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, Im having real problems processing all my latest images. I use an ASI294MC Pro and have not had any problems in the past. I use NINA for acquisition and it all looks fine on there. However, when I include calibration frames in APP I get a severe halo in the final integration. It seems more the Flat frames rather than the Dark frames (bias arent used with the 294).
It has only recently been happening and I cant find a way around it. As an experiment Ive used old and new dark and flat frames (that have previously been fine) with the same outcome and its driving me mad. If I dont include calibration frames its then over exposed. Ive attached a screen shot of a final integration. You can ignore the dust bunny as I can usually edit any out and that was a result of me trying to look for dew on the sensor so I will correct that soon. I just cant figure it out. Its driving me mad.
Â
@richielisa Hi Richard, which calibration frames are you using exactly? You should use darks of the same temperature, gain, offset and exposure time as the lights as well as flats and dark flats with the same temperature, gain, offset and exposure time as the flats. If the exposure time of the darks or dark flats (or both) are different then you'll need bias frames as well.
Hi Wouter,
Â
Ive never used dark flats and I understand that I dont need bias with the ASI294MC Pro. As for the other frames I do exactly what you have said. In the past it has always been brilliant and its only just started doing this.
Â
Just trying some totally new flat frames to see if that helps. Other than that Im not sure what else is the problem.Â
@richielisa Hi Richard. For calibration of the flats, dark flats are needed. It is possible for APP to use the darks for that but then bias frames are needed to be able to properly scale the darks to the exposure time of the flats. If the darks have a different exposure time than the lights then bias frames are needed as well. In any other case scaling of the darks or dark flats cannot be done correctly which will introduce all kinds of artifacts that may well be an explanation for the result you got.
Hmmm.... I will have to look at how to do dark flats.....never done them before so if you can point me in the right direction it would be appreciated.
Â
Also, the new Flats Ive taken have worked well and I will need to throw the others away. Seems it was a flat problem. Thanks Wouter!
@richielisa Dark flats simply are darks with the same exposrue time as the flats. So if you take, say, 2 second flats then you'll need 2 second darks and you then load them as dark flats.
Glad to read that the new flats work!
