Release Notes

Platforms 

Release 6.2 of AVS/Express is available for the following platforms:
  • Windows 95/98/NT 4.0/2000/XP
  • Compaq Tru64 UNIX 5.1
  • HP HP-UX 11
  • IBM/AIX 4.3.3
  • Red Hat Linux 8.0 for x86/Pentium
  • Red Hat Linux 7.0 for x86/Pentium
  • Red Hat Linux 7.1 for Itanium
  • SGI IRIX 6.5 (n32 MIPS3)
  • SGI IRIX 6.5 (n64 MIPS4)
  • Solaris 8
  • Solaris 8 64-bit
For more details, see System Prerequisites.

The Red Hat Linux 8.0 support is new for this release.

The documentation search feature requires a Java-enabled web browser. Note that Netscape users should have Netscape version 4.7 or greater to view the AVS/Express documentation. Linux users should note that we have found the Mozilla browser to provide font rendering superior to that of Netscape on Linux. 

Important Licensing information for Solaris 8 64-bit and Linux

AVS/Express for Solaris 8 64-bit and Linux Itanium use the simplified licensing scheme that was initially used for Linux Intel x86. This system does not use FLEXlm. Existing licenses using FLEXlm from other platforms will not work on Solaris 8 64-bit and Linux (both x86 and Itanium).

In particular note that the FLEXlm based licenses for the Solaris 8 32-bit version of AVS/Express will not work with the Solaris 8 64-bit version.

Please contact AVS Customer Support for license keys for these new platforms.

Development Notes

Windows

AVS/Express 6.2 and Toolmaster 7.2

It should be noted that when installing AVS/Express 6.2 and Toolmaster 7.2 on the same PC, there could be conflict with UNIDIR setting. agX reads any UNIDIR value in the registry and, if one is found, ignores the UNIDIR environment variable. Therefore, if UNIDIR is set in the registry, it will always override the parameter being passed by AVS/Express. If you experience runtime errors using agX, make sure that there are no erroneous UNIDIR values set in the registry.

Workaround for COM/ActiveX Control Generation problem

The following represents a work around to prevent AVS/Express-based ATL/COM components from crashing. The problem is that AVS/Express, within the ATL/COM control, is trying to initialize certain components of the AVS/Express UI kit. To prevent AVS/Express from doing this, simply comment out the call to UIinit in xexpress.cxx which would be a part of the control's project files. 

An AVS/Express-based COM or ActiveX control should not be using any AVS/Express UI widgets. (The reason for making a control in the first place is so that you can put the AVS/Express visualization into a true PC-based application environment.)

void UI_Init(int *argc,char **argv
   #ifdef MSDOS
   , HINSTANCE *hInst, HINSTANCE *hPrevInst
   #endif
)
{
   // FIND THE FOLLOWING CALL AND COMMENT IT OUT
   //UIinit(argc,argv);
}

Solaris 8

Warning message when running an imaging application

If you use examples from the Imaging section of the Examples library or other imaging application that uses the IP kit on Solaris 8, expect a warning message about the use of the XIL interface ("WARNING: XIL OBSOLESCENCE"). We are aware that the interface has been declared obsolete.

Quick Porting Guide

Quick Porting Guide for AVS/Express from 5.X to 6.X

The following AVS/Express modules have had name or parameter changes in AVS/Express 6.0. This does not apply when moving from 6.0 to 6.1 or 6.1 to 6.2.
 

AVS/Express 5 Name AVS/Express 6 Name Notes
DV.DVcopy_mesh DV.DVcopy_cells Old name now has different meaning.
DV.DVread_net_cdf NETCDF.NCread_object Old name kept for backward compatibility.
DV.DVwrite_net_cdf  NETCDF.NCwrite_object Old name kept for backward compatibility.
DV.DVread_PLOT3D_mb CFD.CFDread_PLOT3D Old name kept, but parameters have changed.
MODS.Read_netCDF NETCDF.Read_Object  Old name kept for backward compatibility.
MODS.Write_netCDF NETCDF.Write_Object Old name kept for backward compatibility.
MODS.Plot3d_Multi_Block CFD.Read_PLOT3D Old name kept, but parameters have changed.
MODS.volume_render same Internally reorganized

Issues addressed in AVS/Express 6.2

Image capture replaying images pb with a 2D Viewer software renderer. (25500)

DVgeo_glyph and FUNCgeo_glyph now include error checking to make sure the module doesn't crash. (27085)

Text objects cannot modify font size on Unix. (27213)

IPfexp module just performs another flog instead of fexp. (27220)

Upgrade CGNS from 2.0 to 2.1(27284)

GISGridGenerate error for lon min < 0 and lon max > 0. (27410)

UIlist bug, where the list of strings shrinks and selectedItem is now too large. (27423)

Setting visible on UIdialogs and closing the visible parameters crashes XP.(27443)

When ReadField has multiple close=0, it uses first data of step2.(27644)

yacc stack overflow when reading an application.(27652)

Express has garbled characters on WinXP.(27692)

Geom Flipbook enhancement to save object properties per frame. (27709)

Problem with the GUI on Read_netCDF_fld mod. when data has >64 variables. (27716)

AVS/Express 6.1: CGNS reading causes segmentation fault. (27775)

Bug in OutputField module. (27993)

Name of LegendHoriz/Vert can not be changed it is hardcoded. (28180)

When read_img2vol reads in >250 images, Express crashes. (28250)

The scat_to_tri module does not issue an error message if it fails.(28254)

Memory leak in hdf5 reader.(28377)

Express crashes in data_math using log10 (not log) (28440)

Cell data isn't updated when Read_UCD & cell_center has multiple steps.(28461)

Issues addressed in AVS/Express 6.1

Illuminated lines sets its Xform to Identity. (26203)

compilation warnings on HP-UX (26000,26172)

Set_Null does not work with a 2D viewer(25697)

link error when making user module with -nocxx-(25578)

Playback of image capture does not work with Unix SW renderer (26474)

Image points of origin are different between AVS/Express 5.1and 6.0 (26954)

Linux license file needs new line character at the end. (26916)

Icon colors are wrong when host endian is different from the display endian. (26701)

GL_EXT_rescale_normal extension disabled on PC (26685)

Crash writing TIFF imaged CCITT Group 3 compressed (26681)

Using streamlines in XP 6.0 with nspace = 2 not functioning properly(26655)

Labels scale Type = log10 in AGGraphWorld will not show (25331)

Text Title offset not handled correctly when using SW renderer. (25662)

When FLT_MAX is used in AGGraphField Obj, Express goes in an infinite loop (25700)

Transform angle jumps erratically(26986)

The pixmap subobjects of the UIbutton do not behave the same under UNIX and Windows (26702)

OutputVRML produces the wrong file if culling mode is not "None" (26682)

When running Express 6.0 with -viz with a Developers Edition license, errors are shown when clicking on any kind of Read modules. (26385)

64-bit AVS/Express crashes when reading a 3.7 GB data file. (25936)