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.
Forgive the dumb question as I'm just starting out. Any idea what these streaks might be?
Using:
WO Z61
ASI294MC Pro
EQ6-r Mount
Optolong L-Pro filter
ASI 120mm Mini Guide cam
@greenj23 It is hard to say without more information but it looks like walking noise to me. Did you drizzle in between exposures?
Walking noise arises when there is a slight shift of the FOV in between exposures such that instrument noise gets slowly shifted with respect to the target. It is hard to impossible to remove during processing and post-processing. The only remedy against it is to sufficiently drizzle in between images so the noise gets spread in a random and large enough way so it can be processed out.
@wvreeven Thanks! I'm using the AsiaIR Pro to capture. I don't it has a drizzle option and this is the first time ive seen this issue. I used DSS to stack. I guess i'll see if this issue happens again next time I get a clear night.
@wvreeven Thanks! I'm using the AsiaIR Pro to capture. I don't it has a drizzle option and this is the first time ive seen this issue. I used DSS to stack. I guess i'll see if this issue happens again next time I get a clear night.
I think Wouter meant to say dither rather than drizzle - you need to dither to drizzle however. Anyway, the walking noise is due to good guiding while having flex between the guide scope and main scope. I've heard that very good calibration can get rid of it but I haven't seen that in practice. Dither is the way to go. "Dither or die" they say.
@wvreeven Thanks! I'm using the AsiaIR Pro to capture. I don't it has a drizzle option and this is the first time ive seen this issue. I used DSS to stack. I guess i'll see if this issue happens again next time I get a clear night.
I think Wouter meant to say dither rather than drizzle - you need to dither to drizzle however. Anyway, the walking noise is due to good guiding while having flex between the guide scope and main scope. I've heard that very good calibration can get rid of it but I haven't seen that in practice. Dither is the way to go. "Dither or die" they say.
Oops, yes I meant dither instead of drizzle. Thanks for the correction!
