This is a small bonus for developers, while we wait for the next version.
I've just uploaded the source codes of the new ImageCalibration and StarGenerator modules that will be included in PixInsight 1.6.1. Although these modules are being linked now against the latest version of PCL (which is not ABI-compatible with previous versions), they should compile and link fine with the current PCL version:
http://pixinsight.com/download/modules/ImageCalibration-src.20100710.ziphttp://pixinsight.com/download/modules/StarGenerator-src.20100710.zipJust a minor issue that can be fixed very easily: the ImageCalibration module will need inclusion of the lcms library in all project files and makefiles. This happens because the new PCL building scheme removes all dependencies on third-party libraries, that is, starting from 1.6.1 a PixInsight module only needs the PCL static library to work because all the necessary functionality is now provided by the Core application. Let me know if you need help in adding the lcms dependency.
The new StarGenerator module includes the gnomonic projection, as suggested by Georg Viehoever. It works like a charm and allows for more accurate construction of large mosaics. I've seen a 15% - 25% more star pair matches with gnomonic projection in comparison to conformal projections. Thanks Georg!
The new ImageCalibration module includes many bug fixes and a new output pedestal parameter to prevent negative pixel values that can occur in some special cases. This has been suggested by Nikolay Volkov recently -- thanks Nikolay!
There can be some remaining bugs in ImageCalibration, especially one that I've been unable to find so far, which prevents proper detection of invalid image geometries in some rare cases. This is a very minor problem but I want you to know anyway. There may be other bugs too, all of them of minor importance I think.
I'd appreciate if you could test these modules as the release of 1.6.1 is near. If you find something really ugly I'll fix it before the final release.
Enjoy!
