Viewing RAW file

[PhotoPhil]

A basic question if I may because I cannot find the info in help......
When looking at a thumbnail in the file window or a full size image in the viewer for a RAW file, are the displays based on the jpg file embedded in the RAW file or the basic RAW info?

My RAW files are NEF, ORF or DNG. The following is an extract from the WIC diagnostics for an ORF file - can you explain to me what this all means?

Codec 'Olympus Raw Decoder (FastPictureViewer Codec Pack)' for extensions .orf
   Codec 'Sigma X3F Decoder (FastPictureViewer Codec Pack)' for extensions .x3f
   Codec 'Valve Texture Format Decoder (FastPictureViewer Codec Pack)' for extensions .vtf
   Codec 'Silicon Graphics RGB Decoder (FastPictureViewer Codec Pack)' for extensions .sgi,.rgb
   Codec 'ORF Decoder' for extensions .orf


WIC: Testing file 'D:\PHOTOMASTER - RAW\2018\2018-0415-Urban Landscape-Pt Leo\1 Import\2018-04-15 1643-55.ORF'
   Thumbnail: Codec 'Olympus Raw Decoder (FastPictureViewer Codec Pack)'
      (GetThumbnail failed (88982F44 The bitmap codec does not support a thumbnail.).) 0x0 pixel in 0 ms.
   Preview: Codec 'Olympus Raw Decoder (FastPictureViewer Codec Pack)'
      (GetPreview failed (88982F81 The operation is unsupported.).) 0x0 pixel in 0 ms.
   Full resolution: Codec 'Olympus Raw Decoder (FastPictureViewer Codec Pack)'
      () 2400x3200 pixel in 0 ms.


Thanks so much
Phil

edit:  I now notice that for DNG and NEF files the WIC diagnostic includes the comment "WIC Result: A codec for this file format is installed and it looks like it fully supports the format. The file does not contain an embedded preview."  This note does not show for my ORF files - does it matter?
Phil

[Mario]

IMatch prefers the embedded JPEG preview if it is large enough.

How large is large enough is controlled under Edit > Preferences > Cache. The default is 1920 pixels - because most (modern) RAW files either contain a 100% embedded preview (same size as the RAW data) or a low-res preview smaller than 1920 pixel. In this case IMatch then develops the full RAW using the WIC codec or LibRaw, which can be considerably slower.

You can find the details in the IMatch help:

https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/#rmh_config_cache.htm

Tip: Searching for terms like preview or raw immediately leads to this help topic.

[PhotoPhil]

Thanks, Mario.
I did search the help but did not find it - that is why I am reluctant to ask questions.
At this stage I am trying to work out if I can cease using Lightroom for the library but do not yet know how to handle the years of RAW images that have been developed in Lightroom and not exported with the changes.
Phil

[Mario]

I did search the help but did not find it - that is why I am reluctant to ask questions.

That's what this community is for.

(...)handle the years of RAW images that have been developed in Lightroom and not exported with the changes.

That's a typical issue caused by RAW developers. Until you persist your changes (e.g., saving your RAW + development settings to a DNG or TIFF file) all your work only exists inside the proprietary database of your RAW development software. You cannot even reuse it in another RAW developer.

One good workflow is DNG-based. Because DNG can contain a "as-intended" preview so you see your files in IMatch as they look in your RAW development software.

Another workflow is to manage both the RAW and a "final" version (or just a JPEG you saved in your RAW processing software) and then use the built-in versioning in IMatch to make the RAW look like the JPEG (version proxy).

Other users prefer to manage only their final files and versions in IMatch. In this case the images enter IMatch when they have been developed in a RAW processing software.

IMatch can display your RAW files, but of course they will look different then in your RAW development software. How the RAW is rendered depends on the WIC codec used, or on LibRaw, when no coded is installed.