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.
I cannot solve a new problem, so I'm asking your help.  Here's the deal.
1. Subs have color data, and if you calibrate the star colors on a sub, it works fine. Here's a typical sub of Bode's Galaxy (a little amp glow in the upper right): Â
2. If I register, normalize, etc. and integrate with NO calibration frames, there is color data in the integration. Of course, the picture isn't pretty due to lack of calibration frames. Â
3. if I register, normalize, etc. and integrate with calibration frames (dark and dark flat) the color data disappears and the integration takes on a green cast, I can't calibrate star colors because APP tells me color data is lacking, and it and looks like this: Â
Nor does it matter whether I drizzle or not, or whether turn off "force Bayer CFA":Â same green cast and lack of color data.Â
4. Now, here's what mystifies me. I have taken obtained images with exactly the same scope, camera (ASI294MC Pro), light pollution filter, and calibration frames, and have had no problem whatsoever getting beautiful images out of APP. For example, an image of the Trifid Nebula taken just two nights after Bodes Galaxy, and processed through APP, looks like this, and there was no problem with calibrating star colors:
5Â And just a few nights before, I obtained an image of M101 with the same setup (different scope, however) that looked like this; again there was no problem calibrating star colors:Â
Any idea what's going on? Â
Thanks! Â
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Problem solved by re-running the calibration frames--40 new darks and 40 new dark lights. Which makes no sense to me, but it worked fine. Â
