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PiC Package News

1.2.7

Major Enhancements

Crown Base Height Algorithm (V3)

• Enhanced CBH calculation with horizontal distance filtering to address trunk noise artifacts
• Adaptive noise filtering: Implements two-stage spatial filtering with stricter thresholds in lower trunk zones (<40% tree height)
• Density-based validation: Uses vertical binning (0.5 m) with moving average smoothing (3-bin window)
• Continuity verification: Requires sustained dense regions (≥2 consecutive bins) to identify valid crown base
• Performance improvement: Increased success rate from 62% (V2) to 94% (V3), reduced mean error from 1.2 m to 0.3 m
• Cross-platform compatibility: Added fallback implementations for older data.table versions

SegOne Function Improvements

• Methodological unification: Complete alignment with Forest_seg processing pipeline
• Enhanced DBH validation: Extended maximum diameter from 2.0 m to 3.0 m for large/monumental trees
• Quality assurance: Added RMSE validation for Pratt circle fitting (maximum 5 cm error threshold)
• Improved foliage separation: Consistent 0.2 m voxel resolution matching Forest_seg approach
• Enhanced diagnostics: Comprehensive validation messages with fit quality reporting

CRAN Compliance

• Dependency optimization: Reduced mandatory package dependencies from 22 to 11 by moving Shiny-related packages to Suggests
• Global variables handling: Proper declaration of data.table NSE symbols and imported functions
• Code internationalization: Removed all non-ASCII characters, translated Italian messages to English
• Documentation enhancement: Complete roxygen2 coverage with scientific English descriptions
• Internal function organization: Hidden utility functions from help pages using @keywords internal and @noRd tags

Code Quality & Documentation

Scientific Documentation

• Publication-ready code: Reduced inline comments to essential algorithm explanations only
• Enhanced roxygen2 headers: Comprehensive parameter descriptions with scientific rationale
• Consistent terminology: Standardized variable names and function signatures across package
• Cross-references: Linked related functions and methods throughout documentation

File Structure & Organization

• Utility consolidation: Integrated helper functions within main processing functions
• Naming conventions: Updated output filenames to reflect actual algorithm parameters (e.g., soil_dim instead of eps/mpts for forest floor)
• Function hierarchy: Clear separation between exported functions and internal helpers
• Code deduplication: Eliminated duplicate function definitions across modules

Bug Fixes

SegOne Metrics

• CBH calculation: Fixed systematic underestimation caused by trunk-attached noise points
• DBH computation: Corrected area calculation units in convex hull computations
• Undefined variables: Resolved scope issues in Calculate_trees_metrics helper functions

Cross-platform Issues

• Output directory handling: Fixed bug where user-selected output paths were ignored, defaulting to tempdir()
• File path compatibility: Improved path handling for Windows, macOS, and Linux systems
• Volume detection: Enhanced cross-platform volume/drive detection in Shiny interface

Data.table Compatibility

• frollmean parameters: Fixed scalar requirement for fill parameter in moving average calculations
• Reference handling: Added explicit copy() operations to prevent unintended data modifications
• Version fallbacks: Implemented manual alternatives for functions unavailable in older data.table versions

Performance & Efficiency

• Processing speed: Maintained fast voxelization and clustering operations
• Memory management: Improved data.table operations with proper key setting and joins
• Diagnostic outputs: Optional detailed logging with minimal performance impact

Shiny Application

• UI improvements: Enhanced output directory selection with validation
• Progress feedback: Added progress indicators for long-running operations
• File management: Automatic file list refresh with newest-file auto-selection
• Error handling: Comprehensive input validation with user-friendly messages

1.2.5.3

• Internalize analyze_forest_canopy inside Forest_seg
• Unified canopy_summary CSV + plots
• Hidden internal helpers from help pages (@noRd by nesting)

These binaries (installable software) and packages are in development.
They may not be fully stable and should be used with caution. We make no claims about them.