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.
After 4 month I finally decided to en this project.
Initially I thought I would take 10 hours per panel, so total of 60 hours, but in the end I got 'only' 45 hours.
Weather in Spain (where we have remote observatory) has been unusually poor this winter, hence the long project. Also this was a joint project with Aarni who also used his imaging nights on this.
Image info:
Sky-Watcher Esprit 100ED, 10 Micron GM 1000 HPS, Atik 460EX, 1400min Ha, 1400min OIII (so HOO palette).
Some words on processing.
Most likely I did processing the 'wrong way' to save processing steps, but luckily I had so good data that I got reasonable result.
So I make 2 processing runs. One for each channel.
I just loaded all 95 files for all 3x2 mosaic pieces together with calibration files and let APP do its magic.
It took over 3 hours to process for each channel, but I think it was lighter task (for me) than process each mosaic panel individually.
Hope you like the result.
Myself I'm glad I have now done this and go forward to normal 'easy' project.
This is very nice! I admire your great effort in doing this image. Thank you for sharing.
Clear skies,
Kijja
Incredible image. Well done!
Wouter
very nice! 😍 😍 😍
