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.
Hello everyone.
I have been reading the forum and what I have noticed is that the calibration files often cause integration problems. I think this speaks to the importance of calibration files.
On the other hand, taking a calibration file is not an exciting experience. Perhaps many astrophotographers would prefer shooting nebula to shooting calibration files.
I am beginning to wish there was a tool for APP to test the quality of calibration files. Of course, even now the APP pops up a few notes about the calibration file.
Since it is displayed only after processing has begun, my suggestion is that the APP should be able to clearly indicate deficiencies in the calibration file that can be seen before processing.
Thanks for reading.
I think it's quite difficult to really know if calibration data is correct or not this likely depends a lot on the characteristics of a sensor and there are many of those arround. What APP does see is that if pixels turn black, that you likely have an issue, but it can only tell that after having used it on actual data.
@vincent-modÂ
Thank you Vincent,
I agree that it is difficult to judge exactly as you say. Still, I think it would save the user a lot of time and effort if the judgment could be made on basic factors (e.g., temperature, exposure time, resolution, etc.) by cross-checking with the light frame information.
Yes, it already does this basically. In the sense that it will not use the calibration data if it doesn't match regarding gain and such. It doesn't produce a big warning no, we may add that, but there is always a limit to what people want to see as warnings. 🙂 Maybe a setting for the future.
@vincent-modÂ
Perhaps the user is not aware that there is a problem with the calibration file until a warning is issued. It would make sense to eliminate the cause of the problem beforehand before proceeding with the APP process, rather than looking for the cause after the warning is issued.
If the tool were available, the user would recognize that failing that test does not meet the basic requirements. It would also seem to reduce the number of similar cause-related questions that are repeated on the forum.
While I would welcome a detailed description of the principles of calibration files in the manual that is being prepared, users would benefit if the tool freed them from visual verification.
This is not a new feature suggestion, but I still believe it makes sense for the APP to be widely used.
Thank you
