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 have just put together my first mosaic using APP and it was reasonably successful. This was of 6 panels of the sky covering the Veil Nebula system. I used the same system / settings for each of the panels.Â
For the mosaic I just used the common calibration files, darks, flats, etc. added all the lights and set the processing going.
However I would like to include data of that area of the sky taken at earlier times using different cameras/scopes.
Firstly is this possible?
Secondly, if so, how is the calibration done. Do all the lights have to be pre-calibrated independently before the subsequent processes?
Thanks in anticipation
Frank
@thedwo Hi Frank,
Firstly is this possible?
Yes, this is possible.
Secondly, if so, how is the calibration done. Do all the lights have to be pre-calibrated independently before the subsequent processes?
There are several approaches to this.
One possibility is to process all data of the different telescopes separately. Once done you can load all integration results as lights into one session (no calibration data since that already was applied) and go to tab 6 and click the "integrate" button.
Another possibility is to process the data of the different telescopes together in one go. You can then load the lights and calibration files per telescope in separate sessions and then go to tab 6 and click the "integrate" button. Depending on the APP version you are using and whether you combine mono and color data, this may or may not work. Also, all individual lights will be aligned with each other which can potentially take a long time and require many system resources depending on the number of lights. It may be easier and safer to go for the first option.
HTH, Wouter
Thank you, that was very helpful.
I'll give it a go.
Frank
