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 am just getting started with APP and am working with data pre-processed by PI right now as I get my feet wet. Here is my result when starting with the APP background and star color calibration and light pollution tools. Finished in PS
SV70T/Atik383L+/Astrodon LRGB
55 x 300 sec lum, 15 x 300 sec each of RGB
Hi Terry59,
Thank you for sharing your first APP results.
So this is only processing on an integration made by PI ? Or did you integrate in APP using PI calibrated frames?
The image looks pretty good to me, did the tools work nicely for you?
Kind regards,
Mabula
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Hi Mabula,
 This was processing on PI calibrated and integrated data. The tools I used worked very well. Next I'll try fully calibrating and integrating a set of data in APP.
Hi Terry,
Thank you for the feedback;-)
Mabula