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.
Is it possible to license APP to run on a virtual machine in Microsoft Azure (or Amazon)?
If so, does anyone have experience with cloud computing. How is the user response? What virtual machine configuration did you sign up for -- cores, SSD, GPU?
I'm not sure actually, great question for @mabula-admin. I would think it might not, as the license is looking for specific hardware.
Aaaand back, it IS possible. You have control over your licence, so you can set APP up on the cloud computer and activate the licence. If you leave that environment at the end, you can deactivate that computer on the licence, all in the config window. It will have an issue if you suddenly change the cloud computer's configuration (if that's possible), so you shouldn't do that.
Thanks. I think I understand but want to make sure I am completely sure before investing in an on-line virtual machine to process my big mosaic.
"If you leave that environment at the end, you can deactivate that computer on the licence, all in the config window."
Indirect objects get me confused. If I leave the virtual machine environment at Microsoft Azure, I can then deactivate the Microsoft virtual machine that was assigned to my APP license via the APP web site configuration window"? Meaning I need to log into my APP account when I have completed my work on the Microsoft virtual machine, navigate to the license configuration window and deactivate the funny looking name for the virtual machine I was using at Microsoft -- correct?
What happens if I fail to deactivate a license from within APP when I am cloud computing and then shut down that cloud session?
Thanks. I think I understand but want to make sure I am completely sure before investing in an on-line virtual machine to process my big mosaic.
"If you leave that environment at the end, you can deactivate that computer on the licence, all in the config window."
Indirect objects get me confused. If I leave the virtual machine environment at Microsoft Azure, I can then deactivate the Microsoft virtual machine that was assigned to my APP license via the APP web site configuration window"? Meaning I need to log into my APP account when I have completed my work on the Microsoft virtual machine, navigate to the license configuration window and deactivate the funny looking name for the virtual machine I was using at Microsoft -- correct?
So small disclaimer; I can't guarantee it will work just fine as I've never tested this specific scenario and I don't know of anyone using it in this way. Just so you know. However, according to Mabula it should be possible, but before you log out you indeed should de-activate the licence in APP first (not via a website, but inside app like the screenshot below). You can see I de-activated "computer 1" as it was on a machine I don't use anymore.
What happens if I fail to deactivate a license from within APP when I am cloud computing and then shut down that cloud session?
If that would fail, which is rather unlikely, you will have 1 less machine on which you can use APP. Now I'm sure Mabula, in this case, would be able to help you out would that happen.
Thanks Vincent. Sometime in the next month I should be able to give APP virtual computing a try. I'll post the result. Meanwhile if anyone else tries, I would appreciate hearing how it goes, especially the settings for cores, RAM, SSD, GPUs.
