MaxIm DL is available in a number of different product levels, as follows:
MaxIm LT supports modern SBIG camera models, plus webcams (see full list below). This includes associated guiding, adaptive optics, and filter wheel accessories. MaxIm LT has basic image processing, and does not control observatory equipment.
MaxIm DL IP provides full image processing and analysis capability, but no instrumentation control or image capture.
MaxIm DL Pro provides all features, including support for all camera models and observatory equipment.
MaxIm DL Pro Suite is a bundle of MaxIm DL Pro and MaxPoint.
MaxIm DL Maestro is an enhanced version of MaxIm DL Pro. It allows a server instance to manage one or more client instances to operate multiple cameras in parallel. This can be used to operate several cameras on a single mount simultaneously, including via scripted operation.
MaxIm DL Maestro Suite is a bundle of MaxIm DL Maestro and MaxPoint.
Please note that MaxIm DL Basic and MaxIm DSLR product levels are no longer offered. If you have this product level it will continue to work in Version 6, but it is not available in Version 7.
This user manual describes all available features. Depending on the product level you purchased, you may not be able to access all capabilities.
Users can upgrade between product levels using the webstore at https://www.diffractionlimited.com
The following table describes the differences between the product levels. Features not listed in this table are included in all product levels.
For MaxIm DL Pro Suite please refer to the Pro column. For MaxIm DL Maestro Suite please refer to the Maestro column.
| Major Feature | IP | LT | Pro | Maestro |
| Multi-Camera Imaging | Y | |||
| Com/ActiveX Scripting | Y | Y | Y | |
| Image Processing Plug-ins | Y | Y | Y | |
| Third-Party Camera Plug-in Support | Y | Y | ||
| Built-in Planetarium | Y | Y | ||
| Supports third party control software | Y | |||
| Instrumentation Control | IP | LT | Pro | Maestro |
| Scientific-Grade Camera Control* | SBIG* | Y | Y | |
| Webcam Camera Control* | Y | Y | ||
| Filter Wheel Control | SBIG* | Y | Y | |
| Autoguider Control | SBIG* | Y | Y | |
| AO Control | SBIG* | Y | Y | |
| Dome Control | Y | Y | ||
| Focuser Control | Y | Y | ||
| Telescope Control | Y | Y | ||
| Observatory Webcam Display | Y | Y | ||
| ASCOM Switch Control | Y | Y | ||
| Davis Weather Station Integration | Y | Y | ||
| ASCOM Observing Conditions and Safety Integration | Y | Y | ||
| Built-in Catalogs | Y | Y | ||
| Multiple Exposure Presets | Y | Y | Y | |
| Autosave Sequences | Y | Y | Y | |
| Scheduled Exposures (eclipse) | Y | Y | ||
| Visual Focus Tools | Y | Y | Y | |
| Autofocus | Y | Y | ||
| Capture Mosaic | Y | Y | ||
| Dithering | Y | Y | ||
| Astrometric Resynchronization | Y | Y | ||
| Offset Tracking | Y | Y | Y | |
| Guider Filter Compensation | Y | Y | Y | |
| Tracking Error Graph | Y | Y | Y | |
| Tracking Log | Y | Y | Y | |
| Tracking Alarms | Y | Y | Y | |
| Move (via autoguider pulse) | Y | Y | Y | |
| Automatic Star Chart Overlay | Y | Y | ||
| Calibrate Shutter Latency | Y | Y | ||
| Automatic Observatory Shutdown | Y | Y | ||
| Automatic Pointing Refinement | Y | Y | ||
| Automatic Pier Flip | Y | Y | ||
| Automatic Shutdown | Y | Y | ||
| Multi-Star Autoguiding | Y | Y | Y | |
| Differential Autoguiding | Y | Y | Y | |
| Exposure Auto Script | Y | Y | ||
| File Operations | IP | LT | Pro | Maestro |
| Batch Save/Convert | Y | Y | Y | |
| Load/Save Configurations | Y | Y | Y | |
| Run Script | Y | Y | Y | |
| Processing and Analysis | IP | LT | Pro | Maestro |
| Annotate Images | Y | Y | Y | |
| Mosaic | Y | Y | Y | |
| Graph Window | Y | Y | Y | |
| Virtual Keypad | Y | Y | ||
| PinPoint Astrometry | Y | Y | Y | |
| Photometry | Y | Y | Y | |
| FFT Analysis | Y | Y | Y | |
| Add Noise | Y | Y | Y | |
| Remove Bloom | Y | Y | Y | |
| Histogram Specification | Y | Y | Y | |
| Threshold | Y | Y | Y | |
| FFT Filter | Y | Y | Y | |
| Unsharp Mask Filter | Y | Y* | Y | Y |
| Digital Development | Y | Y* | Y | Y |
| Range-Restricted Filters | Y | Y | Y | |
| Rank Filter | Y | Y | Y | |
| Local Adaptive Filter | Y | Y | Y | |
| Rotational Gradient Filter | Y | Y | Y | |
| Wavelet Filter | Y | Y | Y | |
| Deconvolve | Y | Y | Y | |
| Flatten/Remove Gradient | Y | Y | Y | |
| Color Operations | IP | LT | Pro | Maestro |
| Color Stack | Y | Y | Y | |
| Pseudo Color | Y | Y | Y | |
| White Balance | Y | Y | Y | |
| Realign Planes | Y | Y | Y | |
| Adjust Saturation | Y | Y | Y | |
| Remove Background Color | Y | Y | Y | |
| Color Smoothing | Y | Y | Y | |
| Color Adjust (graphical) | Y | Y | Y | |
| Narrowband Blending | Y | Y | Y | |
| Quick Color | Y | Y | Y | Y |
* Notes:
FFT Filters
If a command optionally utilizes FFT filters, and FFT filters are not supported in the product level used, they will not be available for that command.
Equipment Supported by MaxIm DL Pro / MaxIm DL Maestro
All available models including ASCOM camera and filter wheel drivers. Please see Camera and Autoguider Setup for more information.
ASCOM camera drivers are provided by the camera manufacturer.
Equipment Supported by MaxIm LT
All SBIG Aluma (CCD) and Aluma AC (Advanced CMOS) models.
All SBIG StarChaser models.
All SBIG STC models.
All SBIG STF, STT, STXL, and STX models manufactured since 2014. (Older USB models may function but are not guaranteed to work.)
All SBIG filter wheels designed to be compatible with the above cameras.
SBIG AO-8A and AO-X adaptive optics accessories. (Older models may function but are not guaranteed to work.)