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 am not finding the info I need in Sara Wagner's tutorial on this subject. It is rather old. One thing she does not mention is if any settings are needed in Tab 0? In Tab 1, load my 40 dark frames. In Tab 2 is Integrate set at Automatic acceptable to use and leave the other setting at default? Click Create Masters & Assign to Lights. Results: my Bad Pixel Map looks terrible to me (though I don't really know what is acceptable or normal). Using the ZWO ASI2600MC cooled to -10C. Here is the BPM & Master Dark at the same 100% crop. Do those look OK? Are any other setting needed? Thanks, Carol Santulis
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@carsan I'm no expert but your zoomed in attachments look like what I think a master dark and BPM should be. I don't know about that bright star feature that is prominent on your BPM.
I think you should use your regular settings in Tab 0 and all other tabs except not loading any light frames. (I always use the automatic settings in Tab 2). I haven't tried it yet with my ASI2600MMP, but I think you can prepare a long exposure master dark and use it for any lights with shorter exposures with the scaling option enabled in Tab 2 when calibrating light frames.
