Availability
Version 0.9.17-beta.1205 is already available for download for Windows and macOS platforms
Improvements
Experimental support for RAW files (CR2, DNG, NEF, etc.)
Added experimental support for RAW files taken with professional digital cameras. To work with them, the LibRaw library is used, which ensures maximum compatibility with different camera models. Now these files are also indexed, can be viewed in full size, they can also be converted to JPEG using Tonfotos. There are a number of limitations that users need to be aware of:
- The typical size of a RAW file is 5 to 50 times the size of a normal JPEG file. Therefore, many common operations (such as viewing photos) take much longer. Please be patient.
- Due to the incompatibility of metadata formats, metadata is not saved when exporting to JPEG and Webp, even if the corresponding checkbox is checked in the interface. This will be fixed in the future.
This is the default format used by recent Apple phones for storing photos by default, as it take up less space on average than JPEGs at similar quality. However, due to patent restrictions, third-party application support for this format is severely limited. Developers need to purchase a license from the copyright holders. In theory, there are Open Source libraries that support this format, but the ability to embed them in a product does not relieve the developer from the need to resolve licensing issues. That is why, this version of Tonfotos implements a workaround. It has a built-in ability to automatically transcode these files on the fly, using the codec installed at the operating system level.
- In the latest versions of macOS (as well as iOS), this codec is built-in by default, Apple itself solves all licensing issues with patents for the user.
- For Windows, you need to install the official plug-in from Microsoft to support HEVC from the Microsoft store. Previously, it was paid, but recently it is distributed free of charge.
- As a bonus, thanks to the use of built-in OS codecs, Windows vesrsion has received support for such specific formats as BPM and DDS.
Similarly, as with RAW files, export to other formats with the preservation of metadata does not work yet, all other functions are fully functional.
Added official ARM architecture support for macOS
The latest generations of MacBooks no longer use Intel processors, instead they use processors (M1, M2, etc.) on the ARM architecture - the so-called Apple Silicon. They are noticeably more productive with less power consumption. Tonfotos previously worked on these processors only in emulation mode, which did not allow direct use of the full power of the new processors. and noticeably increased memory consumption. Now the native version of the program is officially available for download on the site.
Improved interface for working with recognized faces
According to numerous requests from users, a number of changes have been made to improve the convenience of cataloging recognized faces:
- Suggested faces are now always at the top of the list
- Face context menu in the File Info section now works for all faces, not just unrecognized ones
Fixes
Some bugs that caused crashes have also been fixed.
