Frequently Asked Questions

NexFilm Engine is an open-source, non-profit photography tool. We currently do not pay hundreds of dollars annually for commercial enterprise code-signing certificates. Windows SmartScreen and macOS Gatekeeper will display security notices for unsigned binaries. Follow our step-by-step authorization guide to launch safely: First Launch Security Clearance →

macOS automatically places downloaded open-source binaries under quarantine. Open your Terminal and run the following command to lift it immediately:
xattr -cr /Applications/NexFilm\ Engine.app
Alternatively, authorize it via System Settings > Privacy & Security. See macOS Authorization Guide →

Our CI builds packages for macOS and Windows. Linux users can compile from source using Rust Cargo, requiring webkit2gtk-4.1 and libraw. Simply run cargo build --release in the repository root to produce a native executable. See Platform Selection →

Never. NexFilm separates the application binary from your user data. All film indices, edits, and crop geometries are safely stored in your system SQLite database (nexfilm_user.db), ensuring smooth, lossless upgrades. See Data Storage and Backup Protocols →

JPEGs are compressed 8-bit files baked with scanner-native gamma curves and lossy algorithms, discarding exposure headroom and original emulsion transmittance. Camera RAW files preserve un-interpolated, linear photon sensor counts, permitting accurate optical density calculations ($D = -\log_{10}(T)$) with complete color fidelity. See Format Support Matrix →

NexFilm utilizes the open-source LibRaw decoder, which does not yet license Nikon's proprietary TicoRAW compression. Please record your camera RAW files in "Lossless Compression RAW" format or convert them with Adobe DNG Converter prior to import. See RAW Format Specifications →

Your backlight panel is critical. We strongly recommend a dedicated light panel with high color rendering (CRI ≥ 95 / TLCI ≥ 98). Budget LED panels often display severe spectral gaps in the cyan/amber boundary, resulting in stubborn color crossovers. See Optical Illumination Best Practices →

No. As of v1.1.0, NexFilm natively decodes .fff files as scanner transmission data with a streaming bounded proxy architecture, preventing memory spikes. See Bounded Proxy Architecture →

The film active area (Film Area) includes exposed light table edges or sprocket holes. Backlight provides 100% transmittance, far brighter than any emulsion. If included in the bounding box, the algorithm misinterprets it as the image highlight, severely underexposing the frame. Simply shrink the crop box to exclude bare light borders. See Troubleshooting Decision Tree →

120 rolls lack the black leader found in 135 cassettes. You do not need leader calibration—simply click "Auto Invert". NexFilm's bounded span compensation automatically computes optimal tone endpoints based on actual emulsion distribution. See 120 and Headless Roll Fallback →

If digitized under identical light and camera settings, use Roll Calibration Batch Inversion. Sample film base once and run Auto Invert Roll. All frames share the roll's global highlight reference. For frames under mixed lighting, simply adjust Printer Lights individually. See Whole Roll Batch Processing →

Yes. Edge flaring usually stems from film holder reflections or lens vignetting. Adjust the corner handles in "Film Area" inward to encompass only clean, unvignetted emulsion. See Framing Pitfalls and Optical Mechanisms →

Printer Lights recreate physical additive color timing from traditional optical darkroom enlargers. Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B) sliders operate in logarithmic density units along complementary color axes. The adjustment respects photochemical emulsion response curves rather than digital hue warping. See Printer Lights Logarithmic Laws →

In the Develop > Detail panel, hold the Alt key (Option on macOS) while dragging Amount, Radius, or Detail sliders. The canvas instantly switches to a high-contrast monochrome sharpening mask via shaders, showing exactly which edges are emphasized while preserving smooth emulsion grain. See Tone Curves and Detail Panel →

The classic darkroom rule: Global balance first, local contrast second. Step 1: Neutralize global color casts with Printer Lights; Step 2: Shape tonal contrast and highlight rolloff on Master Curve; Step 3: Polish subtle shadow/highlight tints via individual R, G, B point curves. See Four-Channel Spline Curves →

Toggle B&W mode on the right panel to activate the monochrome optical pipeline. Pairing this mode with our 7 built-in Ilford MGFB paper grade LUTs provides authentic variable contrast darkroom prints. See Pure Silver Halide Monochrome Workflow →

For continued grading in Lightroom, Photoshop, or DaVinci Resolve, export as 16-bit TIFF or Linear DNG. 16-bit preserves 65,536 tonal levels per channel, preventing posterization during extreme color adjustments. For web sharing, export high-quality sRGB JPEG. See Six Export Formats Decision Matrix →

Enabling Linear Export bypasses all tone and gamma curves, outputting raw physical optical transmittance density data with embedded linear ICC. This provides colorists and researchers with an untainted scientific master suitable for ACES pipelines. See Linear Export and Master Delivery →

NexFilm's Rust multi-threaded export engine dynamically balances thread priority according to system load. Even during a 36-frame 50MP batch export, the main UI and grading canvas remain smooth at 60 FPS. See Full-Roll Background Export Queue →

Zero uploads, zero telemetry, zero network dependencies. NexFilm is 100% offline. All functions operate fully without an internet connection, ensuring your artistic assets remain strictly on your local disk. See Known Limitations and Disclosures →

All project indices, grades, and crops reside in a local SQLite file. Back up your raw scan folders alongside the application database:
Windows: %APPDATA%\NexFilm Engine\nexfilm_user.db
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/NexFilm Engine/nexfilm_user.db
See Cross-Platform Data Storage and Backup →