An Image Processing Control/Component by Pegasus Imaging Corporation

It provides total control over image manipulation, compression, decompression, and conversion. PICTools technologies are supported across multiple environments, including 32-bit Windows, 64-bit Windows, Linux, Solaris, AIX, Mac OS X, and more.

Deployment of PICTools technology is licensed on a per situation basis, and requires a licensing agreement with Pegasus. This requires a discussion with a Pegasus sales representative about your desired use of PICTools and the specific features for your application deployment.

Technical Notes
- Programming environment: C/C++
- Sample code is included
- Thread-safe to allow simultaneous operations
- Buffer to buffer image processing for maximum flexibility
- Static and shared dispatcher libraries combined with compressed opcode DLLs enable creation of single file executables
- The low-level API (Application Programmers Interface) offers total control of image processing functions
- Provides exceptional stability and high speed in limited-resource environments
- Complete trial version includes documentation, operation samples, a source sample application and technical support

PICTools Architecture
The PICTools software architecture consists of a shared library (the "dispatcher") that loads operation specific shared libraries ("opcodes") for modular, discrete functionality. One major advantage to the use of this architecture is the ability of Pegasus to rapidly port opcodes to different processors. Each opcode begins as an ANSI "C" coded library. This library is then optimized for the target chip using assembler and processor-specific optimizations. The dispatcher is ported to "new" operating systems by implementing the code-loading functionality of each OS. PICTools’ dispatcher / opcode architecture facilitates a la carte opcode usage in a consistent interface across opcodes and operating systems.

PICTools Photo includes a combination of opcodes containing individual feature sets. Each opcode allows the user to perform specific functions. PICTools is licensed per opcode used. See the detailed list of available features (PICTools Photo Opcodes).

Compression and File Format Support
- JPEG (Progressive)
- JPEG (Sequential) – 24-bit RGB, 8-bit grayscale
- Patented technology for enhanced JPEG decompression will remove block artifacts from over-compressed JPEG images without blurring
- JPEG (Progressive) to JPEG (Sequential) Transcoder
- JPEG 2000 - 24-bit RGB, 8-bit grayscale
- JPIP Client/Server Technology for JPEG 2000
- Ideal for large images, this SDK provides sophisticated imaging technology enabling engineers to design and build a JPEG 2000 JPIP implementation wholly in accordance with the JPEG 2000, Part 9 standard. The JPIP standard is designed to speed optimize network viewing of user selectable resolutions and areas of interest on JPEG 2000 images. The PICTools Photo SDK provides a complete JPIP API for client and server side deployments, and provides JPEG 2000 compliant compression, JPIP request and receive, and decompression of JPEG 2000 images. The Pegasus Imaging JPIP implementation benefits from many years of experience working with streamed multi-resolution image formats.
- PCX
- PDF - Single or Multi-Page with Embedded Image
- Camera RAW
- Automatic detection and decompression of vendor-specific Camera RAW photos from Canon, Fuji, Kodak, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus and more. (See list of makes and models)
- PNG
- TGA
- TIFF
- BMP
- DCX
- ePIC (Proprietary)
- Supports PIC format compression, replacing the JPEG Huffman encoder with the proprietary ELS entropy encoder for 15% more compression, and can be losslessly converted back to JPEG format using Op_RORE
- GIF / LZW

Image Editing & Processing
Advanced JPEG Editing within Compressed JPEG DCT Space
Pegasus Imaging has conducted a vast amount of research to enhance its JPEG editing, compression, speed, clean up, and artifact removal algorithms. Many of these technologies seem routine at first, but Pegasus is the only company in the world that provides JPEG editing directly on JPEG compressed data thereby avoiding the quality loss of recompression and color conversion normally associated with editing JPEG images.
Color Adjustments (including auto color level, auto contrast)

BEFOREAFTER
- Color Conversion, Palette Creation, Rotation
- Deskew
- EXIF Meta Data Editing
- Image Resizing
- Auto Red Eye Detection and Removal with Confidence Reporting
- Adjust for glare, darkness, and red face
- On JPEG image data, the red eye removal feature decompresses the eye area, makes the corrections, recompresses the area, and replaces the area with the improved image
- Remove compression artifacts