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'm having problems using RGB combine for narrowband data. The attached result was trying to combine Ha and Oiii data to get a HOO image. I would appreciate any help.
To me at first glance it looks like the different color planes were not registered with each other. Did you process all the subs simultaneously using the multi-channel,option?
I first created my Master flats, darks and a BPM for the Ha and Oiii data. Then starting with the Ha, loaded my lights, master flat, master bias and BPM. Analyzed starts, registered images then integrated. I did the same for the Oiii data. Then using the integrated Ha and Oiii I went through the star analysis, registration and integration again. Do you see anything out of sequence or something I missed or am doing wrong?
Hi Alex! Yes, what you need to do is register all your images - Ha and O3 - at the same time. In the Load module, select Multi Channel processing. Load all your O3 lights, you’ll get a prompt to select a Channel. Click the O3 box. Do the same for Ha. Load your dark master, select all channels. Same with bias. Load your O3 flat master, select O3 channel, then your Ha flat master, choose Ha Channel. Then set the options in the Calibrate, Analyze, Register, Normaluze and Integrate modules. Include Create BPM. Then click Integrate in the Integrate module and go get yourself a cup of coffee or tea and let APP do its thing. You’ll get your O3 and Ha masters that you can load into Color Combine and will align with each other. let us know how it goes. PS there’s a tutorial on multi-channel processing you might want to check out. Good luck!
Thx Whixson! One question though, for each channel (Ha&Oiii) I have 3 sets of data taken on different nights with their own flats. How do I go about using Multi Channel processing with the 3 sets of data. Is APP smart enough to know which flats belong to the corresponding light frames?
There is another option in the Load module called multisession processing. I haven't used it, but that's what it is for. Check that box and you'll be asked for channel and session information when you load your frames. So darks and biases would be all channels all sessions and you'd have to specify which channels and sessions for your flats and lights. May I ask why you were taking flats for each session?Normally if your setup doesn't change, your flat frames should be ok. Minor changes in focus shouldn't be noticeable.
Wayne
Thx again, I'm going to give it a go right now.
It's just an old habit of taking flats every time, but also I figured since my lights were shot almost a month apart I didn't want to take a chance of new dust bunnies ruining things. I have a portable setup so have to tear it down every night.
I see! Yes that would make a difference possibly. Good luck!
Hi AlexB,
I did read you're request and maybe there is even a much simpler way of combine a Ha and O3 data set.
First make a complete integration of only the Ha (or O3) data, i don't know if you're using a mono cam or a OSC/DSLR cam. If you use a osc/dslr you need to choose a other algorithm.
Next make again complete integration of the other set of data.
Now clear you're memory, uncheck the box "automatically detect lights etc" sorry for not the exact text because I'm not behind the computer now. And load the 2 integrations as "lights".
Now go to the register tab, register the 2 lights. After registration press on save registerd frames.
Now open the combine tool and load the 2 saved frames, when you start combining you will see they match exactly.
I hope this helps.
Cheers Jan-Willem
Thank you both Whixson and Jan-Willem.
I used the multi-session processing as suggested. I loaded all my data from all my sessions for both Ha and Oiii. Went through calibrate, star analysis and registration. Then selected only the files for all sessions of Ha and did integrate, after did the same with all the Oiii sessions. Then used RGB combine to merge the Ha and Oiii. Worked like a charm.
That is one slick process, I'm really liking APP. I haven't had a chance to play with the post processing section and am looking forward to it.
Great to hear Alex! Yes I really like APP. Looking forward to what they do with it next year. Just an FYI, in Integration you could have selected Integrate by channel and got Ha and O3 masters at the same time rather than separately. Looking forward to hearing more about your work.
Wayne
