I am running Vista x64 and have many Canon Raw image files (*.cr2) on my disk. I am using the Ardfry Imaging Canon RAW CODEC, which allows me to preview Canon Raw files in Windows Explorer. Although I have set the preferences to "Use shell image extraction for formats Opus does not understand," DO9 will not display my Canon Raw files. DO9 seems to have no issue displaying JPG files, although I gather that is to be expected. Does anyone have any insight into what I may need to do to have DO9 access the Ardfry CODEC so that it can display the CR2 files?
A native Opus plugin for viewing Raw files on x64 has been started (by me in my spare time) but I'm struggling to find time to finish it at the moment due to non-Opus work.
I don't know if there's a way to make the Canon Codec work in Opus. Not sure how Explorer talks to it. There are some new thumbnail interfaces in Vista which Opus doesn't support yet (and AFAIK nothing much uses, but maybe this is an exception) and there's also a special API for the Raw codecs (high-def image stuff) which it could be using. I've been meaning to look into it for a while but only after the native plugin is completed.
BTW, the last I heard the Canon etc. codecs were not very stable so I was in no hurry to look at them. That must've been about 9-12 months ago, though. Do they work well now?
I have been using the Ardfry Canon CODEC for about six months and have no stability issues so far. The CODEC seems to interact seamlessly with Explorer, but, as far as the details of how the CODEC interacts with Explorer, that is well beyond my technical expertise. The Ardfry web site (ardfry.com/cr2-codec/) provides only very limited information--not much beyond the fact that the CODEC supports thumbnails, Preview, and metadata viewing.
Essentially "dedicated to the CHDK firmware add-on for Canon's Digic II & Digic III cameras," it also has pointers to resources that can help to unravel Canon's imaging.
I have seen no reports of flaky codecs from Canon. But Canon does not make it easy to keep up with its constant stream of software tweaks. You pretty well have to make regular visits.
I don't know if there's a way to make the Canon Codec work in Opus. Not sure how Explorer talks to it. There are some new thumbnail interfaces in Vista which Opus doesn't support yet [...]
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WIC codecs either implement IThumbnailProvider or use the bridge provided by Windows Photo Gallery.
Client applications should use the IShellItemImageFactory interface on a shell item to get a thumbnail on Vista.
Previews are handled via the IPreviewHandler interface.
Metadata ends up in the standard property store.
In short, just treat RAW files as standard shell items, and then you won't have to do anything specific. RAW files end up exposing all of the standard interfaces for the Shell to use, albeit a few layers above WIC.
Opus should already hook into that for thumbnails then, but not the viewer currently.
It should be moot as there is now a 64-bit version of the Raw plugin. See the plugins forum for the download. (It'll be included in the next Opus release, too.)