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OpenFocus
What it is
OpenFocus is a desktop application that aligns and combines multi-focus image sequences into all-in-focus images. It offers ECC and Homography methods for alignment, followed by fusion options including Guided Filter, DCT, DTCWT, GFG-FGF, and the StackMFF V4 AI model. A wipe comparison view uses a draggable divider to compare source frames with results, and the software can generate per-pixel focus-position depth maps. It supports folder-based batch processing and a headless command-line interface for scripting and CI. The manual lists JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, MP4, and numbered image folders as inputs, as well as decoding for additional video formats. Export options include those image formats, image-sequence folders, and GIF animations. Research features include scale bars calibrated from image metadata and multi-page TIFF stacks that retain 16-bit depth. The interface supports English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish, with automatic system-language detection. OpenFocus is free under the MIT License, although included algorithms may have their own license terms. Windows and macOS app builds are unsigned and may trigger SmartScreen or Gatekeeper warnings on first launch.
For and against
For
- Offers ECC and Homography alignment methods.
- Supports folder-based batch processing and a headless CLI.
- Can save multi-page TIFF stacks preserving 16-bit depth.
- Free under the MIT License.
Against
- Windows and macOS builds are unsigned.
- Included algorithms may have separate license terms.
- GUI is listed for Windows and macOS; Linux has CLI support.
The verdict
OpenFocus combines alignment, fusion, comparison, and research-oriented export functions in a free desktop tool. Check algorithm license terms and expect a possible security warning when first launching its unsigned Windows or macOS build.
Who it suits
OpenFocus suits researchers, engineers, and image-processing professionals working with multi-focus image sequences. Its command-line and batch functions also suit scripting and CI workflows.
Plans and prices
Free and open source
Windows/macOS GUI · Linux CLI · MIT source license
Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- 3D export
- Version 1.54–1.55 added textured OBJ export combining a depth map and fused image.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Algorithm limitation
- OpenFocus A produces a deliberately soft look and is not intended for the supplied benchmark.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Batch and CLI
- It supports batch processing across folders and a headless command-line interface for scripting and CI.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Batch processing
- The application can process multiple folders with progress reporting, cancellation and organized outputs.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Command line
- A pip-installable headless CLI runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and returns exit codes 0, 1 or 2 for success, processing errors or usage errors.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Compare and inspect
- A wipe compare view uses a draggable divider to compare source frames and results, and the software can generate per-pixel focus-position depth maps.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Depth maps
- Index-deciding fusion methods can produce per-pixel focus-position maps with pseudo-color display and 16-bit export.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The project links an English manual, Chinese manual, changelog, large-stack performance notes and build commands.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Exports
- The manual lists JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, image-sequence folders, and GIF animations as output options.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Extensibility
- Source builds use Python 3.10 with requirements.txt, and PyInstaller packaging instructions are provided.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Feature limitation
- The comparison table lists camera or rail control as unavailable in OpenFocus.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Fusion methods
- Fusion options include Guided Filter, DCT, DTCWT, GFG-FGF, StackMFF V4 and OpenFocus A/B/C.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- GPU limitation
- GPU acceleration is optional and is provided for the StackMFF V4 neural model.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Image alignment
- It offers ECC and Homography methods to align image sequences.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Input formats
- The manual lists JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, MP4, and numbered image folders as supported inputs; it also describes decoding several additional video formats.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The manual describes OpenFocus as a desktop application for researchers, engineers, and image-processing professionals.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Interface
- The desktop application is built with PyQt6 and supports CPU processing by default.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Languages
- The interface supports English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish, with automatic system-language detection.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
