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Any Image revision history

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Version 4.1

• Added a "Pattern rename files" option (right click on the input files list to find it). This allows you to use wildcard patterns to automatically create output file name overrides for a lot of files.
  
  
• A "Create image index" option replaces the "Create index.html file" option. This now works more intuitively in that it simultaneously creates both the set of (hi-res) output images, and a set of thumbnail images, as well as the index.html file (previously that took two batch runs and the process was difficult to grasp).
  
  
• Improved the precision of the gamma-adjustment control.
  
  

Version 4.0

• When writing to JPEG format, you can now select compression either "by Quality" or "to Size". The first alternative works corresponds to the list of "sizes" in earlier versions, but instead of having only a limited number of selections, you can now type any number between 1 and 100 (higher number -> larger file size -> better image quality). The second alternative is a new unique feature that allows you to tell the program a file size in KBytes and it will then ensure that the output file is no larger than this! NB, compressing by quality is a lot faster then compressing to size since the latter involves much "trial and error".
  
  
• When writing to JPEG-2000 format, you can now also select to compress either "by Factor" or "to Size". By factor allows you to type in how many times it smaller the compressed file should be compared to an uncompressed image. To size allows you to type in a desired file size in KBytes. Unlike with JPEG, both alternatives are equally fast with JPEG-2000.
  
  
• Added a 'File options & file info...' command that you reach by right-clicking on a file in the input files list. This opens a new tabbed dialog where you can set 'per file options'. Available per file settings are:
  
  
  • Text meta data editor (this does not modify the input file, it overrides what meta data is passed to the output file writer).
    
    
  • A "File name override" option allows you to give the output file (i.e. after conversion) a different name than the input file.
    
    
  • Set per file image adjustment options (saturation, sharpness, gamma, et c).
    
    
  • Add alpha plane from a second file.
    
    
  • Rotate the image.
    
    
  There's also a tab with an image preview in this dialog.
  
  
• Added support for reading 32-bit RGBA icons (.ICO).
  
  
• Added for reading Vista 256x256 PNG-compressed icons (.ICO).
  
  
• Added R-G-B bias adjustment controls to the 'More options' page.
  
  
• For the image frame option you can now customize the colors.
  
  
• If you are running under Windows XP then buttons and other controls will now use the rounder and more colorful 'XP style'.
  
  
• The program manual is now in 'HTML help' format (it now both looks better and is easier to use than when it was using the older 'WinHelp' format).
  
  

Version 3.4

• Added an option called "Multiple output formats". Checking it will give you an extra page (after the "Select output options" page), where you can select up to 8 different output formats to be written in the same batch-run.
  
  
• Added an option to "Translate output file names to 7-bit ASCII" (in order to ensure compatibility with all file system). You'll find it on the "More options" page.
  
  
• Added a "Gamma adjustment" option, again on the "More options" page.
  
  
• Added a "Show more info" command - you reach it by right-clicking on a file in the input files list.
  
  
• Added support for both reading and writing TIFF images using JPEG compression. It primarily supports the new 'compression type 7' but many (if not all) of the deprecated 'compression type 6' JPEG-in-a-TIFF files can also be read.
  
  
• Added support for both reading and writing YCbCr color format in '.raw' files.
  
  
• Rotation of an image is now automatically selected - if the source file has information about it (typically JPG's with EXIF extension written by digital cameras with built in orientation sensors). I.e. if you right click on an image and look under the 'Rotate image' heading, you may find the correct rotation already selected.
  
  
• Added a -RECURSE command line switch (specifying it before a directory path will tell the program to also pull files its sub-directories).
  
  
• When using the -SILENT command line switch, the program is now run minimized.
  
  
• When a batch conversion is finished, the 'Cancel' button now changes name to 'Close', which works like the 'Finish' button previously did. The latter has been replaced by a 'New batch' button, which now brings you back to the first wizard page. Also, the 'Next >' button before the progress page has been renamed into 'Start >'.
  
  
• If you use the "Set alpha from second file" command, then both the main image file and the alpha file will now be listed in the input files list.
  
  

Version 3.3

• Added support for reading and writing animated .GIF files (disposal methods 0, 1, 2 only).
  
  
• Added an 'elapsed time' display on the progress page.
  
  
• Added a 'Create log file' option.
  
  
• Added a 'Skip existing files without prompting' option.
  
  
• Added a 'Rotate image' sub-menu to the context menu in the 'Add files' page (right click on one or more files to see it). Here you can tell the program rotate individual files during the batch conversion.
  
  
• There are now separate sub-format selections for saving .DDS files with, or without, a 'mip-map'.
  
  

Version 3.2

• Added support for reading and writing JPEG 2000 files (.JP2, .JPC). This new format is based on advanced wavelet compression techniques. It compresses at least 2x as much as the 'old' JPEG with the same subjective image quality. It is also more error resilient, it is better at 'progressive decoding', and it provides better control over the compression factor.
  
  
• Added a 'More options' step. It is shown only if 'Select more options' is checked in the 'Select output options' step. The index generation toggle plus all image processing options (except resizing) has been moved to this new step.
  
  
• You can now select the 'Resampling method' used when resizing images. Available selections are:
  
  
  • "Nearest neighbour (1x1 filter)"
    
    
  • "Bilinear interpolation (2x2 filter)"
    
    
  • "Catmull-Rom spline (4x4 filter)"
    
    
  • "Cubic I-MOMS (4x4 filter)"
    
    
  • "2nd degree B-spline (3x3 filter)"
    
    
  • "3rd degree B-spline (4x4 filter)"
    
    
  • "4th degree B-spline (5x5 filter)"
    
    
  • "5th degree B-spline (6x6 filter)"
    
    
  Default is the "Catmull-Rom spline" method (a.k.a. Key's function with a=-0.5). This is an improved version of the method used in previous versions of Any Image. The new IMOMS-4 method is in a certain mathematical sense slightly better, but may not always be 'subjectively' better. Similarly, the new B-spline methods (especially the higher degree B-splines) can very often produce better results than the other methods - on many but not all images. But the downside is that they are very much slower and that there can sometimes be a problem with 'ringing' around sharp edges. Try them and see which method you like best - you decide!
  
  
• .PNM is now recognized as an alternate extension for .PGM, .PGM and .PPM files.
  
  
• Fixed a problem with reading of some strangely formatted .PBM files.
  
  
• Fixed bug that could cause the program to crash when reading 24 and 32-bit .RAS files.
  
  

Version 3.1

• Changed the way that 'data sub-formats' are selected. These were previously listed as separate file formats (e.g. 'Normal' or 'RLE Compressed' for BMP files). Now there is instead a separate sub-format drop down list and the output format is selected as 'File format' - 'Data sub-format' - 'Color sub-format'.
  
  
• Added support for reading and writing DirectDraw Surfaces (.DDS files, uncompressed ARGB and compressed DXT1/2/3/4/5 sub-formats).
  
  
• Added a context menu when you click on a file in the input file list.
  
  
• Added an 'Add alpha from second file...' command to the context menu mentioned above. This will let you set the alpha channel of the output from this file (the color channels are taken from the file that you 'add' this second file to).
  
  
• Now correctly distinguished between normal (unassociated) and pre-multiplied (associated) alpha planes for TIFF, PNG and TGA files.
  
  
• Added support for writing TGA files with 15-bit color plus 1-bit alpha.
  
  
• Files with alpha or transparency are now shown with an A over the icon in the input files list.
  
  
• Now also handles the transparency mask from Windows icons and cursors (.ICO and .CUR files).
  
  

Version 3.0

• A new option 'Keep the input file sub-directory structure' let's you copy a desired level of sub-directory names from the input file path to the output file path. It can be specified either as the number of lower levels to keep, or as the number of upper levels to discard. E.g. if you select to keep the 2 lower levels and have the input file 'c:\foo\bar\images\myfile.jpg' and the output directory 'C:\out' then the output file will be written to 'c:\out\bar\images\myfile.gif'.
  
  
• Added an option dialog to the 'Add dir' command and the possibility to specify one ore more filter strings (with wild-card support, e.g. '*.gif').
  
  
• Added a command line interface allowing the program to be run 'unattended' from other applications.
• Added the new index option 'Translate forbidden characters into escape codes in HTTP paths' (e.g. blank space is translated into %20). This is useful when generating an index file that's going to end up as a web-page.
  
  
• Added support for reading .TIFF and .PSD files with 16-bits/pixel/color component).
  
  
• Added a 'Brightness' control.
  
  
• Added an 'Exit when done' button to the progress page.
  
  
• Added a 'Hide' button to the progress page.
  
  
• Various minor fixes and improvements.
  
  

Version 2.5

• Index.html creation options are now much more extensive and are located on their own wizard-page (i.e. if 'Create index.html' is checked on the output options page).
  
  
• Added an option called 'Shared palette for all files' which will calculate an optimal 'shared' palette over several images when saving to formats with 256 colors or less.
  
  
• Added dithering support when saving to 15-bit/pixel output formats.
  
  
• Added support for reading 'raw' image files. These require an associated text-formatted description file with a .RAW extension. Also added support for writing these (interleaved or separated color components selectable).
  
  
• Added support for writing FITS files.
  
  
• Alpha-blending and transparency is now used when drawing images in the preview window.
  
  
• Added support for Group 3/4 fax-compressed sub-format TIFF files with a 'reverse bit-ordering' (this is an unusual format that was previously read incorrectly).
  
  
• Added limited Pixar (.PXR) file format read support - only tested with files written by PhotoShop.
  
  
• New setup program.
  
  
• Better handling of out of memory conditions.
  
  
• Fixed a problem with crashing on some corrupted PhotoShop extension blocks inside JPEG files.
  
  
• Fixed a small bug in the TIFF writer.
  
  
• Fixed a problem with some very rare GIF files.
  
  
• Added a 48x48 icon for Windows XP.
  
  

Version 2.0

• Added a 'Frame' option that allows you to add various different frames and edges to images.
  
  
• Added a 'Create index.html' option that constructs a HTML table for converted image files, including links to the original files - use this e.g. together with the 'resize to fit' and 'frame' options to quickly create a web page 'thumbnail index'.
  
  
• Added support for reading CALS (Computer Aided Acquisition and Logistics Support) type I files (.CAL, .CALS, .RAS).
  
  
• Added a selection to write interlaced GIF's.
  
  
• Now using smart RLE compression when saving PCX files - which often gives smaller files as well as seems to be more compatible with other software.
  
  
• Added pixel density info support.
  
  
• Added TIFF packed-pixel alpha-plane support
• Added a 'Recursively scan sub-directories?' question when using the 'Add dir' function.
  
  
• Added a 'Keep aspect ratio' check-box to the output options. When checked, the 'resize to fit' works as before, fitting the image 'inside' the specified dimensions preserving the aspect ration. When unchecked, the image is now fitted exactly to the specified dimensions.
  
  
• Added support for reading some info from the EXIF JPEG extension (used by digital cameras).
  
  
• Fixed bug with default alpha being 0 instead of 1 for PSD and FIF files.
  
  

Version 1.5

• A handful of different kinds of 'text information' is now converted between formats that supports such information.
  
  
• Added support for converting alpha plane information between TGA and PNG formats. You'll have to select "16M clrs + A" in the color sub-formats list to get it saved. Could be useful for 3D-game developers!
• Palette alpha information is now supported for PNG and in a very limited way for GIF and IFF - this means that 'color key transparent' images should now better translate between these. Useful when converting web graphics!
• Now better integrated with our image viewer - Image Eye. From the latter you can now add files to Any Image by a simple mouse click.
  
  
• Added support for writing 'raw' 24-bit RGB images (.RAW).
  
  
• Added a rotate/mirror option.
  
  
• 'Resize by factor' now let's you specify up to three decimal places.
  
  
• There have also been many 'invisible' changes 'under the hood' - the entire image handling functionality has been cleaned up, improved, and isolated in a generic image-handling library called EyeC++. This library is used both in Any Image and in Image Eye. It will also be made available to other developers in the form of a commercial SDK.
  
  

Version 1.0

This is the first version of Any Image. However, it inherits some of it's functionality from FMJ-Software's image viewer product 'Image Eye' - Check it out if you want to try a really good image viewer!