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 Mabula
Using APP 1.061 and getting great results. I have a query about creating BPMs
Can a BPM created with darks of one exposure time be used on lights of a different exposure time? Or should I create separate BPMs using darks of say 300s and 600s to match the corresponding lights. I notice that the header data, using hot pixel kappa=3.0 and cold pixel %=25, give %HPs of 0.3 and 0.9 respectively for 300s and 600s darks. Is this a reasonable level for my ZWO ASI071C? Certainly the visual number of hot pixels seems quite a bit less than in the BPMs.
Also do I need to match the sensor temperature when creating BPMs to the lights I will use them on
Many thanks
Chris Marshall
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A Bad Pixel Map can be used for all your data and for a very long time as well. No need to match anything.
Hi Chris @chrismarshall800gmail-com,
Indeed, like Vincent @vincent-mod indicates, simply create 1 effective Bad Pixel Map using a nice set of darks and flats and you will be able to use it on all your data shot with the sepecific camera.
You can see the Bad Pixel Map as a map of how the sensor in your camera works. It's not dependent on a ISO/gain value and not on exposure time.
To create the Bad Pixel Map, you will get better results if you use:
- more darks
- longer exposure times
- higher temperatures
The goal is to get good statistics on the linearity of the pixels on your camera's sensor. With more darks, longer exposures, and higher temperatures, you get better statistiscs 😉
Kind regards,
Mabula
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