Radiance HDR Image (.HDR)
HDR (High Dynamic Range) Radiance format, also known as RGBE, stores images with a high dynamic range of luminance values using a run-length encoded format. Developed by Greg Ward for the Radiance lighting simulation system, it encodes each pixel as three 8-bit mantissas and a shared 8-bit exponent. HDR images capture a much wider range of brightness than standard 8-bit formats.
Advantages of Radiance HDR Image
What the HDR format does well, and why you might choose it.
- Captures a wide dynamic range of lighting from very dark to very bright
- Relatively compact encoding for high dynamic range data
- Widely supported in 3D rendering, game engines, and compositing software
Limitations of Radiance HDR Image
What the HDRformat doesn't do well, and when to choose another format.
- Lower precision than 32-bit EXR for demanding visual effects work
- Not suitable for direct display without tone mapping
- Limited to RGB data with no alpha channel support
What HDR files are used for
- Environment maps and image-based lighting in 3D rendering
- HDR photography merging and tone mapping workflows
- Lighting simulation and architectural visualization
Convert to HDR
The most common formats people convert to HDR, ready to convert in seconds.
Convert HDR to other formats
Convert Radiance HDR Image files into the format you actually need.
Frequently asked questions about HDR
What is a .HDR file?
HDR (High Dynamic Range) Radiance format, also known as RGBE, stores images with a high dynamic range of luminance values using a run-length encoded format. Developed by Greg Ward for the Radiance lighting simulation system, it encodes each pixel as three 8-bit mantissas and a shared 8-bit exponent. HDR images capture a much wider range of brightness than standard 8-bit formats.
What is the MIME type of HDR?
The official MIME type for HDR files is image/vnd.radiance. This is the value web servers and applications use to identify the format when transferring files.
What category does HDR belong to?
HDR is a Image Converter format. Files in this category share common conversion paths and use cases.
How do I open a .HDR file?
HDR files are typically opened by software that natively supports the Radiance HDR Imageformat. If you don't have a compatible application, the most reliable approach is to convert the file to a more universal format using the converters listed above. Most Radiance HDR Image files convert to widely-supported alternatives in seconds.
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