The Hive

Presentation
Current features
Supported platforms
Limitations
Downloads
Todo list
Contacts
Snapshots
Usage

Presentation

Several years ago, I'd search a simple image difference tool with a user friendly GUI, but my googling was unsuccesfull. So I decided to write my own one. 

DiffImg is a simple image comparison tool which take two images with the same size as input. Some statitics are computed and the positions where pixel differ are displayed as a color mask.

Why check for image difference ?

• Compression level comparison
• Raytracing parametrization optimisation
• Non regression tests for 3D engine
• Just for fun !!

DifffImg use QImage as inner format so it has been tested only on RGB image, so alpha channel or float texture aren't take into account.

Because DiffImg is written with Qt, it runs on Windows and Linux (MacOSX isn't tested yet). It can read basic formats as BMP, PNG, JPG. You
can add more formats if needed by using bridge plugins to the FreeImage or the Devil libraries.

Current Features

• Image difference display : a yellow/red mask can overlay the original/modified images.
• Single/Dual panels mode.
• Statistic computation: Mean error, RMS error and min/max are computed.
• Histogram of error.
• "Slideshow" : DiffImg can compare directory of image, so you can switch to the previous/next comparison if you have two folders with the same image list.
• Supported files :DifffImg uses Qt plugins to load images, so by default it can read basic formats as BMP, PNG, JPG. You can add more formats if needed by using bridge plugins to the FreeImage or the Devil libraries.
• Basic batch mode

Current Supported Plaforms

• Windows XP, Vista, Seven (with provided installer)
• Linux (with recompilation).
• Mac OSX: why not ? (but not tested)

Known limitations

Mac OSX will works with some corrections in the building files but the author hasn't the ability to test this configuration (Help wanted !!).
DiffImg has been tested only with RGB image (alpha channel is ignored).
Because of the use of QImage 16bits by channel image are unsupported.

Downloads

DiffImg is available on SourceForge in setup.exe for windows and source archive for other platforms (qmake and cmake configurations included).

Todo list

• More translations (help wanted !!)
• MAC OSX effective support (help wanted !!)
• .deb, .rpm, .dmg delivery
• Adding other difference metrics.
• more features ?

Contacts

If you have suggestions, problems or questions about this tool, you can:

• send me directly a mail at xbee at xbee dot net
• use the SourceForge forum here
• create a ticket on SourceForge (here)

Don't hesitate to send me your creation, I will create a specific gallery for that soon.

If you want to help with translation, you can send me the translated Qt Linguist file (*.ts) or use the Transifex website (you need to create a free account as translator).

Snapshots

Main Interface

Main Interface with thumbnail view

Startup parameters panel

Usage

DiffImg is quite straightforward to use. The main interface  is described below:

1. The Quit button
2. Show the image selector
3. Reload the input files
4. Select the image displayed in the center panel (source, modified and difference).
5. Swith on/off the two panels display.
6. Enable/Disable the error overlay on the center panel.
7. Zoom management
8. DiffImg keep in mind all the images found in the input directories and sort them alphabetically. By pressing Next/Previous, DiffImg try to find the same name in the both input directories (if different).
9. Dispkay the parameters panel.
10. Go to the online help or display informations on DiffImg.
11. Original button. You can display the original image in the center panel by clicking on the image. The red rectangle is the current displayed area.
12. Modified image button. Same action as the previous one.
13. Difference button. Sme action as the previous one.
14. Difference histogramme
15. Difference summary
16. Info panel on pixel under the mouse cursor.

Main interface description