[Feature] Render RAW images with develop settings using XMP sidecar adjustment data

[f22raptorroland]

I have searched the existing feature requests, both open and closed, to make sure this is not a duplicate request.

• Yes

The feature

I am making this feature request as the active one has mistakenly been closed as a duplicate #8848 a long time ago, but there is continued interest.

immich is an awesome tool that grew over expectations, and something unique and much needed was created, this feature may make it even better for many

This feature is not about RAW embedded previews, but about rendering the image from the un-adjusted RAW and applying the sidecar adjustments.

Multiple proposals have been made on the related Reddit / git discussions
darktable-cli may be the most feasible one.

This feature shall not cover special, and editor-specific adjustments Local Adjustments (Masks/Brushes), Lightroom presets, etc

The feature should:

• Read related sidecar files for pictures ✅
  • Likely from External storage
• Render Preview level images with adjustments (I think preview would be priority for most but thumbnail, and full size would be nice to have)
  • Render with adjustments
    • Crop and rotate
    • Exposure
    • Black level
    • Tone curve
    • Clarity (local contrast)
  • Nice to have:
    • Vignette
    • HSL (color zones)
    • Split-toning
    • Grain
    • Spot removal

This feature would benefit people who shoot in RAW

• No need to store JPEG exports 💰
• Resolves the continuous chaos of
  • Keeping exports synced with adjustments
  • Stacking RAW + JPEG in immich
• Easier to work with multiple tools simultaneously, like darktable / Lightroom, without hassle

People who shoot raw and have slower cameras, in darker scenes, tend to underexpose pictures in favor of shutter speed, and later adjust RAW exposure.
Pure RAW preview for these pictures do not reflect the intended picture, and can lack vividness / white balance

Platform

• Server
• Web
• Mobile

[f22raptorroland]

My main timeline also looks a bit strange due to this. My phone pictures are sort of ok/bland, Insta360 .dng pictures are super vivid, and bright, and my camera pictures look super dark silhouettes almost... A funny mix of chaos.

• I'm mentioning a few people who have been interested in this previously:
  @sleekspeed22 @fpottbaecker @frigi83 @shrippen @WrobotGames @develar

@jeena has a cool script for similar application

[sebkaletta]

I think as well that this would be interesting and I am happy that you opened this again.

To be able to decide to use darktable-cli as raw processor would be the first step I guess, consciousness of the .xmp the second.

The adjustments you listed are not really the decision on immichs side (darktable-cli just processes everything thats present in a darktable .xmp, for lightroom .xmp it should work for these and these only: https://github.com/darktable-org/dtdocs/blob/master/content/overview/sidecar-files/sidecar-import.md).

Additional ressources:
darktable-cli was close to implementation as main raw processor in 2023, but imagemagick with libraw was the simpler fix back then and seems to ensure better support of new image formats: #2156
These are the corresponding PRs: imagemagick and libraw got implemented: #2668 , instead of darktable-cli: #2198

[qosch]

Huge thumbs up for this!
A few thoughts:

• rather than trying to replicate the results from other tools (hard to achieve, limited in scope), I'd go for a solution where the external raw editor is called in CLI mode and produces the thumbnail itself.
• first implementation could be, that the (fixed) raw development tool can be specified in the settings
• a more advanced implementation could use the sidecar file(s) to determine what raw tool to use (vkdt, the successor of dark table, for example uses .cfg files, most other tools produce XML files)
  Edge case: you can create multiple versions of an image inside darktable. This will create multiple sidecar files along with one raw.