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.
Hi
I'm loading the light frames and supporting frames to extract Ha from a dual band filter but I'm not sure what box I should select here
Can you help?
Hi,
that doesnt matter, if you always select the same box for different sessions. As far as I found out the selected box is responsible for the colour in the file list in the APP window. I alwas select Ha 😉
But: it would be good to have a seperate Ha/OIII and (since there are filters in the meantime) Hbeta/SII boxes to select!
@juergenn @paul-grace APP defaults to what's in the FITS header of the images. If your imaging software doesn't add info there, it will default to RGB which is probably correct enough for the purpose of separating Ha from OIII (or other combinations of blue/greenish bands and red bands).
The separation of Ha and OIII happens at processing time, not at image loading time. That's why Jürgen is correct in stating that it doesn't matter.
It would be great if Ha/OIII could be selected and then have APP set the defaults for separating those channels automatically. Perhaps an RFC should be created for that 😉
if you are shooting OSC you should tic No filter First.
the Window with filters will not appear then.
its in tab1 where you load the filés. Above the lights button.
/Stefan
