Update news file.

[Ale.git] / doc / package / news / index.xml

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<!DOCTYPE article PUBLIC "-//Norman Walsh//DTD DocBk XML V3.1.4//EN"
        "file:///usr/share/xml/docbook/schema/dtd/4.4/docbookx.dtd">

<article>

<edit by="David Hilvert" in-year="2002"/>
<edit by="David Hilvert" in-year="2003"/>
<edit by="David Hilvert" in-year="2004"/>
<edit by="David Hilvert" in-year="2005"/>
<edit by="David Hilvert" in-year="2006"/>
<edit by="David Hilvert" in-year="2007"/>


<articleinfo xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude">
  <title>News</title>
  <abstract>This article includes change summaries for each release.</abstract>
</articleinfo>

<news>

<release version="0.8.10" date="2007-Oct-02">

<p>This release updates alignment level-of-detail, Monte Carlo alignment, and
the re-filtering renderer.</p>

</release>

<release version="0.8.9.1" date="2007-Aug-31">

<p>This release resolves certain build failures occurring under unthreaded
configurations, removes certain debugging output, and adds support for
platforms missing certain floating point macros.</p>

</release>

<release version="0.8.9" date="2007-Aug-25">

<p>This release adds a re-filtering renderer, fixes certain rendering bugs, and
provides a wrapper script for extracting exposure information and decoding raw
files.  </p>

</release>

<release version="0.8.8.1" date="2007-May-18">

<p>This release removes a violation of the C++ standard that may cause some builds
to fail.</p>

</release>

<release version="0.8.8" date="2007-May-15">

<p>This release revises robustness checking for dynamic Monte Carlo alignment,
adds quiet and logging UI options, and includes a Gaussian PSF.</p>

</release>

<release version="0.8.7" date="2007-Mar-04">

<p>This release adds new weight limiting options to Irani-Peleg and incremental
renderers, and fixes bugs that may cause alignment failure.</p>

</release>

<release version="0.8.6" date="2007-Feb-17">

<p>This release updates certainty calculation, adds a Nikon D50 device option,
and resolves certain assertion failures.</p>

</release>

<release version="0.8.5" date="2007-Jan-19">
<p>This release includes an autoconf build system, multi-threading, and dynamic
Monte Carlo alignment.  Changes since the latest prerelease include revised 
Euclidean alignment, added help text for the experimental argument scope syntax, 
and reversion of 3D options to experimental status.</p>
</release>

<release version="0.8.5-pre3" date="2006-Nov-03">
<p>This prerelease adds dynamic adjustment of the Monte Carlo alignment
parameter, fixes a potential nondeterminism bug in the random number generator,
and modifies default settings to improve the speed of high-quality runs.  Other
changes include the addition of file-scoping for the perturb-upper option and a
bugfix for exp-mult parameter processing.  Documentation is incomplete.</p>
</release>


<release version="0.8.5-pre2" date="2006-Oct-25">
<p>This prerelease adds POSIX thread support for 2D alignment and rendering
operations, and adds a profiling option to measure elapsed time for different
tasks.  Documentation is incomplete.</p>
</release>


<release version="0.8.5-pre1" date="2006-Oct-16">
<p>This prerelease includes an autotools build system, documentation licensed
under GPL, and an updated user interface accepting scope operators.  In
particular, the --mc option has been changed to allow file scoping.
Documentation is currently incomplete.</p> 
<p>A release plan is included in the TODO file, with entries for 0.8.5, 0.9.0,
and 1.0.0 releases.</p>
</release>


<release version="0.8.4" date="2006-May-14">
<fm>
This release refines the 3D engine to support focus effects, filtering, and
editing of scene geometry.
</fm>

<ml>
<ul><li>Support for filtered 3D rendering.
</li><li>Support for removal of foreground objects in 3D scenes.
</li><li>Support for synthetic focus effects.
</li></ul>
</ml>
</release>


<release version="0.8.3" date="2005-Dec-23">

<fm>
This version adds enhancements in the handling of 3D scenes.
</fm>

<ml>
<ul><li>Various enhancements to handling of 3D scenes.
</li></ul>
</ml>
</release>


<release version="0.8.2" date="2005-Nov-22">

<fm>
This release revises the 3D scene reconstruction algorithm, allowing more
robust handling of certain scenes. New 3D model and output options have also
been added, including support for clipping planes and arbitrary camera
positioning. This release also fixes certain bugs in 2D control-point
alignment.
</fm>

<ml>
<ul><li>Fix 2D control point alignment bugs
</li><li>Revise 3D modeling code to use spatial subdivision and occupancy
</li><li>Add support for clipping planes and arbitrary camera positioning
</li></ul>
</ml>
</release>


<release version="0.8.1" date="2005-May-6">

<fm>
This release adds control points, median-value rendering, and a unified 3D
scene model. It resolves certain syntax errors, allowing successful compilation
under GCC 3.4.
</fm>

<ml>
<ul><li>Add control points, median-value rendering, and a unified 3D scene model.
</li><li>Resolve syntax errors causing compilation failure under GCC 3.4.
</li></ul>
</ml>
</release>


<release version="0.8.0-patch" date="2005-Apr-13">
<p>Patch to fix build failures under GCC 3.4 noted by Gregory Maxwell and Tom
Holroyd</p>
</release>


<release version="0.8.0" date="2005-Jan-12">

<fm>
This release adds a more informative TTY user interface, increases Euclidean
alignment precision for large images, and reduces certainty-related noise
amplification in the Irani-Peleg renderer.
</fm>

<ml>
<ul><li>Add a more informative TTY user interface
</li><li>Increase Euclidean alignment precision for large images
</li><li>Reduce certainty-related noise amplification in the Irani-Peleg renderer
</li></ul>
</ml>

</release>


<release version="0.7.3" date="2004-Dec-1">

<fm>
This release includes revised 3D algorithms, reduced memory usage for certain
rendering steps, and new point-spread function and device options. 
</fm>

<ml>
<ul><li>Reduce memory usage in Irani-Peleg and 3D renderers
</li><li>Add new PSF options for convolution and scalar multiplication
</li><li>Revise the 3D scene reconstruction algorithm
</li></ul>
</ml>

<sum revised="1">
ALE is an image-processing program used for tasks such as
super-resolution, deblurring, noise reduction, and anti-aliasing. Its
principle of operation is synthetic capture, combining multiple inputs
representing the same scene.
</sum>
</release>


<release version="0.7.2" date="2004-Oct-26">

<fm>
This release fixes exclusion region and alignment bugs, adds device support for
the Canon 300D SLR, and incorporates an experimental framework for
reconstruction of 3D scenes.
</fm>

<ml>
<ul><li>Incorporate changes from 0.7.1 patches
</li><li>Add a device configuration for the Canon EOS 300D (Digital Rebel)
</li><li>Incorporate an approach to 3D reconstruction.  (Does not work yet.)
</li></ul>
</ml>
</release>


<release version="0.7.1-patch2" date="2004-Sep-15">

<ch>
<ul><li>Adds an option for establishing a minimum overlap area for global searches
</li><li>Adds a rudimentary test suite.
</li></ul>
</ch>
</release>


<release version="0.7.1-patch1" date="2004-Sep-07">

<ml>
<ul><li>Allows each perturbation bound to be specified as a percentage of the
  smallest image dimension (useful for large images?).
</li><li>Fixes bugs in exclusion region handlers.
</li><li>Fixes bugs in alignment failure handlers.
</li><li>Avoids superfluously large undefined regions.
</li><li>Adds experimental options for refining perturbation.
</li></ul>
</ml>
</release>


<release version="0.7.1" date="2004-Aug-27">

<fm>
This release fixes alignment bugs, adds a global search option, and adds
support for the OmniView OV7620 sensor.
</fm>

<ml>
<ul><li>Add linear PSF for OV7620
</li><li>Add option to concatenate help pages
</li><li>Fix VISP segfault
</li><li>Incorporate changes from 0.7.0-patch1
</li></ul>
</ml>

<notes>
The default PSF for the OV7620 can be a bit noisy.  As an alternative,
box=1.3+box=1.8 also works well in some cases, and is less noisy.
</notes>
</release>


<release version="0.7.0-patch1" date="2004-Aug-22">

<ml>
<ul><li>Fixes alignment bugs.
</li><li>Adds a global search option.
</li><li>Adds support for ov7620 in raw, linear mode.
</li></ul>
</ml>

<notes>
The ov7620 device option expects that the 7620 be in raw, linear mode, and that
clamping be turned on.  These features may not be accessible using standard
drivers.
</notes>
</release>


<release version="0.7.0" date="2004-Aug-06">

<fm>
This release updates the renderer to support a variety of filters, including
sinc and Lanczos, and adds new options for excluding image regions and
processing video frames.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.6.0" date="2004-Feb-10">

<fm>
Merging and drizzling renderers now operate in linear colorspace, and the
Irani-Peleg renderer has been extended to handle convolutions in both linear
colorspace (e.g. lens blur) and non-linear colorspace (e.g. some types of
in-camera sharpening). New options in this release include certainty weighting
and exposure registration. 
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.5.1" date="2003-Nov-19">

<fm>
Changes in this release include optional support for 16-bit color channels and
built-in support for all PPM file types. Also, a user manual and an updated
technical description are now available. 
</fm>

<ed-note>
[This release was, and remains (as of Sep 2006), the most advanced version
storing pixels as integer values (rather than as floating-point values).  As
integer values may be more suitable for certain applications, integer-valued
functions may be re-introduced, possibly as library code, in the future.
19-Sep-2006]
</ed-note>

<sum revised="1">
ALE is a program that can render high-fidelity images of real
scenes by aligning and combining many similar images from a camera or
scanner. The correct similarity between images is roughly that achieved by
a somewhat unsteady hand holding a camera. 
</sum>
</release>


<release version="0.5.0" date="2003-Nov-02">

<fm nh="1">
Alignment following has been modified to support multiple-pass alignment of
panoramic image mosaics. Other changes in this release include code cleanup and
documentation updates.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.4.8" date="2003-Aug-01">
<fm nh="1">
The Monte Carlo alignment algorithm has been modified, and may now offer better
alignment for small sample sizes. Also, the Irani-Peleg renderer now writes
output after each iteration when incremental output is enabled. Other changes
include a bugfix in Euclidean alignment, a new option for configuring the level
of detail, and a new independent constraint for rotational perturbation.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.4.7" date="2003-Jul-27">

<fm nh="1">
Support for device-specific projection functions and various bugfixes have been
added to the Irani-Peleg renderer. Also, a new option has been added that may
be useful for video stabilization applications.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.4.6" date="2003-Jul-01">
<fm nh="1">
This release fixes bugs in drizzling and post-processing. The following
combinations should now work as expected: drizzling in combination with scaling
and Irani-Peleg image reconstruction in combination with high-frequency
enhancement.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.4.5" date="2003-Jun-23">

<fm nh="1">
This release resolves a number of minor alignment bugs. 
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.4.4" date="2003-Jun-06">

<fm nh="1">
The PPM file handler has been updated to open files in binary mode, resolving a
serious bug under Windows. Also, the percentage of pixels used in Monte Carlo
alignment now more closely matches user specifications in typical cases.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.4.3" date="2003-May-30">

<fm nh="1">
A Monte Carlo alignment option has been added, which may reduce alignment time.
An option to disable incremental file output has also been added.  
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.4.2" date="2003-May-23">

<fm nh="1">
An iterative image reconstruction renderer has been added, and the PPM file
handler has been updated to correctly handle PPM header comments.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.4.1" date="2003-Apr-28">

<fm nh="1">
Increased spatial extents, drizzling, and new alignment options have been added
in this release.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.4.0p1" date="2003-Apr-04">

<fm nh="1">
A bugfix from the Debian ALE package version 0.4.0-1 has been merged. Without
this fix, an assertion failure can occur when ImageMagick support is enabled.
</fm>

<ul><li>The original Debian fix was implemented by Debian package maintainer Nick
  Rusnov.
</li></ul>

</release>


<release version="0.4.0" date="2003-Mar-30">

<fm nh="1">
A general scaling option has been added, and the high-frequency enhancement
filter now works near image boundaries.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.3.2" date="2003-Mar-26">

<fm nh="1">
A match summary was added to the program's output, comments in transformation
file output were made more helpful, and an experimental high-frequency
enhancement option was added.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.3.1" date="2003-Mar-25">

<ed-note>(This release appears to have been superseded by 0.3.2.)</ed-note>

</release>


<release version="0.3.0" date="2003-Jan-17">

<fm nh="1">
New options in this release facilitate writing final alignment transformations
to a file, reading initial alignment transformations from a file, and setting
an upper boundary on the correction step size used in alignment. 
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.2.0" date="2003-Jan-01">

<fm nh="1">
General projective transformations can now be used in image alignment.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.1.2" date="2002-Dec-13">

<fm nh="1">
A new file handler has been added to read and write JPEG, PNG, and other image
formats using the ImageMagick C API. The default PPM-only file handler now
deals with certain file errors more gracefully.
</fm>

<ul><li>Translation of file formats using ImageMagick was suggested by Nick Rusnov.
</li></ul>
</release>


<release version="0.1.1" date="2002-Dec-09">

<fm nh="1">
In this version, a scaling bug that caused corruption of boundary pixels has
been fixed. Also, the alignment algorithm has been modified to use reduced
detail for coarse alignment steps.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.1.0" date="2002-Nov-26">

<fm nh="1">
The image alignment algorithm has been updated.
</fm>
</release>


<release version="0.0.0" date="2002-Oct-11">

<p>Initial release</p>

<sum>
ALE aligns and merges several similar images from a digitizing device (such as
a digital camera or scanner) into a single image. This may have the effect of
producing a relatively alias-free image (sometimes called "anti-aliasing"). 
</sum>
</release>
</news>
</article>