What's new

A reader-facing history of changes to the manual, newest first. The list of entries is generated from the manual's revision history (scripts/gen_changelog.py); the one-line description after each entry is written by hand and preserved when the list is regenerated.

October 2026

Updated

• Color calibration: when to use it, what it does, and the white-balance / vignetting knobs — Added a measured correction-model section: the two vignetting polynomials (sensor falloff vs per-image gain), that both apply on the stored gamma-encoded pixels, and a convertImages gain-only recipe.

September 2026

Updated

• chunk.transform.matrix is local→world; camera.transform is local — Cross-linked the KB's Python coordinate-system recipes (EPSG / WKT / .prj / geoid / convert).
• mask_tiepoints cross-view propagation and the foreground-occluder case — Noted the 2.3.1 regression where chunk.mask_sets/masks read empty after assigning camera.mask (fixed in 2.3.2).
• Calibration groups: programmatic management in Python — Cross-linked the KB's GUI method for creating and splitting calibration groups.
• Choosing camera axes: aerial vs terrestrial (and YPR vs OPK) — Hardened the sensor.axes .psz caveats — the serialization bug is confirmed still present in 2.3.2 (build 22956).
• Coded circular targets: printing, sizing, and choosing a variant — Linked the KB's non-coded-target detection workflow from the non-coded section.
• Declaring a fixed-geometry multi-camera rig in Python — Documented the 2.3 slave-offset rotation-direction flip (use mat2opk(R.transpose()) on >= 2.3.0), verified still present in 2.3.2.
• DEM build options: point cloud vs mesh as source, and the interpolation knob — Added a Python chunk.buildContours section (the KB documents only the GUI).
• Reference preselection — Trimmed the mode descriptions now covered by the KB and linked it; kept the Sequential-window and two-stage material.
• Scripting context pitfalls: GUI vs command-line, document handles, and stage validation — Added the 2.3.1 ==/None interpreter-abort pitfall (fixed in 2.3.2; use is / .key).
• The slave-sensor transform: composition rule, axis convention, and recipes — Cross-linked the 2.3 slave-offset rotation-direction flip caveat.
• Version timeline — Added 2.3.2 (build 22956) point-release detail and per-bug status.

August 2026

New articles

• Choosing camera axes: aerial vs terrestrial (and YPR vs OPK) — Why terrestrial capture should use OPK reference angles today: the YPR gimbal-lock problem, the Sensor.axes fix, and the 2.3.1 .psz bug that keeps OPK the safe choice.

Updated

• chunk.transform.matrix is local→world; camera.transform is local — Added a link to Choosing camera axes.
• AprilTag detection — choosing a variant — Trimmed the Context, moved the variant definitions beside the table, wrapped the confidence callout, and signposted the occlusion-robustness explanation.
• Bundle-adjustment quality: variance factor, overfit testing, and reference detectability — Added the per-observation a-priori σ column and a measured variance-factor benchmark, and clarified that the tie-point σ is per-projection (tiepoint_accuracy × keypoint size).
• Camera reference error: computing per-camera location and orientation residuals in Python — Added a link to Choosing camera axes.
• Coded circular targets: printing, sizing, and choosing a variant — Merged the family-selection tables into one decision section, moved the marker-pool and binary-code tables into a reference appendix, shortened the title, and signposted the explanatory sections.
• Drone metadata: DJI altitude semantics and RTK XMP accuracy tags — Added a link to Choosing camera axes.
• Fixing exterior orientation: skipping Align Photos with known EO — Added a link to Choosing camera axes.
• Gray flags in marker detection: what they mean and how to remove them — Updated the coded circular targets cross-link label.
• Helping alignment when photos don't align: markers, references, and what to use when — Updated the coded circular targets cross-link label.
• Importing camera orientation: EXIF, omega-phi-kappa, and yaw/pitch/roll — Added a link to Choosing camera axes.
• Keypoint-size-normalised reprojection error: the kps metric — Verified the per-projection tie-point weighting (σ = tiepoint_accuracy × proj.size) empirically, promoted the article to verified, and repaired its front matter.
• Programmatic marker placement and pinning — Updated the coded circular targets cross-link label.
• Saving estimated reference values to file: location, rotation, error, and sigma — Added a link to Choosing camera axes.
• Tightening reference accuracies after alignCameras: when the similarity-transform residual isn't enough — Added a link to Choosing camera axes.
• YPR rotation conventions: ypr2mat vs camera.reference.rotation — Added an inline link to Choosing camera axes at the OPK caveat.

July 2026

Updated

• Orthomosaic export — the 4GB / BigTIFF limit and shift-during-export — Added a hedged caveat on disabled cameras and seamline regeneration during export.
• Reference preselection — Documented the measured sequential-preselection window and added a verification script.