RELEASE_NOTES

What's new in MORSE 1.3?
========================

General
-------

Components
----------

Robots
++++++

Actuators
+++++++++

- Introduce the new actuator "arucomarker", allowing to
  simulate the ArUco augmented-reality marker.

Sensors
+++++++

- The timestamp field is now in seconds instead of milliseconds (#498)

- Semantic camera gains two properties (#396):
    - `tag` allows to restrict the kind of object you want to detect
    - `relative` returns the position information of the various objects from
      the camera sensor frame (and not the global frame).

- Laser Scanner sensors gain the possibility to return also a
  remission value at the `rssi` level.

- Introduce the new sensor "Radar Altimeter", allowing to retrieve the
  distance to the ground.

Middlewares
-----------

General
+++++++

- Each datastream manager now get an action handler, allowing them to run some
  specific middleware behaviour once by simulation turn.

Socket
++++++

- Socket middleware now accepts the keyword 'port' to specify on which port
  you want the socket binds itself.

Builder API
-----------

API addition
++++++++++++

- Add a method Environment.configure_stream_manager allowing to pass
  option/information to each datastream manager.

MORSE 1.2
=========

General
-------

- Time management in Morse has been clarified (#388)
- Implement the notion of zone, i.e. a 3d space which several properties which
  can trigger various behaviours in the simulation. 
- Add new services for the CamaraFP settings.
- F7 moves CamaraFP above robots

Components
----------

- Each component now has two new services:
    - ``get_properties`` returns the list of the properties of the component
    - ``get_configurations`` returns the value of the different properties of
      the component.

Robots
++++++

- Most robots are now using more realistic physical behaviour.

Actuators
+++++++++

- Armatures have received some love, with support for placing and controlling
  inverse kinematics targets to easily control the full skeleton with inverse
  kinematics.

- The default ``ControlType`` of several actuators (v_omega, waypoint,
  xy_omage, keyboard, joystick) has been switched from "Position" to
  "Velocity". It basically means it relies more on the underlaying physic
  engine, providing a more realistic behaviour, but it may be less repeatable.
  Th previous behaviour can be restored by setting explicitly the
  ``ControlType`` parameter of the actuator (#117).

Sensors
+++++++

- Each sensor has now an additional field ``timestamp`` exporting when the
  data has been computed, in simulated time.
- the GPS sensor has been vastly improved. In addition to (x, y, z) position,
  it can also returns geodesic coordinates and velocity in the ``raw`` level
  of details. Moreover, it exposes also time and heading in the ``extended``
  level.
- Batteries are now rechargeable in ``ChargingZone``.

Middlewares
-----------

Pocolibs
++++++++

- ``pocolibs`` is now able to export velodyne sensor.

Socket
++++++

- Add a new ``DepthCamera`` publisher.
- ``VideoCamera`` now publish base64 encoded RGBA image.

Builder API
-----------

API changes
+++++++++++

- ``place_camera`` and ``aim_camera`` has been deprecated in favor of
  ``set_camera_location`` and ``set_camera_rotation``. 
- ``Velodyne`` became ``VelodyneRayCast`` and ``VelodyneZB`` became ``Velodyne``
  ``VelodyneZB`` still works for compatibility.

API addition
++++++++++++

- Add a method ``Environment.set_physics_step_sub`` allowing to control the
  number of substep used by the physics engine. A bigger number will make the
  simulation slower, but more realistic. The default value in Morse is 2.

Pymorse
-------

API addition
++++++++++++

- Add two methods ``sleep`` and ``time`` to handle time-related request. These
  methods are equivalent to the one provided by the ``Time`` module, but
  considers properly the simulated time. It is recommended to use these
  methods over ``Time`` one.

MORSE 1.1
=========

General
-------

- morse tools has now some options to easily create custom simulations: check
  'morse {create|rm|add|...} --help' for more on that topic! (commit
  71fc8a81121b, issue #396)

Components
----------

- Modifiers use now a class-base scheme, similarly to datastream input /
  output (#330). 

Actuators
+++++++++

- Improve the Light actuator, including more configurable parameters (in
  particular, the color of light and its energy).  A new service 'toggle'
  allows to control it.
- New 3D sound actuator {play,pause,stop} from local mp3 file.
- Add a joystick actuator allowing to control directly your robot using a
  joystick.

Robots
++++++

- Introduce Morsy, the Morse mascot, now available directly in the simulator.
- Introduce PatrolBot, a differential robot developed by MobileRobots.

Sensors
+++++++

- A new sensor `Velocity` allows to retrieve properly the velocities of a robot
  which use a physic controller.
- The semantic camera performance has been improved. It has a new option 'noocclusion'
  to disable occlusion testing and get even better performances.
- The thermometer has been reworked to handle multiple fire sources,
  potentially of different nature
- Introduce a new sensor collision which allows to detect if the robot is in
  collision with some objects of the environment.
- Fix Camera resolutions ratio issue #371. We now create one Blender scene for
  each camera in the simulation, with specific render resolution.

Builder API
-----------

It is now possible to handle loop in builder script (#357). See
:doc:`user/builder` for documentation about it.

API addition
++++++++++++

- `make_ghost` method allows to transform the robot in ``ghost mode``
  (transparent and with no associated physics)
- `mass` method allows to setup the mass of any component.
- `set_log_level` allows to configure easily the level of log of each
  component. A service with similar name allows to do that at runtime too.
  (#337)
- `set_speed_camera` allows to change the speed of the viewport camera.
- `set_friction` allows to change friction parameter with the ground

API changes
+++++++++++

- `add_default_interface` has now a smarter behaviour (#399)

Pymorse
-------

The Python bindings for MORSE have been completely rewritten and is now much
more efficient (based on *asynchat* API). However, it is mostly an internal
rewrite, and the interface does not change.

Multi-node
----------

Rewrite the multi-node socket client/server (internal). Use JSON instead of
unsafe `pickle`.

Tools
-----

- Remove old Blender 2.4 geolandloader code
- Add tools/terrain/blend_dtm.py to build map from a DEM and an Orthoimage

MORSE 1.0
=========

General
-------

- MORSE is mature! stable release !
- Unit-test coverage has been substentially improved
- Documentation of component is now partially auto-generated: this should bring
  a better, up-to-date, complete documentation, including code examples
- MORSE has a new logo!

Components
----------

- All components now explicitely expose their data fields and properties with
  respectively `add_data` and `add_property`.
- Introduced "abstraction levels" that allow to define several levels of
  realism for a given component (#166). Many components remain to be ported to
  use this interface, though.
- Many component classes have been renamed to be more readable and match
  Builder conventions
- Creation and configuration of armatures in Blender, suitable for MORSE is now
  properly documented.
- Most of the component do not need a Blender file anymore (only the one with
  complex meshes or armature are kept) (#221).
- Blender file for components do not require any game property of logic brick
  anymore. It is now fully created within the Builder API. This means that any
  Blender model can be used as MORSE model, without specific configuration
  (#241).
- components can now be easily profiled for performance assessment from the
  Builder API.

Robot
+++++

- Subsential improvement regarding the PR2 robot support. Besides 2D
  navigation, the robot's joint state and joint control via standard tools like
  `pr2_tuck_arm` works out-of-the-box. PR2 joint name have been updated to
  match the latest version. Several scripts allow to create a PR2 with variable
  level of equipement.
- Fixed the `WheeledRobot` class of robot that had a erratic physics behaviour.
  Make `Pioneer3DX` inherit from this robot class (#245).

Actuators
+++++++++

- Complete rewrite of the armature actuator. It can now track joints state
  (interpolating joint rotation if required, and not only 'jumping' to the
  target position) and execute trajectories with interpolation. It also
  introduces support for prismatic joints (#231, #232).
- `Waypoint` actuator: improve handeling of interruption (the robot motion now
  actually stops).

Sensors
+++++++

- New sensor: depth camera (Thanks to Gilberto's patch in Blender 2.65), with
  specialization like Kinect (#122, #123, #138). It uses Python 3.3
  `memory_view` for fast, copy-less transfer of binary data between the OpenGL
  buffers, the C processor, and the interface.
- Laser sensors have been reorganized and grouped in one single category
  (#155, #226).
- Odometry now expose several abstraction levels (*raw*, *differential*,
  *integrated*)
- New sensor: armature pose. This sensor superseeds previous sensors like
  `kuka_pose` or `pr2_posture` by proving a clean interface to armature states.
- New sensor: Velodyne
- New special *compound sensor* that allows to merge the output of several
  sensors. Used for instance to merge the joints values of the different PR2
  armature in a single joint state (#240).
- Former `rosace` sensor has been renamed to a more approriate
  `search_and_rescue` sensor.
- Laser scanner ranges ordering has been reversed to match ROS conventions.

Builder API
-----------

- One class per component: for instance, `Robot('atrv')` becomes `ATRV()`. The
  documentation page of each component gives an example.
- New `FakeRobot()` for clock and other static components (like environment
  cameras).
- Former functions `configure_mw` and `configure_service` replaced by new
  `add_interface`, `add_datastream`, `add_service` or `add_default_interface`
  that sets an interface for a whole robot (#217).
- Components are now automatically renamed after the variable names used in the
  Builder script, provide much more natural naming schemes. Names can still be
  configured explicitely with `component.name` (#133).
- Component profiling with `component.profile()`
- Errors in Builder scripts are now better handled, with meaningful error
  messages.
- The simulation can now be configured from the Builder script for 3D output
  (split screen), including configuration of eye separation.
- Added ability to automatically save your scene as a Blender file from the
  Builder script.
- Added a `fastmode` option when setting up the environment: in *fastmode*,
  only wireframes are displayed. This improves MORSE loading time and
  performance, but some sensors (like cameras) won't work. Most of the
  unit-tests now use this mode.

.. warning::

  It basically means that scene are incompatible between release 0.6 and 1.0.
  To help the conversion, you can use the tool available `here
  <https://raw.github.com/laas/morse/master/tools/convert_0.6_to_1.0.sh>`_
  Basically, you can use it like that::

		sh convert_0.6_to_1.0.sh your_scene.py > your_scene_1.0.py

  You may need to edit the resulting file manually to fix last issues. If you
  get in trouble, feel free to send us a mail on morse-users@laas.fr with your
  scene.

Assets
------

- Added a new `empty` environment, especially suited for tests.

Interfaces
----------

- Interfaces can now implement data serialization/deserialization in explicit
  classes: no more hacky appending of free functions (#144, #145).

ROS
+++

- GPS : cleaned, to be validated
- Odometry now publish both Odometry and TF
- Pose publish only Pose (no more Odometry)
- Laser scanners can now export point clouds (`PointCloud2`)
- New `PointCloud2` publisher for depth camera, Kinect in progress
- Support for the JointTrajectory ROS action for armature control
- Special unittest class for ROS tests that takes care of setting up an
  appropriate ROS environment (including launching `roscore`).


Sockets
+++++++

- Support for cancelling asynchronous requests
- Support for exporting matrices and 3D transformations

pocolibs
++++++++

- Large rewrite of pocolibs interface, now using `ctypes` instead of SWIG
  bindings. This simplies a lot the compilation and maintenance of these
  interfaces.

Text
++++

- Improved the `text` interface, to allow for instance output as `.csv` files.

pymorse
+++++++

The Python bindings for MORSE have been completely rewritten, now supporting a
modern asynchronous interface (based on Python 3.2 *futures*). It is also
deemed as feature complete: it supports discovery of the simulation components,
synchronous/asynchronous service invokation (including service cancellation)
and synchronous/asynchronous read/write of datastream (#216).

MORSE unit-tests now use this new API.

Internals
---------

- Substential changes in MORSE internals:
  - lots of refactoring, to improve code consistency (including
    {middleware->datastream} (#186))
  - many files have been renamed for consistency

Misc
----

- MORSE now uses the MORSE_RESOURCE_PATH environment variable to look after
  custom location for assets: convenient to store your own model out of MORSE
  tree (#187).
- Added configuration file required by the Travis buildbot
- Several large examples or tutorials have been removed (because either
  deprecation or doubtful usefulness)
- New CSS for documentation, based on GitHub *minimal* style.
- Numerous bugfixes, including:
    - the 'objects flying around' bug, that was due to the way Blender handle
      transformation matrices (#139).
    - a bug affecting the color of some materials
    - bug with logging when restarting the simulation in special cases (#183)



MORSE 0.6
=========

General
-------

- Compatibility with Blender from 2.59 to 2.64a.
- MORSE is now compatible with Windows 32 and 64 bit. Thanks to Markus Sander
  for providing the patches and testing
- The 'morse' executable has slightly different options now. run 'morse -h' for
  details.
- Added support for 'no color' and 'reverse colors' log output.
- Added support for specifying the geometry of the simulator window.
- Unit-tests coverage improved
- MORSE (core, ie with only socket support) is now packaged in Debian (and 
  Ubuntu): morse-simulator

User interface
--------------

- Possibility to configure and display the view from a simulated camera inside
  the Blender screen
- Reset the position of the global camera (CameraFP) by pressing F8

Components
----------

Sensors
+++++++

- Major rewriting of the IMU sensor and odometry sensor, which now returns more 
  precise datas. While here, add some modifiers to allow more realistic
  behaviour of such sensors.

Actuators
+++++++++

- New differential drive actuator associated to the previously mentioned
  robots, called 'v_omega_diff_drive'. It converts a given v, omega into left
  and right wheel speeds
- Waypoint actuator can be configured to give target destination also in the Z
  axis. Useful for helicopters and submarines

Robots
++++++

- Several models for quadrotors, including more or less realistic controls
  (using waypoints, stabilized fly model or directly in force). ROS support
  rely on ASCTEC messages.
- New more physically realistic robots: Segway RMP 400 and Pioneer 3-DX. Thanks
  to David Hodo and Pierrick Koch for their work on the physics simulation
- B21 robot model
- New textured model for the Yamaha R-Max helicopter
- Simple model of a submarine robot, along with an underwater environment

Human simulation
++++++++++++++++

- Several behaviour fixes in the human control mode
- Human avatar can now be correctly placed in the scene using the Builder API
  scripts
- New tutorial to learn how to control the human avatar
- Documentation of simulation of multiple humans
- Kinect-based control of the human in the simulator

Misc
++++

- Corrections to the bounding boxes of buildings in outdoor scenarios. Also
  added textures to the buildings
- Dependencies on Blender Python API are now wrapped in a single file

Middlewares
-----------

- Lots of improvements on ROS compatibility. Many new tutorials with detailed
  explanations, including an update ROS navigation tutorial.
- Corrections to YARP middleware, allowing it to export data stored as Python
  lists
- Improvements to the multi-node architecture using HLA. Including new
  tutorials and documentation
- Updated ROS support for fuerte compatibility

Documentation
-------------

- Make table of contents of the components with images

Misc
----

- Add methods in builder to configure UTM coordinates and temperature in the
  scene. Previously in the Scene_Script_Holder


MORSE 0.5
=========

General
-------

- MORSE 0.5 requires Blender >= 2.59 and < 2.62 (because of some changes in the
  matrices handling - support for Blender >= 2.62 is expected for next release)
- Lots of cleaning (middleware empties have been removed)
- The command line ``morse run {scene.blend|scene.py}`` now works as expected (*i.e.*,
  starts the simulation as soon as Blender opens).
  Optional arguments can be added and are passed to the script
- Unit-testing support for MORSE (cf doc: dev/testing). Added a target to the build file
  ('make test').

GUI
---

- First version of a graphical user interface to add components to a scene
- Plugin for loading DTM/IGN data has been ported to Blender 2.5/Python 3.2

Middlewares
-----------

- Support of ROS services. Partial support for ROS actions (cf commit 02fda)
- The long-standing issue with the socket server (bug #162) has been solved. It
  is now possible to listen to a socket stream without prior initialization.

Builder API
-----------

- New export script (available as Blender add-on) to export a MORSE Blender
  scene to the MORSE Builder format.
- Added support for multi-node configuration in the builder API
- Added support for static, passive objects
- Many examples and tutorials have been converted to the Builder API.

Components
----------

- Static objects have a redefined set of options to make them active or not,
  graspable or not, etc. See :doc:`user/others/passive_objects`)
- New components that can be created from the Builder API, such as:

  - Infrared sensor
  - Battery sensor
  - Light switch actuator
- Camera images can now be vertically flipped via the ``vertical_flip`` property

Multi-node
----------

- New abstract API for multi-node implementation. The current socket-based and HLA
  implementation now use it
- This allows for having a single builder script to be used on all nodes. The
  configuration of each node is done using the environment variable ``MORSE_NODE``

HRI
---

Much work has been done in this domain:

- New human avatar with a much improved behaviour/animation. It is controllable
  from mouse + keyboard or Kinect (experimental)
- The avatar features a 'manipulation mode' where objects can be picked and
  dropped, and special objects like drawers and cupboards can be opened.
- The human avatar can be easily added via the Builder API (instantiate the
  'Human' class)



MORSE 0.4.x - "Multinode" release
=================================

General changes
---------------
- Full support for Blender 2.59 and Python 3.2.
- Reorganized the documentation, with a brand new main page.

Architectural changes
---------------------
- Added infrastructure for multi-node functionality
- Use the Builder API to create robots from their description in Python script
- Changed directory structure and file names for ease of use of the Builder API
- Use the Python logging interface

Middlewares
-----------
- Added support for multiple middleware bindings per component
- Added support for services through  Pocolibs middleware
- ROS support for the robot's cameras
- Added support for HLA middleware
- Added support for MOOS middleware

New components
--------------
- Added a Hummer robot that implements the Blender Vehicle Wrapper
- Added a 'steer_force' actuator to control the Hummer robot
- Added an 'armature_actuator' to control the bone structure in the LWR and PR2 robot arms

User interface
--------------
- Add a help display with the keyboard shortcuts available during simulation. Activated by pressing the 'H' key

MORSE 0.3 - "Itizpossible" release
==================================

General changes
---------------
- Added preliminary support for Blender 2.57 (with Python 3.2)
- Removed support for Blender 2.49

Architectural changes
---------------------

- MORSE now support *services* to configure components
  and the general behaviour of the simulation at runtime. Services
  can be either synchronous or asynchronous.
- Addition of a variable to keep track of the time elapsed in seconds
  since the simulation started.

Middlewares
-----------

- Initial support for the ROS (http://www.ros.org) middleware.
- ROS: Odometry, joint state and laser scanner sensors are exported using standard
  messages.
- Sockets: services (RPC) are available
- YARP: services (RPC) are available

New sensors/actuators
---------------------

- clever waypoint controller that avoids obstacles

Simulation supervision
----------------------

- Add a shortcut to switch between camera during the simulation (F9)
- Add a shortcut to replace all objects at their initial position without
  relaunching the simulation (F11)
- Add support for the Wiimote to control the human in HRI simulations
  (external tool using socket-based requests)
- Requests: ensure some working control of the simulation
  based on the socket interface (only restart for now)

MORSE 0.2 - The HRI release
===========================

General changes
---------------

- Switch to Blender 2.5: MORSE now officialy supports Blender 2.5x (x>=4) and 
  the support for Blender 2.49 has been dropped.

- This means that MORSE is now fully Python 3 compatible. New code must be from
  now valid Python 3 code.

- MORSE homepage is now http://morse.openrobots.org/

- Documentation has been converted to reStructuredText. HTML version automatically updated
  every hour to http://morse.openrobots.org/doc/

- A MORSE bugtracker is now available: https://softs.laas.fr/bugzilla/buglist.cgi?product=morse

Architectural changes
---------------------

- Components have "hooks" to export their data. Middleware lives in parallel
  threads and "visit" the components. In this case, middlewares still lives
  in the Python VM. Advantage: better decoupling ; middleware can dynamically
  choose what they want to watch.

- Add 'serialize' methods to the data of each component. This formats the 
data according to the needs of each middleware/architecture.


Support for human-robot interaction
-----------------------------------

- MORSE now offers a human model. It can be controlled in a "first person shooter"-like
  mode, enabling immersive simulation of human-robot interaction:
   - mouse-based interactive displacement and grasping of objects (using IK to ensure 
     consistent, fully body motion)
   - 40-DOF human posture (joint state) is exported by a new sensor called 'human_posture'

New sensors/actuators
---------------------

- Support for the PA-10 and Kuka arms. They can be controlled either by specifying
  a target that the arm tries to reach (using Blender ITASC IK solver) or by
  sending a set of joint angles.

- new simple waypoint controller: this 'high-level' controller allows to give 
  only a list of waypoint to the robot. The simulator takes care of the navigation 
  (currently, simple straight lines, without any sort of obstacle avoidance)

- "Semantic camera" sensor: MORSE can export position, orientation and name 
  of specifically marked objects that are visible by a camera.

- we now have a fully simulated SICK laser sensor.

Other features
--------------

- Possibility to control the camera when the game engine runs (with keyboard, 
  mouse, or attach some view to some robots)
- Support for Ubuntu 10.04 (hi Lorenz!)
- Added LAAS Jido robot model with Kuka arm
- fixed several issues with camera calibration in Blender
- Added several posters for Genom middleware
- Fixed the accelerometer sensor
- fixed several issues with transformation coordinates

MORSE v 0.1 - The outdoor robotics release - 28/07/2010
=======================================================

First version