HDRModi

HDRModi is a free, open-source software framework for high dynamic range (HDR) imaging. It provides tools to merge multiple exposure images into a single HDR radiance map and to apply tone mapping for display on standard dynamic range screens. The project emphasizes a modular architecture and scriptability to accommodate diverse workflows.

Development and history: HDRModi emerged as a collaborative project on a community code hosting platform in the early 2020s. The core team aimed to create an accessible, transparent HDR toolset that could interoperate with existing image pipelines. The project is released under a permissive license and accepts contributions from photographers, developers, and researchers. It has since seen periodic releases with new features and performance improvements.

Features and capabilities: HDRModi includes exposure fusion and alignment algorithms, automatic ghost artifact reduction, color management and white balance tools, and tone mapping operators including Drago and Reinhard variants. It supports reading and writing common HDR formats such as OpenEXR and Radiance HDR, and can export 8- to 16-bit tonemapped images for standard display. The system offers a command-line interface and an optional graphical user interface, plus API hooks for scripting and plugin development.

Technical approach and workflow: The pipeline typically accepts a bracketed set of input images, performs alignment and deghosting, builds an HDR radiance map, and applies local or global tone mapping. It is designed to work on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with optional GPU acceleration where supported.

Reception and impact: HDRModi is used by hobbyists and some professional photographers as part of open-source pipelines. It is noted for transparency, extensibility, and interoperability with other HDR tools, though it does not have the same market presence as some commercial HDR software. The project maintains documentation and community discussions to guide new users.