DCRAW2PS tool for the excellent DCRAW raw image converter
Note: this tool only works with DCRAW versions up to 3.84, the command line options of DCRAW have since been changed (I'm still using the 3.84).
The DCRAW by Dave Coffin is simply the best RAW converter ever made. It does not have a Widows graphical user interface, it is used by command line instruction, therefore I wrote the freeware DCRAW2PS launcher/linker.
An example of the power of the DCRAW (click the image for larger view)
DCRAW2PS conveniently links:
- an image viewer software that is capable to preview RAW images, such as the Irfanview
- the DCRAW RAW converter and
- a Photoshop 16-bit/color PSD file-format capable editing software
in the Windows environment.
By just one or two mouse clicks in an image viewer software (Irfanview, Picasa etc.) the DCRAW2PS automatically starts the DCRAW conversion and opens the resulting PSD format image file to a PSD capable editing software.
For example the browsing window of the Irfanview is capable to show RAW image files, when the DCRAW2PS is specified as the external image editor in the Irfanview properties then the "Open with external editor" pop-up menu command of Irfanview enables the use of the DCRAW2PS:
The pop-up menu command "Open with external editor" in Irfanview Thumbnails window is used for launching the DCRAW2PS
When the "Open with external editor" command is issued the DCRAW2PS starts the DCRAW that will be active in the DOS windows for a short while, then closes the DOS windows and finally opens the resulting PSD image file to the specified image editing software. All automatically.
DCRAW2PS Settings
The settings dialog of DCRAW2PS
Settings explained:
Working Folder for Read Only RAW Files
This option is (mainly) for image files that reside on read only media such as DVD or CDr disks. The normal behavior for DCRAW is that the resulting PSD format image file is created into the same folder where the RAW source image resides. This is impossible for read-only media so in case the image file has the read only attribute set the conversion is done in this special working folder.
Full Path to PSD Capable Editing Software
Specify the image editing software that is to be used for PSD image format files.
DCRAW Conversion Options
Here the conversion options for DCRAW are specified.
Installing the DCRAW2PS
There is no installer, but the installation is very simple.
Note, both Francisco Montilla and Benjamin Lebsanft provide compiled windows executables of the DCRAW, the author of DCRAW, Dave Coffin, provides the DCRAW C source code.
- Using Windows Explorer, create a program folder for the DCRAW (e.g. c:\dcraw)
- Download the DCRAW and extract it to the DCRAW program folder.
- Run (double-click) the DCRAW2PS.EXE, the Settings dialog will be shown. Browse both the read only folder and the editing software and adjust DCRAW settings to suit to your needs, then press the OK button. A DCRAW2PS.INI is created, DCRAW2PS does not use the Windows registry at all.
- In the image viewer software, locate (from the Options, Preferences or in a similar dialog) the section where the "External Image Editor" is specified. Define the path to DCRAW2PS.EXE.
Example for Irfanview: This Properties dialog is accessed from the Irfanview main display (not from the Thumbnails display). Many other image viewing software also have the same settings somewhere in their Settings, Options or Preferences.
More about DCRAW
-
DCRAW, the Excellent RAW conversion software, comparison against the Canon RAW converter, example photos.
- DCRAW, a comparison between the VNG and AHD color-mask interpolation
Accurate Image Manipulation for Desktop Publishing