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,
if I'm lucky tomorrow I'll be able to capture comet C/2017 K2 as it passes M10. Can I also capture here with a mono in RGB, and then stack that? Since the comet is moving, I have concerns here. I have only ever captured comets with an OSC. So it would be the first time with a mono.
In such a case, does it make sense to always record in R, G, B, R, G, B, R, G, B, etc.? Usually I always record several shots from one filter, but here I would have to switch through the RGB filters, wouldn't I?
Or can I easily take 10 x 60 sec. red, 10 x 60 sec. green, 10 x 60 sec. blue?
Or better 1 x 60 sec. red, 1 x 60 sec. green, 1 x 60 sec. blue and start again?
What makes sense here so that APP gets a good image from all the data?
Thank you!
I think that's possible, however it will depend on the relative movement the comet has in your FOV. That will dictate how much it moves in between shots. If you're able to calculate that speed (or if it's known) and calculate how fast it moves over your pixels, it can tell you if that's possible or that you get misalignment on the comet itself. Wouter has notified Mabula so if he answers he may have some idea about it as well.
I tried to shoot comet c/2022 E3 ZTF in mono last night. I registered them in the comet mode. However I can not normalize the LRGB files so I can't open them in combine RGB. Is there a solution?
