1.8.1 Release

[SergioRAgostinho]

Task list:

• Go through all PRs for the milestone
• Update Changelog Update changes for 1.8.1 #1682
• Start a release branch
• Revert PLYReader: thread safe colors #1587
• Bump version to 1.8.1 in CMakeLists.txt
• Try to build and test on all relevant platforms
• Finalize changelog and fix the release date
• Tag
• Remove the release branch
• Add Windows installers to GitHub release page
• Add OSX installers to GitHub release page
• Add link doc link to tutorials page
• Bump version to 1.8.1-dev in CMakeLists.txt
• Send announcements to the mailing lists
• Throw a party!

Future people: Don't forget to revise all new tutorials to modify the minimum required version from 1.x.x.99 to whatever the new version is.

[taketwo]

Also update PCL version in CMakeLists.txt.

[UnaNancyOwen]

I would like to add support Visual C++ 2017 in PCL 1.8.1.
Could you consider to merge these Pull Request (#1823, #1830) for it?

[taketwo]

Sorry for the unnecessary delay, merged now.

[UnaNancyOwen]

@taketwo Thank you!

[UnaNancyOwen]

Is official web in updatable?
It seems that it has not been updated for a long long time.
I think we should update it to the latest information.

BTW :
I'm ready to generate all-in-one installer of next version.
I would like to distribute the next version installer from official web.
Who manages accounts of sourceforge.net?

[UnaNancyOwen]

We should be confirm that able to build PCL 1.8.1 on Visual Studio before release PCL 1.8.1. Because, It has not been tested with CI.

• Build Test on Windows

[SergioRAgostinho]

It was thinking it would be nice this time to include some binaries on the github release page for the three platforms. I know we are using cpack for the packaging. I was just wondering which compile options does one normally pass when you want to compile pcl for deployment on an external environment?

[taketwo]

I think this is something @jspricke will know.

So, once #1917 is merged, we can start with the release procedure? I updated the list in the root post.

[UnaNancyOwen]

Could you discuss this proposal (#1918) before release procedure?
I would like to merge this proposal to support PCL in Vcpkg. (Currently, It is under implementation.)

[SergioRAgostinho]

We should be confirm that able to build PCL 1.8.1 on Visual Studio before release PCL 1.8.1. Because, It has not been tested with CI. Build Test on Windows

IIRC the tests should be failing with some precision issues on Windows, similar to the ones in OSX. It's something on the backlog but not something we'll address on this release.

[jspricke]

Regarding adding binaries, adding Windows binaries makes sense, @UnaNancyOwen could you help with that? That would be awesome! For the other platforms (I assume you mean MacOS and Ubuntu/Debian) it doesn't make sense as it's the job of the distribution maintainer. So once we release a new version, they have to integrate into their system. Also we don't use cpack for that.

[SergioRAgostinho]

I understand that comment regarding ubuntu/debian. Regarding MacOS, there's not exactly an official distribution maintainer. Are you referring to Homebrew?

[jspricke]

I don't use Apple, but Homebrew should be ok.

[UnaNancyOwen]

@jspricke I can provide the PCL 1.8.1 All-in-one Installer.
I have a plan to create four installer of MSVC 2017 x64/x86, MSVC2015 x64/x86.
I would like to distribute it on stable server like a github releae page or sourceforge.net. (My current distribution server is unstable...)