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 trying to normalize a processed (non-linear) Oiii image to my processed Ha file. Â I've loaded both files into APP, analyzed stars, and then selected the Ha file as the reference image. Â I then registered the two images, then normalized them. Â I then clicked on Save on the Normalize screen, expecting to save at least the normalized Oiii file (and possibly the Ha reference file, although I would have expected it to be unchanged). Â However, APP ends up ONLY saving the Ha file with a -norm appended to the file name. Â No matter what I do, I can't find a way to save the normalized Oiii file.
Any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong?
Never mind - the problem was that APP wasn't able to register the Oiii to the Ha (even though it marked the file as registered). Â I had removed most of the stars from the Oiii file, so it does make sense that it couldn't register it (I had thought there was enough remnants left to allow it to register). Â The console window came in quite handy, as I was able to track through the process to see where the problem was originating.
I ended up using the registration mode of "no registration" and then normalized the Oiii to the reference Ha. Â That seemed to have worked.
One related suggestion - if a frame isn't able to register, it seems that it shouldn't have the "reg" label after it in the file list. Â I think what the file list is currently showing is that it has been processed through the registration phase - not that it was actually registered. Â If the file didn't have the "reg" label when registration failed, it would be clearer (or more obvious) that there was a problem with that particular file.
Scott  - http://www.astronomersdoitinthedark.com/
This probably explains a question I asked a few days ago. Why weren't all my registered  files downloaded when I tried to download them. If many of them weren't actually registered that would explain this particular issue.
I support Scott's suggestion. The current method can be misleading.
Hi Scott and Tim,
Yes, if a frame is not saved, it means APP wasn't able to create registration parameters using the settings in 3) & 4).
Indeed, your guess is correct, the "reg" label/mark in the frame column of the bottom frame list panel means that the frame has been processed by the registration engine. This label is used internally by APP to keep track of things, so I can't remove it if registration fails for that frame.
Probably the best way to solve this, is to add a new label/mark indicating that a frame wasn't registered correctly (not possible or a registration RMS higher than 1 pixel), or if normalization failed. By adding a "problem" mark in the same column as the reg mark, it becomes quickly clear to the user that a frame has a problem.
Would you both agree to this solution?
Mabula
Hi Mabula - Yes, I think a problem indicator would be very helpful. Â What if you used an exclamation point (preferably a red one) before the word REG or NORM indicating that it was NOT registered or normalized?
Scott -Â http://www.astronomersdoitinthedark.com/
I agree Mabula, a problem mark - something like Scott's suggestion - would work.
Excellent suggestion Scott, and thank you Tim, I have added it to my ToDo list 😉
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