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.
SH2-132, The Lion Nebula with Optolong L-eNhance filter.
7,5 hours over 2 nights, 10 Nov and 12 Nov, (full moon!)
Standard APP process with Adaptive Airy Disc algorithm.
Light pollution removed and tweaked with Photoshop Action set.
Will spend another couple of hours later without the filter, gathering RGB to improve the star colour. Will also try extracting the Ha - OIII aswell.
TS 80mm f6 apo refractor
ZWO ASI 071 MC Pro + Optolong L-eNhance filter
AVX
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75x 360 sec
Total 7,5 hours
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20 darks
50 flats
50 dark flats
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Regards
Dave
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Hi Dave,
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Very nice image!! Can you tell me what settings you did use with the asi071? Gain / offset?
Clear skies Jan-Willem
Hi Jan-Willem, for this object I used 300 sec exposures the first session and 360 sec for the second session because there wasn't much to see in the subs. I used gain 150 and I always leave offset at the default 65Â (according to ZWO, the best setting)
I haven't been using the 071 for very long so I have been trying different gain settings with different conditions and setup. I figured using the Optolong I would need higher gain and longer exposures, it's a dim target.
Without the filter I would use 90 gain (unity) or 135 or there about.
Next on the list is an HaRGB merge for the star colour. (once the moon has gone!)
hope this helps
Regards Dave
Hi Dave,
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Thanks for the information.
You're picture looks very nice, keep them coming ;).
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Clear skies Jan-Willem
Thanks Jan-Willem, clear skies to you too!
Dave
