HDR Image Tools

HDR Image Tools is an advanced image processing tool specially developed for HDR files. Oriented toward experienced users, such as graphic designers, it gives you the possibility to fine-tune HDR photographs obtained from digital cameras using various functions, such as exposure, gamma, and tone mapping.

Speedy and customizable installer

Java must be installed prior to this application. Apart from the core files, the setup kit includes a separate command-line tool that enables you to tone map HDR files using exposure and gamma correction (Batch tone mapper), a tiny console tool for saving HDR images to OpenEXR format (OpenEXR compressor), Java INI bindings to perform basic OpenEXR file operations (OpenEXR-Java), as well as Matlab MEX extensions to work with OpenEXR files (OpenEXR-Matlab). Any of these components can be excluded from installation.

Intuitive interface for HDR processing

HDR Image Tools is wrapped in a user-friendly interface that lets you open HDR images with the Radience (.rgbe, .hdr), OpenEXR (.exr) and Portable floatmap (.pfm) format.
While previewing photos in the main window, you can adjust the exposure and disable sRGB to tweak gamma, zoom in and out, fit the photo to the screen, adapt the window to the image size, view actual pixels and pixel information (e.g. displayed and stored RGB), as well as apply Reinhard02 global tone mapping to adjust the white point and darkness.

Compare and convert HDR files

In addition, the program implements features for comparing HDR images using absolute difference, addition, division, relative error, positive or negative difference, or positive or negative relative error.
Another noteworthy factor is that, apart from saving the modified HDR images with HDR file extensions, it's possible to convert them to more common filetypes, such as PNG, BMP, JPG or TIFF. File associations can be made for any supported HDR file extensions.

Evaluation and conclusion

HDR Image Tools is equipped with comprehensive, yet approachable tools for processing HDR photographs. It can be used not only by professionals, but also by amateurs. CPU and RAM consumption was minimal in our tests.