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.
Great software and I love the easy workflow. I do have a question though on creating a BPM. I was looking at Mabula's BPM tutorial on creating them and he mentioned using the same BPM for several months. Darks are used and they would be good for months. Both Mabula and Sara Wager say to also load your flats. Are you referring to dark/flats because flats are by filter and in many cases by session?Â
To complicate my confusion, I watched the tutorial on using Deigo's data in a multi-filter to create the Trifid. There weren't any dark/flats only darks, bias, flats (per channel). I don't do dark removed link So, would I load just darks or darks and bias?
A BPM is best made using super long darks (like 10-15 min or so per sub), bias and flats. APP takes the relevant data out of those and creates a calibration map that should remain the same for a long time (for your particular camera). Here's a nice video tutorial about creating one and in there luminance flats are used.
Thanks, Vincent. Reviewing Sara's video again, it looks like I should be able to use my 300 second darks and my Lum flats. She didn't load bias for her tutorial but guess I'll load them in any way and give it another try.
Yes I would do that, should be a pretty good BPM with those subs you already have.
Hello,
If I use long darks for BPM I get some amp glow remnants. That is for ASI294MC which has a pretty strong amp glow.
Hi Max,
Indeed this can happen. Please play with the Hot Pixels Kappa in tab 2 under BadPixelMap and lower that to see if this reduces the amp glow in the BPM.
Â
Wouter
