Microsoft Labs has released a new version of HDView which now has evolved to a high dynamic range, high resolution image viewer.
The most apparent new features are:
- the possibility to use 8-, 16-, or 32 bit (HDR) images.
- New high dynamic range adaption methods: "auto-contrast" and "realtime tonemapping", enabling an adequate display of HDR images.
This feature comes with a price to pay: You need a reasonably modern GPU which supports pixelshader 2.0 or above. If your GPU doesn't support it, you can still explore the images but you can't use the auto-contrast or tonemapping feature. - a new viewing type: fisheye mode. This is very helpful if you have to display a very wide viewing angle, but it is also fun just to play with...
Also, there are a lot of not so apparent things that changed without being noticeable at first glance:
- Color management: You can embed color profiles which will ensure that the images are best possible viewed on your specific hardware (monitor)
- You can directly use KML Photo Overlays. This means, images prepared for Google Earth display can be viewed in HDView
- The 3DConnexion device and the XBox controller can be used as an input device
- etcetc... Read more about the new version at the HDView blog!
Demonstration and test samples:
Spherical HDR panoramas at http://hdview.at/hdr
(click image to open list of HDR panoramas)
NY Rooftop by Christian Bloch, EdenFX
(click image to open panorama)KML Photo Overlay examples,
Images are served directly from the gigapan.org site:
(click image to open)
Original GigaPan image
