MapStacker
MapStacker is a desktop application for stacking monochrome and colour lunar or planetary image sequences stored in SER or AVI files.
It provides frame quality analysis, global stabilization, multiple alignment points, local frame selection, mesh-based stacking, Drizzle, colour alignment, and output to 16-bit TIFF, PNG, and FITS (plus 8-bit BMP).
Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. English and Traditional Chinese interfaces are included.
Application window
Features
Input and frame selection
- Monochrome, RGB, and Bayer CFA SER and AVI input
- Frame quality ranking before image resampling
- Manual frame exclusion and reference-frame selection
- Independent local frame selection for each alignment point
Alignment
- Global frame stabilization using phase correlation or centre of gravity
- Automatic alignment-point placement using a centroidal Voronoi grid
- Sub-pixel local alignment with outlier handling
Stacking and colour
- Piecewise affine mesh stacking
- Drizzle processing for monochrome, RGB, and Bayer data
- Several global and local RGB alignment methods
- Batch processing of SER and AVI files in a folder
Output
- Automatic cropping and optional output centring
- 16-bit TIFF, PNG, and FITS output, plus 8-bit BMP
- Text sidecar with settings, source metadata, frame selection, and alignment points
Optional NVIDIA CUDA acceleration
MapStacker 1.3.0 adds a Windows CUDA package alongside the standard CPU packages.
- Accelerated stages include quality ranking, ordinary template AP alignment, mesh stacking, local frame selection, coverage normalization, and mono/RGB/Bayer Drizzle.
- Windows 10/11 x64, an NVIDIA Turing or newer GPU, and an up-to-date CUDA 13-compatible NVIDIA driver are required. AMD, Intel and Apple GPUs do not use this CUDA backend. NVIDIA CUDA 13 compatibility notes
- In Advanced Settings → Performance, set Processing device to auto or cuda. Phase/DoG, CLAHE, enhanced refinement and difficult alignment points still use CPU estimation; results may differ slightly from CPU-only processing.
The .7z package includes CuPy and the CUDA runtime. Extract the entire archive with a 7z-capable tool and run MapStacker.exe; Python and a separate CUDA Toolkit are not needed.
CPU packages remain available on Windows, macOS and Linux. Automatic download selection stays on CPU; choose the CUDA package manually for a compatible NVIDIA PC.
Typical workflow
- Open a SER or AVI file. MapStacker reads the capture and its metadata.
- Analyse frame quality. Review the ranking and exclude unsuitable frames if needed.
- Stabilize the sequence. Estimate and correct global movement.
- Place alignment points. Use automatic placement or adjust the points manually.
- Run the stack. Choose the frame percentages, stacking method, and colour options.
- Export the result. Save the image as a 16-bit TIFF, PNG, or FITS (or 8-bit BMP) with its processing record.
Download
Pre-built packages do not require a Python installation.
Recommended download for your device
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| Platform | Requirements | Package | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) | MapStacker-windows-x64.zip | Unzip the archive and run MapStacker.exe. Unsigned application: if SmartScreen warns, choose More info and then Run anyway. |
| Windows x64 · NVIDIA CUDA | Windows 10/11 x64 · NVIDIA Turing or newer · CUDA 13-compatible driver | MapStacker-windows-x64-cuda.7z | The .7z package includes CuPy and the CUDA runtime. Extract the entire archive with a 7z-capable tool and run MapStacker.exe; Python and a separate CUDA Toolkit are not needed. |
| macOS · Apple Silicon | Apple Silicon (arm64) | MapStacker-macos-arm64.zip | Unsigned application. On first launch, right-click and choose Open. |
| macOS · Intel | Intel (x64) | MapStacker-macos-x64.zip | Unsigned application. On first launch, right-click and choose Open. |
| Linux | x64, glibc 2.31 or newer | MapStacker-linux-x64.zip | Requires a graphical X11 environment with Qt xcb support. |
The packages are distributed as ZIP archives. Download the corresponding .sha256 file from the release page if you want to verify the archive.
Support and issue reports
Bug reports and feature requests are managed through GitHub Issues. Before opening a report, please check whether the same problem has already been reported.
A useful bug report should include the MapStacker version, operating system, steps needed to reproduce the problem, and any relevant screenshot or log.