Idea to make RAW files stacking speed a lot faster
Posted: 23.08.2021 00:39
As you know many users complain the focus stacking using RAW files is very slow compared to JPG/TIF files, because the image need to be converted from RAW to JPEG/TIFF before stacking. This process consumes a large amount of time.
I have a simple solution for this, give users a alternative option to use the embedded JPG file from RAW. Extracting embedded JPG is probably around 100 times faster then converting the RAW to JPG/TIF.
The result is not as high performance as converting RAW files (as some types of RAW files contain a smaller resolution JPEG), but it will allow previewing stacking results very fast (and help user decide).
Exiftool command line tool can be used to extract JPEG file embedded in RAW https://exiftool.org/. Or you could write the code in Helicon, here is a source code example for CR2 http://www.gdzid.com/QJFC.htm , exiftool is also opensource
Exiftool command lines examples:
extract the embeded JPEG in a RAW file (tested with CR2/Canon, ORF/Olympus, ARW/Sony):
copy exif from the original RAW to a JPEG file:
Proposed Interface:
In "Raw development settings..." window, please add a checkbox "Preview Mode (This will use the JPEG file embedded in the raw file)". The checkbox state need to be remembered (after close/reopen program).
I have a simple solution for this, give users a alternative option to use the embedded JPG file from RAW. Extracting embedded JPG is probably around 100 times faster then converting the RAW to JPG/TIF.
The result is not as high performance as converting RAW files (as some types of RAW files contain a smaller resolution JPEG), but it will allow previewing stacking results very fast (and help user decide).
Exiftool command line tool can be used to extract JPEG file embedded in RAW https://exiftool.org/. Or you could write the code in Helicon, here is a source code example for CR2 http://www.gdzid.com/QJFC.htm , exiftool is also opensource
Exiftool command lines examples:
extract the embeded JPEG in a RAW file (tested with CR2/Canon, ORF/Olympus, ARW/Sony):
Code: Select all
exiftool.exe -b -PreviewImage c:\source\IMG_05218.CR2 > c:\destination\IMG_05218_embeded.JPGCode: Select all
exiftool.exe -TagsFromFile c:\source\IMG_05218.CR2 c:\destination\IMG_05218_embeded.JPG -overwrite_originalProposed Interface:
In "Raw development settings..." window, please add a checkbox "Preview Mode (This will use the JPEG file embedded in the raw file)". The checkbox state need to be remembered (after close/reopen program).