[Ipe-announce] Ipe 7.2.15 is out

[Otfried Cheong]

Ipe 7.2.x is now available in source form, as a Windows binary, as a MacOS app, and as Linux packages on the Ipe homepage at http://ipe.otfried.org.

This release implements many small features requested during the last years, and fixes a number of bugs.

The main new addition is support for *interpolating splines*: splines that go *through* the sequence of control points that you have chosen.   To make an interpolating spline, use the "Spline type" selector in the "Properties" menu.

There are two options, cardinal splines and "spiro" (clothoid splines).   Cardinal splines have the advantage that moving a single control point only changes the curve locally.   Clothoid splines are created by solving an optimization problem that tries to minimize the change in curvature (so they look much "rounder" and are generally more pleasing), using the libspiro library.  Read Raph Levien's thesis if you want to understand the details (levien.com).

Enjoy,
  Otfried 

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Ipe 7.2.15 (2020-04-26)

 * Interpolating splines are now available in addition to B-splines.
   Thanks to Scalgo for making me look into this! :-)
   There are many variants of interpolating splines, Ipe now provides
   cardinal splines and clothoid splines (through libspiro) (#140).

 * Ipe's PDF parser can now read PDF files where stream lengths are
   indirect references (#120).

 * Layers can now be active for snapping even when they are invisible,
   to make the drawing of "helper lines" more powerful (#112).

 * Absolute attribute values now become the UI setting, and are
   displayed in the dropdown as <absolute>.

 * A new section in the manual to help you make your first stylesheet. 

 * Windows page sorter is now resizable.

 * Can mark and unmark pages and views from page sorter and view
   sorter (#128).

 * Windows UI now adapts when moved between monitors of different
   resolution (feature #96).

 * Added action to paste with layers (feature #131).

 * Allow Escape key for closing dialogs if the text has not yet been
   modified, on Windows and Qt (feature #263).

 * Fix vector exports being scaled and not preserving integer
   coordinates (bug #275).

 * Show warning when user creates an object in an invisible layer
   (issue #92).

 * Added PNG prediction algorithm to Ipe's image decoder (sometimes
   needed when including PDF graphics).

 * Make it possible to remove "grid" and "angle" from
   "prefs.win_toolbar_order".  Document "prefs.win_mini_edit".

 * Add laser pointer mode button on Windows.

 * Blackout function in IpePresenter (#293).

 * Add F5 shortcut and make background black in IpePresenter (#291, #292).

 * Removed IPEANCIENTPDFTEX (it is 2020).

 * Removed code for parsing Ipe eps files (the file format was
   abandoned by Ipe 7.1.10 in November 2015). You will now need to use
   'ipeextract' to read such files.

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