2026-10-09 APP 2.0.0-beta48 has been released !
This is mainly a bug fix release for the reported bugs in beta47. In addition it has a significant User Interface performance improvement noticable when you need to process 1000s of images in APP.
2026-10-03 APP 2.0.0-beta47 has been released !
This is a very big release... many code optimizations/rewrites, many parts of APP are much faster and more precise, especially star analysis and registration are much faster ! Big mosaics will go much faster 🙂
And we introduce a new preview filter, which includes the new Adaptive Deep Sky Stretch and a General Levels Stretch, this has been long over due. The old preview filter (the panel on the right side to stretch and preview your data) has not been updated for a couple of years and it is a critical part of any APP session.
Adaptive Deep Sky Stretch or ADSS is a much more intuitive stretch algorithm. It is also color preserving (which is a great new addition in itself ! ) which means that the highlights are no longer bleached, color is maintained from the linear data while stretching. You can simply stretch your data using the sky background level and signal width sliders which work much easier and more intuitive. You no longer need to fiddle with the old complicated sliders with zoom buttons. All the zoom buttons for the sliders are made redundant. And you can enter slider values in the slider value fields yourself. I will make a youtube video in the coming days to explain and fully introduce ADSS. Once the video is ready, it will be highlighted on the forum.
RGB Combine upgrade !. The RGB Combine Tool has been rewritten mostly. The tool is faster and easier to use and most importantly, the Luminance slider to inject a luminance channel or channels into the RGB composite is now working correctly. It no longer bleaches the RGB colors. Combined with the new ADSS preview, you will get much better and easier great composites with great color! I will also explain this in a new youtube video.
I could not select the faint comet. It always switches to the Star next to the comet. As in the toutorial seen, the green box is missing.
Are you using the latest APP version? This one does seem tricky as the comet almost has no clear nucleus it seems.
Yes:
The Comet C/2020 F5 MASTER is ca. 16.0 Mag. with less nucleus, but not tricky.
The problem is I cloud not select the Comet. APP always selects the Star and no way to the comet. Faint comets have no or less nucleus and sometime they are near a Star, but stacking it, (no comet stacking) you see the nucleus very good.
No, I mean that the selection of the comet may be tricky for the APP algorithm in this specific case. Would be nice if you can share your data (like 10 lights and the calibration masters) so we can try to improve it.
Uploaded 10 of my Pictures with comet C2020 F5 MASTER.
Thanks Peter, I'll download it and have a look. If it indeed is an issue, I'll put it in our comet folder to see if we can use the data to further improve detection, if possible.
Can you also upload the calibration masters you used? I do see the comet indeed, but it's a tricky one. I've shared it with Mabula as well.
Have the same problem this week. Trying to catch the bright C2022 E3 ZTF and the faint C/2022 U2 Atlas comet together. It is not possible to select a faint nucleus. It jumps over to a brighter star.
Dick
