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.
North America and Andromeda - Stock DSLR and 400mm Telephoto
Here's a couple of my latest processed images from my more recent trips to the local dark sky park (John Glenn Astronomy Park, in Hocking Hills, OH, edge of bortle 3/4). Granted its been a couple of years since I spent any meaningful time there and last few times I tried processing stuff I keep ending up with results that look worse than what I had before.
- (1 year ago) Andromeda with 13 hours total integration (I had 20 hours but let it cull 1/3)
- (2 years ago) North America and Pelican nebulas with a combined total of 7.5 hours
Both images are with my stock, unfiltered, Canon 90D, my 400mm telephoto lens at f6.3, ISO 1600, 5min subs. Mount was an EQM-35/GTi w/ MGEN3 autoguiding. Stacked/processed in APP, touched up in Luminar4.
Since I'm on a stock DSLR, my stars can't be as cleanly removed/reduced so they end up with some funk and I have to fiddle with the settings quite a bit to find something that is a reasonable compromise. Unfortunately, the settings usually end up image specific and don't translate well if I used the same settings on a different image, so its a lot of time spent tweaking sliders and seeing what happens.
Came out really nice is what I think, nice bright colors. It's fun to use a stock DSLR like you did. And regarding the brighter stars, a lot of what surrounds them possibly has to do with the build in diaphragm, was it wide open? And all is relative; the james webb telescope suffers from spikes around the bright stars too ;).
Here's a couple of my latest processed images from my more recent trips to the local dark sky park (John Glenn Astronomy Park, in Hocking Hills, OH, edge of bortle 3/4). Granted its been a couple of years since I spent any meaningful time there and last few times I tried processing stuff I keep ending up with results that look worse than what I had before.
- (1 year ago) Andromeda with 13 hours total integration (I had 20 hours but let it cull 1/3)
- (2 years ago) North America and Pelican nebulas with a combined total of 7.5 hours
Both images are with my stock, unfiltered, Canon 90D, my 400mm telephoto lens at f6.3, ISO 1600, 5min subs. Mount was an EQM-35/GTi w/ MGEN3 autoguiding. Stacked/processed in APP, touched up in Luminar4.
Since I'm on a stock DSLR, my stars can't be as cleanly removed/reduced so they end up with some funk and I have to fiddle with the settings quite a bit to find something that is a reasonable compromise. Unfortunately, the settings usually end up image specific and don't translate well if I used the same settings on a different image, so its a lot of time spent tweaking sliders and seeing what happens.
Great results Jeremy @nickoson-2, I like the colors and processing 🙂 !
