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.
Big thanks to Mabula who has always been very responsive and helpful to my processing workflow and other questions : )
Still steep in the learning curve from DSLR to cooled mono (QHYCCD 163m) but finally starting to figure it out. The OIII channel is weak and I will be adding more data to it this week. 1.5hr of Ha = red, 1 hour of OIII = Blue, blend of Ha/O3 for Green. William Optics 71 triplet APO with 0.8x
A golden Rosette !
Nice result huerbsch 😉
Mabula
Mabula
I've also been working with bicolor data for IC 410, the Tadpoles. My results look a lot like the OP's image of the Rosette. Very golden, with little of the blue of the OIII channel showing through except where the HA data is less dense. I've fiddled around with the sliders in attempt to get better differentiation, but have not had a lot of luck.
I have a lot of data in both channels and it does look good, but it doesn't look 'right'. Do you have suggestions on how to manipulate this kind of data set to get the results that I describe?
Thanks,
Eric
Hi Eric,
Looks like very nice data indeed.
What kind of settings did you try in making the composite?
Did you try giving the OIII a higher multiplication factor?
Since it's a bi-color, I would normally recommend, to give the OIII a factor of 3-6 more than the Ha data, but it really depends a lot on the quality and integration times of both channels.
Then mixing the 2 channels into 3 channels is something you really need to play with. For instance try this:
Multiply Ha with 1.00x
Add Ha to Red 100%
Add Ha to green 25%
Multiply OIII with 5.00x
Add OIII to green 75%
Add OIII to blue 100%
I will be happy to have a look at creating the composite myself if you want?
Mabula
Thanks for the tips, I was able to get better star colors (blue instead of white) by using your guide above, but changed to the following since I didn't have Oiii data. Got the Oiii last night and will integrate soon...
S2 - G75% B100% x 2Â
Ha - R100% G25% x 1Â
Ha - L x 1.5 100%
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