SIMION 8.0 Issues/Bugs/Enhancements

Issue I422 [81,enhancement,largelyresolved]
  Manipulating PAs from Lua inside SIMION

  NOTE: This is currently an 8.1 feature that is only available in the
  8.1 "early access" mode.  See Issue I421 for details.

  There are new functions for manipulating potential arrays from Lua
  inside SIMION.  This is similar to the SL Libraries, but the
  functions are accessed in Lua and operate directly on the PAs
  loaded inside SIMION.

  Examples:

    local pa = simion.pas[1]  -- Get first SIMION PA in memory.
    v = pa:potential(10,20,0)  -- get potential
    pa:potential(10,20,0, v)  -- set potential
    b = pa:electrode(10,20,0)  -- is point an electrode point
    pa:electrode(10,20,0, b)  -- set whether is an electrode point

  There are numerous other functions and properties.  The API is
  documented fully in the electronic documentation (Help|Browse
  documentation) by selecting "Libraries API Reference" and then
  "simion.pas" (it is the file "docs\lua_simion.pas.html").  It is
  strongly recommended that you download the latest version of the
  electronic documentation ("simion8-docs*.zip" from "Check for
  Updates") since this API is changing frequently.

  CHANGES:
  Largely implemented in 8.0.3-TEST4  provided "early access"
  mode is enabled.
  8.0.3-TEST21 - updated/expanded + documented in supplementary docs.
  8.0.3-TEST22 - new pa:fast_adjust{...} function.
  8.0.5-TEST13 - pa:clear() sets all points to 0V nonelectrodes.
                 pa:potential_add(xi,yi,zi, val) adds potential
                   val to potential at point (xi,yi,zi).
                 pa:copy(pasrc) copies all points from pasrc to pa
                   assuming array size identical.
  8.0.5-TEST17 -  pa:potentials_scale(a, b)
                    Scales all potentials v(x,y,z) in array pa by the
                    formula vnew(x,y,z) = a + b*v(x,y,z), where a and b
                    are constant numbers.
                  vmin,vmax = pa:potentials_minmax()
                     Returns the minimum and maximum potentials in the
                     array pa.
  8.0.5-TEST18 -
    v = pa(x,y,z) -- Applying the call operator to the array is
      identical to pa:potential_vc.
    pa.symmetry values changed to 
      "2dcylindrical", "2dcylindrical[x]",
      "2dplanar", "2dplanar[x]", "2dplanar[y]", "2dplanar[xy]",
      "3dplanar", "3dplanar[x]", "3dplanar[y]", "3dplanar[xy]",
      "3dplanar[z]", "3dplanar[xz]", "3dplanar[yz]", "3dplanar[xyz]"
  8.0.5-TEST20
    pa:potential_vc and pa:field_vc now take an optional table
      parameter to specify fast adjust electrode potentials (similar
      to the fast_adjust segment):
        potential = pa:potential_vc(10,0,0, {[1]=100, [2]=-100})
        ex,ey,ez = pa:field_vc(10,0,0, {[1]=100, [2]=-100})
    New pa.electrode_numbers field is an array of fast adjustable
      electrode numbers.
  8.0.5-TEST21
    New methods: instance:pa_to_wb_coords and wb_to_pa_coords
           instance:pa_to_wb_orient, instance:wb_to_pa_orient,
           instance:pa_to_array_coords
  8.0.5-TEST27
    simion.pas:open now returns nothing on success and raises on error.
    pa:load now raises on error.
  8.0.5-TEST29
    pa:close now raises on error.
    pa.filename now contains long filename Issue I422.
  8.0.5-TEST30
    simion.pas:clear renamed simion.pas:close.
  8.0.6-TEST6
    pa:rescale added (e.g. double/halve array)
    pa:refine convergence objective maximum limit no longer imposed.
    pa:field_vc corrected for magnetic arrays (magnetic field was not properly scaled by ng)
  8.0.6-TEST13
    In pa:potential_vc(x,y,z, t) and pa:field_vc(x,y,z, t), the table t now
      accepts an additional "exclusive=true"
      field which causes all electrodes not mentioned in the table
      to be set to 0 V.  These electrode solution arrays are not
      are not loaded into memory.
      Also, solution arrays for electrode numbers not mentioned in t
      are no longer automatically unloaded. 
  
  Sub-issues:
    Issue I422.1 - Fixed array corruption when
      doing simion.pas[n]:fast_adjust{...}, particuarly inside View screen.
    Issue I422.2 - pa:refine if long running now updates screen and
      responds to abort requests.

  See also Issue I496 - Manipulating workbenches from Lua inside SIMION