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.
Hello!
I tried to process mosaic first time. This test mosaic includes 4 x 4 x 15 min one H-alfa sub panels from NGC1499 using EdgeHD. These were taken in same night during four hours and in same conditions (in moonlight). Because this was my first time I was positively surprised to result, if I don't look bottom right corner. Background of these three panels were much darker and I didn't find the reason. I think that there is some problem with normalization.
In tab 5 I just changed mode to "advanced" and kept rest of settings unchanged. So method was multiply-scale and scale was BWMV.
In tab 6 I have tried to using different LNC setups, and image below is made using LNC 4th degree and 3 iterations. I also enabled MBB and used it 15%. Rest of settings were unchanged.
Is there way to get better results or can you find the reason to my problem? Or have you some tips how to plan mosaics so that APP can achieve better results? Do I need that every panel includes also empty backround without nebula?
I ususally use these settings for mosaics:
- Stars count target: about 2000 stars
- Dynamic distortion correction: on (off when you see artifacts in the result)
- Same camera and optics: off
- Scale start: 5. scale stop: 10 (depends on the panel overlap)
- Registration mode: mosaic
- Normalization mode: advanced
- LNC: on, MBB: 5-10% (depending on the overlap %)
And these usually work very well, you can try these and check again and if it still produces weird normalization, I'm expecting a data issue somehow and we can look at that.
Thank you for your answer!
I have all these setting you mentioned too, but same camera and optics enabled, because I have truly same camera and optics all of my frames/panels. Registeration works without error messages so I have thought that my problems won't relate to settings in tab 3 and 4. I think that I have also tested with same camera and optics disabled, but I'm not sure.
Are there other things that should be mentioned? Or does it matter which one of panels/frames is chosen to reference frame?
No that shouldn't matter. Same camera and optics should be off for a mosaic, because technically (for APP) the FOV and such are now different due to it being a mosaic.
Thank you, but unfortunately Same camera and optics: off -setting didn't help me. Result was almost same. (maybe less stretched now)
Ok, and those 2 panels, are they captured differently in some way? Like less overall exposure time? What you can also try with the above result is to do a Light Pollution correction. Put a few boxes in the areas with no or as little nebulosity as possible and see if that corrects the dis balance.
@vincent-mod
There are 3 or 4 panels darker than others. I started imaging from right bottom and went row by row right to left. So first, second, fifth and maybe ninth panel (right side, second from top) is darker than others. Imaging went without delays and systematic using Asiair. Same settings, exposure times etc.
I also tried light pollution tool but without great success. But my question: is there something wrong in my process? Settings or way to take photos? Do I need background sky to every panel for more succesful normalization?
That's why I'm asking those questions. 🙂 I'm not sure if you do. Would you mind sharing part of the data? Maybe I can see better if something is different. Like 10 frames of all types you have (light, dark, bias, flat).
@vincent-mod
Now these files are uploaded. Including 10 x flats, dark flats, darks and bias frames and all the panel frames (16).
Thank you for help!
Thank you, please allow for 1-2 days for me to process
Did you find any reason/solution to this problem?
Not yet sorry, been a bit busy with life. I'll have a look today!
@vincent-mod hello, I have two RGB .TIFF files that I am trying to make a simple mosaic. When I click start registration it says No Lights available, so nothing to do.
The two files are in the tray at the bottom of the program. I dont know what I am missing
Hi Malcolm, @malcolmpark1
That occurs because the 2 files are not loaded as lights, you need to make sure that in the frame column of the frame list panel, it shows light and not integration for example 😉
Mabula
thank you!
great software, the free trial being fully functional is most helpful in trying it out.
I think you have a new customer 🙂
cheers
Hi Malcolm @malcolmpark1,
Thank you very much for your nice compliment, that is highly appreciated !
Cheers,
Mabula
