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'm having an issue processing an image taken with the Optolong L-extreme filter -- it looks like the Ha and O3 layers are not exactly aligned.
First off, when I process the data as "HaO3 color", it looks pretty good, everything is aligned:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6mogr7Pji8vz75jB8
However, when I process the data as "HaO3 extract Ha", then "HaO3 extract O3" it's not.
First, the Ha data after integration https://photos.app.goo.gl/7Xi1WPbqU2MMkDej7
You can see a sliver of black at the top left, running along and then tapering off to nothing about half way across the image.
Looking at the O3 integration, the sliver of black is at the bottom left margin, again tapering off to about nothing halfway across the image.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/vdVuBnQLXrwk7o6H6
Combining these 2 with color weighting shows the result that red and green are misaligned at the left side of the picture, but fairly well aligned at the right:Â Â https://photos.app.goo.gl/NMdJN2C6S94PHe5U6
This is weird! Particularly because I've done this before, and not seen the same thing, for example in this false color image of the Pacman Nebula:Â https://photos.app.goo.gl/JLVddJC4Qjm9DsDSA
Can someone help me debug this issue?
@rkmvca Hi Rich,
Which version of APP do you use and on which OS are you?
Meanwhile, you can take the Ha and OIII integration results and load them as lights (no calibration data). Then go to tab 5 and click the normalize button. This will execute the intermediate steps, including registration. When done, save the normlized files in tab 5 and combine those.
HTH, Wouter
I am on version 1.083, windows 10 64 bit . I'll try your 'meanwhile' suggestions and get back to you tomorrow.
Thanks!
- Rich
@rkmvca Hi Rich,
Can you make sure to use version 1.083.4? The other, older, 1.083 versions have bugs that may explain the symptoms you see.
Wouter
Hi Wouter,
Should I just go ahead and use 2.0.0-beta 9? I have it downloaded but not installed.Â
- Rich
@rkmvca Hi Rich,
If you would mind and answer my question about which version you currently are using, then I can advise you better. If you are not using 1.083.4 then 1.083.4 should be good. However, 2.0.0-beta9 should be better but bear in mind that that's a beta version and may contain bugs.
Wouter
Oh, sorry about that, I thought I mentioned it. I'm on 1.083. I'll try 1.083.4 then.Â
Â
@rkmvca You did mention 1.083 but it was unclear to me if that was a generic indication of any 1.083 version or 1.083(.0) specifically 🙂 Â Anyway, yes please try 1.083.4 and let us know here if that solves your issue.Â
Hi Wouter -Â
Following the steps outlined in your first response at 0:08 using 1.083.4, things worked and I got a decent image!Â
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jX8hqKhe3vE9L2u77
Thanks much,
- Rich
Â
Â