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,
Recently I have tested my Canon 6da fullframe DLSR on a TS 150mm F/2.8 Hyperstar scope, and I took the usual calibration frames. For better understanding, I have shared these together with one light frame here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1N1P6j8AFUX3W7WPxWGnTfMwjMe3sBOH7
It looks like applying flats has almost no effect on the vignetting in the final image, it looks like this:
When I try to use the light pollution removal tool, it gets even worse:
Could you please shed a light what am I doing wrong here ? As far as I see I followed the usual guidelines to make the calibration frames,
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Clear skies,
Janos
This could be light pollution which isn't coming from a sky gradient. So that would potentially be, internal reflections caused by a light somewhere near.. it's hard to pinpoint.
Thanks Vincent, that is very plausible under my Bortle 7 skies... I think I will stay at narrowband imaging, then I have hopefully no such effect,
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CS,
Janos
That might be the cause indeed, are there any lights shining directly into the direction of your setup? Even from rather far away?
I don't have lights nearby the setup and I have a 25 cm long dew shield in front of the telescope, that prevents normally any stray light. What I suspect is that the sky background is too bright, even with light pollution filter. My scope is a TS 150mm f/2.8 Hypergraph, so very quick for these circumstances.
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Oehh right, those kind of setups are indeed very sensitive for light reflections. Still I would say this looks like there is some kind of internal reflection going on, maybe it's a good idea to double-check the setup for specifically this? Could also be that internal parts are a bit too reflective.
I know this is an old thread but I recently tried taking Flats with a SW 150PDS in my darkened garage and had weird light patches in my flats. Seems the back end (mirror end) of my scope and I suspect any reflector, leaks stray light like a sieve and you don't need much. So now I either do flats at night in the garage or wrap both ends of the scope in a blackout material or similar. I saw an immediate loss of stray light artifacts ensured.Â
Chris
I know this is an old thread but I recently tried taking Flats with a SW 150PDS in my darkened garage and had weird light patches in my flats. Seems the back end (mirror end) of my scope and I suspect any reflector, leaks stray light like a sieve and you don't need much. So now I either do flats at night in the garage or wrap both ends of the scope in a blackout material or similar. I saw an immediate loss of tray light artifacts ensured.Â
Chris
Thanks Chris, I will try that as well. Until now I was not able to take proper flats with my imaging train,
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CS,
Janos
