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 had APP running on three computers: a laptop for astronomy travel, and two fixed computers (one at home and one at an observatory). The computer at home has failed and is unrecoverable. I have now replaced the computer, but since I had already used my three APP licenses, I don't know how to get APP back on it, without buying a new license. Is a workaround possible?
David Hill
If I am not mistaken, enter APP on either of the other two computers. On the APP's main page, at the top right you will see a button that says “license”. Click on it and you will see a screen with the information of the 3 computers that have a license. Click the “de-activate” button on the dead computer information and you will have a free license for the new one.
CS
Hi David @plasmadave & @anofeles,
Like @anofeles, you can simply de-activate that first computer for your licence using the LICENSE button or the new LICENSE & SETTINGS button in the latest releases. Then you activate APP with your current license on the new and 4th computer.
But, it gets even better. On the product page for either Owner's or Renter's licenses, it says:
https://www.astropixelprocessor.com/product/astro-pixel-processor-renter-license/
"Any license (Trial, Renter, Owner) can be activated and used at any time on 3 separate computers, independent of Operating System. You can de-activate, activated computers from within the application with the LICENSE button."
So you can always use an APP license on 3 computers at the same time independent of the operating system. In the latest versions of APP, definitely since the 2.0 beta cycle, you can simply activate APP on a 4th or 5th computer, the oldest activated computer will then automatically be de-activated for your license 😉 always keeping 3 activated computers. The activated computers can always be checked with the LICENSE button or the new LICENSE & SETTINGS button in the latest releases.
Let me know if this explains it and solves it?
Mabula
