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.
Tried to look around here in forum, but didn't see something helpful-
Is there a way to only create master darks, flats, dark flats, and bias in APP without loading lights?
The purpose is to not only(maybe) use it as master frames during integration but also to study how the master frames come out.
Especially in the case of Flats to understand if I am getting the results I think I should be getting.
Hi @Niraj Dave
Yes You can create Calibration frames in tab 2) Calibrate using button "Create Masters and Assign to lights" Without any lights loaded, the process will simply stop after creation of Master Calibration frames and BPM. However You will be able to inspect the created Calibration Masters even after normal integration including lights by double clicking
Master Darks are good enough for 1 year or more, the same is for master DarkFlats (please note both need to match exposure time and ISO / gain/temperature of the lights resp. flats). Also Master Bias are long-lasting
Flats should be taken after each session to accomodate for issues varying with each session like camera rotation, filter change, dust bunnies etc.
Hope this helps
Clear Skies,
Jochen
@mrkhagol Adding to Jochen's excellent reply, it is possible to not have the darks match the exposure time of the lights and/or darkflats match the exposure time of the flats. In that case you need bias as well. And in that case you can omit taking darkflats since the darks can be scaled to the exposure time of the flats.
Thank you for the responses and bit more clarification. Really appreciate it. 👍
