Ai Picture Explorer 8.9 - Changelog

What's new in Ai Picture Explorer 8.9:

October 25th, 2011

Added UNEQUALIZE function:
· restores information in bright regions of interest
· makes white transparent materials more sheer
· corrects overexposed images

Added BOOST BRIGHTNESS function:
· surfaces information in bright regions of interest
· makes dark transparent materials more sheer
· corrects underexposed images

· Optimized multi-core thumbnailing (up to eight cores).
· Optimized multi-core embedded thumbnail extraction.
· Added MKV (Matroska Multimedia Container) support.
· Added MP4 (MPEG-4) support.
· Enhanced JPEG thumbnail extraction with updated application marker detection and improved detection of files that are not JFIF-compliant.
· Added 80+ MegaPixel support (e.g., 7760x10328).

Improved JPEG partial views:
· JPEG decoding now includes 1:16 and 1:32nd sampling for FAST viewing.
· JPEG partial view selection dialog now facilitates finer settings.

Improved thumbnail caching:
· Cache folder can be assigned to larger or faster drives (e.g., thumb drive).
· Records now sport '.REC' extension for faster shell (system) response.
· Records now store more information to avoid redundant file access.
· Cache folder and records can be excluded from real-time anti-virus scanning to accelerate performance of thumbnail generation and retrieval.

· 'Redo thumbs' function now skips embedded previews when you need to update only selected thumbnails with corrupted or mismatched previews.
· Built-in Explorer now appends slides to Slide Album with recursive folder listings of a selected folder.

Enhanced Lab Script:
· Added 'No Undo' option for faster batch processing (e.g., 1000s of files).
· Added 'Add commands as JPEG comment' for referencing and tracking Lab modifications.

· Added 'Fix Aspect Ratio' function to scale marquee to original image proportions (e.g., 1920x2880 marquee inside 4800x7200 original).
· Added fine edge UNSHARPMASK function option.
· Faster filter functions; up to 20% faster for UnsharpMask and Cleaning filters.
· Added CROP_EX lab command with rectangle parameters that can be easily edited.

Enhanced marquee:
· Setting marquee with CRTL key reuses width/ height dimensions .
· Current marquee can be moved to new [x,y] coordinates with automatic clipping.

· LOADFILE lab command now supports wildcard to load the same filename with a different extension. Facilitates batch image processing to include images that were prepared by a previous batch process.

· Retooled RESIZE functions for speed.
· Added DISTILL function to quickly downsample images with subtle smoothing effect to avoid 'jaggies' and JPEG artifacts.
· RESAMPLE%% and RESIZE%% lab commands are now accurately tracked with exact parameters to modify similar images.
· Added MOD as second parameter for even boundaries. Applies to RESIZE, RESAMPLE and DISTILL commands.

Retooled CONFORM functions to remap the colors of any image during a session using statistics of a reference image:
· Added GET_CONFORM_DATA to save Conform data in memory.
· Added USE_CONFORM_DATA to remap colors of current image with Conform data in memory.
· Added USE_CONFORM_SAT_DATA to remap saturation plane with Conform data in memory.

· Increased size of image processing dialog/ preview.
· Increased size of JPEG Compression dialog/ preview.
· Added folder size calculation of listed files to Explorer window.
· Added filename (of viewed image) to Comparison window panes.
· Added 'Open Containing Folder' function for shortcuts.
· Added Reload menu command to viewer popup menu.
· Added Batch Rename function to convert filenames to lowercase.
· Confirmation dialogs now reappear in moved positions during a session.
· Simplified Clear cache function.
· Added Explore pop-up command to Viewer window.
· Replaced BORDER_TopBot with BORDER_LetterBox.
· Alt-D sets focus on Viewer's Pathbox (similar to Firefox).
· Enlarged Print Dialog for greater precision when positioning print image.
· Help file rewritten in compiled HTML format (CHM) format with active context sensitive help.
· Obsolete CD Player removed from Explorer window menu; slideshow functionality retained.

Bugfixes:
· MASK_CONTRAST preview and apply results were different; corrected.
· Flipping between fitted view and region zoom was disabled when image was modified; corrected.
· Batch conversions to BMP failed depending on memory configuration; corrected.
· Batch conversions to JPG aborted on some multi-core systems with complex lab command scripts; corrected.
· Accumulated recent links eventually caused a prompt to delete invalid shortcut; corrected.
· Images exceeding maximum PhotoCD dimensions were skipped; corrected.
· URL files could not be deleted/ recycled; corrected.

What's new in Ai Picture Explorer 8.3.0.8300:

September 3rd, 2008

· Multi-core tweaks, faster Slide Album thumbnailing (up to 300% faster)
· faster Batch JPEG encoding (up to 50% faster), faster image processing (up to 25% faster), user priority/ speed settings

· Enhanced audio support FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), APE (Monkey's Audio), OGG (Vorbis container audio), M4A (MPEG-4 Audio)
· integrated AVL slideshow support, integrated Viewer playback (jukebox)

· Enhanced viewing user interface variable region zoom, toggled fitted and user-selected scrolled region view, ideal for viewing and perusing high-resolution images (e.g., 10 megapixels) in fitted and full resolution

· Enhanced switching between fitted and full resolution JPEG images

· Enhanced OEM mouse support OEM wheel navigation routines, GetMouse function removed, Enhanced 5-button support

· Middle button can be assigned to toggle a 'Fit to Window' view

· Added 'Select all | images+view' pop-up menu command for enhanced productivity while perusing multiple mage folders

· New Lab (Batch) Command (RESIZE%%, RESAMPLE%%) high precision resizing / resampling, two decimal precision (e.g., 53.21%), easily resize 1000s of similar portrait and landscape pictures to desired size (e.g., 2336x3504 to 1280x1920)

· Batch conversion status includes 'live' time to completion estimate
· Added descending sort for bookmarked files
· Statusbar now indicates current bookmark index
· Full screen with menu includes additional info

· More hotkeys:PDF Previous Document (Ctrl-F6), PDF Next Document (Ctrl-Shift-F6), '1' 100% (default view w/ no Zoom)

· Misc. interface tweaks Compact tool tips (Explorer Window), Recent links now include (location) in ShortCut description, Consolidated 'Cache Kill' and 'Recent Kill' menu commands

· Added Explorer Window menu commands to directly access My Documents, My Recent Documents, My Favorites

What's new in Ai Picture Explorer 8.2:

June 29th, 2006

· Faster JPEG image series decode (up to 133% faster)
· Faster image screen updates
· AutoGamma option
· Variable Listview fonts
· Asymmetric tiling of Viewer and Explorer windows
· Auto-backup of Viewer bookmarks
· Disabled AutoGamma setting was not saved; corrected.