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'd like to use APP without connecting to my wireless Internet router due to processes that have interrupted stacks and data limitations in my rural area. I know I must be connected initially to verify my account, but can I disconnect after being verified?
Yes APP needs to be activated, but can start offline.
@vincent-mod Thank you, Vincent. I'm glad for that at least, but requiring Internet connectivity at all is very unfortunate from my perspective. I have to manage data usage closely because of my Internet data constraints. I won't be able to use APP for 1/2 month because I'm out of data. I'll have to use PixInsight to stack instead since it doesn't require a verification via Internet connectivity in order to stack.
It would be very nice if this validation requirement would be changed so we no longer require Internet connectivity to begin using APP.
At the start this is required, because of the unfortunate risk (we've seen this a lot) of illegal activity if we wouldn't do this. However, to be clear, this is required once. You can use APP offline and it uses very little data to do this.
Susan
I suspect there is some miscommunication here. Vincent has said "Yes APP needs to be activated, but can start offline." When Vincent says "activated" I believe he is referring to the one off process that is needed when APP is installed. It is not needed when starting or using APP. APP will start without an internet connection. I have verified this about 5 mins ago (version 1083.4).
However, if internet access is available at startup then APP will verify the licence each time, which I imagine would use very little data.
JC
