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've just tried the new batch save. Mabula once wrote to me that I can use it to convert FITS files to TIF or JPG in a batch.
He also wrote that the files will be saved as previewed before. So also stretched.
But the images are all saved linear!
I don't think that should be the case, should it?
Best regards
Daniel
Hi Daniel @daniel_n,
The batch tool will keep the original data intact. So if you feed linear data, linear data will come out. Debayering is done as well if you feed data that still needs it.
I do not recall mentioning that you could save your linear data automatically stretched with the preview filter, thus saving stretched data. Why do you want to have this option Daniel? It is something that I can add to my ToDo list for sure, but I need to add some modification to the tool.
Saving the data without stretching is the most logical thing. The batch would apply to light frames, which you really don't want to stretch before integrating them. If you would, you lose a lot of flexibility and precision in all steps leading to less control and lesser results normally.
"I don't think that should be the case, should it?"
It should ;-), saving with stretch is more out of the ordinary I think.
Mabula
Hello Mabula,
Thanks for the feedback.
I would mainly use the "Batch save" option to create a time-lapse video. For example, to be able to show asteroids.
For this it is of course important that you can calibrate, register, neutralize and stretch the FITS files in a 16 bit TIF.
That would be a unique selling point for APP! Was looking for a software solution to this problem some time ago and couldn't find anything.
So that would be a really great feature for APP 🙂
That is a nice one Daniel, I think Mabula will be able to make that possible. Thanks for the suggestion!
I faced the same thing for the same reason as Daniel and supoort his suggestion 😀Â
Thanks Mabula and Vincent
