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.
Thought this might be of interest to some.Â
East Midlands, UK, 22nd October.
63 (of 71) x 60s, ISO 1600, Canon 5D Mk IV + Canon EF 100-400mm MkII at F5.6
30 Flats, 25 Bias & 23 darks.
No filters
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Obvs more integration needed; weather has been rubbish... but maybe I'll hold off on buying a decent refractor for now after my woes with the SW ED80?????
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Kind regards
Stephen.Â
Could you remind me briefly what your woes were about? Usually a refractor is quite nice in the sense of not needing a lot of correction.
Could you remind me briefly what your woes were about? Usually a refractor is quite nice in the sense of not needing a lot of correction.
Hi Vincent,Â
The ED80 "woes" were the the rainbow artifacts from using flats, amplified by field flattener use as discussed here:-
So far so good usung the Canon lens. It is a very sharp lens despite being a zoom.
Regards,
Stephen.
WOW! Nice shot.
