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.
The current method of handling multi-session/multi-filter is to pop up a very wordy dialog box that is confusing. The choice you can make (OK and Cancel) doesn't correspond to the question being asked "Do you want to enable multi-session?" and again "Do you want to enable multi-filter?". It's a Yes/No response.
Regardless, I think this can be solved - regardless of processing a single session and "no filter" is to assume it is always multi-session/multi-filter.
Multi-Session/Filter is well understood when you enable it for people processing your multi-filters, but for single - predominantly OSC projects, it doesn't make sense to enable it. However, if it was always enabled you end up with a default, with all the same dialog boxes potentially popping up asking which filter etc, with a OSC run of:
Session 1
- Filter: RGB
  - Lights
  - Darks
  - etc
With multi-session enabled by default, should a user wish to add in a new session *after the fact you already made the decision to say no/cancel to the multi-session question as it stands today* it means your project won't get wiped out.
Is there a reason why processing a single session/single filter in this way would cause a problem?Â
I don't think there would be a reason to cause a problem, it's mainly a workflow and settings issue in this case. I agree with the yes/no and also wonder if a slightly different startup-approach would be nicer to have. @mabula-admin
Again, thanks for the suggestion!
Yes I'm just thinking that you remove any notion of a single session/single filter. A single session is always session 1 regardless. No additional filters - you can infer from the fact the FITS have a Bayer pattern or need to force this. Either way that you can put these as an RGB filter.
The upshot from this is that if I then choose to add in more data, or add in more data from my LRGB session from another camera, I can do without losing all files.
So just do away with that special code of single session vs multi and filters or not. It's all multi and all have some kind of filter.
Yeah, will be nice to think about as it would also add to the automation that we're trying to aim for (without the downsides).
