NOTCAM QUICKLOOK

An IRAF package providing quicklook functionality for images produced by
the NOTCam infrared camera

                            RELEASE INFORMATION
==============================================================================

This is just a brief changelog. Please, read the documentation included on
each tarball for more detailed info.

2012-Jan:  Version 2.4

  * New task mklincor.cl, to make pixel-by-pixel non-linearity correction
    on raw images

  * Upgraded mkflat.cl to accept a new boolean option 'autosearch' (turned on
    by default) to deal with combinations of two filters, use of non-custom
    filters, etc.

  * Upgraded reduce.cl and reduce_bs.cl to perform distortion correction on
    images (using task geotran)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010-May:  Version 2.3

  * Removed task mkbad.cl after modifying the procedure to define bad pixels

  * Upgraded mkflat.cl
    - There's no need for spatial smoothing any longer, after introducing
      bad-pixel correction.
    - The user can limit the input frames to have counts below a maximum value
    - The script checks that the same EXPTIME has been used for all
      raw skyflats

  * Upgraded reduce.cl, reduce_bs.cl, and skysub.cl
    - Added optional badpixel correction (linear interpolation using 'fixpix')
    - Take into account future header keyword changes
    - Use the imcombine task with a minmax rejecting only minimum values

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009-May:  Version 2.2

  * Upgraded reduce.cl and reduce_bs.cl
    - Corrected the pixel scales to calculate image shifts, to be in
      accordance with the value used by NOT2MEF, which were changed to more
      accurate ones (backward compatible change).
    - Boundary for image shifts changed to "wrap" when trimming set to "no"
    - Taken away the option of skipping the first image in the combination
  
  * Upgraded dophot.cl to make interactive the source selection. Also, added
    a help page

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2009-Mar:  Version 2.1

  * Upgraded mkflat.cl
    - Optional suppression of artifacts introduced by the dc-gradient.
    - No need any longer for previous fixpix correction of bad pixels

  * Upgraded reduce.cl and reduce_bs.cl to work even when there's no
    available alignment star.

  * Added pol.cl task. Similar to reduce.cl but taking four polaroid positions
    into account

  * Added two more tasks (overhead.cl and reset_level.cl) for internal use
    and quality control


                           NOTES ON INSTALLATION
==============================================================================

The installation instructions are simple. As an example, I'll assume a 
global installation under the usual "/iraf". You can also install this 
package on your own user home directory.

First, download the quicklook.tar.gz archive. E.g:

  $ cd /tmp
  $ wget http://www.not.iac.es/instruments/notcam/quicklook.tar.gz

Then, given that the user you're logged in as has the right 
permissions, uncompress it under, for example, /iraf/extern:

  $ cd /iraf/extern
  $ tar xzf /tmp/quicklook.tar.gz

You'll find a new directory named notcam_vX.Y, where X.Y is
the version of the package. We usually create a symlink to the desired 
version to simplify later maintenance, in case we have to upgrade it.

  $ ls -d notcam_*
  notcam_v2.4
  $ ln -s notcam_v2.4 notcam

------------------------------------------------------------------------
NB: From version 2.3 and on, we've taken the extra step and made
    NOTCam's quicklook a proper "IRAF layered package", which simplifies
    installation. From now on, you don't need to modify any of the
    provided files, nor to rebuild the help database.

    We've also changed the install instructions for personal copies
    (ie. installed under your home directory)
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, the instructions to make the package available are slightly
different, depending on...

... IF YOU ARE MAKING A GLOBAL INSTALLATION:

 1) Edit the extern.pkg file:

    $ cd $iraf/unix/hlib
    $ vi extern.pkg # use any other editor if you like...

 2) Add (before the "reset helpdb"):

    reset   notcam          = /iraf/extern/notcam/
    task    notcam.pkg      = notcam$notcam.cl

 3) Modify the helpdb line:

    reset   helpdb          = "lib$helpdb.mip\
                              ...
                              ,notcam$helpdb.mip\
                              "

... IF YOU ARE INSTALLING THIS PACKAGE ON YOUR HOME DIRECTORY

 0) (say that you've uncompressed the archive directly on your
     home directory, and that you haven't symlinked it)
 1) Look for your "login.cl" file, and open it
 2) Modify your configuration. Common lore says that you can add
    the following lines at any point befor the "keep" sentence.
    In practice, we've found that if you include it anywhere past
    the "package user", it will still work, but "notcam." won't
    appear in the list of available packages when you start up
    "cl"/"ecl".

    So, add the following lines somewhere before "keep" and,
    preferably, also before "package user":

     reset   notcam = /home/myself/notcam_v2.4/
     task    notcam.pkg = notcam$notcam.cl
     printf ("reset helpdb=%s,notcam$helpdb.mip\nkeep\n",
                 envget("helpdb")) | cl