[CREATE] Re: raw processing

[Will Stokes]

Why must we combine forces to produce a SINGLE library. From my
standpoint, we should combine forces and stand by TWO libraries.

1.) The first library is for reading/writing image data to/from RAW
file formats. Basically a library form of dcraw

2.) The second library is for reading/writing image METAdata to/from
RAW file formats. Pick your poisen. I like libexiv2 (www.exiv2.org).
libexif supports reading exif data, not writing it. there are other
variants out there in java and perl.

>From my standpoint (2) is solved, exiv2 just needs to be embraced and
further developed to support various file formats. (1) does not yet
exist, the free desktop library just mentioned sounds intriguing,
although it's unclear what it's capabilities are just yet.
-Will

On 3/16/06, Alexander Rabtchevich
<alexander.v.rabtchevich at iaph.bas-net.by> wrote:
> As I understood, the question arosed concerns several subquestions:
>
> 1. Are the developers of main OS RAW conversion programs ready to join
> forces? :)
>
> 2. The availability of common RAW decoding library. Acceptable
> interfaces of the library (it should at least satisfy existing projects
> as some of them work as plug-ins for other program and their interfaces
> are hard to be changed).
>
> 3. The base (origin) of the library (dcraw or from scratch or some of
> the existing projects). This assumes comparison of current program
> abilities, difficulties of implementations of future requirements in
> each program. This also includes a problem of a new cameras addition.
> Now this problem is solved for the dcraw based programs by Dave Coffin.
>
> 4. Own data storage of the library: is the conversion accompanied by
> storage of it's parameters only (conversion settings) or the initial
> file is changed or some intermediate storage format is used for storing
> all the image data (DNG or other).
> I would say the idea of any changing of the initial file is not good.
> RAW file is some king of digital negative, which is stored unchanged and
> can be processed any time in the future with better and better
> algorithm. And this requires the file to be unmodified as some
> additional data could be extracted in the future or other program will
> be used.
> DNG can be used as an option for file import/export, but as for
> permanent own file storage it should make possible to include all the
> data contained in RAW files of different producers, supported by dcraw.
> In other case the format is not lossless.
>
> --
> With respect
> Alexander Rabtchevich
>


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Will Stokes         wstokes (at) gmail.com
Album Shaper   http://albumshaper.sf.net
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