outputimg

outputimg is a command‑line utility developed for the OpenImage suite, first released in 2017 by the University of Malmö’s Computer Vision Group. Its primary purpose is to convert raw pixel buffers produced by rendering engines or machine‑learning models into standard visual file formats such as PNG, JPEG, and TIFF. The tool was created to provide a lightweight, cross‑platform solution for developers who need to embed image export functionality into larger pipelines without adding heavyweight dependencies.

The utility accepts input either as a file path to a binary buffer or through standard input. Users can specify the desired output format, resolution, color depth, and compression parameters via command‑line flags. For example, the flag ‑‑format png requests PNG encoding, while ‑‑quality 85 controls JPEG quality. outputimg supports 8‑bit and 16‑bit color depths and can handle both grayscale and true‑color images. Its source code, released under the MIT license, is written in C++ and uses the libpng and libjpeg libraries for encoding.

In addition to basic format conversion, outputimg includes a preview feature that renders the final image in a simple window, allowing quick verification of the results. Developers have integrated outputimg into automated test suites, continuous‑integration pipelines, and build scripts for applications ranging from game engines to scientific visualization tools. The tool is maintained by a small community of contributors on GitHub.

Limitations of outputimg include its lack of support for vector graphics, limited error handling for corrupted input buffers, and no built‑in support for animated formats such as GIF or WebP. Future releases aim to add these capabilities and improve performance on large‑scale datasets. Despite its modest feature set, outputimg remains popular among developers seeking a dependable and straightforward image export utility.