PixInsight 1.8 — Codename "Ripley"

[Alejandro Tombolini]

most probably at the middle of 2014.

Kuulapaa, this is a long time to enjoy PixInsight 1.x !

[Juan Conejero]

Since this is a recurring question, I have added two new entries to our FAQ page: 2.20 and 2.21. The official FAQ is here:

http://pixinsight.com/faq/

I hope this clarifies our licensing policy. Please feel free to ask anything else you want to know about our licenses.

[pavel]

I just have to read carefully the following:" We provide support and updates at no additional cost (included with all commercial licenses)."(http://pixinsight.com/buy/index.html)
I think everything is clear and so!
 

[Kuulapaa]

Since this is a recurring question, I have added two new entries to our FAQ page: 2.20 and 2.21. The official FAQ is here:

http://pixinsight.com/faq/

I hope this clarifies our licensing policy. Please feel free to ask anything else you want to know about our licenses.

Excellent, thank you Juan for information.

It's important to be aware how things roll when major updates are happen. One can of course make assumptions but more one makes them more often one gets things figured wrong. Assumptions, mother of all...

I really enjoy the great tools provided in Pixinsight and feel I get better results than with other software I have used. Looking forward 1.8 

[fkloer]

Hi everybody,

I am glad to announce that we are now close to the release of a new version: PixInsight Core 1.8.0 "Ripley".

Ellen Ripley is a warrant officer aboard the spaceship Nostromo in the 1979 science fiction film Alien, directed by Ridley Scott. As was the case with the previous version 1.7 "Starbuck", the new codename has been suggested by Fernando Ballesteros, a researcher at the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Valencia, Spain. When Fernando suggested us a list of possible codenames, I liked "Ripley" because it represents well the courage and endurance that a new version of PixInsight will need to represent our excellence-driven concept of astrophotography.

PixInsight 1.8 was initially due for release before the end of July. Mainly due to the complexity of new implemented features, and also to the need to test them exhaustively without working under excessive pressure, we have decided to delay its release until September November. However, since most of the new features and tools are now finished, I'll be posting information about them on this forum board during the incoming days and weeks. So stay tuned while we bring you the latest and the greatest from Ripley!

Juan -

Is there any news on the release of Ripley?

[Carlos Milovic]

As far as I know, the new PCL 2.0 was almost ready (there were a couple of classes missing a week ago). Then, everything needs to be recompiled with the new libraries, and make some changes to the processes to make them compatible and take full advantage of the new features. The core application seems to be also in the final stages of the beta cycle (developers only). As always, "deadlines" with Juan are kind of diffuse... but I'm confident that Ripley will be out there before Xmas.

[Juan Conejero]

Hi all,

I'd say we have a 98% or so of the work done now. I hope we'll have it ready for release before December 20.

Basically, these are the most important pending tasks:

- Complete the final PCL 2.0 version. I am working on it right now.

- Fix a few pending bugs in the PI Core application, mainly some minor bugs in the projects system.

- Complete planned improvements for the ATrousWaveletTransform and MultiscaleMedianTransform tools (real-time preview stuff).

- Port the entire platform to FreeBSD, Mac OS X and Windows. As you know PI is primarily developed on Linux.

- Fix a couple of pending bugs on Mac OS X (mainly the bugs related to opening images directly from Finder).

- Prepare installation packages on all platforms.

1.8 Ripley is probably the most ambitious version of PixInsight we have released ever. I have rewritten basically the entire PCL and about a 40% of the core application, including almost all of the low-level API that communicates with external modules. This is indeed a huge amount of work.

This version has one 'problem' though: most changes are only visible to developers. End users won't see a lot of new stuff, besides the new File Explorer window, the all-new Script Editor (which again is mainly for developers), many improvements in the graphical interface (but no 'wow' new features), a general speed improvement, and small (but important) changes in many tools. We could say that 1.8 Ripley is a 're-foundation' version. From the end user perspective, the truly important changes will come in 2013, where we'll see many new tools and development lines. Version 1.8 is a necessary step to make all of that possible.

[bitli]

You have to take timing information from Juan with a grain of salt.  He works so fast that he is in a relativistic time/space compared to us. His time doesn't flow at the same speed as here.

This is not a joke: look at his picture - he doesn't age !

-- bitli 

[naavis]

This version has one 'problem' though: most changes are only visible to developers. End users won't see a lot of new stuff, besides the new File Explorer window, the all-new Script Editor (which again is mainly for developers), many improvements in the graphical interface (but no 'wow' new features), a general speed improvement, and small (but important) changes in many tools. We could say that 1.8 Ripley is a 're-foundation' version. From the end user perspective, the truly important changes will come in 2013, where we'll see many new tools and development lines. Version 1.8 is a necessary step to make all of that possible.

So... layers will not be available yet in 1.8?

[georg.viehoever]

...This version has one 'problem' though: most changes are only visible to developers. End users won't see a lot of new stuff, ...

As a software developer, I know what you are talking about: It is usually a nightmare for the product marketing department. But it is necessary every now-and-then to ensure efficient development in the future, and to prepare for state-of-the-art new features. You just have to find the right balance - those marketing guys usually (believe to) know for what features customers are willing to pay, and that is not an unimportant aspect of a developers work as well...

I already have a module in making that should benefit a lot from what I can see in the preliminary PCL2.0 documentation on http://pixinsight.com/developer/pcl/doc/html/ . Keep up the good work ... and give me a new toy for Christmas 

Georg

[IanL]

As a software developer..

As someone who manages software developers  , is it possible for PI 1.7.x and 1.8 to co-exist on the same machine, i.e. two separate installations?  With such fundamental re-engineering of the internals I could well imagine wanting to keep existing projects in progress under 1.7 whilst easing my way in to 1.8 for new ones.

Not saying that there will be bugs (perish the thought, I know all my developers write perfect code first time every time, it's easy ), but I'd guess the potential for subtle differences in results between versions definitely exists.

[Juan Conejero]

is it possible for PI 1.7.x and 1.8 to co-exist on the same machine, i.e. two separate installations?

That's easy on FreeBSD, Linux and Mac OS X. On Windows it can be more problematic, since both applications would install on the same Start menu items, so one would rewrite the other. The solution is easy but requires a bit of a hack: Install 1.7, rename the application folder, install 1.8, and make a direct access to the 1.7 executable. PixInsight does not use the Windows registry, so there should be no problems.

I always write absolutely perfect code first time every time, so there will be absolutely perfect bugs since the first release

[IanL]

Thanks Juan, I use Win 7 so easy enough to rename the existing installation and duplicate the start menu shortcuts, etc. before installing 1.8. Safety first in my book.  I was just concerned that there might be common registry entries or conflicting DLLs or other such Windows stupidity to scupper that plan.  Guess your bug tracking software must get as little use as ours does 

[wnourse]

Any word on our 'Christmas Present"?

[pfile]

Any word on our 'Christmas Present"?

merry christmas!!!