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 am looking for ways to reduce the gradient and fringe frame brightness on my stack. I though the Flats should help with this. But on my stack they seem to have no impact. I ran the integration with first set of flats followed by no flats and finally trying new flats. But all 3 integrations look identical. Can someone help me understand what might be going on? Attaching the 3 integration pictures along with the 2 master flats. These are shot on ASI294MM pro with Canon 70-200mm lens at F4 and 3nm Ha filter
@palamrinder Hi Arminder. What version of APP are you using? What software do you use to shoot the flats? What ADU do you aim for? What light source do you use?
Hi I am using version 1.083 beta. I use ASIAIR Pro to shoot Flats. Put white sheet on lens and point it to sky in morning after night session and let ASIAIR detect the best time for flats.
@palamrinder Thanks. Does this also happen if you choose your own exposure time for the flats?
@palamrinder And a few more questions. Are you using APP 1.083-beta or 1.083-beta2? If the first, please make sure to enable 32 bit masters at the bottom of tab 2. Do you use dark flats or bias or both? When creating the master flat, do you get a popup with a warning that flat correction cannot be performed correctly?
Hi Wouter
I've not tried manual flats but doubt if they would be any different. ASIAIR is simply trying to pick the exposure time to balance the histogram I would end up with same exposure length with hit and trial method. I took new set of flats today and trying to use that for calibration instead of using master flats.
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I am using 1.083-beta2 and have always enabled 32bit masters. I use flats, dark flats and darks and have never received any error about correction not performing correctly.
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Another issue I saw yesterday that when I was trying to merge 2 integration files together (without using any other calibration files) the final integration would show the same exposure length of longer exposure. It is not adding up the exposure from the 2 files. My integration is set to automatic with quality selected.
Here is the picture with new set of flats (shot by ASIAIR PRO). Much better results! Instead of using previous masterflats I used new stack of flats. Seems like masterflats might not be applying properly to the integration?
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@palamrinder A much better result indeed! What is the difference between the flats shot this time and the flats shot last time?
