Image/Paint libraries (OpenEXR)

[Roger Larsson]

OpenEXR

	http://www.openexr.com/

Advantages:
	* C++ (but is sometimes very low level)
	* Already works
	* Corporate support, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
	* Handle (very) large images.

	http://www.openexr.com/details.html

	* Higher dynamic range and color precision than existing 8- and 10-bit image
	   file formats. 
	* Support for 16-bit floating-point, 32-bit floating-point, and 32-bit
	   integer pixels. The 16-bit floating-point format, called "half", is
	   compatible with the half data type in NVIDIA's Cg graphics language
	   and is supported natively on their new GeForce FX and Quadro FX 3D
	   graphics solutions. 
	* Multiple lossless image compression algorithms. Some of the included codecs
	   can achieve 2:1 lossless compression ratios on images with film grain.
	* Extensibility. New compression codecs and image types can easily be added
	   by extending the C++ classes included in the OpenEXR software
	   distribution. New image attributes (strings, vectors, integers, etc.) can
	   be added to OpenEXR image headers without affecting backward compatibility
	   with existing OpenEXR applications. 

Disadvantages:
	* More of a file format than paint library - but if you do not paint using it
	   from where comes the requirements for the dynamic range?
	* Probably not optimized for general paintbox apps (but does any other handle
	   this dynamic range?)
	* Undo/Redo handling?
	* License: BSD like with anouncement if used binary

"Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are
met:
*       Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
*       Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above
copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer
in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the
distribution.
*       Neither the name of Industrial Light & Magic nor the names of
its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived
from this software without specific prior written permission.

- - -"

/RogerL

-- 
Roger Larsson
Skellefteå
Sweden