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 - I need to convert 1800 FITS files of the lunar eclipse to TIFs as soon as possible so I can create a high-dynamic-range timelapse. (by 31st May 2021 at latest)
I tried using the Batch Modify but it only seems to save a single image. Am I doing it wrong ?
Is this a feature of the new version about to be released ? Â
If not can someone suggest good quality software that will do it. I have found FITSWork does a terrible debayering job.Â
thanks in advance.
@kelvin-hennessy Hi Klevin, ASTAP can perform batch conversion of FITS to TIFF. I don't know what the quality of the output files will be though.
HTH, Wouter
Hi @kelvin-hennessy & @wvreeven,
The new Batch Save Tool in the soon to be released APP 1.083 will be able to do this ;-). APP 1.083 also includes a completely new file saving engine to facilitate this 😉
Mabula
@mabula-admin that's excellent news ! I've worked out how to do it in Pixinsight but it keeps crashing on me due to the large number of files - plus it needs two steps - debayering then the conversion. I'm also looking forward to the new star reduction feature for a year long Orion panorama project I've been working on.
So any chance I can have the latest release by Monday at the latest before my competition deadline for both these projects ?  No pressure 🤣Â
Dear Kelvin @kelvin-hennessy,
I will need to check if the file save option will always automatically debayer it. To not miss this, it's on my todo at the top!
Working hard to get the beta out a.s.a.p. 😉
Mabula
Hi Kelvin @kelvin-hennessy,
I can confirm now that the Batch Save Tool in APP 1.083 will also automatically debayer your CFA (color) frames with the debayer algorithm and pattern as set in 0) RAW/FITS 😉 so it should be up to the task as you wish !
Mabula
@mabula-admin that's excellent news. I worked out how to do it in PixInsight but its a very time-consuming and error-prone two-step method.  (debayer first then convert the resultant files - though others have told me there is a way to do it in one pass). I look forward to being able to use this functionality in APP.
