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.
2026-10-03- UPDATE FROM MABULA
I am glad to announce that I am finally fully healed, my energy and strength are really back now !
In the past 3 weeks while recovering, I have prioritzed the release of 2.0.0-beta47. So much work has accumulated into this release that it needed to be tested extensively, but also it needed to be available for all of you. Unless a big problem is reported for this release, I expect it will be the final release, finally !, before the official 2.0.0 release.
Hello I’m thinking of buying an owners license. Can you confirm whether there is a new version of the software coming soon? Not sure if i want to pay and pay again afterwards. Thanks
stu
Edit by Mabula: moved to license subforum.
1.083 has only just been released so I'd say you're relatively safe but of course I am not the person to really answer that question.
I also realise that the view of the cost of things varies person to person but why not try the renter's licence? I know some folk really do not like that method of payment but in the grand scheme of (huge) Astro costs.....
@stuartmyatt76 As indicated, 1.083.2 has just been released and Mabula already started working on 1.084. So far nobody who bought an owners license has been charged for a new version of APP. But it is up to Mabula to decide this. I've asked him to comment here as well.
Hi Stu @stuartmyatt76 and Martin @scotty38,
Since we have launched APP in 2017, we have never asked an upgrade price for Owner's license users for the new version. But we might ask one later this year depending on how the speed of development will be. We have many plans for new functionality and upgrades of existing tools down the road.
Such an upgrade fee would only happen once every 3-4 years is the idea, and if we launch such an upgrade that requires an upgrade fee for existing Owner's license users, the regular price of the Owner's license would increase with the same amount.
So right now the Owner's lincense is €165 excl. VAT. If the upgrade fee would be €15 excl. VAT, then the new price for new Owner's license buyers would become 165+15 = €180 excl. VAT.
The price of the upgrade would be 10-15% of the initial price, really depending on the contents of the upgrade of course.
Please let me know if this answers all of your concerns and questions.
Mabula
Stu,
If past upgrades are an indication of the future, in my opinion you are better off just buying the owner's license. Consider an owner who purchased a license 3 or 4 years ago vs. a renter over thee same 3 or 4 years.
Both have access to the same version of the software but the renter has paid more $$$ and still has to continue renting or buy an owner's license. There is no renter to owner license discount, and no owners have been charged an upgrade fee.
No, it's a free upgrade. When an upgrade is a paid one, we will notify everyone well in advance.
Thanks
