--- ray/doc/notes/ReleaseNotes	2024/05/17 20:50:57	1.450
+++ ray/doc/notes/ReleaseNotes	2025/05/05 19:20:16	1.486
@@ -2695,3 +2695,117 @@ Added -i option to gendaymtx to match -i option of gen
 Thanks to Yongqing for initial implementation.
 
 Changed rcrop so negative #rows or #cols counts back from end.
+
+Added rcomb -n option for multi-processing of very large matrices.
+
+Made it so rsplit and rlam can handle any number of input files
+up to active open file descriptor limit.
+
+Taoning Wang added genssky tool for generating spectral sky
+descriptions.
+
+Taoning added gensdaymtx utility based on gendaymtx, and
+added epw2wea -a option to include required information.
+
+Fixed bug introduced in Auguest 2022 (5.4 release) in distant
+light source sampling, which caused aiming failures.  (Thanks
+to Mike DiPompeo of LightStanza for reporting the issue.)
+
+Added rxpict rendering tool based on C++ RpictSimulManager class.
+Multi-processing and spectral output are supported.
+
+Wrote rxpiece tool that will render pictures using tiling and
+can handle different output formats and hyperspectral pictures.
+Only runs on a single machine, however -- no NFS locking on
+shared volumes.  Mainly a demonstration tool for RpictSimulManager
+C++ class, but may have its uses.
+
+Fixed a bug in BSDF sampling of sources pointed out by
+David Geisler-Moroder, which tended to overestimate specular
+contributions for some BSDFs.
+
+Added crude ability to read and convert spectra to RGB in ximage,
+ra_bmp, ra_ps, and ra_rgbe programs.  Also updated fast tone-mapping
+library to handle spectral HSR inputs at the same time.  HSR
+input handling was added in a similar fashion to pcond and pvalue
+for convenience.
+
+Added handling of hyperspectral images to normtiff, a handy program
+for quickly tone-mapping Radiance RGBE, XYZE, and now hyperspectral
+pictures, as well as IEEE float or LogLuv TIFFs.
+
+Added handling of hyperspectral pictures to pextrem, though
+results are still reported in RGB.
+
+Added accurate conversion of hyperspectral pictures to ra_xyze.
+
+Added hyperspectral picture conversion to ra_tiff, with accurate
+color when targeting 16-bit/comp., LogLuv, and float utput,
+and the approximate method for 24-bit RGB.
+
+Taoning added genssky -L option to specify global and diffuse
+illuminance values for output calibration.
+
+Created C++ class for rcontrib and example tool rxcontrib, which
+is an optional compile in the src/rt directory.  The output
+model is more general in some respects and the operations more
+efficient, but standard output is not supported, nor is ASCII
+results data.
+
+Added strnstr.c compatibility module in ray/src/common, since
+it isn't present on Linux derivatives.
+
+Added WGMDfunc material type with programmable roughness and
+separate modifier paths for the different components.
+
+Added gensurf -i option at the request of Peter Apian-Bennewitz
+to reverse surface normals, mostly for data input, when it is
+a bit more difficult to adjust.
+
+Added rad -N option to rholo call for multiprocessing when
+mkillum and/or mkpmap are involved in octree prep.
+
+Added ability of gendaymtx to read EPW as well as WEA files.
+When EPW input is provided, the 3-hour average dew point is
+used to compute a more accurate precipitable water content
+value.  It currently does not use these data directly from
+the EPW input, relying instead on a dew-point-to-W calculation.
+This follows the request and recommendations of David G-M.
+
+Removed limitation in rfluxmtx, which was disallowing distant
+and local receivers. Found this to be a perfectly valid approach
+for some annual daylighting scenarios.
+
+Wrote new pvsum tool to handle cases dctimestep can't, like
+spectral input pictures.  It also adds a -N option for multi-
+processing on Unix machines, which utilizes memory-mapped
+inputs for efficient i/o sharing.
+
+Made it so genBSDF can use spectral rendering for a
+more accurate photometric result.
+
+Changed default matrix representation to float rather than
+double, which uses less RAM and supports faster operations
+in general.  Build with compiler flag:
+	-DDTnativeDTrmx_native=DTdouble
+to get back higher precision representation.
+
+Taoning Wang updated genssky and gensdaymtx to provide illuminance
+calibration and accept EPW files directly as input.
+
+Added -e expr and -f file.cal options to all rendering tools, not
+just rcontrib/rxcontrib.  Feature request from Peter A-B.
+
+Fixed slight bias in indirect calculation caused by ambient
+collision detection, pointed out by Jon Sargent.  New code
+keeps track of rejected samples and sells them back to
+later calls to get something closer to a true Poisson
+sampling method.
+
+Altered rvu "origin" command to take shift amounts forward,
+right, and up rather than taking an explicit origin, which
+can be done easily enough with the "view" command.  Peter A-B
+requested (sort of).
+
+Added genglaze tool created by Taoning Wang to generate
+spectral glazing materials based on CGDB data and models.