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 Mabula,
I need to manipulate the header on a master dark fits file in order to change the "instrument" settings because I've started using a new capture program which calls my camera "ASI Camera (1)" rather than "ZWO ASI071MC PRO". But everytime i try the processed fits file dimensions change from 4944x3284 to 4936x3276. The change in the dimensions of my master dark file means i can't use it for processing (I'm hoping to make a dark pixel map).
Any ideas?
Many thanks Rory
Hi Rory,
I also had a problem with a change of my Ascom camera name when I loaded ASCOM and the camera drivers onto a new lap-top.Â
Not sure if the problem is exactly the same but I used an application FITS4Win2 (downloaded from http://astroshed.com/software.html)  to edit the ASCOM camera name in my Light files to match that of my earlier calibration frames. This approach did not alter the image dimensions on my frames.
I also discovered that I could change my ASCOM camera name by running the ASCOM Diagnostics tool. After running the diagnosics use Choose Device to bring up the camera's profile. The name ie Starlight Xpress Mono Main, can be changed by editing the name, in situ, on the Profile screen, see attached screenshot.
Hope this is of some use.
Mike
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PROBLEM SOLVED
Hey Mike, thank you very much. Seriously useful info ;-). I will be changing the ascom names.
I have discovered the problem with the change of pixel dimentions. APP was also debayering my fits files which it turns our changes the pixel width and height by 8 pixels. I handn't realise bc the files appear debayered in my view but really the raw files are undebayered. By forcing APP to keep the files undebayered the modified files are now the same size. Happy days.
PROBLEM SOLVED
Hey Mike, thank you very much. Seriously useful info ;-). I will be changing the ascom names.
I have discovered the problem with the change of pixel dimentions. APP was also debayering my fits files which it turns our changes the pixel width and height by 8 pixels. I handn't realise bc the files appear debayered in my view but really the raw files are undebayered. By forcing APP to keep the files undebayered the modified files are now the same size. Happy days.
