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.
using version 1.074.1 Normalisation of a 3 session job bugs out trying to cast a float to a double. have I done something wrong?
. Sorry. Forgot to post attachment
Log:
09:06:47 - 2) CALIBRATE: VERIFY CALIBRATION MASTERS: all frames are verified
09:06:47 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: starting...
09:06:47 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: no new frames to add
09:06:47 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: rebuilding all frame details...
09:06:47 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: checking if frames were identified earlier...
09:06:47 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: adding frame marks...
09:06:47 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: updated succesfully
09:06:47 - 5) NORMALIZE: starting...
09:06:47 - 5) NORMALIZE: encountered an execution exception...
09:06:52 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: starting...
09:06:52 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: no new frames to add
09:06:52 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: rebuilding all frame details...
09:06:52 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: checking if frames were identified earlier...
09:06:52 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: adding frame marks...
09:06:52 - FRAME DETAILS UPDATER: updated succesfully
Job:
Multi Session with 3 sessions of lights, Master darks, Master flats and Master dark flats; one shot colour. One session is binned. 2 bad pixel maps. Did calibrate, analyse stars and register. Execution exception occurs at beginning of the normalize step.
Hi,
there are many reports of Java errors in this latest version of APP if you look through the forum. I assume Mabula is aware & working on a fix, I hope so. 😉Â
I would imagine that you have just found this error too & it is not something that you have done incorrectly.
Regards..,
If you could provide us with the exact error (maybe a screenshot), that would be handy. Also what kind of data and steps were involved. Thanks!Â
ps. Mabula is abroad at the moment, APP is getting so successful he's getting busier. I did notify him about these type of errors, if he has access to his laptop he will probably have a look.
Think I just found my error.
In reviewing file list I notice the Reference frame was deselected. I selected it and the normalization proceeded.
In the end it was my error but there is an opportunity for error checking at this point.
Thanks for your help.
That's very interesting, is this repeatable? If so, it should be a relative easy bug to squash.
Yes, this is repeatable. If you attempt normalization with the reference frame unchecked, it provokes and exception error.
Excellent! Let me tag Mabula (@mabula-admin) so he can have a closer look. Might take a while as he's abroad right now.
I just got this error when I'm combining two different fields of view where previously I've used the technique of running through calibrating all my images from one scope, but including a frame from another scope - the idea that the end result is registered according to the same orientation to allow combining.Â
No matter the combination of selecting, selecting ref frame, unselecting things - I get Java errors on Normalisation.
Previously I made notes on this process and worked great. I assume something changed with Normalisation between 1.073 and 1.074. I tried 1.074 and 1.074.1.
Ok, check (@Mabula-admin). This suddenly seems to be a very specific error that crops up with very specific data, Mabula already told me this should be possible to solve as it points to the data processing part of the program. I hope he gets to it fast.
Hi @dominique-mackenzie, @1cm69, @vincent-mod, @itarchitectkev,
DMacK, Thank you for reporting the issue, I will test today the issue with the unselected reference frame in normalization. Do you know by any chance if this only happens in multi-session mode ?
And I will do additional tests to make sure there are no more such bugs in the normalization engine.
If any of you have a workflow that always gives a bug, please describe it as precise as possible, I will then be able to sort this out very quickly 😉
Apologies for the long delay in my response 😉
Kind regards,
Mabula
Sorry. We did not do any other testing.
Hi @dominique-mackenzie, @1cm69, @vincent-mod, @itarchitectkev,
I have located the source of this bug and it is now fixed. APP 1.075 will contain this fix 😉
Previously I made notes on this process and worked great. I assume something changed with Normalisation between 1.073 and 1.074. I tried 1.074 and 1.074.1.
Indeed, this actually is a regression bug caused by optimizing star analysis in 1.074.1, the star analysis processing in 1.074.1 is done now in floats instead of doubles, and the normalization engine wasn't updated properly for the case of an unselected reference frame. APP will automatically select another reference frame for normalization if the reference for registration is deselected before starting normalization and to be able to do that it needs to read the analytical results from star analysis...
Kind regards,
Mabula
