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.
[Solved] Error Saving Images in 2.0.0-beta6 (Mac OS M1)
I cannot successfully save a usable image from the Tools menu in Version 2.0.0-beta6, using MacOS arm64 M1.
When saving as a TIFF or JPG, the image saves, but is almost pure black and there are few details in the image. Attached is a screen shot from the preview window and the TIFF.
 When saving as a PNG, I receive the below.
Encountered error in module: PNGImageSaver
Error message: java.lang.NullPointerException: Cannot invoke "String.length()" because "" is null
Cause: Cannot invoke "String.length()" because "" is null java.desktop/javax.imageio.stream.ImageOutputStreamImpl.writeBytes(Unknown Source) java.desktop/com.sun.imageio.plugins.png.PNGImageWriter.write_tEXt(Unknown Source) java.desktop/com.sun.imageio.plugins.png.PNGImageWriter.write(Unknown Source) qv.a(Unknown Source)
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edit by Mabula: solved and fixed in 2.0.0-beta7
This topic was modified 4 years ago by Mabula-Admin
@david I just tested saving to JPG and to PNG in beta6 on my Intel MacBook with macOS Ventura and APP 2.0.0-beta6 and both work as advocated. The images end up stretched and saving works fine without any error. What version of macOS are you on? Did you install the M1 version of APP 2.0.0-beta6?
I am on Monterey 12.6, and am using the M1 version.
In experimenting, I switched the openGL4 mode to CPU, and the image saved as expected! Oddly, when I switched from CPU to openGL4, the image also saves and now continuously saves. Perhaps the issue was somehow related to my previous version?
In any event, the image now saves as expected, although the PNG issue persists.
I have added this to our ToDo list to investigate saving to PNG with our latest version especially on macOS 😉
Do I understand correctly now, that saving to TIFF is working, but PNG always gives that error in your case?
The switch between OpenGL and the CPU image viewer will indicate a probleem with showing the data using OpenGL, so I would suggest to make sure that you have the latest graphical drivers from the manufacturer of your graphic chip installed to be sure that that is not the issue.
Yes, saving is working, but previously it was not.
I was using 1.0.83 which worked perfectly. I installed Beta 2.0.0-6 and found I could no longer save images. I went back to 1.0.83 and images saved. While IN 1.0.083 I toggled between openGL4 and CPU. Images saved. I went back to 2.0.0-beta6 and now the images save. Perhaps an old setting was somehow incorrect which is now resolved?
Just to follow-up, has everything been working find with PNG saving now? I tested it and all seems to work without any issue with PNG saving on macOS M1 and the other platforms.
Well, it WAS working, and now today it is not, with the attached error. Previously, after receiving this error, it went away and the files saved in PNG.
Now, today the error is back and only an empty PNG is created. Saving as a TIFF continues to work perfectly.
Okay, then I think the error is somewhere in your specific workflow.. at what tool or moment does this occur? So I need to know exactly at what moment in processing you try to save to PNG.
The shortest possible path to make this happen is:
Open APP.
Go to Tools.Â
Add a red, green and blue channel and formula RGB 1. Click (re) calculate. Click the Save button on the right side of the screen. Fill out the dialog box as shown. Click OK.
The shortest possible path to make this happen is:
Open APP.
Go to Tools.Â
Add a red, green and blue channel and formula RGB 1. Click (re) calculate. Click the Save button on the right side of the screen. Fill out the dialog box as shown. Click OK.
