Release Notes:

Optipix is a suite of Photoshop-compatible plug-ins from Reindeer Graphics
that provide indispensable tools for 16-bit channel editing -- and even
some magic to turn your ordinary 8-bit channel images into 16-bit
beauties.

The Optipix suite of image-enhancing plug-ins handles:

* Contrast Control
* Auto Contrast
* Edge Enhancing
* Sub-pixel Nudging
* Safe Sharpening

The exciting news is that each one works with both grayscale and RGB
images in both 8-bit and 16-bit mode. You might not think that's such a
big deal if your digicam or scanner only captures 8-bit channels for
24-bit color. But the real exciting news is Optipix will help you build
16-bit images from several 8-bit images of different exposure. Very cool.

Chris Russ, Reindeer Graphics president, said the company expects the
Blend Exposures and Auto Contrast plug-ins to appeal to digital
photographers but he also noted a few less obvious attractions:

* You can average a movie clip in Premiere to build a 16-bit scene average
that you can use to reduce noise in the clip.

* By integrating the total amount of light from some fluorescent dye in a
sample, you can reduce noise in microscopy.

* Astronomers can similarly integrate the total amount of light coming
into the camera.

New in Optipix 3.1:

* Refocus can now handle images or selections up to 6600x6600 (or
8000x8000 in B&W -- try the L channel), although images larger than
4000x4000 get really slow.

* Larger proxies in many cases (AutoContrast, etc.)

* Includes new plugins: Select Edges and Wide Histogram

* New color model in AutoContrast prevents saturation problems when
changing brightness. Much better than Photoshop's Levels command

* Includes Select Edges plugin