Release Notes - Ariane v26.5.0

This release adds JSON as a project format, exports of the whole map to OBJ and glTF for 3D tools, two map modes that show how far each station can be trusted, a section preview in the Data Wizard, and a What's new window after an update. Ariane Live and Ariane v2.1 TML files open again, saving is safer, and failures that used to pass silently now show an error message.

New Features

• JSON Project Format:
• Projects can be saved and opened as .json, next to .tml and .tmlu: pick it under Save As. Open, Save, Merge, the library and the aggregator all take it.

• JSON is much faster on large caves: an 83,012-station cave loaded in 1.5 s and saved in 0.8 s, against 7.7 s and 11.7 s as TMLU.

• OBJ and glTF Exports of the Whole Map:

• OBJ (3D) now exports the whole map instead of the 3D walls alone: walls, centreline, stations, entrances, closures, LRUD profiles, annotations, LiDAR and imported 3D models with their textures.
• The new glTF (3D) export writes the same map as a .glb file with one node per part (Walls, Centerline, Stations…), so a 3D tool can show or hide a whole part at once. It is also much smaller than OBJ.
• A dialog chooses the parts to export and the frame: local or UTM coordinates, Z up or Y up (for Blender and Unity), only the stations the filter shows, and the depth multiplier. LiDAR points and LiDAR walls can be exported separately, the centreline can be written as 3D tubes as in the 3D view, and the satellite imagery and KML overlays can be added as a flat textured plane at an elevation you choose.

• Exports run in the background, so a large cave no longer freezes the window, and they tell you when some images or textures could not be included. Both exports need a Permanent license.

• Blunder Confidence and Survey Precision Map Modes:

• BY_CONFIDENCE colours each station and shot by the probability that no unseen blunder lies between it and a start: loops and lines between two starts check their shots, anything else does not.
• BY_PRECISION colours each station by how far it may be from its true position under random instrument errors, after closing every loop.

• Both use the Confidence Zone's settings (confidence and standard deviations of length, azimuth and depth), shown under the draw mode.

• Section Preview in the Data Wizard:

• Selecting a MNemo or JedEye section in the device pane, with a click or the arrow keys, draws it before you load it: a plan with a scale bar and a north arrow, a depth profile, and the section's date, shot count, length and depth range.
• The preview is docked left of the data table and follows the direction you choose (IN, OUT or ONEGO), so you see the section the way it will be loaded.

• A Preview checkbox under the section list turns it on or off, and Ariane remembers your choice.

• Ariane Live and Ariane v2.1 Files Open Again:

• TML files saved by Ariane Live (the .NET version) open again, with their walls, colours and shot dates, and also work in Merge and the aggregator.

• Ariane v2.1 TML projects open again too.

• What's New Window:

• After an update, the first launch opens a What's new window with these notes. The WHAT'S NEW item, next to ABOUT in the menu, reopens it at any time.

Improvements & Fixes

• Safer saving: Save never overwrites an imported DAT or XLSX file (it goes to Save As instead), a failed save now shows an error instead of "PROJECT SAVED", and the project is replaced in one step, so a failed write no longer loses it.
• First start elevation: reopening a project no longer resets the first start's elevation to 0.
• Damaged projects: a project with a huge or infinite angle or wall no longer hangs Ariane or closes it without a message.
• Confidence Zone: deep shots are no longer left out of the zone, and its settings are stored correctly with a French, German or Spanish interface.
• Compass DAT: surveys that continue from an earlier survey get the right depths, and a DAT file opens as a project of its own instead of being added into the open one.
• VisualTopo (TRO): values that cannot be read are reported after the import instead of silently becoming 0; walls VisualTopo left unmeasured are simply empty.
• Data Wizard: JedEye room scans land on the station they were taken from, and sections of more than 200 shots load.
• 3D view: LiDAR readings and walls cast their shadow on the 3D support again, and in a project in feet the LiDAR scans now show at the right size and follow the depth multiplier, like the stations.
• Aggregations: a project opened after an aggregation no longer shows the aggregation's 3D models or video links.
• Library: TMLU projects are listed again, and a file that cannot be opened no longer empties the current project.
• Error messages: a failed save, export, merge or plugin call now shows an error dialog instead of failing silently, and a failed merge says why instead of always asking for a TML v3 file.
• Translations: every new text is translated into French, German and Spanish.
• Various robustness improvements and dependency updates.

Verifying Linux downloads (optional)

The Linux packages are GPG-signed. ariane-linux-signing-public-key.asc (attached below) is the public key.

:::sh
# DEB: verify the detached signature
gpg --import ariane-linux-signing-public-key.asc
gpg --verify Ariane-26.5.0-LINUX-x64.asc Ariane-26.5.0-LINUX-x64.deb
# Expect: Good signature from "Ariane Linux Signing Key ..."

# RPM: the signature is embedded in the package
sudo rpm --import ariane-linux-signing-public-key.asc
rpm -K Ariane-26.5.0-LINUX-x64.rpm
# Expect: digests signatures OK