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.
Hi Mabula, a question. How does Bayer drizzle integration?
Hi Minusman,
Bayer Drizzle will integrate only the bayer data of camera's that have a bayer CFA on the sensor, like DSLR camera's. So the data won't be debayered before integration.
A suggested setting to use would be to
- set bayer drizzle for integration mode
- keep integration scale at 1.0
- set drizzle drops at 2.0 and
- drizzle kernel, try tophat.
The results from this would and should be similar to normal integration (no drizzle) with AAD debayer.
Then if you lower the drizzle drops value, if the data permits, the integration/stack will become sharper but noisier.
Applying drizzle is always a choice between improved resolution versus an increasing amount of noise.
Let me know, if you can create a nice bayer drizzle result 😉
Cheers,
Mabula
Must I have to adjust in Raw / Fits no  interpolation?
Hi minusman,
No, you can keep the 0) RAW/FITS settings for debayer on the default AAD debayer.
For star analysis and registration of the light frames, APP will dynamically debayer your frames to get good star lokations and optimal registration. Without debayering this is not possible.
Then, when the light frames are loaded at the beginning of the integration task, APP will NOT debayer your light frames, so only the bayer CFA pixels will be loaded into the integration 😉
So, it's setup automatically for you. You only need to select the Bayer Drizzle integration mode.
Let me know if it works 😉
Mabula
p.s. I have made a sticky of this 😉
😉 you're welcome minusman !
Hi Mabula- you mention the above advice is for DSLRs - does it also apply to a OSC like my ASI071MC Pro?
I get 2 files afterwards - the 'normal' integrated one as well as a WeightMap. I assume that I continue processing the integrated one in either 9) Tools or an external program like PS - correct? But what do I do with the WeightMap file?
I have seen your advice in other posts about trying different settings for droplet size, etc. to determine my own preferences. I will do so, but would like to know if there are any processing steps I should take before comparing them?
Rgds and thanks for a great processing program!
