Fotocx Change Log
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fotocx-24.70   2024.11.05
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 • Metadata Edit: minor improvement in edit of title and description.
 • Metadata View and Search functions: minor improvements in report format.
 • Image Index: report extra indexed metadata items, blacklisted files.
 • Bugfix: New release overwrites user-defined keyboard shortcuts.
 • Bugfix: File view: add current file folder to list of recent folders.
 • Bugfix: Denoise median method: omit pixels with contrast > threshold.
 • Bugfix: file save: copy metadata allways, even if no edits were made.

fotocx-24.60   2024.10.01
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 • Refine > Voodoo: function was removed - custom scripts provide greater
   flexibility for this idea. A default 'voodoo' script is included.
 • The Script and Plugin functions were moved into the Custom menu.
 • Refine > Flatten Dist: now Flatten Histogram, with an improved algorithm.
 • Refine > Gradients: now Amplify Contrast - a more appropriate name.
 • Repair > Denoise: simplified - two best methods instead of six.
 • Gallery > Screen: additional select options: rating range, tag list. 
 • Gallery > Recent Folders: new - set gallery from list of recent folders.
 • Select > Area Blend: new capability to soften the edges of area edits or
   pasted images, using edge blur instead of mixing the background image.
 • Effects > Alien Colors: easier to make many iterations (hunt for optimum).
 • Warp > Warp Linear: new 'curl' factor: warp = exp(mouse distance).
 • Metadata > view/edit: replace bad utf8 characters in metadata with '?' 
   (instead of deleting the metadata or failing to display it).
 • Combine > Mashup: better handling of overlapping warp and paint transparent.
 • Numerous minor user interface, help, and documentation improvements.
 • Bugfix: Flatten Dist: crash if zone radius is huge.
 • Bugfix: Sharpen 'median diff' method: crash - exceed process thread limit.
 • Bugfix: Mashup: crash if project background image is a non-existent file.
 • Bugfix: Fix Motion Blur: pixel blue values were not being processed.

fotocx-24.50   2024.07.01
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 • Effects > Custom Kernel: can now be used with Paint Edits. 
 • New: Edit > Area Fill: fill selected or transparent areas with a 
        color overlay having adjustable transparency.
 • Print Image: new option to print selected area(s) only. 
 • Dither > Blobs: now condenses into blobs by itself until user stops it.
 • Gallery > Screen: user interface was rationalized and simplified.
 • Bugfix: Select > Freehand Draw: erase drag was incomplete if zoom > 1x.

fotocx-24.40   2024.06.05
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 • Effects > Outlines: improved algorithm, better user control of output.
 • Edit Metadata: improved UI, increased limits for text metadata.
 • Improved logic to prevent conflicts if functions are used in parallel.
 • Refine > Local Contrast: new edit curve and algorithm, improved result. 
 • Batch Photo Date: accept photo date-time with missing time, use 00:00:00. 
 • Bugfix: Select > Find Gap: better algorithm, less need for try-again. 
 • Bugfix: crash if image cropped to zero width or height (now disallowed).
 • Bugfix: long delay when adding geocoordinates by clicking on the map.
 • Bugfix: crash if a new image is opened while Rotate is left active.
 • Bugfix: Refine > Vignette: was not working correctly for large images.
 • Bugfix: Batch Tags: specific tag delete was deleting all tags. 

fotocx-24.30   2024.05.04
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 • Effects > Outlines: improved algorithm.
 • Warp > Flatten Photo: fixing a curved horizon (from a wide-angle lens or 
   panorama image) is easier: draw 4+ points along the curve to flatten it.
 • New: Combine > Stack/Layers: combine image versions in any desired ratios. 
   Paint different combinations/ratios in selected areas using the mouse.
 • New: Denoise > Mean: new method is good for suppressing noise in uniform
   image areas where noise is most visible, preserving detail in other areas.
 • New: Effects > Set Colors: Replaces the Color Depth function. The number of 
   levels for each RGB color can be set separately and is not based on 
   "bit depth". You can set any value, e.g. 3, 9, 13 ... for each RGB color.
 • Edit Metadata: new popup editor for long descriptions - more practical.
   This avoids oversize dialog window when an image description is huge.
 • Text file edits (e.g. custom menu): these are now done with a simple edit 
   dialog instead of launching the default text editor on the user system.
 • New release processing: user is notified if revised settings files have
   possibly omitted past user additions. Compare old/new files to check.
 • Plugins file format was changed and editing this file was made easier.
 • Help > Uninstall: risky auto delete was replaced with an example command 
   based on the actual install location (/usr, /usr/local, $HOME/.local ...).
 • New: Detect and repair .png file with .jpg extension (this does happen).
 • Anti-Alias function can now be used in scripts. 
 • Bugfix: possible crash if 'capskeys' file includes a blank or null keyname.
 • Bugfix: checking the available outboard programs was being omitted after 
   a Fotocx re-install following a system release upgrade or re-install.

fotocx-24.21   2024.04.04
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 • Bugfix: Makefile, correct location of fotocx.desktop.

fotocx-24.20   2024.04.01
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 • Makefile - source package installs at /usr/local instead of /usr/share
   (conform with the GNU FHS standard for locally installed packages).
   Binary package installs at $HOME/.local/bin and /share (no change). 
 • Maps > Map Location: input a partial location name, use a picklist to see
   matching full names, zoom-in to the chosen location on the internet map.
 • Maps > Map Regions: add custom named regions (location and scale) for the
   internet map, use a picklist to choose and display a map region. 
 • Local map files capability was removed - the internet map works better,
   and custom map files can be adequately replaced using the internet map.
 • Edit Metadata: clicking on a map location now adds the location name and
   geocoordinates to the image metadata, if the clicked location is an existing
   marker or within 10 km of a known map location. English names with normal 
   syntax are used (not the chaos you get from camera GPS location names).
 • Remove Halo: now handles dark halos (not common) as well as bright ones.
 • Select > Paste image: add flip horz/vert (in addition to rescale/rotate).
 • Images can be selected for batch functions from file view, gallery view,
   or back and forth - easier/faster when images must be screened more closely.
 • More pattern files and palette files are available (files are from Gimp). 
 • Paint Image: the color chooser image was replaced with a CIE color chart.
 • Tools > Dark/Bright Pixels: pixels now stand out via periodic blinking. 
 • Tools > Resources: added capability to clear the internet maps cache, 
   which can grow to hundreds of megabytes after extensive usage.
 • Custom Menu is better looking. Menu entries can now have popup tool tips. 
   Specific image files and album names can also be custom menu entries.
 • Effects > Outlines: replaces previous drawing transform with something 
   simpler and faster. Also works with Select Area and Paint Edits.
 • Bugfix: world locations data: duplicate location names were getting lost 
   (e.g. Reading USA, Reading UK).
 • Bugfix: command: $ fotocx file.name.ext: file with embedded '.' failed.
 • Bugfix: top panel "dialog busy" indicator was sometimes false.

fotocx-24.11   2024.02.07
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 • BUGFIX: correct file permissions to allow access by all users
   (problem if fotocx installed in debian fashion with root file ownership).

fotocx-24.10   2024.02.01 
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 • NAME CHANGE: from 'fotoxx' to 'fotocx'. A google search for 'fotoxx' 
   includes pornography in the search results (google thinks "foto xx"). 
   I finally fixed this after years of living with it. 
 • The fotocx home folder is renamed from '.fotoxx' to '.fotocx'.
 • Suppress useless output from 'which' command in startup code.
 • Warp > Stretch: renamed to Warp Radial (fix barrel/pincushion distortion).
 • Warp > Linear: improved algorithm for better control and flexibility. 
 • Meta > Edit: improved interface for editing long descriptions.
 • Edit > Crop: more reliable capture of crop rectangle side or corner.
 • Slide Show: 
   • Correct random transition preference calculation.
   • Add file preference values for random file sequence.
   • New transition: "implode" = explode running backwards.
   
   
