RapidRAW v1.6.2 - Camera Tethering, Focus Stacking, Film Emulations & Much More!

RapidRAW v1.6.2 brings major new capabilities to your creative workflow. This release adds native Camera Tethering for remote studio shooting, an intelligent Focus Stacking engine, built-in Analog Film Emulations in a scene-referred color pipeline, and a rewritten deconvolution-based sharpening engine alongside numerous stability and usability fixes.

New Features

Focus Stacking

RapidRAW now includes an intelligent Focus Stacking tool alongside the panorama stitcher and HDR merge features. Focus stacking lets you combine multiple exposures captured at varying focus distances into a single image with incredible front-to-back sharpness and extended depth of field. This is essential for macro, product, and landscape photography, where physical optical limits prevent keeping the entire scene in focus.

Reorganized Context Menu	Focus Stacking

Camera Tethering (macOS & Linux)

RapidRAW now supports native Camera Tethering for studio, portrait, and product photography workflows. Connect your camera over USB to shoot directly into your workspace.

What you can do:

• Real-time Live View: Stream live view with composition guide overlays, 90° rotation, and horizontal flipping.
• Camera Controls: Adjust Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO, White Balance, and more directly from the sidebar.
• Automatic Color Grading: Automatically apply a chosen preset to incoming shots the moment they are captured.
• Ghost Overlay: Overlay your previous shot on top of the live view to keep framing and perspective consistent across shots.
• Instant Ingestion: Captured photos automatically save into your current library folder and can open straight in the editor.

Important: System Requirements & Dedicated Builds

Because tethering relies on the system library libgphoto2, it is provided as a separate build (_tethering) for macOS and Linux.

To use tethering, you must install libgphoto2 on your system first, then download the corresponding _tethering package from the tethering release downloads table below.

Built-in Analog Film Emulations

RapidRAW now comes with built-in, scientifically modeled analog film emulations out of the box, powered by the open-source spektrafilm project by Andrea Volpato.

Highlights & Color Pipeline:

• True Scene-Referred Pipeline: Unlike standard display-space LUTs that clip highlights and crush shadows, these emulations run in a scene-referred V-Log color pipeline directly inside the GPU shader. This ensures natural highlight roll-off, rich organic color response, and deep tonal transitions.
• Non-Destructive & Adjustable: Fine-tune the look with the intensity slider, combine it with tone curves, or stack it with film grain and halation for an authentic analog aesthetic.

Special thanks to Andrea Volpato for creating spektrafilm and making these spectrally accurate film profiles available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Rewritten Sharpening Algorithm

The sharpening tool now uses a multi-scale deconvolution algorithm with built-in halo suppression and directional edge smoothing. It enhances fine micro-details cleanly across the frame without creating harsh ringing artifacts or amplifying shadow noise.

Drag & Drop Image Move System

You can now easily organize your library by selecting multiple images and dragging them directly into folders or albums.

Core Improvements

• Full EXIF Metadata Preservation on Export: Exported images now preserve and embed full camera capture and EXIF metadata.
• Tablet & Touch Interface Restoration: Restored side panel layouts and controls on tablet and touch screen devices.
• Inpainting Auto-Cropping: Added automatic canvas cropping for generative AI inpainting workflows.
• Stability & Bug Fixes: Resolved various issues and refined overall application performance.

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04
Android	ARM64	.apk	RapidRAW for Android (Experimental)

Download Tethering Builds & Setup Guide (macOS & Linux)

1. Install libgphoto2 on your machine

RapidRAW uses libgphoto2 to communicate directly with connected cameras over USB. Because the tethering binary links dynamically against this library to stream live view and control camera settings, the driver must be present on your system for the app to detect and control your camera.

• macOS (via Homebrew):

  brew install libgphoto2 pkg-config

• Ubuntu / Debian:

  sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y libgphoto2-dev pkg-config

• Arch Linux:

  sudo pacman -S libgphoto2 pkgconf

• Fedora:

  sudo dnf install libgphoto2-devel pkgconf-pkg-config

2. Download Tethering Build

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM (Tethering)
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64 (Tethering)
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04 (Tethering)
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04 (Tethering)

(Note: Windows and Android are not supported for camera tethering due to OS driver limitations).

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows and macOS

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

RapidRAW v1.6.1 - Customizable Workspace, Unified Library Editing & More!

Don't let the minor version bump fool you. RapidRAW v1.6.1 brings a massive overhaul to your editing workflow. While it might seem on the surface like it contains "just" one major new feature, this update is actually a fundamental transformation in how you interact with the app. I have completely overhauled the user interface to give you total freedom over your editing environment, alongside some crucial performance improvements and color accuracy fixes.

New Features

Fully Customizable Workspace

Previously, RapidRAW had a very specific, rigid interface: your sources and folders were always on the left, and your adjustment panels were always on the right.

Now, the workspace is fully customizable. If you aren't happy with the default panel arrangement, you can change it entirely. By simply grabbing the panel icon in the panel tab switcher, you can drag and drop panels around, reorder them, and create your own custom split views. You can finally build a layout that fits your exact workflow perfectly.

Customizable Workspace	Reorder Panels	Split Views

Unified Library & Edit Views

While the Library and Edit views are still technically separate, the strict wall between them is gone. You can now use all the tools from the edit view directly inside the library view!

This means your beloved adjustment panels stay open all the time now. You can seamlessly tweak sliders and continue editing an image using the right-side controls without ever having to leave your library grid.

Library Editing	Multi Panel Workspace

Core Improvements

• Export Stability & Memory Optimization: Exports now consume significantly less VRAM, preventing out-of-memory crashes and improving stability on lower-end systems during heavy processing.
• Display Color Accuracy: Resolved an issue that caused subtle color shifts on P3 wide-gamut displays (particularly noticeable on Apple Displays).
• Image-Based LUTs & Batch Presets: Added full support for image-based LUTs (.png, .jpg, .jpeg, .tiff) alongside the ability to batch-import multiple presets simultaneously.
• WGPU Renderer Upgrades: Enabled the White Balance color picker tool when running the application with the WGPU renderer.
• File Path Shortcut: Added the Cmd/Ctrl+L keyboard shortcut to instantly copy the file path of the currently selected image to the clipboard.
• Expanded Localization: Added Catalan language support.
• Updated Dependencies: Upgraded the underlying rawler backend and Lensfun database.

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04
Android	ARM64	.apk	RapidRAW for Android (Experimental)

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows and macOS

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

RapidRAW v1.6.0 - Lens Blur, Culling View, Pair Grouping & Much More!

I am very excited to launch this new update. It is designed to speed up your workflow and give you new creative options. Sorting through hundreds of photos can be exhausting. To help with that, this update brings a much better photo organization system, featuring a multi-image Culling View and smart RAW+JPEG grouping. Plus, there is a new depth-based Lens Blur feature that lets you add realistic, beautiful depth to your photos after you shoot them.

New Features

Lens Blur (Bokeh)

Sometimes you capture a great shot, but the background is just a bit too distracting or lacks that premium optical depth. To solve this, I've implemented a new depth-based Lens Blur tool that generates realistic depth-of-field blurring. You have full control over the effect: you can dial in the blur amount, add diffusion, choose your preferred bokeh shape, and fine-tune the exact depth range to seamlessly separate your subject from the background.

Beyond standard background defocusing, the fine-grained depth range controls also allow you to emulate a tilt-shift lens effect. By isolating a precise horizontal or vertical band of focus, you can easily transform cityscapes and wide landscapes into miniature-style scenes directly inside RapidRAW.

Culling View

Culling through a massive shoot just got a lot faster and more intuitive. I've added a dedicated Culling View that allows you to place up to 6 images side-by-side on your screen. This makes it incredibly easy to compare similar shots for sharpness and composition. You can instantly apply star ratings and view essential metadata right alongside your grouped images to pick the absolute best shot of the bunch.

This tool came in super handy for me during a recent shoot. I had taken a series of long exposure drone shots of a waterfall, where subtle wind gusts meant only a couple of frames came out pin-sharp. By loading the entire bracket side-by-side in Culling View, I was able to easily spot the sharpest capture, rate it 5 stars, and move on in seconds without having to constantly flip back and forth.

Group RAW + JPEG

If you shoot in RAW+JPEG mode, your library can quickly become a cluttered mess of duplicates. This update introduces a new grouping feature in the library view options that stacks these pairs together. You can choose whether you prefer the RAW or JPEG to be displayed as the primary file, optionally ignore mismatched EXIF dates, and easily toggle between the two formats right from the image information overlay.

Command Line Interface (CLI)

RapidRAW now includes a headless export tool for batch processing photos in automated scripts, terminal pipelines, or server environments without opening the GUI:

# Export an entire folder using edits found in .rrdata sidecar files
rapidraw export /path/to/photos --output /path/to/output_dir --format jpeg --quality 90

# Export a single image directly to a specific target file
rapidraw export /path/to/photo.raw --output /path/to/output.png --format png

# Batch export a folder using a custom adjustments JSON file to override sidecars
rapidraw export /path/to/photos --output /path/to/output_dir --adjustments /path/to/preset.json

Checkout the README for more information.

Core Improvements

While the new UI features are the stars of this release, this update also brings major under-the-hood performance optimizations and heavily requested workflow improvements:

• Performance: Drastically improved thumbnail loading speeds, especially for users storing their libraries on HDDs. Optimized the underlying performance of the library and image analytics scopes. RapidRAW now tries to read the embedded jpeg first, before decoding the full RAW image for the thumbnail.
• Cropping Upgrades: The crop tool has been enhanced with area preservation and crop-centered rotation for a much smoother framing experience.
• Export & Memory: Significantly reduced overall RAM usage during export operations and calibrated the quality curves for JPEG XL (JXL) exports for better file-size-to-quality ratios.
• Workflow Enhancements:
  • Selection is now kept between the library and editor view.
  • Added a quick shortcut for library searching.
  • Added a quick shortcut to jump straight into the settings.
  • Made automatic adjustment synchronization optional for multi-selections, giving you more control over batch edits.
• Metadata & Decoding: Improved EXIF lens metadata extraction across the board and fixed an issue with Canon multi-exposure White Balance.
• Linux Stability: Resolved bugs that were causing the app to run slow for Linux users with NVIDIA GPUs.

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04
Android	ARM64	.apk	RapidRAW for Android (Experimental)

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows and macOS

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app. On Linux, GPU driver differences require a default compatibility mode.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

RapidRAW v1.5.9 - Clone & Heal Tools, Improved Shader & Much More!

I am excited to bring you a new update that significantly expands your retouching toolkit and refines how your images are processed under the hood. This release focuses heavily on local adjustments and HDR merging, introducing highly requested manual clone and heal tools for precise control, alongside major updates to AI inpainting, shadow shaders, and HDR alignment.

New Features

Manual Clone & Heal Inpainting

While AI is fantastic for many tasks, there are specific scenarios where you just need pixel-perfect, algorithmic manual control that operates at your image's full resolution. To give you that control, I have implemented dedicated Clone and Heal tools. They work beautifully: simply set your source point, and you can seamlessly heal blemishes or copy exact pixels over to your target area.

Before	After Clone & Heal

Here is a look at the new tools in action:

Using the Tools	New Inpainting Tools

Refined AI Inpainting

While building out the manual clone and heal tools, I took the opportunity to improve the AI inpainting engine. I spent time optimizing its performance, resolving color space issues, and ensuring the generated patches blend much more coherently with the surrounding pixels. I'm very happy with the new results.

Here is a quick comparison showing how the blocky quantization artifacts from previous versions have been eliminated:

Original Image	V1.5.8 (Blocky Artifacts)	V1.5.9 (Clean & Coherent)

Improved Shadows & Blacks Shader

I noticed that the previous approach for lifting shadows and blacks could sometimes result in a plastic, unrealistic, or overbaked look. To fix this, I have rewritten and optimized the underlying shader algorithm, resulting in a much more natural and pleasing roll-off in the darker areas of your images.

Original	Previous Algorithm	New & Improved Shader

HDR Merge Improvements

This version introduces robust deghosting and auto-alignment capabilities for merging HDR brackets. This means that even if your handheld source images aren't perfectly aligned, the final merged result will remain sharp and free of distracting ghost edges. Additionally, this update resolves several color space issues during the HDR merge process that were previously causing merged files to appear drastically underexposed

Core Improvements

• Performance: Improved thumbnail loading speeds by utilizing native file transfers and updating the core rendering engines for better overall performance and stability.
• Workflow: Added "Open With" external editor support, allowing you to easily hand off images to other applications.
• RAW Handling: Implemented a smart fallback mechanism that loads embedded JPEG previews for undecodable or currently unsupported RAW files.
• Local Contrast Tweaking: Clarity & Structure's intensity is now stronger.
• Bug Fixes:
  • Fixed an issue where copying adjustments directly from the filmstrip wasn't behaving correctly.
  • Resolved AI model and LUT download issues affecting Android users.
  • Inpainting now also works on rotated or flipped images.
  • Squashed several Windows-specific bugs, including an issue with offscreen windows and folder export errors.
• Under the Hood: Bumped various system dependencies to keep everything secure and up-to-date.

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04
Android	ARM64	.apk	RapidRAW for Android (Experimental)

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app. On Linux, GPU driver differences require a default compatibility mode.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

• Linux: The app starts in compatibility mode by default to ensure stability across different GPU drivers and distributions.

  • Disable compatibility mode in Settings to enable GPU acceleration.

RapidRAW v1.5.8 - New Adjustments, Quick Filters, Folder Sorting & More!

This release introduces several new editing tools and workflow refinements to help make your photo editing and library management a bit smoother. I have focused on expanding the creative options with a preset intensity slider and a global hue adjustment, alongside adding helpful navigation features like quick bottombar filters and folder sorting. Behind the scenes, I worked on addressing background indexing issues and ensuring folder image counts update correctly. Finally, I am glad to make RapidRAW accessible to more users by adding support for Korean and Traditional Chinese.

New Features

Preset Intensity Slider

Sometimes a preset is a bit too strong or too subtle. To give you better control, I have added an intensity slider that appears when you select a preset, allowing you to fine-tune its overall strength to better fit your photo:

Hue Slider

There's a new global hue slider in the color adjustments panel. This new control allows you to shift the overall color tones in your image for quick color corrections or creative adjustments:

Quick Bottombar Filters

To save you from constantly switching screens, I added quick filter options directly to the bottombar. Now you can easily filter your current image list without needing to navigate back to the main library settings:

Folder Sorting

To help keep your workspace organized, you can now customize how the folder tree sorts your directories. You can choose the ordering option that works best for your library structure:

New Languages

To make RapidRAW more accessible to photographers worldwide, I have added translation support for two new languages:

• Korean
• Traditional Chinese

Core Improvements

• Improved the reliability of folder and album image counts so they remain accurate.
• Resolved an issue where background indexing could get stuck in an infinite loop.
• New cameras are supported.

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04
Android	ARM64	.apk	RapidRAW for Android (Experimental)

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app. On Linux, GPU driver differences require a default compatibility mode.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

• Linux: The app starts in compatibility mode by default to ensure stability across different GPU drivers and distributions.

  • Disable compatibility mode in Settings to enable GPU acceleration.

RapidRAW v1.5.7 - Now in 10 Languages, Enhanced Library Performance & Critical Fixes!

This update serves as a direct follow-up to the core architectural migration I implemented in v1.5.6. While moving to a more modular state management system was a huge step forward for the stability and future-proofing of RapidRAW, it inevitably introduced some edge cases and regressions in the library and editing pipelines. In this release, I have focused on smoothing out these new wrinkles, most notably by completely overhauling the library performance to ensure that browsing remains snappy after the refactoring. I have also resolved inconsistencies in the copy-paste workflow and am excited to expand our international reach by adding support for eight additional languages.

New Features

Expanded Multilingual Support

Following up on the initial German translation I introduced in v1.5.6, I have expanded the app's language support. RapidRAW now supports eight additional languages, which you can select directly within the settings menu:

• Spanish
• French
• Italian
• Japanese
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Chinese (Simplified)

Core Improvements

• Library Performance Enhancements: I have focused heavily on optimizing library navigation and thumbnail loading. These adjustments reduce rendering overhead and resource spikes, making scrolling and browsing through large folders feel noticeably smoother.
• Copy-Paste Fixes: I resolved an issue where copying and pasting adjustments or lens correction parameters between images would occasionally fail to apply or behave inconsistently. The copy-paste system should now work reliably again.

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04
Android	ARM64	.apk	RapidRAW for Android (Experimental)

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app. On Linux, GPU driver differences require a default compatibility mode.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

• Linux: The app starts in compatibility mode by default to ensure stability across different GPU drivers and distributions.

  • Disable compatibility mode in Settings to enable GPU acceleration.

RapidRAW v1.5.6 - Multilingual Support, Albums, Advanced Filtering & Core Refactoring

This update focuses heavily on restructuring the core of RapidRAW to make the application more stable, maintainable, and organized. Alongside a major architectural migration to Zustand to reduce UI rendering overhead, I’ve introduced full internationalization support starting with German, custom albums and multi-root folder trees, an advanced query-based search bar supporting complex Boolean logic, a brand new EXIF overlay, and cleaner in-canvas masking controls.

New Features

Full Internationalization & German Translation

I’ve rewritten all core components to support full internationalization (i18n). This makes the entire application multilingual at its foundation, paving the way for further community translations down the road. With this update, I am officially shipping German as the first supported language alongside English, which you can toggle directly in the settings.

Advanced Library Filtering & Search Queries

I’ve implemented a more robust search input that parses structured queries and regular search terms into interactive tags. You can now quickly narrow down large libraries using metadata attributes directly in the search bar.

Supported query fields include:

• Exposure & Optics: iso:>=1600 (or iso:<400), aperture:<=2.8 (or f:<4), shutter:>=1/125 (or s:<1), focal:>=50 (or mm:85)
• Hardware: lens:50mm, camera:Sony (matches make or model)
• Metadata & Organization: color:red, rating:>=4

You can combine multiple query tags and choose between AND (match all) or OR (match any) modes with a single click inside the search bar to handle complex logical filtering.

Multi-Root Folders, Custom Albums & Folder Icons

To make cataloging and browsing more flexible, I’ve expanded the library database architecture:

• Multi-Root Folders: You are no longer restricted to a single parent folder. You can now add multiple independent directories (and pin them!) from different drives or locations on your system.
• Custom Albums: You can now create virtual albums to group images together without physically moving the source files on your storage. It's in beta for now as I haven't found an elegant solution to resync the album after a file move outside of RapidRAW for now.
• Custom Icons: To help keep your workspace organized, you can now assign custom icons to individual folders or albums within the library tree.

Dedicated EXIF Overlays & Metadata Caching

I've added a dedicated EXIF display option directly inside the library grid and list views. In the revamped View Options panel, you can set the EXIF overlay to Off, On Hover, or Always Show. Under the hood, I also built a metadata caching system so the app doesn't have to parse raw files every time a thumbnail enters the viewport, making scrolling through large folders feel much lighter.

Track, Filter, and Sort by Edited Status

To make managing your progress through a large shoot easier, I have implemented an Edited Status tracking system. RapidRAW now keeps track of which images have active adjustments.

• Indicators: A visual indicator now highlights edited files in your library.
• Filtering: You can quickly clean up your grid by filtering for Edited Only or Unedited Only images.
• Sorting: A new sorting option lets you group your files by edit status, pushing all modified files to the beginning or end of your library view.

Improved Canvas Mask Overlays

Making local adjustments is now more intuitive. I’ve moved the control handles for linear, radial, and brush masks so they render directly over the image canvas. This lets you position, rotate, and scale your active masks with smoother feedback.

Expanded View Options Panel

I've rebuilt the View Options dropdown to put more fine-grained library controls at your disposal:

Core Improvements

• Major Backend Refactoring (Zustand Migration): To solve performance bottlenecks and prevent unnecessary UI calculations, I did a major refit of the state management architecture. I decomposed the giant state tree into five isolated Zustand stores: useEditorStore, useLibraryStore, useUIStore, useSettingsStore, and useProcessStore. Now, when you resize a panel or adjust a slider, only the components that actually rely on that specific data re-render, resulting in a snappier interface overall.
• Batch Lens Correction Copy/Paste: Thanks to the new EXIF caching system, you can now copy and paste lens correction parameters across multiple images at once. This should make applying lens corrections to an entire shoot much faster. Do not forget to enable it in the copy & paste settings modal ;).
• Resource-Aware Export Pipeline: The export backend has been refactored to check your system resources. It automatically scales and manages concurrency based on your device's available memory and processor cores, making batch exports safer on systems with limited resources.
• Improved Brush Tool: The masking brush uses now a more accurate preview.

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04
Android	ARM64	.apk	RapidRAW for Android (Experimental)

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app. On Linux, GPU driver differences require a default compatibility mode.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

• Linux: The app starts in compatibility mode by default to ensure stability across different GPU drivers and distributions.

  • Disable compatibility mode in Settings to enable GPU acceleration.

RapidRAW v1.5.5 - Parametric Curves, Manual Denoise, Custom Shortcuts & More!

This update focuses on giving you sharper control and a faster workflow. There's a new Parametric Curves tool for precise tonal adjustments and a Manual Denoise module for finer noise reduction. You can now customize keyboard shortcuts and edit EXIF metadata fields. I’ve also made a range of performance improvements, including reduced RAM usage, to make everything feel quicker overall.

New Features

Parametric Curves

The new Parametric Curves tool gives you better control over specific tonal ranges. Unlike a traditional tone curve, you can precisely define the affected range, the transition, and the expansion, allowing for much more targeted adjustments to shadows, midtones, and highlights without impacting the rest of the image.

Manual Noise Reduction

While the AI denoiser is great for a one-click fix, sometimes you need more control. I've added a new Manual Noise Reduction tool with separate sliders for Luminance and Color noise. This allows you to dial in the exact amount of noise reduction you need, preserving maximum detail while cleaning up your images.

Fully Customizable Keyboard Shortcuts

You can now remap actions in RapidRAW to your preferred keyboard shortcut! There is now a dedicated settings panel where you can assign custom keybinds.

EXIF Editing

You can now edit your image’s EXIF metadata directly in the metadata panel. This allows you to update the Author, Copyright, Title, and Comment fields without using a separate application.

Focus Mode

Silence the noise and focus on your edit. The new "Focus Mode" auto collapses adjustment sections, leaving only the currently active section open.

Core Improvements

• Faster Library Browsing: The thumbnail generation and request system has been completely optimized (no more memory spikes!). I've introduced dedicated thumbnail workers that build your library previews in the background, making browsing large folders significantly faster.
• Improved Shader Pipeline for Consistent Masking: I've fundamentally changed how adjustments are processed. Instead of applying mask adjustments sequentially on top of each other, the new pipeline now calculates the total influence of all masks and applies a single, unified adjustment from the base image. This results in more consistent and accurate blending, especially with complex, overlapping masks.
  • Hint for existing edits: Because of this core change, edits made on images with complex mask stacks in older versions might look different. You may need to do a quick readjustment of your sliders to get the exact same look, but the result will be more predictable going forward!
• Enhanced Exposure Processing: The filmic exposure algorithm has been enhanced for more natural results, and a new tonemapper override option has been added for advanced users.
• Improved Vertical/Mobile UI: The user interface has been significantly improved for use on vertical screens and tablets, making the experience much better on the go.
• Major Backend Refactoring: A significant amount of work went into refactoring the backend for improved stability and performance across the entire application.
• Cropping: Improved the cropping experience by adding dynamic image bounds checks.
• Local Contrast Adjustments: Adjustments such as clarity, structure, and sharpness now deliver higher-quality results without artifacts.
• Batch Editing Fix: Batch editing now correctly respects the copy/paste settings.
• Bug Fixes: As always, I've fixed many bugs and improved the compatibility with the WGPU renderer.

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04
Android	ARM64	.apk	RapidRAW for Android (Experimental)

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows, macOS, Linux and Android

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app. On Linux, GPU driver differences require a default compatibility mode.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

• Linux: The app starts in compatibility mode by default to ensure stability across different GPU drivers and distributions.

  • Disable compatibility mode in Settings to enable GPU acceleration.

• Android (Experimental): Important for users updating from a previous version.

  • The library location has been moved to /sdcard/Android/media/ to allow for easier backups & migrations.
  • On first launch, do not press "Continue." Instead, choose "Open Library" to allow the app to use the new, correct path.
  • For the smoothest transition, we recommend backing up your images and clearing the app's data in your phone's settings before installing this update.

RapidRAW v1.5.4 - WGPU Renderer, Reworked Presets System, Android Support & Much More!

This update brings a boost in rendering speed, a reworked preset system, and the first steps onto Android. I've built a direct WGPU renderer that skips the usual webview overhead, making the app feel incredibly fast. I've also rewritten the presets system so you can now create "Tool" presets that stack on top of your edits, and you can finally save masks and crops into them. On top of that, there's a new mask intersect mode alongside new flow masks, and several highly requested workflow improvements like batch denoising or keeping EXIF data for stitched and denoised files.

New Features

Direct WGPU Renderer

I've implemented a direct WGPU renderer that bypasses Tauri's standard communication and browser decoding. It essentially draws a native window behind the webview, making the editing experience noticeably smoother.

Note for especially Linux users: This new renderer is currently experimental and not available on Linux. Tauri uses GTK for webviews on Linux, which conflicts with WGPU on the same screen surface and causes flickering. To keep things stable, Linux versions will safely default to the standard webview renderer for now. For more informations, check this issue: tauri-apps/tauri#9220.

Reworked Presets System

The presets system has been completely rebuilt to give you more flexibility in your workflow.

• Style vs. Tool Presets: You can now set a preset to be a "Style" (which overwrites the entire image's settings) or a "Tool" (which acts additively, blending new changes on top of your current edit).
• Mask & Crop Support: You can now save your masks and crops directly into your presets.

Experimental Android Support

I'm excited to officially bring RapidRAW to Android! This is an early, experimental build, so you might run into a few bugs. Currently, the UI is specifically optimized for tablets (it will not display properly on phones yet). General editing and masking are working nicely.

The AI tools require a lot of memory, so I highly recommend testing this on an Android device with at least 8 GB of RAM.

Many thanks to @Duecki1 for the support in releasing RapidRAW for Android.

Intersecting Masks

You can now easily intersect masks, making complex masking workflows simpler and more precise.

Flow Masks

The new Flow Mask type works like an additive brush. It builds up strength when you paint over the same area multiple times, which is perfect for dodge and burn adjustments.

Copy/Paste Upgrades

You can now copy and paste masks and crops between images! This is turned off by default to prevent accidental overwrites, but you can easily enable it in the copy/paste settings.

Fluid Canvas Navigation

I've completely rewritten the engine for zooming, panning, and pinching on the canvas. Trackpad users on macOS will notice it finally feels completely native and smooth.
Windows users: There is currently a minor gesture quirk on Windows, so you will need to hold down CTRL while using a two-finger scroll to zoom. A more seamless fix is planned for a future update!

Retaining EXIF Data

Denoised and stitched images now keep their original EXIF data (saved using the new .rrexif format). This means you will no longer lose your lens correction profiles, capture dates, or export data when running these intensive processes.

Core Improvements

• Better Auto-Adjust: The auto-adjustment algorithm has been greatly improved to deliver faster, more accurate results.
• Redesigned Color Wheels: The color grading wheels have been redesigned for a clean, consistent look and now feature dynamic sliders.
• Batch Processing Upgrades: I've added batch denoising and a new option to preserve your exact folder structure when exporting in batches.
• AVIF Export: Added support for AVIF export.
• Removed mask limits.
• Improved the downscaling algorithm so you feel less of a difference when dragging sliders.
• Fixed bugs that occurred when rapidly switching between images.
• General UI polish, bug fixes & usability improvements.

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04
Android (Tablet UI only)	ARM64	.apk	RapidRAW for Android (Experimental)

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows, macOS and Linux

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app. On Linux, GPU driver differences require a default compatibility mode.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

• Linux: The app starts in compatibility mode by default to ensure stability across different GPU drivers and distributions.

  • Disable compatibility mode in Settings to enable GPU acceleration.

RapidRAW v1.5.3 - Depth Masks, Smarter Inpainting & Faster Libraries!

This update brings depth-based editing and smarter inpainting. I've added depth masking support, which lets you create masks based on distance from the camera. This is useful for things like faking background blur or adding lights that naturally fit into the scene. There's also a new inpainting model that does a much better job at removing objects compared to the previous basic algorithm. On the performance side, I've rewritten the library loading code so it only renders visible thumbnails, making large libraries feel much snappier. ROI rendering also got improved for smoother editing while zoomed in, and you can now pick your preferred quality level for live previews.

New Features

Depth Masking

You can now create masks based on depth. This opens up some nice creative options like faking background blur, adding lights that blend naturally into the scene, or isolating subjects at a certain distance.

Here are some examples. In the first one, I added a bright light coming from the right. In the second, I combined a depth map with a negative linear mask to create a spotlight effect pointing at me.

Before	After

Quick Inpainting

The new inpainting model does a way better job than the old basic algorithm. It runs locally on your device and doesn't require the RapidRAW-AI-Connector.

Before	After

Performance Improvements in Library

I rewrote large parts of the library loading code. The library now only renders thumbnails that are actually visible on screen, so large folders and big libraries should feel a lot snappier. I also added a flat list view as a new thumbnail mode:

ROI Rendering

ROI rendering got improved quite a bit and you should notice smoother rendering while zoomed in. There is also a new dropdown to select your preferred rendering quality for live previews.

Core Improvements

• Updated keyboard shortcuts for masking, especially for the brush tool
• Color gradient for the temperature / tint slider track
• Improved loading spinner to show actual progress when applying batch adjustments (hover the top area of the library)
• A ton of bug fixes under the hood, too many to list individually ;)

What to Download

OS	Architecture	Format	Download Link
Windows	x64	.exe	RapidRAW for Windows
macOS (Apple Silicon)	ARM64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS ARM
macOS (Intel)	x64	.dmg	RapidRAW for macOS x64
Ubuntu 22.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 22.04
Ubuntu 24.04	x86_64	.deb	RapidRAW for Ubuntu 24.04

For other platforms and formats (ARM builds, RPM, AppImage, etc.), check the full asset list below.

Running on Windows, macOS and Linux

RapidRAW is not yet code-signed, so Windows and macOS may show warnings when launching the app. On Linux, GPU driver differences require a default compatibility mode.

• Windows: When launching the app, you may see a Windows Defender SmartScreen warning.

  • Click "More info" → "Run anyway" to proceed.

• macOS: You'll need to remove the quarantine flag after installation, otherwise macOS may report the app as corrupted:

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/RapidRAW.app

• Linux: The app starts in compatibility mode by default to ensure stability across different GPU drivers and distributions.

  • Disable compatibility mode in Settings to enable full GPU acceleration.