High dynamic range images

Imagina just loves HDR images. For the uninitiated, these are images whose pixel colours are stored with very high precision, often over a much larger luminance range than is available with standard file formats. There are generally two types of image described as HDR; the raw format images you might get out of your camera and genuine HDR images captured by high-end equipment or produced digitally. While you can now load raw images directly into Imagina, for genuine HDR images you'll need to store them in either the DDS or EXR file format.

It has several algorithms for exposing your HDR images so that you can view them on a low-dynamic-range computer monitor. These algorithms cover general normalisation with linear compression, refined normalisation through non-linear logarithmic compression and a specialist algorithm that emulates the physiology of the human eye to produce terrific results.

Exposing a HDR image can be done either temporarily for the purposes of viewing it, or permanently so that the exposure is frozen. Once an image is exposed either way, it can then be saved to a low-dynamic-range file format such as JPG for normal viewing.

What could be simpler?

When it comes to saving, images can also be stored in HDR format too. With flexible saving options for 16 bit floating point components as defined by the EXR standard, or with full 32 bit components if stored in the DDS file format, there's no need to lose any information when saving in Imagina.