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.
This is a 2x2 panel mosaic of the Orion region. Shot with a Sigma Art 85mm lens on a ASI2600mc. Each panel is 60 x 1 min exposures at f2. Processed in APP and Gimp, with the smallest amount of Topaz denoise possible.
I know M42 is completely blown out, but I didn't mind as I really wanted to showcase Barnard's Loop and the Witch Head Nebula and get as much dust as possible.
Shot in suburban Canberra, Australia.
JC
Very nice. I have the same setup as you. Waiting for winter so I can shoot a wide field Orion now.
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That Sigma Art lens is amazing. Much better than the Canon I was using for widefield. I think you'll be pretty happy with it. One thing that surprised me is that it keeps focus really well. I focused it the first time I used it, and since then I put the Bahtinov on at the start of a new session and find it is still in focus from weeks previous.
@connor231 Don't know if you've seen this product? This is what I use to mount everything. Includes a ZWO EAF mount which makes focusing a breeze, does it for you!
This is my current set up. About to switch from an ioptron mount to the new AM3N.
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@cbphoto - I haven't seen that product and I'm very interested. Thanks for letting me know about it.
JC
@cbphoto - I bought the ring system for the Sigma Art 85mm from Nightfall Astro per your suggestion. Its a nice unit and works pretty well - better than I expected.
Thanks again for letting me know about it.
JC
