This message announces the release of FreeSnell-1b8.

FreeSnell is a program which computes optical properties of multilayer
thin-film coatings.  Dielectric, metallic, and granular metallic films
are supported.  The FreeSnell package includes a SCM script (program)
"nk" to create, manage, and query a refractive-index spectral
database.

FreeSnell is an application of the SCM Scheme implementation and the
WB B-tree database package.

FreeSnell is free software.  It is released under the GNU General
Public License (GPL).

The FreeSnell home page details installation and links to
distributions, documentation, and examples:

	     http://people.csail.mit.edu/jaffer/FreeSnell

			      -=-=-=-=-
FreeSnell-1b8 news:

* Reorganized "Refractive Index Spectra", adding "Parametric Data"
  section with example of parametric refractive-index function.
* Expanded "Maxwell Garnett Theory" section after tracking down
  original 1904 paper.
* Added granular metal example with photograph: Gold Ruby Glass.
* Added graph from US Patent 6,399,228 to metal-film regression suite.
* Improved error reporting and recovery.
* Improved installation. 
* Website moved to http://people.csail.mit.edu/jaffer/FreeSnell

Details:

  * nk.html (Parametric Data):
  Added section to Refractive Index Spectra.
  * FreeSnell.info, FreeSnell.texi (Specifying Materials):
  Added example of parametric IR function.
  * pmma.scm: Example of parametric IR function for PMMA.

  * metallic.scm (r-d-a-d): Added graph from US Patent 6,399,228.

  * granular.html (Gold Ruby Glass): Added section.
  * granular.scm (gold-ruby-glass): Added.

  * granular.scm (charts): View is through glass substrate.
  * opticolr.scm (write-color-table.eps, write-color-table.png):
  Added trace argument; changed substrate to layer* BK7 2.mm thick.

  * opticompute.scm (extract-parameter): Added slib:error calls for
  unrecognized operators.

  * Makefile (nk.rwb): Delete existing nk.rwb and locks.
  * (pinstall): Create absolute-path usercat in libfreesnelldir.

			      -=-=-=-=-

The FreeSnell package is available from
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/FreeSnell-1b8.zip
 http://download.savannah.gnu.org/releases/freesnell/FreeSnell-1b8.zip
Also available as MS-Windows installer:
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/FreeSnell-1b8-1.exe

SLIB is the portable scheme library which FreeSnell requires:
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/slib-3b2.zip
Also available as RPM:
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/slib-3b2-1.noarch.rpm
Also available as MS-Windows installer:
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/slib-3b2-1.exe

SCM is the Scheme implementation under which FreeSnell runs.
SCM source is available from:
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/scm-5e6.zip
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/scm-5e6-1.src.rpm
Also available as i386 binary RPM:
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/scm-5e6-1.i386.rpm
Also available as i386 MS-Windows installer:
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/slib-3b2-1.exe

WB databases are used via SCM.
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/wb-2a3.zip
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/wb-2a3-1.src.rpm
Also available as i386 binary RPM:
 http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/ftpdir/scm/wb-2a3-1.i386.rpm