️ Existing files are ignored

Files present in the scan folder before the Scanner module is started are not detected

ℹ️ Detection of subs is recursive

Subs are detected regardless of the level of subfolders where they appear within the scan folder