Jetraw Core

Jetraw is a raw image compressor designed to overcome the limitations of classical algorithms and provide a solution adapted to a modern environment, where power efficiency, transmission speed, transparent integration and the quality of advanced image post-processing techniques are central to the user experience.

Traditionally, lossless compression algorithms have been power-hungry, and provided a compression ratio of 2:1 at most. Lossy compression algorithms had been designed mostly for distribution, i.e. for developed images seen by the human eye. When these “visually-lossless” algorithms are used on raw images, they limit the performance of advanced post-processing techniques that rely on recovering weak or hidden signals.

Jetraw achieves the high compression ratios of lossy compression while preserving the advantages raw images have for processing. Minute signals, even when buried in noise, remain recoverable. This is particularly relevant for recent Machine Learning techniques that have been shown to achieve superior performance when applied to raw images (better image quality, speed and memory usage). Any technique that works on raw images will work unmodified on Jetraw images.

To achieve its high performance across the above-mentioned metrics, Jetraw uses a physical model of the image sensor when used under the specific sensor settings. The calibration parameters are saved in a “.dat” file which then typically contains all the information needed to prepare images from a given camera model (e.g. Leica M11) under all its settings. Once images are prepared, they can be losslessly compressed/decompressed.

Two distributions

Jetraw Core is available as two software distributions, complemented by a VHDL implementation for deployment to an FPGA. Both distributions are delivered by Dotphoton on request; which one fits best depends on your use case.

  • Jetraw is the full-featured distribution: command line applications (dpcore and jetraw), the Jetraw UI graphical application, and development libraries including convenient TIFF file support. Licensing and sensor calibration are configured through files installed on the system.

  • Jetraw Standalone is a slim build for integration in constrained environments: a single shared library and header, providing raw pixel-buffer functions only. Everything — including licensing and sensor calibration — can be configured through the API, so it can even be used on systems without filesystem access.

Choosing a distribution

Jetraw

Jetraw Standalone

Command line applications (dpcore, jetraw)

✓

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Graphical application (Jetraw UI)

✓ (Windows, macOS)

—

Raw pixel-buffer C API

✓

✓

TIFF read/write C API

✓

—

License and calibration from files

✓

✓

License and calibration through the API

—

✓

Delivery

Installer (Windows, macOS), archive (Linux)

Archive with a single library and header

Contents

Overview

Jetraw

Jetraw Standalone

Hardware implementation