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.
Getting some nice results thus far with APP.
Do I need to load MDF’s with MF’s that have been generated originally with dark flats? I notice the MDF’s (mono cam, each channel) are dark grey when loaded, even if I assign to a channel. All other masters are colored to indicate they are assigned to a particular channel. Searching I found this from Mabula years ago (likely before there was a tab to load MDF’s)…
“So for calibration of the lights, the masterdarkflat is not to be used. Make sure the lights are calibrated with a masterdark (or masterbias) for the lights, the masterflat and possibly a BPM”
Thanks in advance for clarification.
Not 100% sure what you mean, but the MF is created using a master darkflat. It's basically just a bias that is used to correct the flats with. Flats usually are about 1-2 seconds of exposure and can have a different gain etc, to which the darkflats need to be adjusted to. Darkflats are only used for the creation of a master flat, nothing more.
Sorry if my question is not clear.
There is a tab to load master Dark flats, but if I understand correctly I do not need to load these if my master flats were generated with corresponding dark flats previously?
If so, what is the purpose of a tab to load master Dark flats if I previously created a master flat (created with dark flats). Appears I just need to load the master flat and not the master Dark flat for future calibrations if I understand.
The button is there to be able to re-use the created master darkflat. If you take flats again and the settings of those are the same, you can just reload that darkflat.
Thanks, I understand now.
