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Features

1: Features

Below are some of the notable features of ARW Photo Culler:

1 - Features

RawCull features

The initial version exclusively supports culling Sony A1 mkI and mkII RAW files. While it may be compatible with other Sony ARW files, this has not been tested.

Privacy & Security

RawCull prioritizes your privacy and security with the following measures:

Digitally Signed & Notarized: The application is signed and notarized by Apple, protecting against tampering and ensuring authenticity
Sandboxed Application: Runs in a secure sandbox environment, limiting access to only the files and folders you explicitly grant
Local-Only Processing: All photo processing happens entirely on your Mac—no cloud synchronization or data collection
No Telemetry: RawCull does not collect, transmit, or store any usage data or personal information
File System Security: Uses macOS security features to ensure safe access to your photo library with explicit user permissions
Default rsync: Uses default /usr/bin/rsync for the actual copy of files, also includes a --dry-run (simulate) copy
Non destructive: RawCull is only copying files, no delete or overwrite of files

Your photos and culling decisions remain completely private and under your control at all times.

Settings view

RawCull provides comprehensive settings to customize your culling experience and optimize performance:

Cache Management: Control thumbnail cache location and size to balance performance with disk space usage
Thumbnail Quality: Adjust thumbnail generation settings to optimize preview quality and loading speed
Memory Settings: Configure memory allocation for handling large photo catalogs efficiently
Display Preferences: Customize the interface layout, zoom behavior, and preview options to match your workflow

Access these settings from the application menu to fine-tune RawCull for your specific needs and system configuration. The cache statistics presents the memory hit-rate when viewing photos.

The memory tab displays the memory utilized, the total memory capacity, and a memory-pressure warning.

Scan catalog

When you select a folder containing your photos, RawCull performs a comprehensive scan to index all supported image files:

Fast Indexing: Quickly reads metadata from all ARW files in the selected directory
Thumbnail Generation: Creates high-quality thumbnails for instant preview during culling
Progress Tracking: Real-time progress indicator shows scanning status and estimated completion time
Background Processing: Scan operation uses efficient threading to maximize performance without freezing the interface

The scanning process prepares your entire photo library for efficient review, ensuring responsive navigation and smooth culling workflow.

Main view

After scanning completes, RawCull displays your photo library in a comprehensive interface designed for efficient culling:

Large Preview Area: View your current photo in high quality to assess composition and technical details
Thumbnail Grid: Browse your entire catalog with responsive thumbnails showing all indexed photos
Sidebar Navigation: Quick access to filtering options, marking tools, and library statistics
File Details Panel: View EXIF metadata, file information, and technical specifications for each photo
Marking Controls: Easily tag, rate, and organize photos with intuitive keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls
Status Indicators: Visual markers show which photos are tagged, rated, or marked for review

The main view provides everything you need to review, evaluate, and organize your photo library in one unified interface.

Main view hide Sidebar and File details

For focused culling sessions, RawCull allows you to maximize screen space by hiding interface elements:

Hide Sidebar: Remove the sidebar to dedicate more space to photo viewing and evaluation
Hide File Details: Collapse the file details panel when metadata isn’t needed for your current review
Distraction-Free Mode: Focus entirely on the visual quality of photos without UI elements competing for attention
Zoom View: With more screen space available, your photos display larger for better quality assessment
Quick Toggle: Easily show or hide panels as needed during your culling session
Responsive Layout: The interface automatically adjusts to utilize available screen space efficiently

This flexible layout adapts to your workflow, whether you need detailed metadata or prefer an uncluttered view focused purely on visual evaluation.

JPG-view

RawCull can extract and display the embedded JPG preview from Sony ARW files for quick review:

Fast Preview Access: View the JPG preview embedded in your RAW files without full RAW processing
Lightweight Viewing: JPG previews load instantly, ideal for rapid browsing through large catalogs
Zoom Capability: Inspect details by zooming into the JPG preview to assess sharpness and composition
Exported JPG Files: RawCull can generate standalone JPG files (approximately 10 MB each, downsampled 50%) from ARW files for external viewing
macOS Integration: Generated JPG files can be opened in macOS Photo Viewer or other applications
Collaborative Sharing: Share JPG previews with colleagues or clients without requiring RAW file support

The JPG-view feature provides a convenient way to quickly evaluate photos or create shareable previews while preserving your original RAW files for final editing.

Main and JPG-view

For comprehensive photo evaluation, RawCull allows you to view both the RAW preview and extracted JPG side-by-side:

Dual View Mode: Compare the RAW render with the embedded JPG preview simultaneously
Quality Comparison: Evaluate differences between RAW processing and the camera’s JPG rendering
Synchronized Navigation: Both views stay in sync as you browse through your photo library
Independent Zoom: Zoom into different areas of each view to inspect specific details
Workflow Flexibility: Switch between single and dual view modes depending on your current task
Decision Confidence: Make more informed culling decisions by seeing both representations of your photos

This dual-view capability is particularly useful for evaluating exposure, color rendition, and overall image quality before committing to your final selections.