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.
Hello. I have asked for this simple feature for (Literally) years. Previously you said "no problems" and it would be done, but here we are in 2020 and its still outstanding. PLEASE can you get "Set working directory" to remember the directory that was set?. I have a NAS, and for me this is a big deal, so much so, I dont have the patience to use APP as, every time I have to map to my NAS, then the following time APP is opened, it defaults to Documents.
Thank you
Adrien RichardsonÂ
Yes, some things have been promised a bit too early I think, agreed. This will be part of the "save settings" request which Mabula is working on. Sorry for the delay in this I totally understand.
Hello Vincent
I held my breath that FINALLY ! the most basic option possible, that is, to save the default directory, was implemented in 1.079...but alas this was not to be.
I have already asked this multiple times before, but when will this be done, so I can finally use a program that I have been paying for since its it introduction?.
You would think it would be an easy fix but it would appear to be not.
Hello Vincent
I held my breath that FINALLY ! the most basic option possible, that is, to save the default directory, was implemented in 1.079...but alas this was not to be.
I have already asked this multiple times before, but when will this be done, so I can finally use a program that I have been paying for since its it introduction?.
I have no time-frame myself regarding this, @mabula-admin should have. Can't be taking too long anymore as I do know it is on his short-list. I think this particular thing isn't very hard no, I guess he wants to introduce this in 1 go as part of a bigger settings-feature.
I have always found this immensely annoying that I cant set my default directory to be on a separate disk. It irritates me everytime I open the software - its bad enough it takes so long to do the license check before you can even select the default folder button.
once again I ask for this option to rise up the priority queue. Of all the software packages I use for my I.T. work or hobby, (and I use a lot) the lack of being able to set the default drive / folder in APP is by far the most annoying !! Particular as I quite often exit and re-enter APP after an integration or experimenting with settings due to the lack of a "settings reset" option. (that should be addressed too)
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Having to press the up arrow 4 times, find my D: drive amongst my many local and mapped network drives, then find the D:\APP folder amongst 78 other folders on that disk is extremely annoying.
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And whats with the 12 second delay before you can even set the working directory ? I can see its verifying the license and doing something else  The program just sits there totally unresponsive.
That is so bloody frustrating !!!!!!!!!
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I'll add my name to the list of Owners with this request. I've also found it quite annoying that I have to constantly redefine what I want to use as a working path.
Hello
I have been asking this 5 times over 2+ years now, but still no solution. PLEASE allow the "Set working directory" to be selectable by users, and other than "Documents".
Every time I restart APP it reverts back to documents. Surely it cant be that hard to do?
Adrien
@adrien this still annoys the crap out of me - not as much as having to wait for the license check at startup - I find that exceptionally offensive. I get in and out of APP quite frequently to reset the settings - and quite often I just quickly want to see what a certain image looks like.  Lack of attention to the User Interface Experience was a contributing factor to me jumping ship to PixInsight recently.
Mabula
Can you please have the courtesy to reply to countless requests for this simple function to be added?. My renters license is coming up for renewal in January, and I need to know if it is worth continuing this battle to have this very simple function implemented. If it is something that is too complex for you to implement, please say so.
Thank you
Adrien
Mabula / Vincent - I agree with Adrien. - please have the decency to answer these simple questions - we cant we set a default directory - and why the license check every time ?
APP takes 5 seconds to start up.
Then another 12 seconds to do the license check
It then takes at least another 10 seconds to navigate to my desired working directory on a second SSD disk (more if I have a "busy" hard disk with lots of folders)
That's nearly 30 seconds of waiting - the worst is the license check in my opinion. Why cant this be done, say, once a day - or later in the background.  It angers me greatly to see this come up every time !! Â
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PixInsight takes a total of about 6 seconds to load up and get to my desired folder (which it remembers)
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I often use APP as a FITS or CR2 image checker - it might be just to quickly open it up to check if a particular set of images has clouds across them, or if a single image has the correct white balance (which I have needed to do frequently with my new ASI294MC-Pro).  I often make changes to the image development settings that require a full restart of the program (due to the lack of a global settings reset button - another simple addition that would save a lot of time)
Even though I have purchased Pixinsight it is my intention to continue using APP for the image pre-checking, stacking and calibration phases which I think it does magnificently. Like many busy people I'm juggling work, a farm and family - I am time-poor so any time I do get to spend on my astro-photography is valuable - so I dont like any unnecessary delays and I sure as hell don't like my integrity challenged by having a license check forced upon me every time I start the software. I've had a guts full of that at our local state COVID-19 border crossing for the last 6 months.
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thank you.
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Another possibility is to write a check file with the encoded license/expiration data rather than a client-server model that is dependent on a reliable service daemon (point of failure) being reachable across the internet (another point of failure). If that file doesn't exist, then go to the client server to verify the license and write the check file. Seems like an awful lot of effort for very little return to verify licensing in the manner that is currently being used.
If I had to pick between that and having a default working directory predefined rather than queried, I'd rather have the working directory defined. Hands down. Single most annoying thing for me in APP.
Yes it's annoying ... but I just make a short-cut to the place I want to go in the place it defaults to .. so it's just one dbl click then ok - not he end of the world.
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The long license check every single time is much more annoying to me (and don't get me started how angry I'll be if the online part ever fails...)
Hello Mabula
For literally years, I have been requesting the "Set work directory" be something that can be saved, with no reply from yourself.
I find this very unprofessional. Today my license expired, and I see that you have committed to finally getting this done in 1.0.85
I cant say I am very impressed. All you had to do is to reply on the forum, or e-mail me with an explanation. I have been paying for a license since APP became available.
Very Disappointed.
Regards
Adrien Richardson
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Agree with what others have said on this. Is there really no way of manipulating the default working directory, even if it isnt properly supported with gui configuration?