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.
Now that I'm getting a handle on using APP I have noticed one place I have trouble with. Setting the sliders. In some adjustments a slight move of the slider takes you from an ok default image to totally bad. Fine adjustments are needed or the ability to manually enter the setting value.Â
Otherwise loving using it, especially now with a bunch of RAM and 16 processors.Â
I was having trouble a year ago with APP not loading and running, that problem stopped.Â
Thanks
GeorgeC
@w2db in APP generally if you click on (select) the slider and then use keyboard cursor arrow keys , you can get fine adjustment of the value.
Hi George @w2db,
Thank you very much for your question and I am happy to hear that the old issue is gone.
Like Andy @andybooth indicates, you can use the keyboard cursor/arrows to fine adjust. But you can also zoom in and out on the sliders using the numer buttons beside the sliders, the higher the numbers the more you are zoomed in and the easier it is to make fine adjustments.
Going forward, I will change how this all works and make it easier for sure.
Mabula
@mabula-admin Yeah, I should have tried that, it works great. Just changed computers the Dell T7500 has become inoperative so built up an 8 core16T Dell T3600 now. Works great. No issues except now having to re-do several sessions on itelescope where I chose the wrong telescope (wrong field of view) or didn't expose correctly, etc. It is all fun! - GeorgeC
