Support for Capture One - EIP Format

[RobiWan]

Hi,

can you please implement to manage/ view Thumbnail EIP files? EIP is a "special" Capture One format. This means in a ZIP file is a picture and all Settings compressed. Picture can be a RAW, TIFF.... all formats Capture One can work with. This is for C1 users (like me) - portable format, because you have our picture and all settings(edits)
(If needed I can send you an example file)

Robert

[Mario]

Don't they install a shell thumbnail handler for their proprietary format?
Other vendors do (e.g Affinity), and this allows Windows Explorer, IMatch and other applications which can use shell thumbnail handlers to display previews. If they don't, they should.

Why not store settings in a sub-folder as before? Equally portable, just copy the folder or ZIP when really needed for transport.

Also easier for file-based backups that way. Only backup changed files (settings, usually) but not always a large ZIP with mostly unchanged data.

More important, ExifTool cannot reach the metadata in these files either, right?
Phil would have to add support as well, for unpacking the ZIP before attempting to read metadata from the image file within.
Same for metadata write-back. ExifTool would have to unpack the ZIP to get the image and then write the metadata to the images and ZIP everything up again.

Lots of extra effort and work for everybody involved, trying to handle these "special" C1 files. Not a fan already.

Feel free to send me a sample file. Include a link back to this thread so I know what's what.

[RobiWan]

More important, ExifTool cannot reach the metadata in these files either, right?

Exiftool can read metadata from EIP File Hera a partial output

exiftool C:\Temp\c1\_rr54000.eip
ExifTool Version Number        : 12.92
File Name                      : _rr54000.eip
Directory                      : C:/Temp/c1
File Size                      : 88 MB
File Modification Date/Time    : 2024:09:16 17:23:18+02:00
File Access Date/Time          : 2024:09:18 18:58:27+02:00
File Creation Date/Time        : 2024:09:16 17:20:05+02:00
File Permissions                : -rw-rw-rw-
File Type                      : EIP
File Type Extension            : eip
MIME Type                      : application/x-captureone
Zip Required Version            : 20
Zip Bit Flag                    : 0
Zip Compression                : None
Zip Modify Date                : 2024:09:16 09:27:40
Zip CRC                        : 0xc928451b
Zip Compressed Size            : 68863574
Zip Uncompressed Size          : 68863574
Zip File Name                  : 0.cr3
Author                          : 16.4.5.2312 Pro Win
Camera Firmware                : Firmware Version 1.7.0
Camera Lens                    : Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Camera Make                    : Canon
Camera Model                    : Canon EOS R5

Why not store settings in a sub-folder as before?

If a user uses capture One with catalog, than all settings are stored in catalog database and not in folders/ subfolders.

[Mario]

Exiftool can read metadata from EIP File Hera a partial output

Well, that's good news then. I have never seen an EIP file and I don't use C1, so please send me some samples, (with different payloads if possible, from RAW to TIFF or JPG).

I assume there is no official thumbnail handler from C1?

And so I should spend time with this to understand how to unpack the ZIP, extract the embedded image, process the image to create a thumbnail and cache image, there will be no preview in IMatch for these proprietary files.

Since I've never heard about EIP before, how many C1 users in the IMatch user base use this specific file format and want me to add support for it into IMatch.

Use the "Like" feature for the original post above so I see how many users are interested.

[thrinn]

I use Capture One, but not the EIP format. According to their user manual, only RAW files can be packed as EIP (together with all kind of related settings). There is a note saying:

Please note that DNGs, JPEG and TIFF files cannot be packed as EIP.

So, no different payloads...

[RobiWan]

only RAW files can be packed as EIP

You are right.

@Mario sorry for the confusion, I thought you could grab all the images that C1 can process. But that is not the case. Only RAW, so have an example.

IMatch knows EIP from definition,

You cannot view this attachment.

[Mario]

IMatch knows EIP from definition,

So, all is well then?!

As soon as C1 provides a standard shell thumbnail handler for this proprietary format, you will be able see previews in Windows Explorer, IMatch and other software.

No action required on my part

Consider asking C1 to move forward the development of a thumbnail handler for optimal integration of their proprietary file format with Windows and other application as quickly as possible.
If they tell you they won't do this, ponder if using such a proprietary format is a good idea...or just a way for C1 to lock you into their ecosystem.

[RobiWan]

Consider asking C1 to move forward the development of a thumbnail handler

A request like this is shot down just as quickly as here.

I think, I will completely deactivate the format in Imatch. Better not to manage than to manage badly.

[Mario]

I've had a look at the proprietary EIP file from CaptureOne.
It seems CaptureOne tried to "invent" DNG again, but in a proprietary fashion?

DNG is an ISO standard and widely supported. It can contain the original RAW image, all metadata, an embedded preview image and more. It can do all EIP can.

The EIP file @RobiWan has provided is a ZIP file.
It contains a file named 0.cr3 and a bunch of XML files. And a .cos file in a sub-folder.

None of my test editors can read the XML files, because they use some sort of encoding but don't declare it.
None of my web browsers can read the XML, all complain about XML format errors.
Seems like C1 has cooked up some strange XML variant.

ExifTool can extract proprietary CaptureOne data from the EIP, I assume it knows how to deal the the special XML.
It does not, however, extract the EXIF data or other metadata contained in the embedded CR3 file.

There is no standard XMP metadata anywhere. Only proprietary C1 metadata.
Even descriptions and keywords are stored in C1 metadata and not in XMP.
I don't like this.

I decided not to support EIP files on top of what IMatch can do already.
There is no documentation, e.g. how to decode the XML, how to find the name of the embedded RAW file etc.
It's not worth it.

EIP may be OK as a temporary format when you only want to transfer "one" file instead of many. Or to exchange files between C1 users.

For archival or exchange with non-C1 users, this format is useless. Even potentially dangerous. DNG, as an open format and an ISO standard will be supported for a long time. Who knows how long C1 will support EIP? Closed and proprietary file formats are always a bad thing, IMHO.