PyAbel Versions Save

Corrections and improvements to the lin-BASEX method implementation, as well as improvements and extensions of the analytical Abel-transform tools.

Here is a full list of changes in v0.9.0:

• Correct behavior of relative basis_dir in basex under Python 2 (PR #336).
• Improvements in tools.analytical.SampleImage class: more consistent and intuitive interface, accurate Abel transform for existing images, additional sample images with exact Abel transform (PR #339, #352).
• Analytical Abel transform of axially symmetric piecewise polynomials in spherical coordinates (PR #339).
• Offline HTML and PDF documentation is now available at Read the Docs and can be built locally (PR #343, #348, #349).
• Important changes in the lin-BASEX implementation (PR #357):
  • It was erroneously producing even-sized images with offset origin. Now the output is odd-sized and properly centered.
  • Output images for radial_step > 1 were scaled down by the same factor. Now they have the save size as the input.
  • The sign of Beta for odd Legendre orders is reversed to be consistent with PyAbel conventions (zero angle is upwards, towards smaller row indices).
• Transform() with method='linbasex' now always stores the radial, Beta and projection attributes, so there is no need to pass return_Beta=True in transform_options (PR #357).

Third release candidate for v0.9.0.

Second release candidate for v0.9.0.

First release candidate for v0.9.0.

Some improvements to efficiency and consistency of existing tools, as well as the compatibility of conda packages. The default path for saving and loading basis sets for methods that use them has changed from “current directory” to a single cache location, with possible customization. Please see the details below and take appropriate actions if necessary.

This PyAbel version also incorporates another fast general-purpose method, from Daun et al. (2006), and implements several original extensions to it.

Here is a full list of changes in v0.8.5:

• New functions in tools.vmi for angular integration and averaging, replacing angular_integration() and average_radial_intensity(), which had incorrect or nonintuitive behavior (PR #318, PR #319).

• Avoid unnecessary calculations in transform.Transform() for the symmetry_axis=(0, 1) case (PR #324).

• New method by Daun et al. and its extensions (PR #326).

• Basis sets are now by default stored in a single system-specific directory, see get_basis_dir() and set_basis_dir() in abel.transform (PR #327). Important! The current working directory is no longer used by default for loading basis sets. It is recommended to execute

   import abel; print(abel.transform.get_basis_dir(make=True))
  

  and move all existing basis sets to the reported directory.

• Cython optimization flags are changed to make conda packages compatible with all CPUs and to improve the direct_C method performance (PR #331). Bitwise reproducibility of direct_C transforms might be affected.

PyAbel 0.8.4 provides a number of valuable updates. It is the first version to incorporate the rBasex method, a powerful method for transforming images obtained from velocity-map-imaging (VMI) experiments. The conventions for defining the origin of the image in (row, column) format has been universally applied to all functions in PyAbel, so users should check for compatibility with this new version. Additionally, the "center" keyword has been deprecated in favor of "origin".

Here is a full list of changes in v0.8.4:

• Added odd angular orders to tools.vmi.Distributions (PR #266). Important! Some "center" functions/parameters are renamed to "origin" or "method"; using old names still works but will print deprecation warnings, please update your code accordingly. Image origin is now always in the (row, column) format for consistency within PyAbel and with NumPy/SciPy; this can break some code, so please check carefully and update it if necessary. See PR #267.
• Fixed the GUI examples (example_GUI.py and example_simple_GUI.py) so that they work with the lastest versions of tk (PR #269).
• New method rBasex for velocity-map images, based on pBasex and the work of Mikhail Ryazanov (PR #270).
• Added "orders", "sinpowers" and "valid" to tools.vmi.Distributions results, reordered cossin() powers for consistency (PR #270).
• Improved tools.vmi.Distributions performance on Windows (PR #270).
• More corrections to the GUI example: working without the "bases" directory, loading "from transform", interface enhancements (PR #277).
• Improved documentation (PR #283, PR #288).
• Correctly use quadrants in abel.Transform (PR #287).
• Circularization now uses periodic splines (to avoid discontinuity), with smoothing determined by the RMS tolerance instead of the nonintuitive "smooth" parameter (PR #293).
• Corrected and improved tools.center (PR #302).
• Moved numpy import to try block in setup.py. This allows pip to install PyAbel in situations where numpy is not already installed (PR #310).

Some new features and fixed a bug with loading basex basis sets.

Major improvements to BASEX method and documentation. Improvements to hansenlaw and benchmarking function.

Significant improvements to the BASEX method.

Includes new image circularization features, improvements to the direct method (both Cython and Python versions), and improvements to the Hansen-Law method.