Fotocx Change Log
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fotocx-25.3   2025.08.01
 • Bugfix: Search for multiple location names did not always work.
 • Bugfix: Default raw loader command (prior release leftover) did not work.
 • Bugfix: Edit Main Meta: failed to update active metadata view report.

fotocx-25.2   2025.07.10
 • Bugfix: TOP image folder access failed if it was a symlink to the real folder.
 • Bugfix: fotocx custom spin buttons did not work well with new mouse types having 
   a "smooth scroll" wheel (fractional steps). This is now detected and compensated.
 • Detect cpu processor/core count and use this to set max SMP parallel threads.
 • Metadata search for non-indexed metadata: do not exceed max SMP threads, which
   can make the kernel scheduler go nuts (pointer does not move, other issues). 

fotocx-25.1   2025.07.01 
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 • This release requires a full re-index of your image collection. Some config 
   files in $HOME/.fotocx have been replaced due to format changes. The old 
   versions are retained for reference, if needed. Because of the next point 
   listed immediately below, index time may be much longer (for this time only). 
 • Metadata tag chaos for title and description is compensated: If missing, but 
   alternatives are found (e.g. headline, event, subject, caption, comment ...),
   these will replace the missing tags. You can now view/edit/search reliably
   using only 'title' and 'description'. Nothing is erased.
 • The function 'Batch Move Meta' is now unnecessary and was removed.
 • The following metadata was added to the image index and can be searched
   instantly: camera make, model, lens, exposure, F-length, F-ratio, ISO.
   If you added any of these to the 'extra' indexed metadata, remove them.
 • Batch Convert: now multi-threaded for increased speed. Batch RAW is now 
   included in Batch Convert. RAW files can be converted to TIFF-16 at a 
   rate exceeding 100 files/min. on a strong computer with SSD disk.
 • Batch Convert: Albums can now be updated to reference the converted files,
   if wanted. A rescale option was also added.
 • Search Images: more flexibility to include files related to those meeting
   the given search criteria: the original file and/or edited versions.
 • Albums is now a separate menu (common practice replaces former weirdness).
 • Edit > Split-Screen: New. While adjusting an edit, view before/after using
   a split-screen with sliding boundary. View finished versions the same way.
 • HDR and HDF are about 1.6x faster. Panorama is about 1.2x faster.
 • Help > Monitor Log File: New. The log file can be viewed real-time in a 
   popup window - no need to start Fotocx from a terminal for this purpose.
 • Tools > Grid Settings: new popup list of recent settings, click to choose.
 • Metadata > title and description text limits were increased to 2K chars.
 • Repair > Normal Blur: optional independent horizontal/vertical blur.
 • Repair > Normal Blur and Graduated Blur were made scriptable.
 • Refine > Fusion: New. Suppress fine details while accentuating major image
   features. This arty function can produce some interesting results.
 • Metadata > Tags: New. List all tags [keywords] with count of images using 
   each tag, click tag to show the corresponding thumbnail gallery.
 • Custom > Scripts > Mosaic: New. Convert a picture into tiles congruent 
   with image features. This is a script combining three fotocx functions.
 • Combine > Image Array: new option: copy metadata from selected input image.
   The capability to view original images by clicking on array members was 
   removed. Albums provide a better method to basically do the same thing.
 • Copyright and license: some included files with restricted copyright were 
   replaced. Now one file has a Creative Commons license, the rest have no 
   copyright or are GPL3 compatible. 
 • User Guide: many small improvements and corrections were made.
 • Bugfix: Settings > Font: did not handle complicated font names like 
   "ubuntu sans condensed regular" (generic "sans" was substituted). 
 • Bugfix: Image index function [seldom] hung dead (but retry worked OK).
 • Bugfix: Compensate JPEG-XL break of legacy metadata naming standards.
 • Bugfix: JPEG-XL image loader failed if first image pixel[0] (red value)
   matched a whitespace character (CR, LF, blank). (champion weird bug) 
 
fotocx-25.0   2025.01.01
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 • The Fotocx binary package is now based on Ubuntu 24.04 (was 22.04).
 • JPEG-XL files (.jxl) are now supported (new lossless JPEG format).
   This requires libjxl, which is not yet available in some Linux flavors.
 • Image hot corner: mouse in NW corner --> popup title and description.
 • Select > Area Edge Blend: made easier to use, functional improvement.
 • Tools > Settings: SMP count (parallel thread count) is user-specified.
   (use P-cores + E-cores, omitting hyperthreads - see the user guide).
 • Repair > Defog: User interface was made easier to use. 
 • Slide Show: 3 complex animated transitions run smoother on a big monitor.
 • RAW loaders: 'darktable' was added to the default list of options. 
   The options file was renamed 'raw_commands_I' (in /home/<user>/.fotocx). 
   Any custom changes must be re-added. Search "RAW Loader" in user guide.
 • Bugfix: save to PNG file (very slow): prevent GTK "not responding" message.
 • Bugfix: User Guide: recent topics picklist was not complete and correct.
 • Bugfix: possible crash if gallery view is used during active edit function.
 • Bugfix: possible crash if the title bar [x] button is used to cancel an 
   active edit after another dialog has overlaid the image window.

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 always, 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 areas 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 1-256 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 false .jpg extension (shit happens).
 • 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.
   
   
