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.
Finally got a good image of m45 from the backyard. For fun I stacked this first in another program and it turned out...poor. APP did a good job on light pollution and background. Being in the city I am reduced to taking 30sec subs, so took 300 of them and am pleased with results. PS was used post for secondary curves and levels. Gear was ES127APO, canon t3i. Auto focus on the way!
Very nice! Throw a t-shirt over the end and point it at a white wall. Apply a flat or two and those dust circles go away like magic as well. I feel your pain on 30s subs. Stack the crap out of them, we must.
Thanks X. I did flats the first night, but accidentally unplugged the camera power and didn't take flats night 2. I'm going to re-process with a few more lights and Photoshop out the dust motes and re-post.
Looks great Greg !
M45 is one of my favorite objects 😉
Auto focus should be very good, I think that looking at the stars, the data could have been just out of focus, on the other hand, bad transparency can also be the cause off course.
Cheers,
Mabula
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Yes I think my focuser sags and slips I get it dead on with a bathinov mask and it turns out like that before long. I have a 3 in feather touch on the way also. 🙂
Ok, yes, I thought it was off, very bad weather can cause it to look like this as well though, so it's hard to be certain.
3"FT + motor focus... Great upgrades to look forward to 😉
Mabula
Thanks Mabula, and for your SCC SAT tip. I reprocessed the Pleiades using just 117/400+ subs. SAT then set to 0.40 with SAT Th at 0.1, and .....Star Color! It is all blueish from PS manipulations, but looks like I'm on the right track for good subs.
