Hi all,
We are glad to announce the release of a new version of PixInsight: 1.8.4.1195 for Linux, OS X, and Windows. Installation packages are now available to all users on our software distribution system. A FreeBSD version should also be available during the next weeks.
Version 1.8.4.1195 is a maintenance release fixing bugs and providing performance improvements on all platforms. We encourage all our users to update their installations as soon as possible.
How to Install the ReleaseThis version is not available through the update system integrated with the PixInsight Core application. You have to download the appropriate installation package(s) for your platform(s) from our software distribution system:
https://pixinsight.com/dist/Once downloaded, you can install the new version as follows:
FreeBSD and Linux: Uncompress the .tar.gz archive on a directory under your home directory, then run the installer program as root from a terminal. Answer "yes" to the confirmation question and you're done. The old version (if any) will be removed, and version 1.8.4.1195 will be installed on the /opt system directory by default, as usual. Graphical shortcuts will be created automatically on most X11 desktop environments, including GNOME, KDE, Xfce and LXDE.
Windows: Uninstall the current version if you have it installed (this is absolutely necessary!), then run the new installation package, and follow the instructions. Once installed, you'll have a new entry on your Start > All Programs menu (or equivalent item on Windows 8), namely PixInsight Platform, where you'll find an option to launch the PixInsight Core application.
OS X: Copy the .zip archive to your /Applications folder, remove the previous PixInsight folder if you had a previous version installed, and uncompress the new .zip archive. A new PixInsight folder will be created, where you'll find a PixInsight.app application bundle. We suggest adding it to the dock for easier access.
See also FAQ Section 3 for important information about installations and updates:
http://pixinsight.com/faq/index.html#3_InstallationMain Bug Fixes- AutoHide windows could get freezed in version 1.8.4.1193 by right-clicking the mouse on the workspace very quickly during sliding animations. This has been fixed in version 1.8.4.1195.
- The Blink tool triggered an invalid paint event upon loading a set of files. This bug has been fixed.
- Mouse wheel events were incorrectly translated to zoom in/out events by tools with drawing panels such as HistogramTransformation, CurvesTransformation, ColorSaturation, and Blink. This was barely noticeable using devices with mechanical wheels, but was a serious problem with touch devices such as Apple's Magic Mouse. This problem is now resolved.
- User input events, such as mouse or keyboard events, were being allowed during swap file I/O operations, with a risk of potential conflicts. User input events are now either blocked completely or conveniently filtered during these critical operations.
- Images loaded from files providing image identifiers (XISF and FITS formats) were being assigned incorrect view identifiers. This was causing some weird problems, such as unselectable images from the View Selector and the Real-Time Preview window. This no longer happens.
- Transparency renditions generated on Retina high-dpi modes were incorrect. Transparencies (alpha channels) are now correctly represented at all resolutions and display densities.
- The XISF format support module was not applying some output hints. This is now fixed.
- Fixed a long standing focus stealing problem on Windows and OS X. Since version 1.8.4.1195, the PixInsight Core application no longer activates itself or steals the keyboard focus when a process finishes execution.
New Features- Much faster image renditions in Retina high-dpi modes. For example, panning and zooming large 32-bit floating point images is now about 5-10 times faster on an iMac 5K machine.
- Faster and more accurate transparency renditions (alpha channels).
- The XISF format support module can now store preview rectangles in image files. Only preview coordinates and identifiers are stored, not preview states or processing histories. Stored previews are automatically recreated when the image is loaded.
- New
license command-line command. This command writes user license information as plain text on the console.
- License files (
pixinsight-license files) can now be moved to the following alternate directories:
FreeBSD and Linux:
$HOME/.PixInsight
OS X:
$HOME/Library/PixInsight
Windows:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Pleiades
The license file is still generated on the user's home directory by default, but now you can move it to the alternate directory if you prefer a more discreet location.
- The printing subsystem is now enabled by default on all platforms. Previously it was disabled by default on OS X and Windows. The three printing menu commands are
FILE > Printer Setup,
FILE > Printer Color Management, and
FILE > Print. The printing subsystem can be disabled with the
--without-printer command-line argument to the PixInsight Core application. Printing is still experimental in PixInsight, although it works quite well in most cases. This functionality will be significantly improved in future versions.
I hope you enjoy this new release. Thank you all for your continued support.
