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.
I love APP. Superb tool and easy to use - but the most painful thing for a narrow band project is to have to select each image set for say HaRGB and assign to each channel - same for the flats and dark flats ... yawn. The rendoring of the image is faster!
My capturing software (SGPro) allows me to set folders and file names for saving of fits in an organised structure - hell even the info is held in the FITS header
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What if you could define a template foldure structure eg.
- Object Name
-- Date
--- Scope
---- Light
----- Red
----- Blue
----- Green
----- HA
---- Flats
---- Light
----- Red
----- Blue
----- Green
----- HA
----DarkFlats
---- Light
----- Red
----- Blue
----- Green
----- HA
Then template the file name to include a filter identifier - or read the fits header. Maybe even a session ident / id
Given the above info I add ONEÂ folder to APP and it does the selection for me !!
Actually if your capture software assigns filters in the fits header, which SGPro certainly does (use it myself 😉 ) then APP will automatically recognize the filters with the fits header tag option when you are asked to select the filter.
I can load all my lights of diffferent filters all at once 😉 . If it does not work on your dark flats, it means the capture software was not told to use a certain filter, because it definitely will work if it did.
I will think about such a folder structure going forward 😉 The next release will make it possible to load/save your settings and whole projects and your suggestion fits perfectly into that of course.
Mabula
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This post was modified 5 years ago by Mabula-Admin
Thanks @mabula-admin for coming back to me - the folder structure was me trying to organise the way to apply the fits to filters - I actually prefer what you have suggeted - would be good if you could add one parent folder and it worked accross all sub folders recursivley
The issue with DarkFlats is when I choose fits header it assigns it not to SII but to mono
The issue with DarkFlats is when I choose fits header it assigns it not to SII but to mono
I have asked Mabula about this. Perhaps this happens because the filter is stored as 'SIIÂ Â ' (i.e. with trailing spaces). As soon as I have a reply from Mabula I will let you know.
If the filter tag is there APP will recognize it if you select use filter header tag. Possible spaces in the filter name are dealt with properly as well. You can use filtername "SII 3nm" as well without issues.
If the capture software does not provide the tag and you have selected use filter header tag, indeed, they will show up as having filter mono or rgb.
Thanks @mabula-admin for coming back to me - the folder structure was me trying to organise the way to apply the fits to filters - I actually prefer what you have suggeted - would be good if you could add one parent folder and it worked accross all sub folders recursivley
The issue with DarkFlats is when I choose fits header it assigns it not to SII but to mono
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Okay, great @robbrad 😉 I have noted a possible folder structure as an option to load everything correctly at once though 😉 I will see if I can implement it in the next version.
When you set as a DARK frame from SGPro - it does not set the filter tag.... That is why
I will try to set as BIAS - im trying to split my flats from dark flats in SGPro
Yes, for bias,darks and darkflats as well. It does not make sense to have filter tags since no light is coming in...
That is why we have the option to load them for all channels 😉 APP will matcht the correct masters with the correct lights based on iso/gain, exposure, sensor dimensions.
