What's New - Change Log

1.0.2 and newer
Please see here for what’s new for each release.
1.0.1
Added Natural Earth II projection
1.0.0
Release of version 1.0 with source code on Github
Beta 0.124
Fixed broken export to PNG and JPEG files. Fixed bug in SVG exporter.
Beta 0.123
Fixed bug that caused wrong distortion values to be displayed for the current mouse position.
Fixed bug that caused a wrong scale factor to be computed when areal distortion was minimized for a point.
Beta 0.122
Fixed a bug related to the projection of external data and display of latitude value of the current mouse position.
Beta 0.121
Added Hammer projection.
Beta 0.119
Fixed various bugs and improved GUI.
Beta 0.118
Fixed a bug in the terrain reader module. Thanks to Nathaniel.
Improved Natural Earth projection.
Beta 0.117
Fixed two bugs.
Beta 0.116
Fixed bugs related to undo/redo.

Fixed bug related to switching between mixers.
Beta 0.115
Increased precision of manual scale number field.
Beta 0.114
Fixed several bugs.
Beta 0.113
Mixers can now mix flex projections stored in files.

Fixed a bug in the Reset function.

Various minor bug fixes.
Beta 0.112
Added three methods for mixing existing projections.

Many bug fixes and improvements.
Beta 0.111
Reset dialog now accepts double-clicks on list of projections to close the dialog and map shows new projection before closing the dialog.

Fixed bug in resetting to Robinson projection.

Added "Projection Size" menu command.
Beta 0.110
Added an option to automatically adjust the internal scale factor such that a specified point is displayed without areal distortion.
Beta 0.109
Fixed a bug related to reading external projection files. The internal scale factor was not read correctly.
Beta 0.108
Changed Projection Size Dialog, which was potentially confusing and difficult to understand. The internal scale factor of the projection is now normally automatically adjusted, such that the overall area distortion of the projection is minimized. Alternatively, the scale is automatically adjusted, such that the area of the graticule equals the area of the generating globe. Still another option is to manually enter the scale (which previously was the default option).

Size Adjustment of Second Projection: Same Width is now default. When resetting the flex projection to another pre-existing projection, the flex projection will be displayed at the same size as the background projection even if the internal scale factor of the two projections is different. This happens with the new default automatic adjustment of the scale factor described above.

Removed "Apply Size" in the Projection Mixer pop-up menu, which is not needed anymore with the automatic adjustment of the internal scale factor.

Added Show In Background command in mixer to show either of the two projections used to mix a new projection in the background of the new mixed projection.

Minor GUI enhancements.
Beta 0.106
Fixed problem with wrong error message that disappeared sometimes when saving a parameter file.
Beta 0.105
Fixed error in computation of Acceptance index (last column in table) and acceptance visualization. The Acceptance index and the acceptance visualization only changed for very few projections.

Restructuring and documentation of code related to spline interpolation.
Beta 0.104
Fixed bug in "Reset to Projection" due to changes in beta 0.101: projections with unevenly distributed meridians were not properly simulated.

Updated launch process for Windows (changed to launch4j version 3.0.1).

Updated launch process for Mac OS X (changed to latest JavaApplicationStub).
Beta 0.103
Improved the behaviour of the Options popup menu.

Show All button now looks better.
Beta 0.102
Fixed a bug in the importer for TIFF and other file formats on Windows. Thanks to Kurt Trinko.
Beta 0.101
Many thanks to Dr. Rolf Böhm for testing Flex Projector and reporting a series of bugs that are fixed with this version.

Fixed bug in exporter to text file descriptions of projections: Control-linefeed is now used on Windows, linefeed on Linux and mac os x. Decimal separator is now always "."

Fixed bug in Foucaut Sinusoidal projection.

Fixed bug in Wagner II projection.

Fixed bug in Wagner VI projection.

Fixed bug in Winkel I projection.

Renamed "Miller" projection to "Miller Cylindrical I", renamed "Quartic Authalic" to "Adams Quartic Authalic"; renamed "Plate Carrée" to "Equidistant Cylindrical (Plate Carrée)".

Changed the horizontal displacement of meridians. Previous values must be divided by 2 to convert to this new version of Flex Projector.

Fixed bug that froze the map display after exporting to SVG, PDF or Illustrator.

Made improvements to the internal handling and selection of projections.
Beta 0.100
Fixed bug that generated straight vertical graticule lines for pseudocylindrical projections with the pole line as long as the equator.
Beta 0.99
Improved labels in projection mixer.

Added Hölzel projection.

Fixed appearance of buttons in save dialog on Mac with latest Java VM.
Beta 0.98
Changed the distribution of meridians at the central meridian. Before a slope of 0 was used. Now a natural spline is used (0 curvature).

Improved dialog for setting the scale when exporting to Illustrator, PDF or SVG.

Fixed bug that prevented isolines to be displayed for certain projections.
Beta 0.97
Fixed a bug in the projection of closed polygons.

Fixed a bug in the progress bar for projecting external image and grid data.
Beta 0.96
Fixed a bug that prevented the Windows version from running.
Beta 0.95
Projections that can only be approximated by a flex projection are now marked as "(approximated)" in the dialog to select a projection for resetting the current flex projection. Same for menus in the mixer panel.

When exporting to SVG or Illustrator, the scale field is not in scientific notation anymore.

Fixed broken PDF export.

When projecting external Shape files, files can be saved in other formats than shape (PDF, SVG, AI, etc.), and polygons are now filled with white instead of blue.

When exporting to PNG or JPEG files, the width of the image can now be specified.

Export to graphics formats now uses correct colors and line widths.
Beta 0.94
Progress dialogs while projecting external data now always stay on top of other windows.

A main window cannot be closed anymore while external image or raster data is projected.
Beta 0.93
When the last window is closed on Windows or Linux, the application now properly exits.

Fixed bug with distortion profiles diagrams that could become in invisible.

Fixed bug with distortion profile in main map that connected the two profiles.

Fixed bugs in progress dialog when projecting external TIFF files. Changed progress dialog for projecting raster grids.
Beta 0.92
Closed default coastlines data set (transformed polylines to polygons).

Fixed problem with Mercator projection (vertical overshoot of lines).

Export menus are now disabled when the flex projection is hidden (i.e. only the background projection is visible).

Fixed a bug that generated straight lines at poles outside the boundaries of the graticule when the pole line was concave.

Fixed a bug exporting to SVG or Illustrator format, whic left a bounding box in the map.
Beta 0.91
Converted Shape files with Nation and Lakes polylines for download from server to closed polygons.

Fixed problem with download of detailed coastlines.

Fixed problems with export of polygons to Shape files.
Beta 0.90
First beta version. All major features planned for the final release are now present. A handful of bugs remain to be fixed.

Added support for the projection of closed polygons. Polygons are cut along the edge of the graticule.

Fixed a bug in the projection of external data sets, where the cental longitude was sometimes wrong when not centered on 0.
Alpha 0.32
Added inverse projection (from latitude / longitude to X / Y) for flex projections with bending and irregular meridians. The projection of images and raster grids with bending and irregular meridians should now work. Also, the longitude and latitude displayed at the top of the window should now be correct when parallels are arced or when the distribution of meridians is irregular.

Improved placement of menu of options button

Added explanation dialog when selecting "Eliminate Shape Distortion at Origin" in options menu.

Line width of map elements is thicker (main map and mixer maps).

Improved formatting of labels for isolines: a maximum of 2 decimals after comma.
Alpha 0.31
Added display of areal scale factor and angular distortion for current mouse position.
Alpha 0.30
Option to adjust the scale factor such that a specified point is without areal distortion.

Option to adjust proportions of the projection such that the shape distortion at the origin is minimized.
Alpha 0.29
Q visualization is more accurate.

Moved Q options to preferences dialog.

Renamed Q index to Acceptance Index.

Images are now exported to TIFF instead of PPM file format.

Tiff export with transparency outside of graticule.

Fixed bug in bicubic and nearest neighbor resampling: no more black border along the graticule and along +/- 180 degrees when not centered on Greenwich.

Corrected shape of Tissot indicatrices.
Alpha 0.28
improved Q visualisation

fixed bugs in Q dialogue

added normalization on flex projection clone before computing the inverse projection for displaying coordinates and the Q visualisation.

fixed bugs in column selection in distortion table

moved distortion table model into main FlexProjectorModel

Q visualization for background projection

distortion values and Q visualization does not change anymore when the central meridian changes
Alpha 0.27
Fixed issues with menu on mac and windows.

Improved display of coordinates and toolbar

Fixed bug that prevented web pages from being opened on Mac OS 10.5 when the browser was not running. Fixed using BrowserLauncher2

Updated the about dialogue to mention used open-source libraries.
Alpha 0.26
Number fields for mixer sliders.

Default projections for mixer now are Eckert IV and Winkel Tripel or some other projections if these are not enabled in the preferences dialog.

Distortion table and profiles are now updated when the mixing changes.

Mixer: loading of external files is now working.

Mixer is now in a detachable floating window.

Mixer is now deactivated after Undo/Redo.

Removed Mercator from mixer menus.

Mixer maps now have the same central longitude as the main map.

Links to web site from within Flex Projector now also work on Windows.
Alpha 0.25
Fixed bug in projection size dialog which made the application hang.

Resetting bending, meridians, etc. did not hide the projection mixer.

Added help menu with link to web site.

Added help button in projection size dialog with link to web site.
Alpha 0.24
Added the projection mixer.
Alpha 0.23
Added projection of point shape files.
Alpha 0.22
Striped background in distortion table. Changed highlight color for Flex Projection in distortion table.

Fixed bug in dialog asking the user whether to save the changes.
Alpha 0.21
Mac style color picker on Mac OS X.

Improved dialog for asking user whether to save changes (now reacts on cmd-period, cmd-d)

Removed scrollable panels with sliders

Moved option buttons into popup menu.

Fine-tuned buttons and tab panels for Mac OS X 10.5.

Density of points in graticule and outline now adapts to curvature.

Attributes of Shape files are exported.

Fixed bug that prevented files from being imported and projected on Windows.
Alpha 0.19 & 0.20
Added improved coastlines data set that does not cut Alaska at 180 degrees.

Replaced "Sinus" by "cosine" in GUI and file format.
Alpha 0.18
Bending of parallels at 0 degrees latitude is now possible. This removes irregularities in the distortion pattern around the equator.

Added button for linear distribution of distances of parallels.

Replaced menu by four buttons to select the flex curve to display.
Alpha 0.17
Changed automatic scale option. Replaced radio button in Size dialog by plain button. This greatly simplifies the internal data model making it less error-prone, and makes the GUI more consistent. This required a change to the file format (see download page for details).

Changed mechanism to update map, distortion table, distortion diagrams and curves after change to projection parameters or display settings. This fixes a bug in the distortion table, which displayed wrong values after opening a projection file.
Alpha 0.16
Replaced coastline data set by Richard Furno's data.

Added option to replace or extend current data when loading data from the web.
Alpha 0.15
Added color button for map background color in preferences dialog.

Added menu item to show and hide coastlines.

Added button to scale projection such that total area distortion is minimum.

Scale was not correct when resetting to another projection.

Changed the way the distribution of meridians is computed. Previously, a small adjustment had a small effect on meridians close to the central meridian and a large effect on meridians far away.

When resetting, the distribution of meridians and bending are now also adjusted.

Meridian curve sliders, number fields and curve diagram now have a range from -2 to +2.

When resetting, proportions are now correctly computed for projections with curved pole lines.

Removed the Toggle Visibility button in the Display panel.

Clean intersection points between lines and the projection outline are now computed.

Raster and image projection is now working when central meridian is not on Greenwich.

Experimental grid showing the Area Accepted by Q