Install RC-Astro Tools in PixInsight
Set up BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, and StarXTerminator with the RC-Astro repository, activate the tools you license, and prepare for a first processing test.
Sources reviewed October 25, 2026
Before you start
These are commercial third-party tools from RC Astro, developed by Russell Croman. A PixInsight license does not include them. Obtain a purchased or trial license for each tool you want to use through RC Astro, and keep the supplied activation details available.
Begin with an updated PixInsight installation, save open work, and check the publisher’s current operating-system and hardware requirements. This guide focuses on installing the PixInsight processes. Follow the PixInsight instructions rather than downloading an installer intended for another application.
The product pages offer trials so you can check compatibility on your computer before purchasing. Use the current requirements rather than assuming that a computer capable of opening PixInsight can run every plug-in.
1. Get to know the three tools
BlurXTerminator performs astronomical deconvolution and optical-aberration correction. It requires linear image data: an image that has not received a permanent stretch. A bright ScreenTransferFunction (STF) display does not itself make an image nonlinear.
NoiseXTerminator reduces image noise. Inspect faint detail and background texture when assessing a result rather than judging only how smooth the image looks.
StarXTerminator separates stars from the rest of an astronomical image, allowing stars and extended objects to be processed separately. Keep the original image and any stars output so you can compare results and restore stars later.
This is an installation guide. Processing order and settings depend on your data and the individual tool’s documentation; do not apply all three simply to check that their windows open.
2. Add the current RC-Astro repository
The current official installation page lists one shared address: https://www.rc-astro.com/PixInsight . Copy the address exactly, preserving its capitalization and excluding surrounding spaces.
Already have an older RC-Astro installation? Compare your repository list with the publisher’s current instructions before changing it. Avoid combining instructions from different generations of the tools. Keep unrelated repositories in place.
- Open Resources → Updates → Manage Repositories.
- Choose Add and paste https://www.rc-astro.com/PixInsight into the URL field.
- Confirm the entry and save the repository list with OK.
3. Install and restart
Finish the complete update cycle before looking for the processes.
- Run Resources → Updates → Check for Updates and apply the available RC-Astro package.
- After downloading, close PixInsight. Approve installation when prompted, then reopen it.
- Find BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, and StarXTerminator under Process → RCAstro.
4. Activate licenses and download models
Installing a shared package does not grant a license to every included tool. Activate only the products covered by your purchased or trial licenses. Keep license keys private when sharing screenshots or asking for help.
- Open a licensed process and use its wrench-shaped Preferences button to enter the license information. Repeat for other licensed tools as needed.
- Keep internet access available: the selected machine-learning model downloads on first processing use. Alternatively, use Download ML Models under Additional options to download available models ahead of time.
5. Check a first result
Start with a duplicate of a small, representative image and read the process’s built-in help. For BlurXTerminator, choose linear data with stars; a permanently stretched export is not a suitable substitute.
Test one licensed tool at a time. Let any model download finish, then check that processing completes without a license or model error. Compare the original and result at the same zoom and display stretch. Successful execution checks setup; it does not establish that the chosen settings are right for every image.
For a star-separation test, preserve both the starless result and the stars output when that option is enabled. Save test images under new names. Record the installed tool and model versions when following a processing tutorial, because controls and results can change between versions.
Quick fixes if setup stalls
Missing menu entry: confirm that the repository was saved, the package downloaded, and the close-and-reopen installation cycle completed. Look under Process rather than Script.
Activation fails: check that you are using the license details for that particular product and that any trial is still valid. Use RC Astro’s account and support pages for license problems; do not post keys publicly.
A model cannot download: record the exact error and check connectivity before retrying. Do not interrupt a working download or substitute a model file from a different tool.
A tool disappears or stops loading: follow the troubleshooting FAQ linked from the official installation page. Record the operating system, PixInsight version, process version, and full error message so support can identify the failing step.
For GPU setup or migration from older modules, follow current RC Astro guidance for your platform and installed release. Avoid copying older TensorFlow or GPU-library instructions into a newer installation without checking compatibility first.
Setup is complete when the licensed processes open and a suitable test image finishes processing. Continue with an image-processing tutorial and the vendor’s documentation for settings and workflow choices.