PonZ Contents Viewer

Release notes: v3.1.1

v3.1.1 is a maintenance release on top of v3.1.0. It adds direct export to the macOS Photos.app as a destination, and fixes the post-rotation crop / spot-fix bugs.

New

• Destination = Photos.app macOS: The export dialog now offers a Destination toggle between Folder (the existing behavior) and Photos.app. When Photos.app is selected, the rendered file is handed straight into the macOS Photos library and the Output Folder is ignored.

Bug fixes

• Crop ratio after a 90° / 270° rotation: Picking a 1:1 / 4:3 / 3:2 / L / 16:9 / orig preset right after rotating the image used to compute the rect against the pre-rotation aspect, producing a thin slip-shaped frame. The crop now matches the rotated composition.
• Spot-fix coordinates after rotation: Reference and apply points for spot-fix could land at the wrong source-pixel location while the image was 90° / 270° rotated. The transform now follows the rotated display correctly.

Release notes: v3.1.0

v3.1.0 rolls up the major additions since v3.0.3. The main themes are multi-window workspaces, stronger culling with C.TAG / stacks, 10-bit HEIF / HIF editing, HEIF export from RAW/DNG, and Max MB export.

Multi-window and workspaces

• Multi-window support (Preview / Edit): Turn on Settings → Display → Multi-Window to open the selected file's Preview / Edit in a separate BrowserWindow while the thumbnail browser remains visible. Movies still launch in the existing native player. Ratings, color labels, edit parameters, and per-file LUT changes auto-sync between windows in real time.
• Workspaces: The Window menu can save named main + secondary window positions and sizes. The workspace list shows the saved display layout and highlights entries that match the current monitor setup.
• Priority workspace cycle button: Mark up to 3 workspaces as pinned, then cycle through them from the monitor-icon button in the main toolbar or secondary window title bar.
• Restore and sync: The app can restore the last window layout on launch. AF points, index numbers, sort order, filmstrips, ratings, color labels, edit parameters, and LUT settings sync between windows.
• Preview / Edit while keeping the grid: With Multi-Window on, Space / double-click / Cmd+E route to the secondary window and keep the main window as the grid.

Culling and classification

• C.TAG (custom tags): Classify portraits, live-event shots, group cuts, and other folder-hostile sets with 3-letter tags, colors, and descriptions. You can define up to 50 tags; each file can hold up to 5 custom tags.
• Tag assignment and filtering: Assign tags from the palette, remove individual tags, or clear all tags. The FilterBar supports C.TAG AND / OR matching, No Tags, Select All, and Clear.
• C.TAG shortcuts: By default, Cmd+1–9 assigns tags 1–9 and Cmd+0 clears custom tags. A setting can make the number keys prefer C.TAG instead.
• Stacks / Nikon Z Burst Auto Stack: Consecutive visible files can be stacked manually. Nikon Z stills with BurstGroupID metadata can be auto-stacked by same folder, camera, and BurstGroupID within a 5-minute span.

Edit and export

• Native 10-bit HEIF / HIF edit: .hif / .heif / .heic files can now enter EditMode and export back to 10-bit HEIF. This supports HIF workflows from cameras such as Fujifilm X100VI while keeping originals untouched.
• 10-bit SDR HEIF export from RAW/DNG: Any source that can be edited through the 16-bit Nikon SDK / LibRaw / Adobe DNG SDK / native HEIF path can now export as HEIC 4:2:2 or HEIC 4:2:0, not just JPEG. Nikon HLG NEF exports as HDR HEIF in Nikon SDK mode; regular RAW/DNG/HIF/HEIF/HEIC sources export as SDR HEIF.
• Max MB export: Export quality now includes Max MB. Set a target of 1 MB or higher and PonZCV accepts only candidates that are at or below that limit. If even the minimum quality cannot fit, export fails instead of creating an oversized file.

Other

• Auto exposure on first LibRaw decode: RAW files developed via LibRaw (NEF/NRW/ARW/CR3/CR2/RAF/RW2/ORF/PEF) used to look darker than the embedded JPEG. PonZCV now compares the embedded JPEG and LibRaw default medians on first Edit / Export and adjusts automatically. Sliders stay at zero, and the correction also applies to Export.

What this app does

• Import footage from SD cards and similar media into yyyy/mm folders automatically (Import / Organize).
• List, preview, and scrub-play RAW video (NRAW / R3D / R3D NE / Canon C-RAW) and standard video (MP4 / MOV).
• List and zoom-preview RAW stills (NEF / NRW / ARW / DNG / RAF / CR3 / CR2 / ORF / RW2 / PEF) and standard stills (JPEG / TIFF / PNG / HIF / HEIF / HEIC).
• Cull with star ratings, color labels, C.TAG custom tags, and stacks, then narrow with multi-condition filters. EXIF, AF points, GPS and other metadata are visible at a glance.
• Split Preview / Edit into a separate window and save multiple layouts as named workspaces.
• Develop stills non-destructively (19 sliders + Straighten / Crop / Perspective / Upright Auto / Spot Repair) and export to JPEG and 10-bit HEIF (RAW/DNG/HIF/HEIF/HEIC, Nikon HLG NEF).
• Add GPS coordinates from a GPX log after the fact. Capture-time offset adjustment is also available.
• For video: LUT preview, frame extract, send to DaVinci Resolve, and PonZ Trash for delete management.
• On macOS, Apple Intelligence powers tag search and photo critique, with optional PonVaultChat integration.

System Requirements

Installation

macOS

1. Download the DMG from the distribution page and open it.
2. Drag PonZ Contents Viewer.app into the Applications folder.
3. On first launch, right-click → Open → Open to clear the security check.

Windows

The Windows build is currently under development. No distribution is provided at the v3.1.1 milestone.

① Import footage

Tools for copying footage from SD cards and tidying up scattered folders. Open them via the Import button at the left edge of the FilterBar.

Import — copy from SD cards

Specify a source folder (SD card, etc.) and PonZCV recursively scans it, creating yyyy/mm buckets under a registered PonZ folder and copying files into them.

• Bucketing prefers EXIF capture time; if unavailable, the file modification time is used.
• Source files are not moved — only copied. The SD card is never modified.
• If a file with the same name and content already exists at the destination, it is automatically skipped (verified via SHA-256).
• A delta scan of the registered folders runs automatically when import finishes.

Organize — tidy folders

Sorts already-shot files into date folders. It has two channels: Drive and Local.

• Drive channel — moves originals into yyyy/mm folders within the same volume.
• Local channel — copies files to a destination under a registered PonZ folder.
• Drive and Local can be enabled simultaneously. For each source item, copy runs first and move runs second.
• Settings are persisted so you can run them again instantly next time.

② Browse and cull

Register folders and scan

Use + Add Folder at the bottom of the left pane (folder tree) to register a folder for scanning. Subdirectories are tree-built automatically. Right-click a folder row to edit its label, remove it, or rescan. You can drag folder rows to reorder them.

Two scan modes are provided: a delta scan (only added/updated/deleted differences are reflected) and a full scan. Normal operations run a delta scan. Right-click a folder row → Rescan (Full) for a full scan.

Media Mode (movie / still toggle)

The MOVIE / STILL buttons at the top of the left pane switch which media types are visible. Both ON shows a mixed view; only one ON narrows the view (at least one is always ON).

Selecting and viewing files

• Click to select a single file. Shift+click for range select; Cmd/Ctrl+click to add to the selection.
• Double-click a still to enter full-screen StillPreview. With Multi-Window on, it opens in the secondary window and the thumbnail browser stays visible. Double-click a video to launch the native video player.
• Hovering a video card scrubs through frames so you can preview start-to-end.
• Arrow keys move between files (up/down moves by row based on column count).

Thumbnail size

Use the slider at the right edge of the FilterBar, or Cmd/Ctrl+mouse wheel, to resize between 120 and 400 px.

Ratings and color labels

• 1–5 set star ratings; 0 clears.
• Color labels: q=red / w=yellow / e=green / r=blue / t=purple; y clears.
• Pressing the same color key again clears the label (Lightroom-compatible).
• You can also set them from the file's right-click menu and the star area in MetaPanel.

C.TAG (custom tags)

C.TAG lets you add short custom labels to photos without moving files between folders. It is designed for continuous portrait sessions, band / idol live shoots, solo / pair / group cuts, image cuts, and any other grouping you want to find later.

• Turn on Settings → Display → Enable C.TAG to show the C.TAG button and tagging-palette icon in the FilterBar.
• Use Tag Settings inside the C.TAG filter to create up to 50 tags, each with a 3-letter code, description, and color.
• The tagging palette is movable and stays visible until you close it. It can assign tags to the current file or a multi-selection.
• Each file can hold up to 5 custom tags. Thumbnails display colored 3-letter badges.
• Default shortcuts: Cmd+1–9 assigns tags 1–9; Cmd+0 clears custom tags.
• Turn on Settings → Display → Number shortcuts for C.TAG to swap: 1–9/0 become C.TAG shortcuts, and Cmd+0–5 become star ratings.

Stacks / auto stacks

Stacks keep bursts and near-duplicate cuts together so the thumbnail grid stays dense.

• Select 2 or more consecutive visible files, then right-click → Stack Selected to create a manual stack. Non-consecutive files cannot be stacked.
• The stack badge at the top-left of the thumbnail shows the item count. Click it to expand / collapse the stack, or use the stack icon in the FilterBar to expand / collapse all visible stacks.
• Right-click a stack member → Set as Stack Top to change the representative image. Manual stacks can be removed with Unstack.
• Settings → Display → Nikon Z Burst Auto Stack enables automatic stacking from Nikon Z BurstGroupID metadata. Only Nikon Z stills are eligible.
• Auto stacks group files from the same folder, camera, and BurstGroupID within a 5-minute shooting span. The right-click menu supports changing the top image and Ignore Auto Stack.

Filter bar

The FilterBar at the top combines multiple conditions to narrow the list.

• Codec / Color / Camera / Lens / Profile / Resolution / FPS — multi-select dropdowns.
• Rating / Color Label — narrow by star or color (with ≥ / ≤ / = mode).
• Date Range — specify start and end of capture date.
• Filename — substring search supporting wildcards (* / ?).
• Shot EXIF — modal for fine-grained narrowing by focal length, focus distance (Nikon only / approximate exiftool value), aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
• C.TAG — custom-tag filtering with AND / OR, No Tags, Select All, and Clear. It can be combined with all other filters.
• Edited — only stills that have been adjusted in EditMode.
• GPX / Critique / LUT — only files with location info / critiques / LUT applied.

The Clear button at the right resets all filters, including C.TAG. The AF toggle overlays AF points; the # toggle shows file index numbers. The stack icon expands / collapses all visible stacks.

Sort

From the Sort dropdown, choose File Name / Date / Camera / Lens / Focal Length / Format / Resolution / Duration / File Size / FPS / Rating. The arrow button toggles ascending / descending.

Right-click menu

Right-clicking a file card shows the following items based on the media type (the UI labels are in English).

• Open in Finder / Explorer — reveal the file in the OS file browser.
• Open with… — open with an external app registered in Settings (up to 3).
• Copy — copy the file to the clipboard (paste into Finder / Explorer).
• Copy Metadata — copy camera, lens, ISO, aperture, capture time as text.
• Edit (still) — open EditMode.
• Copy Edit / Paste Edit / Remove Edit / Export Edited — manipulate edit parameters and export.
• Send to DaVinci Resolve / DaVinci Extract (video / macOS) — send to DaVinci.
• Send to Lightroom (still β) — upload to Adobe Lightroom.
• Move to Trash — move to the PonZ Trash (after enabling in Settings).
• Remove GPX — strip location info.
• Set Rating / Color Label — set directly from the submenu.
• Stack Selected / Set as Stack Top / Unstack / Ignore Auto Stack — create stacks, choose the representative image, remove manual stacks, or ignore an auto stack.
• LUT (video) — pick a per-file LUT from a folder hierarchy menu.

Drag & drop

You can drag selected files to Finder / Explorer or to other apps. With multiple selection, the drag preview uses a bundled-item icon.

Metadata panel

The MetaPanel on the right shows EXIF (camera, lens, ISO, aperture, shutter speed, focal length, focus distance, color space, capture time, GPS coordinates, etc.). Cmd/Ctrl+F toggles the folder panel; Cmd/Ctrl+P toggles the meta panel.

Status bar

The bottom bar shows scan progress, selected file count, codec breakdown, thumbnail / scrub / metadata cache progress, and export queue progress. Double-click the export queue progress to cancel.

③ Take a closer look

StillPreview (full-screen still preview)

Double-click a still in the grid to enter full-screen preview.

• Zoom — mouse wheel / pinch / right-click menu (Fit / 100% / custom %). 100% is based on the original image size.
• Single-click 100% — single-click the image to zoom to 100% around the clicked point. Click again while zoomed to return to Fit.
• Pan — drag while zoomed. A Navigator appears in a corner showing the whole frame.
• AF points — toggle from the FilterBar AF button or the MetaPanel.
• Histogram — RGB / luminance distribution.
• Filmstrip — the bottom strip shows neighbouring thumbnails; click to switch.
• LUT preview — the global LUT, if any, is applied in real time.

The zoom panel at the lower right shows the current zoom as a percentage of the original image. Default controls the initial zoom when opening the preview or switching to another still: choose Fit, 1.5x to 5x, or Slider. Slider saves the current zoom-slider percentage as the next initial preview zoom.

The i button shows Reference (the original image size, or full-size edited output after crop) and Preview (the currently visible embedded JPEG / saved edited preview / smart preview) sizes. If ❗ appears, the visible preview source is lower-resolution than the original; use EditMode for critical detail checks.

Keys: ←/→ for previous / next file, 0–5 for ratings, q–t/y for color labels, Esc or Space to close (Esc while zoomed returns to fit).

Video player

Double-click a video card to launch the native video player (macOS uses an AVFoundation-based player). RAW video plays as long as your hardware can keep up.

• Scrub bar — drag to seek to any frame.
• Previous / next file — ←/→.
• Rating / color label — number and color keys work inside the player too.
• Close — Esc.

④ Develop stills

Right-click a still → Edit, or press Cmd/Ctrl+E to enter EditMode. All changes are saved to the in-app DB. Originals are never modified.

EditMode preview zoom gestures changed in v3.0.2: click jumps to 100% actual-size view, while double-click jumps to the zoom target saved by the header zoom slider. Clicking or double-clicking while zoomed returns to Fit. This reverses the previous click / double-click behaviour.

Slider list

Each slider supports drag, numeric input, and mouse wheel. While focused, S/D increments / decrements; A/Z (or ↑/↓) moves to the previous / next slider. Space twice resets to default.

Geometry — Straighten / Crop / Perspective

• Straighten — -45° to +45°. Press X to enter.
• Crop Size — 1 – 100%. Press C to enter.
• Horizontal / Vertical — perspective correction (-100 to +100).
• Crop presets — Free / Original / 1:1 / 4:3 / 3:2 / L-size / 16:9. Landscape / portrait toggleable.
• Upright Auto — Off / Level (auto straighten) / Upright (auto straighten + perspective).
• Guide grid — None / Thirds / Fine / Golden / Diagonal / Crosshair.

Brush Repair (spot repair)

Press / or open the Brush Repair accordion in the sidebar to enter brush mode. Paint a mask and PonZCV automatically repairs from surrounding pixels.

• [ / ] or the wheel resizes the brush (default 24 px, max 150 px).
• Alt+drag erases the mask (eraser).
• Shift+drag specifies a reference area (clone source) as a rectangle.
• Enter or double-clicking a region in the list confirms and exits brush mode.

HLG NEF is not supported by Brush Repair due to color-space constraints. Brush size persists across sessions.

Nikon NEF-specific items

• Picture Control — Standard / Neutral / Vivid / Monochrome / Flat plus 20 Creative variants and 3 HLG profiles.
• Active D-Lighting — Off / Low / Normal / High / Extra / Auto.
• SDK Noise Reduction — As Shot / Off / Low / Normal / High. Independent from the slider-side NR.
• Temperature — slider value is shown as absolute Kelvin, anchored on the As-Shot Kelvin.
• HLG NEF → 10-bit HDR HEIF export — HDR HEIF export is available when an HLG-recorded NEF is opened in Nikon SDK mode. HDR HEIF uses Nikon SDK-compatible parameters only.

Native HEIF / HIF editing

• .hif / .heif / .heic files are decoded through the macOS native path and can be edited non-destructively in EditMode.
• HEIF export is enabled for RAW/DNG/HIF/HEIF/HEIC sources that can be edited in 16-bit, plus HLG-recorded Nikon NEF. 8-bit sources such as JPEG / TIFF / PNG use JPEG export.
• Export format can be HEIC 4:2:2 or HEIC 4:2:0. HLG HIF/HEIF/HEIC stays HLG; regular RAW/DNG/HIF/HEIF/HEIC exports as 10-bit SDR HEIF.
• HEIF export also carries source EXIF / GPS metadata wherever PonZCV has it available.

Auto / Undo / Copy & Paste

• B — Auto Tone (auto-adjust exposure / contrast / highlights / shadows / blacks-whites).
• Cmd/Ctrl+Z / Shift+Z — Undo / Redo.
• Cmd/Ctrl+C/V — copy / paste edit parameters. Targets the 14 tonal-color parameters (Geometry, NR, and NEF SDK-specific items are excluded).
• Hold F — preview with tonal edits removed only. Hold G — preview the fully unedited original.

Save and reset

• Auto-save — changes are saved to the DB on EditMode exit (no Save button required).
• Reset All — returns every slider to default and clears the edit record from the DB.
• Edited badge — appears on the bottom-right of the thumbnail whenever any value differs from default.

Export

• Destination macOS — choose between Folder (the existing behavior) and Photos.app (new). Photos.app sends the rendered file straight into the macOS Photos library and ignores the Output Folder. The first time, macOS shows an Automation prompt ("PonZ Contents Viewer wants to control Photos"); after approval, imports run quietly in the background — Photos.app does not steal focus. The same destination setting applies to Single, Batch, and Quick Export.
• Format — JPEG (always) / 10-bit HEIC 4:2:2 / 10-bit HEIC 4:2:0. HEIF is selectable for RAW/DNG/HIF/HEIF/HEIC sources that can be edited in 16-bit, plus HLG-recorded Nikon NEF.
• Resolution — Full (native) / 2 MP / 10 MP / Custom (100 – 20000 px on the long edge).
• Quality preset — High (q=0.99) / Standard (0.98) / Compressed (0.92) / Max MB. Default is High.
• Max MB — set a size limit of 1 MB or higher. PonZCV tries multiple quality candidates and accepts only a file at or below the limit. A 5 MB target will not accept a 5.2 MB result. If the minimum quality is still too large, export fails.
• EXIF / GPS — exports carry over source metadata wherever available. Because the edited image is saved already upright, output EXIF Orientation is normalized.
• Quick Export — Cmd/Ctrl+L queues an export with the current settings. With Destination = Photos.app, no Output Folder is required.
• Batch Export — multi-select in the grid → right-click → Export Edited to export many at once. HEIF is selectable when the selection includes RAW/DNG/HIF/HEIF/HEIC sources that can be edited in 16-bit, or Nikon HLG NEF. Unsupported files in a mixed batch fall back to JPEG. Photos.app destination is also available from Batch. Progress shows in the status bar; double-click to cancel.
• Unified dialog — from v3.1.1, EditMode, StillPreview, and the grid all open the same export dialog with the same settings (Destination / Format / Quality / Resolution / Same filename).

⑤ Manage metadata

GPX (GPS) assignment

Settings → Tools → GPX GPS Assignment loads a GPX log (from a hiking / driving / cycling app) and matches it against capture times to assign GPS coordinates automatically.

• Scope — choose Active Folder / Selected Files / Entire Library.
• Time offset (seconds) and tolerance (seconds) are configurable.
• A preview is shown before applying; pick the rows to commit.
• Match results are categorized as matched / skipped-existing-gps / missing-capture-time / unmatched.
• To remove later, right-click → Remove GPX. The original file's EXIF GPS is never changed.

Edit Capture Time

If your camera clock was off, you can correct capture times after the fact. Select files and open Edit → Edit Capture Time… from the menu bar (the File menu on Windows). The menu is disabled when nothing is selected.

• Adjustments are stored in PonZCV's internal DB; the original file's EXIF is not changed.
• Adjusted times feed into filters, sorting, and GPX matching.

⑥ Work with video

LUT preview

Pick a global LUT (.cube) from the FilterBar's LUT button to apply it live in the grid thumbnails and in StillPreview. Per-file LUT can be assigned via right-click → LUT.

Frame extract

In the video player, right-click on any frame → Extract Frame to save the current frame as JPEG. You can also open the FrameExtract panel from the FilterBar.

DaVinci Resolve integration macOS

Right-click → Send to DaVinci Resolve sends the selected video to DaVinci Resolve's media pool. If DaVinci Resolve isn't running, PonZCV tries to launch it.

• DaVinci Extract — extracts specified frames and sends them to DaVinci.

⑦ Organize the library

Folder relink (handle moves)

If you've moved a registered folder elsewhere on the OS, right-click that folder row in the folder tree → Relink Folder and pick the new path. Ratings and edit info are preserved.

Per-file moves and renames are not tracked

If you move individual files to another folder or rename them, PonZCV treats this as "old file disappeared / new file added". Ratings and edits won't carry over. To reorganize, prefer moving folders rather than individual files so the metadata stays attached.

PonZ Trash

Settings → Data Management → Enable Delete (Trash) turns the delete feature on. Right-click → Move to Trash sends a file to PonZ Trash.

• Restore — files in Trash can be restored to their original path from the Trash view. Restore is blocked if a file with the same name already exists at the original location.
• Permanent delete — Settings → Empty Trash empties everything. Per-unit delete is also possible from the Trash view.
• Size limit — default 5 GB. When the limit is exceeded, PonZCV offers to delete the oldest unit. If the new selection alone exceeds the limit, a direct permanent-delete dialog is shown instead.

Maintenance

Settings → Maintenance bundles the following operations.

• Generate Scrub Preview — bulk-generate the video scrub cache.
• Compress Thumbnails — resize existing thumbnails to 640 px to save disk space.
• Re-fetch Missing — re-acquire metadata / thumbnails / scrub for files that don't have them.
• Clean Up Missing Files — remove DB entries whose underlying files are gone.

⑧ Windows & layout (multi-window mode)

From v3.1.0 you can split the thumbnail browser and the Preview / Edit surface into independent windows. On a multi-monitor rig you can drop the thumbnails on the laptop's built-in screen and the Preview / Edit on a 4K external panel; on a single monitor it lets you keep the cull context visible while one image gets the full attention it deserves.

Enable

1. Settings → Display → turn on Multi-Window.
2. With it on, double-clicking a still opens the Preview in a separate window. Space opens Preview in the secondary window, and Cmd+E opens Edit there. The main thumbnail browser never switches into in-main Preview / Edit.
3. Turning it off auto-closes the secondary window and reverts to the in-main overlay layout.

Two windows, two roles

• Main window — thumbnail browser only: folder picker, filters, sort, selection cursor. With Multi-Window on, it does not switch directly into in-main Preview / Edit.
• Preview / Edit window — one-image surface. Preview ↔ Edit toggles inside this window.

Linkage between the two

• Arrow keys / filmstrip in the main grid push the secondary window's display in real time (stills only).
• When focus moves to a movie the secondary stays alive and the player launches on top of it. ←/→ inside the player navigates: stills bring the secondary back, movies swap via change-file.
• Arrows / filmstrip inside the secondary mirror back to the main grid's selection cursor and scroll.
• Ratings, color labels, edit parameters, LUT assignments, AF-points / sort / display toggles — any change in either window is reflected in the other immediately. Same operation feel as single-window mode.

Window menu

• Save Workspace… — saves the current main + secondary window positions/sizes under a name.
• Manage Workspaces… — list, load, rename, delete, plus a "Pin" checkbox for priority. Each entry shows its captured display layout (e.g. "2 displays: MBP built-in + 4K LG") and the entry that matches the current environment is highlighted.

Workspace cycle button

A monitor-icon button sits in the main window's toolbar and the secondary window's title bar. Pin up to 3 workspaces in the management modal; each click cycles through them in order (1 → 2 → 3 → 1). Disabled when no workspaces are pinned. Designed for laptop users who move between locations with different external monitor setups.

Restore last session on launch

Settings → Display → Restore last session on startup replays the previous window layout the next time you launch. Independent of the named workspace store — leave it on and you always resume right where you left off.

⑨ External integrations

Lightroom integration β

Uploads stills to a chosen album in Adobe Lightroom CC.

1. Settings → Integrations → turn Lightroom Sync on.
2. Issue a Client ID for OAuth on Adobe Developer Console and enter it in the API Key field.
3. Press Connect and authorize with your Adobe account.
4. Right-click a file → Send to Lightroom to upload (progress shows in the status bar).

The β release excludes large videos. The upload queue resumes on next launch.

Apple Intelligence integration macOS

On Apple-Intelligence-capable macOS (Tahoe or later, Apple Silicon), the following features are available.

• AI Tag Search — open via the AI button in the FilterBar. Combine auto-extracted tags with AND / OR to narrow the result. Tags are shown with Japanese translations. Filters can be saved with a name and reused.
• Photo Critique — run from MetaPanel or right-click. Returns short critique on composition, exposure, color, and light. Original (unedited) and Edited versions are stored separately.
• Critique language — choose English / Japanese in Settings.

PonVaultChat integration β macOS

Sends Photo Critique results into PonVaultChat (a local AI) for follow-up dialogue. Settings → Integrations → PonVaultChat Integration: enter the URL and API token.

exiftool extension

To show AF points for Sony / Canon / Fuji / OM / Panasonic / Pentax / Nikon Coolpix RAW, enable the exiftool extension.

1. Install exiftool from the official site.
2. Settings → Integrations → turn exiftool Extension on.
3. Rescan target folders to pick up AF info.

Open With (external apps)

Settings → Integrations → Open With App #1–3 lets you register up to three apps. Right-click a file → Open with (app name) hands the file to the chosen app.

PonToExif export

Settings → Tools → PonToExif Export writes selected metadata to a .ponexif file for use with the PonToExif app's shooting-trend analysis.

Delete legacy iCloud data macOS

v3.1.1 does not provide iCloud sync. If sync data remains from older versions, Settings → Data Management → Delete iCloud Data can clean it up.

Settings

Open the settings panel from the gear icon in the toolbar or with Cmd/Ctrl+,. Six categories are listed on the left side in a two-column layout.

Display

• Fast Display Memory Budget — memory used for thumbnail display (Low / Standard / 32 GB / 64 GB). Adjust to your machine's RAM.
• Invert Wheel Direction — invert the EditMode mouse wheel direction.
• Show both RAW and JPG — show RAW and same-name JPEG sidecars together. Off by default. Requires a rescan to apply.
• Enable C.TAG — when off, hides the C.TAG button, tagging palette, and thumbnail tag badges. Add or edit tag definitions from Tag Settings inside the C.TAG filter.
• Number shortcuts for C.TAG — shown only when C.TAG is enabled. When on, number keys prioritize C.TAG and star ratings move to Cmd+0–5.
• Multi-Window — opens Preview / Edit in a separate window. Turning it off closes the secondary window and returns to the in-main overlay layout.
• Restore last session on startup — restores the previous window layout on the next launch.
• Nikon Z Burst Auto Stack — automatically stacks Nikon Z stills with the same BurstGroupID within a 5-minute span. Nikon Z only.

StillPreview's initial zoom is changed from the Default control in the lower-right preview panel. The selected value is saved and reused the next time you open a preview.

RAW Develop

• Enable RAW Develop Mode — when off, RAW files are shown with their embedded preview only.
• Nikon Default Engine (NEF) — choose between Nikon SDK (authentic Nikon color including Picture Control) and LibRaw (apples-to-apples comparison with other RAW).
• High Efficiency RAW (HE / HE*) notice — High Efficiency-compressed Nikon NEF files cannot be decoded by LibRaw. If one is opened in LibRaw mode, PonZCV automatically switches it to Nikon SDK mode.
• Lensfun Lens Database — view DB status, import a newer DB, or revert to the bundled DB.

LibRaw Develop options (new in v3.0)

Tune how non-DNG RAW is developed via LibRaw, both in the Settings panel (defaults for new files) and in the EditMode LibRaw accordion (per-photo overrides that are saved with each shot).

• Bayer demosaic method — AHD (default, recommended) / AAHD (anti-aliased, less false color) / DCB (edge-enhanced) / DHT (highest quality, slowest).
• X-Trans demosaic (Fujifilm only) — 3-pass (high quality, recommended) / 1-pass (faster).
• FBDD noise reduction — Off / Light / Full.
• Highlight recovery — Clip (default) / Unclip / Blend / Rebuild 3/5/7/9. Higher Rebuild values reconstruct more from neighbouring data.

Integrations

• Open With App #1–3 — register up to three external apps.
• Lightroom Sync β / API Key.
• exiftool Extension — on / off and detection status.
• Critique Output Language — English / Japanese.
• PonVaultChat Integration / URL / API Token.

Tools

• GPX GPS Assignment — auto-assign location info.
• PonToExif Export — export metadata.

Maintenance

• Generate Scrub Preview — bulk-generate the video scrub cache.
• Compress Thumbnails — resize thumbnails to 640 px.
• Re-fetch Missing — re-acquire missing metadata / thumbnails / scrub.

Data Management

• Enable Delete (Trash) — turn on the PonZ Trash feature. Off by default.
• Trash Size Limit — limit in GB; default 5.
• Empty Trash — permanently delete everything in Trash.
• Clean Up Missing Files — remove DB entries whose underlying files are gone.
• Reset Apple Intelligence — clear all AI tags / critique results.
• Delete iCloud Data — delete sync data from older versions on CloudKit / iCloud Drive.
• Delete All & Reset — delete all caches, ratings, color labels, C.TAG, stacks, and analysis data (registered folders are preserved).

Supported formats

AF point display

• Nikon Z series (Z9 / Z8 / Z7-series / Z6-series / Z5 / Z50 / Zf / Zfc / ZR, etc.) — built-in parser, no install required.
• Other brands — turn the exiftool extension on (Sony / Canon / Fuji / OM / Panasonic / Pentax / Nikon Coolpix).

Automatic scan filters

• Same-name .mp4 next to RAW video is treated as proxy and hidden from the normal list.
• Same-name .jpg / .jpeg next to RAW still is treated as sidecar and hidden by default.
• Settings → Display → Show both RAW and JPG, when enabled, shows both after the next scan or rescan.

Keyboard shortcuts

Modifiers are written using macOS conventions (Cmd).

Global

Cmd+,

Open Settings

0–5

Set rating (0 clears)

Cmd+1–9

When C.TAG is enabled, assign custom tags 1–9 to the selected file(s)

Cmd+0

When C.TAG is enabled, clear all custom tags from the selected file(s)

q w e r t

Color label red / yellow / green / blue / purple

y

Clear color label

When Settings → Display → Number shortcuts for C.TAG is on, 1–9/0 become C.TAG shortcuts and Cmd+0–5 become rating shortcuts.

Main grid

Cmd+A

Select all (within current filter)

Cmd+= / -

Resize thumbnails (also wheel)

Cmd+F

Toggle folder panel

Cmd+P

Toggle meta panel

Cmd+R

Rescan current folder (delta)

Cmd+E

Open the selected still in EditMode

← → ↑ ↓

Move selection

Space

Preview the selected still (in a secondary window when Multi-Window is on, keeping the grid visible) / play or close the selected video

StillPreview

Single click

Zoom to 100% around the clicked point / return to Fit while zoomed

Esc / Space

Close preview (Esc while zoomed returns to fit)

← / →

Previous / next file

EditMode

Esc

Clear focus; with no focus, exit EditMode

Enter

Confirm Crop mode / clear focus

Click

Zoom the preview to 100% actual size / return to Fit while zoomed

Double-click

Zoom to the target selected by the header zoom slider / return to Fit while zoomed

C

Toggle Crop mode

X

Toggle Straighten mode

F (hold)

Preview with tonal edits removed only

G (hold)

Preview the fully unedited original

B

Auto Tone

A / Z (or ↑ / ↓)

Move focus to previous / next slider

S / D

Decrement / increment focused slider (Shift for larger steps)

Space ×2

Reset focused slider to default

← / →

Previous / next file (edits auto-save)

Cmd+Z

Undo

Cmd+Shift+Z / Ctrl+Y

Redo

Cmd+C / V

Copy / paste edit parameters

Cmd+L

Quick Export

/

Toggle Brush Repair

[ / ]

Resize brush (Shift ×4)

Delete / Backspace

Delete the selected Brush Repair region

Video player

Space

Play / pause

← / →

Previous / next file

Esc

Close the player

1–5, 0, q–t, y are rating / color-label shortcuts by default. Only when the C.TAG number-shortcut swap is enabled do 1–9/0 switch to custom tags.

FAQ

Some thumbnails stay grey right after launch

The grid is restored from a lightweight file_index first, then thumbnails and metadata are filled in afterwards. Large libraries may take a few seconds to a few tens of seconds before everything is populated.

I want to revert an edited image

Use EditMode's Reset All, or right-click the file in the grid → Remove Edit. The original file is unchanged — only the edit record is removed.

Switching Picture Control on Nikon waits a moment

Common presets get an instant preview, but monochrome-toned presets (Blue / Sepia, etc.), some Creative variants, and Active D-Lighting still wait for an SDK re-decode.

The temperature slider on NEF is showing Kelvin

For NEF, PonZCV reads the As-Shot Kelvin from the Nikon SDK and converts the relative slider value to absolute Kelvin for display (the internal value is stored as an offset).

I want to see both RAW and JPG together

Settings → Display → turn Show both RAW and JPG on, then rescan.

LibRaw colors look flat / muted

LibRaw deliberately returns a "minimum-interpretation" flat output, which looks plain compared to camera JPEG or Lightroom defaults. Start with the Auto button (B key) at the top of the sidebar to even out tones, then dial in Vibrance / Saturation / Clarity. Once you have a Look you like on one shot, copy it to other photos with Cmd+C / Cmd+V.

For Nikon NEF, you can also switch the engine pill in the upper-left to Nikon SDK for authentic Nikon color including Picture Control.

HEIF export is greyed out

HEIF export is enabled for RAW/DNG/HIF/HEIF/HEIC sources that can be edited in 16-bit, or for HLG-recorded Nikon NEF. 8-bit sources such as JPEG / TIFF / PNG export as JPEG. HDR HEIF for Nikon HLG NEF requires Nikon SDK mode; LibRaw mode exports SDR 10-bit HEIF instead. Batch Export also requires the selection to include a supported source before HEIF can be chosen.

Can Max MB export go slightly over the requested size?

No. In v3.1.0, Max MB means "at or below the requested size", not "closest to it". A 5 MB target will not accept a 5.2 MB candidate; PonZCV keeps looking for a smaller one. The minimum target is 1 MB. If even the minimum quality is too large, export fails instead of creating an oversized file.

The AI button doesn't appear

It only shows on Apple-Intelligence-capable macOS (Tahoe or later, Apple Silicon).

Can I use a 100,000-file library?

Yes. The first run takes time to generate thumbnails and metadata, but subsequent launches restore from the lightweight manifest, so wait time stays short.

Design philosophy

"Turn records into assets"

PonZ Contents Viewer is built so that the videos and photos you've shot don't end up as "just data" but become reusable assets. It is not an app that scores how Instagram-worthy your photos are — it focuses on lining up, choosing, keeping, and handing off your images without losing the context of when, where, and what was shot.

Local-first, non-destructive

Thumbnails, metadata, ratings, color labels, C.TAG, stacks, and edit parameters all live on your local PC. Originals are never modified — EditMode results are stored in the DB, and a new file is generated only when you explicitly export. Don't send to the cloud silently, don't break the original — that's the baseline of this app, and that's also why it can be free.

Response speed first

"Snappy" is the top design goal, and many tricks are stacked to achieve it. If you're using a dedicated camera, the post-process should feel just as good — that's why we chase an app that responds the moment you touch it.

Not just Nikon — for Japan's camera culture

I run "Tsuyopon Channel — fundamentally Nikon", but it's just that I love Nikon — I have nothing against the other brands. Sony, Canon, Lumix, Fujifilm, OM System, Pentax… having that many distinctive camera makers in one country is, calmly speaking, amazing.

The reason only Nikon has SDK support is simple: Nikon is the only one publishing an SDK. If others publish theirs, I'd love to support them the same way. I want this app to keep contributing — even a little — to this rich camera culture.

"Oretoku" (because I want to use it)

The app is built on the assumption that the developer himself uses Nikon RAW for birds, video, and family records. Rather than catering to the broadest possible audience first, the priority is to make it feel great to my use, then open it outward. Conversely, environments the developer doesn't use (e.g. unsupported formats, untested cameras) tend to be lower priority.

Speed-first, feedback-welcome

There is no large QA window — releases happen as soon as the developer's checks pass, and reported issues are fixed at the highest priority. Please feel free to send odd behavior or feature requests.

Policy & contact

Quality assurance policy

This is a free, individually-developed app. Critical bugs are addressed at the highest priority. For unverified cameras / codecs, sample files for reproduction are very welcome.

Privacy

Open-source licenses

PonZCV uses Electron, React, better-sqlite3, OpenCV.js, LibRaw, Adobe DNG SDK, Lensfun, ffmpeg and other OSS components. Per-package license notices are available inside the app's License screen and in the text bundled with the distribution.

Contact

Questions, requests, and bug reports go here.

camera@tsuyopon-n.photo

Manual: https://tsuyopon-n.photo/PonZCV/manual/310/en.html (Japanese)

Mobile: https://tsuyopon-n.photo/PonZCV/mobile/