Neowin.net

The mind-boggling speed and reach of Internet search engines mask a severe limitation: They are powered by words alone. What a humdrum existence. The world is so much brighter and more varied, full of objects and patterns that defy searchable descriptions. In hopes of wrapping their arms around more of that stuff, computing researchers have developed new search engines that can mine catalogs of three-dimensional objects, like airplane parts or architectural features.

All the users have to do is sketch what they're thinking of, and the search engines can produce comparable objects. "The idea of information and knowledge, and retrieval of knowledge, has been something I've been intrigued with for a long time. This gives it a more solidified meaning," said Karthik Ramani, a Purdue University professor who created a system that can find computer-designed industrial parts. Ramani expects his search engine will serve huge industrial companies whose engineers often waste time and energy designing a specialized part when someone else has already created, used or rejected something similar.

News source: Yahoo News!

What's New in This Release:

· - Improved print dialog
· - Improved Contact Sheet option
· - New options for Slideshow/Fullscreen
· - New options for Batch conversion/rename
· - New options for HTML export (Slideshow, Templates)
· - New pattern/display options for: Slideshow, Fullscreen, Print, Insert Text,
· Contact Sheet, HTML-Export, Batch Rename (use EXIF/IPTC values)
· - Transparent PNG saving added
· - New option: Canvas size (Create image border) (Image menu and Batch mode)
· - New hotkeys: E = show EXIF info, CTRL+I = show IPTC info,
· F4 = append current file to slideshow
· - Option to start IrfanView in fullscreen mode (Properties->Misc 1)
· - Selection: proportional resize possible (press/hold CTRL key down)
· - New command line option: /multitif=(tifname,file1,...,fileN)
· Example: i_view32 /multitif=(c: est.tif,c: est1.bmp,c:dummy.jpg)
· => Create multipage TIF (test.tif) from 2 other files
· - New command line option: /append=tiffile
· Example: i_view32 c: est.jpg /append=c: est.tif
· => Open 'c: est.jpg' and append it as (TIF) page to 'c: est.tif'
· - New command line options: /hflip and /vflip (horz. and vert. flip)
· Example: i_view32 c: est.jpg /vflip
· => Open 'c: est.jpg' and flip vertically
· - New command line option: /batchscan=(options)
· See "i_options.txt" for an example
· - New command line options: /jpgq=value; /tifc=value
· => Set JPG save quality; set TIF save compression
· - New command line option: /wall=X
· Example: i_view32 c: est.jpg /wall=0
· => Set 'c: est.jpg' as wallpaper (centered)
· - New command line option: /contrast=value
· Example: i_view32 c: est.jpg /contrast=33
· => Open 'c: est.jpg' and apply contrast (value 33)
· - Support for DWF/HPGL formats. PlugIn: http://www.cadsofttools.com (Shareware)
· - CTRL+T can be used for internal control-switch in the Thumbnail window
· - CTRL+A hotkey changed to CTRL+SHIFT+A (File->Acquire)
· - Multiple monitor support added (Slideshow/Fullscreen)
· - ECW saving added to ECW PlugIn
· - New options in Image->Info dialog
· - Option to show a warning on ESC exit (Properties->Misc 1)
· - Added options for silent install and uninstall (Check help FAQs)
· - Most PlugIns are changed/updated, please install the newest versions:
· Download from: http://www.irfanview.com/plugins.html
· - Some minor bugs/features fixed/added