RapidRAW: A non-destructive tool for fast RAW image editing

RapidRAW is an open source RAW image editing tool designed for photographers and image processing enthusiasts. Developed using Rust and Tauri, it combines GPU acceleration with a fast, smooth and non-destructive editing experience. With cross-platform support and a beautiful, customizable interface for working with high-resolution RAW files, RapidRAW continues to be developed and refined with features like advanced masking, AI assistance, and batch exporting. While it has not yet reached the level of sophistication of mature tools such as Lightroom, its lightweight design and efficient performance have been well received by users. The developers encourage community feedback and contributions, and the project is actively updated and dedicated to creating an enjoyable core editing experience.

Function List

• Non-destructive editing: Supports non-destructive adjustments to RAW images, preserving the original file.
• GPU Acceleration: Smooth image processing with WGPU and custom WGSL shaders.
• Advanced Masking: Supports multi-layer masking and allows adding, subtracting and combining masks.
• EXIF Data View: Displays camera metadata such as shutter speed, ISO, and lens information.
• Preset system: create, save, import and export personalized editing effects.
• Batch export: support for customizing file formats, quality, metadata and naming rules.
• AI Accessibility: Built-in AI masking and experimental generative AI (e.g. patching).
• Customizable interface: support for resizing panels, switching themes and enabling smooth animations.
• History: Provides powerful undo and redo features to record every edit.
• File Management: Supports folder navigation, file type filtering and batch operations.

Using Help

Installation process

RapidRAW is a cross-platform desktop application that supports Windows, macOS and Linux.Here are the detailed installation steps:

1. Cloning Codebase
   Open a terminal and run the following command to clone the RapidRAW code base:

   git clone https://github.com/CyberTimon/RapidRAW.git
   cd RapidRAW
   

2. Installing front-end dependencies
   Make sure you have Node.js and npm installed, then run it:

   npm install
   

3. Build and run
   Use Tauri to build and run the development model:

   npx tauri dev --release
   

   utilization --release parameter can speed up image loading. If you need a pre-compiled version, you can download the installer for your operating system from the GitHub distribution page (e.g. RapidRAW_v1.2.9_windows_x64.exe).

4. macOS Special Steps
   macOS users need to remove the app's quarantine flag to avoid the "file corruption" prompt:

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

5. AI function setting (optional)
   RapidRAW's generative AI features (such as generative replacement) require a local connection to the ComfyUI Backend. Currently this feature is a developer preview and requires manual configuration of the ComfyUI server. In the future, we plan to provide official Docker containers to simplify setup.

Main Functions

1. Open and edit RAW images

When RapidRAW is launched, folder navigation is displayed on the left side of the interface. Users can browse the folders and select RAW files (e.g. .NEF,.CR2). Double-click the image to open the main editing interface. The editing interface contains toolbar, adjustment panel and preview window. Adjustment panel supports exposure, white balance, curve and sharpening parameters with real-time preview. Exposure adjustments are displayed as "aperture value", which is convenient for photographers to understand.

2. Using Advanced Masking

Masking is one of the highlights of RapidRAW. Click the "Mask" button in the toolbar to enter the mask editing mode. Users can create multiple masks and perform add, subtract or combine operations. For example, select the "Brush" tool to draw a masked area on the image, and then adjust the brightness or color to affect only the selected area. Masks support multi-layer management for complex editing needs, such as local color enhancement or background defocus.

3. Batch export

In the file management panel, check multiple images and click "Export" button, you can set the export format (JPEG, PNG, TIFF), quality, size and naming rules. Users can set the export format (JPEG, PNG, TIFF), quality, size, and naming convention.RapidRAW supports preserving or removing metadata (such as GPS information), which is suitable for privacy protection or batch processing. The export process is accelerated by the GPU for faster speeds.

4. AI-assisted masking

The built-in AI Mask feature automatically recognizes the subject or background in an image. When you click the "AI Mask" button, the software analyzes the image and generates a mask. For example, when shooting portraits, AI quickly separates the people from the background, making it easy to make individual adjustments. Users should ensure that their hardware supports GPU acceleration for best results.

5. Customized interfaces

In "Settings", you can adjust the interface theme (e.g. dark or light mode) and enable "Adaptive Theme" to let the interface color change with the image. You can also drag panels to adjust the layout, or enable window transparency (via the shortcut keys w (Toggles the waveform graph display).

6. Viewing EXIF data

In the Image Properties panel, click on "EXIF Data" to view camera settings such as shutter speed, ISO and lens information. This data helps users analyze shooting conditions and optimize post-production adjustments.

7. History and presets

Each edit is automatically recorded in the history panel, click "Undo" or "Redo" to retrace the operation. Users can save the current adjustment as a preset, click the "Preset" button and select "Save", next time you can apply it to other images with one click.

caveat

• RapidRAW is still under development and may have unfixed bugs such as slow loading images or a laggy interface. Issues can be submitted via GitHub.
• Generative AI features require additional configuration and are suitable for users with a technical background.
• It is recommended to run on high-performance GPUs (e.g. NVIDIA's latest series) for the best experience, older hardware (e.g. Pascal architecture GPUs) may have limited performance.

application scenario

1. Professional Photography Post
   Photographers can use RapidRAW to process high-resolution RAW files, adjusting exposure, color, and sharpness to quickly produce high-quality work. Non-destructive editing ensures that raw files are safe for repeated adjustments.
2. Batch Image Processing
   Event photographers or e-commerce practitioners can save time by utilizing the batch export feature to quickly process hundreds of images, uniformly adjust the style and export to a specific format.
3. AI Assisted Creative Editing
   Content creators can use AI masks to quickly separate subjects, adjust backgrounds, or add effects for short videos or social media content.
4. Photography enthusiasts learn
   Beginners can learn the relationship between photographic parameters and post-adjustment through the EXIF data viewing and history recording functions to improve their skills.

QA

1. What file formats does RapidRAW support?
   Support for common RAW formats (e.g. .NEF,.CR2,.ARWExport supports JPEG, PNG, and TIFF.
2. How can I optimize the performance of RapidRAW?
   utilization --release mode, or make sure the GPU driver is up to date. High-performance GPUs (such as the NVIDIA RTX series) are recommended.
3. How is the Generative AI feature enabled?
   You need to set up your local ComfyUI server manually, see the GitHub documentation for details. The official Docker container has not yet been released.
4. How does RapidRAW compare to Lightroom?
   RapidRAW is lighter, focuses on GPU acceleration and cross-platform support, but is not yet as functional as Lightroom, and is suitable for users looking for speed.