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.
I am a new user, started yesterday. I just stacked and did some processing in APP, then saved it to a TIFF file to the destination folder. When I opened it in Photoshop/LS 2021 the image looks nothing like it did in APP..It's like the processing I did did not hold, it's mostly black again...Wondering why the edits in APP did not take hold.
Any suggestions as to what causes this?Â
Thanks!
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R Bell
Did you make sure the "stretch" is checkmarked next to the save button?
@vincent-mod
I was still on the pre-process side (LH) of the screen...I haven't stretched it yet...Maybe that is why. Probably getting ahead of myself here. I was thinking the image you see as you do the mods on the left will be saved on my HD as I see them here.
 Yep, that was it...So, I have to save the stretch from the RH side of the screen...Thanks!
RB
Ah, no indeed, the preview window is just that.. a preview. It allows you to work on tweaking the image in a linear space (so not stretched). This is always best for the data. Once you are satisfied, you click that save button with the stretch applied.
@vincent-mod
Yep, makes sense...This is just 2X180 subs, and the same cal frames just to play with for learning. Not bad for 6 minutes exp time. ASI294MC Pro cooled and a Meade 70mm APO Quad
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Thanks again!
RB
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APP has a very nice subtle stretching tool, lots of gadgets in here, as I will see as I keep learning this.
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RB
Thanks. Nice result indeed! Yes, I'd advice to just play around as much as possible with APP (and if unclear you can just ask here) and make that image as nice in APP itself. That will make the data as good as possible for further processing.
@vincent-mod
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Yeah, I'll dump in the 60 or so subs I have and see the difference then...
Still getting a few warnings too, about my flats mostly...Told me to do a Force Debayer to make it work. Where is this command located. Looked for this earlier and couldn't find it.
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RB
Might be you have an issue with flats then maybe. If there is a real issue it's best not to use them, but just try and see. 🙂 Force CFA is in tab 0, but I would find that a bit strange as your regular files are from the same camera where it wasn't needed.
@vincent-mod That's where I messed up. Flats came from the Canon 800D, duh...DSS will use those APP will not...I need to tighten up...
Thanks I forgot. Been two years
I appreciate your quick response! I'm at it now doing the tutorials...
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RB
Ah, no worries. Yes, DSS isn't very picky, but also not very good (not trying to burn other software at all btw, just from what I know 😉 ) in calibration. It's very basic and this means you won't get the best result out of more "complex" data situations.
But flats need to be from the same camera as that will dictate how the vignetting looks like, at what resolution, there might be dust on that specific sensor etc.
@vincent-modÂ
I sometimes use Nebulosity too...Does okay for some objects, not so for others...I like the way APP saves your changes at the bottom of the screen so you can refer back and forth looking at each change...
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RB
