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.
Hi, it has been quite awhile since I've imaged with my DSLR, which is a Pentax K-5iis. But since I recently acquired an Astro-Tech AT8RC of 1625mm focal length, I wanted something with a bigger sensor and bigger pixels than my 183MM Pro.
I've noticed that when I capture FITS files with Ekos, and pull them into APP, they have a VERY pronounced green cast. The first image attached here is a screenshot of such an image -- just some rando shot out the window on a grey day, should be pretty close to a neutral color balance. Notice that the FITS header specifies a "BGGR" pattern, which I've also selected on Tab 0. (I get identical results to this if I leave the pattern at "Supported").
The second shot shot shows what appears to be the correct Bayer.
First, thanks for including the option for the right one, but secondly, wow, what is actually going on here?
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I think this camera has a regular sensor right? RGB would then ben the right one, it can cause a green cast due to the sensor having more green pixels overall. This will be calibrated later during processing.
@vincent-mod Yes, it's just a standard Sony DLSR sensor, I can't remember where I looked up the Bayer pattern but the BGGR in the FITS header sounds right to me. The tooltip in APP for the RBGGGGBRGGGG... filter pattern is "select this if 'supported' doesn't work" or something like that. It does seem to work, but I was just curious.
Yes, it also mentions "for X-trans sensors", which are quite different. 🙂 The green cast is not abnormal and will be calibrated out later.
So just to be crystal-clear here: Are you saying I should use the BGGR setting when I import the FITS files, instead of the (much longer) that yields correct-looking images when I double-click them before calibration? I'm probably not going to bother with darks, back when I was using the K-5 all the time I determined that the IQ was at least as good (and maybe better) without them. Flats and bias, though, of course.
That's indeed what I'm saying yes. BGGR already shows there are twice as many green pixels in the pattern, this is what you see then in the first raw images.
When you switch on "neutralize background" on the right of the application, it should correct for that. Switch it off when processing again.
