LapWhat format support means in practice
Supporting a format means Lap can decode it, build a thumbnail from it, and show it in the library without conversion. Lap handles 60+ photo, RAW and video formats through dedicated decoders rather than one generic path, which is why a CR3 from a recent camera and a HEIC from a phone both open normally instead of needing a separate step first.
Nothing is converted on import. A TIFF stays a TIFF, a DNG stays a DNG, and the original file is what you see and edit. Lap reads what the file already contains and stores its own index and thumbnails separately, so adding a format does not change the files on disk.
How each group is handled
| Group | Examples | In Lap |
|---|---|---|
| Images | JPG, PNG, HEIC, AVIF, WebP, TIFF | Thumbnails and full previews, decoded locally. |
| RAW | CR2, CR3, NEF, ARW, DNG | Decoded with configurable previews: a rendered image or the camera's embedded preview, with adjustable brightness. |
| Video | MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM | Playback and thumbnail generation, done locally. |
| Pairs | RAW plus JPEG/HEIC, Live Photos, Motion Photos | Shown as one item, and kept together on move, copy and delete. |
Formats that are easy to get wrong
- HEIC and HEIF are decoded by libheif; HEVC decoding follows the codec plugins available on your system.
- RAW thumbnails and previews are configurable, so you can switch between a rendered image and the camera's embedded preview, and adjust brightness.
- Apple Live Photos and Google Motion Photos play their motion, and a Smart Album filter groups them for browsing.
- A RAW file can be paired with its JPEG or HEIC companion and shown as a single item, so you do not scroll past two copies of every shot.
A note on video playback
H.264 video plays on every supported platform, and Lap applies compatibility processing when native playback is unavailable. HEVC/H.265 and VP9 play natively on macOS. On Linux, playback uses the system GStreamer plugins, so on some distributions you may need to add the good and libav plugin packages before video plays and before video thumbnails appear. This affects video only; still photos are unaffected.
Because your formats work without conversion, you can point Lap at folders you already have and start browsing straight away. There is no import queue to wait on and no conversion pass to run before your photos appear. See the features page for what you can do with them, or download Lap and open a folder.