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.
Calibration frames captured with SharpCap include a "CCD-TEMP" field in the Image Header. It would be nice to see this field included in the Image Header of master calibration files as well. This is especially helpful for master darks.
Would also be nice to see temperature included in the master file name.
Thanks in advance,
Nikko
Is this temp tag always the same between subs? If that varies slightly, it may be tricky to include. But I forwarded your rfc to Mabula, thank you!
edit: And got word back that it's something he indeed wants to add in a future version.
Excellent! Thank you so much.
Yes, I believe the tag is the same for all subs.
As an example, this is the Image Header for one of my dark subs captured with SharpCap:
Image #1
SIMPLE = T / C# FITS: 01/26/2022 01:12:44
BITPIX = 16
NAXIS = 2 / Dimensionality
NAXIS1 = 6280
NAXIS2 = 4210
DATE-END= '2022-01-26T09:12:43.7649704' / System Clock:Est. Frame End
DATE-AVG= '2022-01-26T09:10:13.7649704' / System Clock:Est. Frame Mid Point
OBSERVER= 'Nikkolai Davenport' /
OBSLAT =
OBSLONG =
FOCALLEN= 250 /
RA = 46.4113354682922 /
OBJCTRA = '03 05 38.000' /
DATE-OBS= '2022-01-26T09:07:43.7649704' / System Clock:Est. Frame Start
OBJCTDEC= '+90 00 00.000' /
EQUINOX = 2022.07103825137 /
GAIN = 0 /
OBJECT = 'WitchHeadNebula' /
BLKLEVEL= 20 /
DEC = 90 /
SWCREATE= 'SharpCap v4.0.8604.0, 64 bit' /
XBAYROFF= 0 /
YBAYROFF= 0 /
EXTEND = T / Extensions are permitted
BZERO = 32768 /
BSCALE = 1 /
ROWORDER= 'TOP-DOWN' /
EXPTIME = 300 / seconds
XPIXSZ = 3.76 / microns
YPIXSZ = 3.76 / microns
XBINNING= 1 /
YBINNING= 1 /
CCD-TEMP= -10 / C
COLORTYP= 'RGGB ' / Try GBRG if image upside down or R/B swapped.
BAYERPAT= 'RGGB ' / Try GBRG if image upside down or R/B swapped.
BAYOFFX = 0 /
BAYOFFY = 0 /
CAMID = 'f13cae4892e7820b1' /
FRAMETYP= 'Dark ' /
INSTRUME= 'QHY268C ' /
+1 for this addition too.
very useful.Â
I use APT for aquisition, it always populates this field correctly.
