LUT Explorer 2 (upgrade from version 1.x)

Description

LUT Explorer: Professional LUT Management & Preview Engine

Description and keypoints:
LUT Explorer is a macOS-native application for photographers, colorists, and video editors to manage, preview, and apply 3D LUTs (.cube files) with speed and precision. It acts as a central hub for exploring vast LUT libraries, delivering instant visual feedback on static images and live video. The core promise is to solve LUT fatigue by presenting a high-performance grid of real-time previews so you can see how any LUT affects your footage before rendering. Key points include advanced media support, a live video player with AVKit, an “Apply to This Frame” reference tool, live technical overlays, pre-processing to normalize footage, deep library scanning with MD5-based duplicate detection, heart favorites, and a high-performance FFmpeg-powered export path for images and video (H.264 and ProRes 422, MP4/MOV, up to 100 Mbps). The UI embraces glassmorphism, non-blocking architecture, and a drag & drop workflow for a streamlined experience.

Detailed narrative:
LUT Explorer stands out as a fast, macOS-native hub where colorist workflow meets practical engineering. Photographers and editors can scrub through live video or inspect static frames while dozens or hundreds of LUTs compete for the perfect grade. The tool’s real-time engine processes normalization steps—histogram equalization, brightness, and contrast adjustments—without stalling the interface, so decisions feel immediate rather than delayed by computation. The “Apply to This Frame” feature gives a precise, high-resolution reference to evaluate every LUT against the exact moment of your footage. Behind the scenes, a deep disk scanner builds a comprehensive cube library, while MD5 hashing spots duplicates and keeps clutter to a minimum. Favorites top the grid, ensuring the best LUTs stay in sight. Exports are robust: images in JPEG/PNG/HEIF, and videos via FFmpeg with H.264 or ProRes 422, in MP4 or MOV, with bitrate control up to 100 Mbps. All of this is wrapped in a glassy, non-blocking interface with drag-and-drop simplicity, making LUT exploration feel fast, confident, and visually precise.