Release notes

Version 2.3 (being developed)

• WCSLIB:
  • changed to version 4.24
• Module wcs:
  • added option to create a ‘minimal’ Projection object when a full object cannot be created due to errors in the FITS header.
• Module maputils:
  • added Astropy support.
  • various improvements and extensions.
• Module mplutil:
  • added sunbow color maps.
  • in class AxesCallback use weak references to Axes objects.
• Bug fixes.

Version 2.2 (Apr 19, 2012)

• Class maputils.FITSimage:
  • Method header2classic() returns a tuple with three elements. The last one used to be a boolean but it is now a list with FITS keywords that have been changed.
• Class rulers.Ruler:
  • now supports rulers specified by a start position, a size and an angle w.r.t. the North.
  • new method set_title() for labeling a ruler.
• Module mplutil:
  • new class CanvasCallback.
  • work-around to add support for resize events to matplotlib’s Qt4Agg backend.
  • work-around for matplotlib’s (>=1.1.0) changed callback registry.
• WCSLIB:
  • changed to version 4.13.4
  • use WCSLIB’s new error diagnostics system
• New module kmpfit:
  • provides new class Fitter for solving least-squares problem using the Levenberg-Marquardt technique. It is based on the implementation in C of Craig Markwardt’s MPFIT routines.
• Documentation:
  • several improvements.

Version 2.1 (Feb 14, 2011)

• Class wcs.Projection:
  • added attribute category
  • fixed ZPN projection related problem in method mixed()
  • minimal FITS headers are now accepted
  • added support for grid coordinates, i.e., CRPIX-relative pixel coordinates. Methods pixel2grid() and grid2pixel().
  • added method str2pos() for converting positions represented as strings to world- and pixel coordinates.
• Module maputils:
  • added new class Skypolygon for plotting shapes like ellipses, rectangles and regular polygons. For these shapes angles and distances along a great circle are preserved. This class can be used for example to draw footprints on all-sky plots or a beam to show the resolution of an instrument.
  • improved position information in toolbar. Message format can be changed by user/programmer.
  • support for RGB images. RGB values are displayed in message toolbar.
  • class FITSimage: improved versions of header2classic() and reproject_to() methods; new slice2world() method prints information about slice positions (annotate 2d maps from a 3d data cube).
  • catch error if event.key is None for Caps Lock keys
  • get rid of ‘new’ keyword in histogram
  • blur defaults improved
  • str_header() method was unable to print dictionary (external) headers. Fixed.
• Module mplutil:
  • work-around for special keys which are defined in matplotlib’s GTKAgg backend but ‘missing’ from the Qt4Agg backend. The following keys are made available: ‘pageup’, ‘pagedown’, ‘left’, ‘right’, ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘home’, ‘end’.
• Module positions:
  • units 1/... and /... also recognized. Can be used for spectral translations that transform to e.g. AWAV.
  • introduced ‘?’ character as wildcard for units.
  • introduced case insensitive minimal match for ‘UNITS’ as a replacement for header units.
  • all column, row and line numbers now start with 1.
• Module shapes:
  • messages for toolbar improved.
  • changed conversion routine to support shapes on maps with only one spatial axis (e.g. position-velocity maps).
  • GUI improved.
  • improved writing shape data to file.
  • catch error if event.key is None for Caps Lock keys
  • improved moving objects (from within any point within the ellipse)
  • improved rotation ellipse
  • improved sampling on ellipse
  • added rotation to rectangles
  • changed writing position to terminal with left mouse button to combination of left mouse button and shift key. This prevents interference with module shapes where one drags a shape with the left mouse button.
• Module wcsgrat:
  • fixed bug with precision in seconds.
  • use positions module to evaluate expressions for startx and starty parameter in Graticule class.
  • use positions module to evaluate expressions for deltax and deltay parameter in Graticule class.
  • introduced a syntax to set labels in LaTeX in exponential format.
  • sexagesimal labeling with h, m, s characters or with superscripts with Boolean parameter texsexa.
  • allow Graticule parameter unitsx and unitsy also to be applied to non-offset axes. (Examples in maputils tutorial).
  • minutes and seconds labeling for negative declinations get ‘-‘ sign
  • center of offset axis can be changed with parameter startx, starty and a string as argument.
  • Right Ascension labels in TeX (hms) now have better alignment.
• New module profiles:
  • added function gauest() for estimating gaussian components in a profile. These estimates can e.g. subsequently be used as initial estimates for a least squares fit.
• WCSLIB: changed to version 4.7 (from 4.5)

Version 2.0.2 (Sep 16, 2010)

• Class wcs.Projection:
  • allow for FITS headers that incorrectly represent EQUINOX as a string
  • added support for AIPS keyword VELREF
• Function mplutil.gipsy_connect() connects GIPSY keyword events to Matplotlib event loop.
• Added Microsoft Windows support.

Version 2.0.1 (Aug 11, 2010)

• WCSLIB 4.5 included in distribution so it does not need to be separately installed anymore.

Version 2.0 (Jul 16, 2010)

• Class wcs.Projection:
  • added method inside().

Version 1.9.2 (Jul 12, 2010)

• Function wcs.coordmap(): added arguments dst_shape, dst_offset and src_offset.
• Class wcs.Projection:
  • fixed bug in class WrappedHeader.
  • allow for WSRT files with topocentric frequencies (via class WrappedHeader)
  • added attribute altspecarg.
• Added modules rulers and shapes.
• Included SciPy modules filters and interpolation. The latter was slightly modified.

Version 1.9.1 (Feb 25, 2010)

• Class wcs.Projection:
  • added attribute euler.
  • fixed bug in method mixed()
• Class mplutil.VariableColormap:
  • added NumPy array as possible source.
  • added method set_length()

Version 1.9 (Jan 16, 2010)

• First public release.