ChromaFx 0.6.2

Modern .NET image processing library.

A lean, managed alternative for .NET apps that need image processing without native codec DLLs.

Key points:

• Pure managed C# on .NET 10 — no third-party NuGet dependencies, no native codec binaries to deploy (BMP, PNG, JPEG, GIF, TGA, TIFF)
• Uses Span<T>, ArrayPool, and SIMD on key paths
• Explicit Mutate / Clone processing API
• Typed encoders (JpegEncoder, PngEncoder, …) and a public ImageFormats registry for extensions
• Pipeline-friendly fluent context for common filters
• Load / LoadAsync from path, stream, byte[], memory, or span; matching Save / SaveAsync
• Terminal rendering (ChromaFx.Processing.Terminal) — ASCII/ANSI art plus Kitty and iTerm2 inline images
• Opt-in ChromaFx.PixelArt — Scale2x / Scale3x / Hq2x–4x / CleanEdge / Eagle / SaI upscalers and RotateSprite / CleanEdgeRotate (not in the meta-package)
• Opt-in ChromaFx.Native — still WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL (not in the meta-package; animated WebP/AVIF/JPEG XL are not supported)

Performance & Architecture

Fully managed on .NET 10 — no native codec binaries for Docker/Lambda multi-arch. Native code can still edge out pure managed pixel loops; ChromaFx prioritizes deployability and allocation-conscious processing for typical decode → filter → encode pipelines. Measure with tests/ChromaFx.Benchmarks for your scenario.

Packages

• Use ChromaFx for new projects targeting .NET 10.
• Use ChromaFx.Core, ChromaFx.IO, and ChromaFx.Processing for modular usage.
• Add ChromaFx.PixelArt for Scale2x / Scale3x / Hq2x–4x / CleanEdge / Eagle / SaI or RotateSprite / CleanEdgeRotate.
• Add ChromaFx.Native for still WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL. Animated WebP/AVIF/JPEG XL are not supported.

Installation

Current NuGet line is 0.6.2 (tag-only releases; 0.x may still change before 1.0):

dotnet add package ChromaFx
# optional:
dotnet add package ChromaFx.PixelArt
dotnet add package ChromaFx.Native   # still WebP / AVIF / JPEG XL

Getting Started

// With PackageReference to ChromaFx, common namespaces are injected.
var thumb = Image.Load("input.png")
    .Clone(ctx => ctx
        .Resize(200, 200)
        .Rotate(90)
        .Invert());

thumb.Save("output.jpg", new JpegEncoder { Quality = 85 });

Image.Load("input.png")
    .Mutate(ctx => ctx.Resize(800, 600).Brightness(0.1f))
    .Save("output.png");

var fromBytes = Image.Load(pngBytes);                 // zero-copy when array-backed
var image = await Image.LoadAsync("input.png");       // async read, sync decode
Console.Write(image.ToAsciiArt(new AsciiArtOptions { MaxWidth = 40, Invert = true }));

API notes

• Prefer the ChromaFx meta-package (ChromaFx.Core + .IO + .Processing). Add ChromaFx.PixelArt separately for pixel-art filters.
• Image.Load / Save / ImageFormats live in IO; Mutate/Clone in Processing.
• Fluent context: core ops on IImageProcessingContext, more via extensions (BoxBlur, Saturation, Dilate, Grayscale, …); escape hatch Apply(IFilter).
• Typed encoders: ChromaFx.IO.Encoders (JpegEncoder, PngEncoder, BmpEncoder, GifEncoder as IAnimationEncoder, TgaEncoder, TiffEncoder). Still WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL encoders are in ChromaFx.Native.Encoders.
• Format ids are ImageFormatKey values (the name, compared ordinal-ignore-case). FileFormats names the managed codecs. NativeFormats in ChromaFx.Native names still WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL. Save(stream, key) uses the last registered format's encoder. A missing key throws.
• Animation supports per-frame delays (GetFrameDelay / SetFrameDelay / FrameDelays); Delay sets all frames.
• Path Save / SaveAsync use the last registered format that accepts the extension (plugins can override built-ins). ImageFormats.TryGetFormat looks up by id and returns the first match.
• Meta-package injects common usings via buildTransitive/ChromaFx.props.
• Pack with dotnet pack (not on every local build).

Migration (breaking)

These older APIs are removed (not obsolete):

Requirements

• .NET 10 SDK

Documentation

Guides: chromafx.net (chromafx/chromafx-site).

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for notable changes.

License

Apache 2.0 - see LICENSE

Attribution

This project is a fork of Structure.Sketching, originally developed by JaCraig under the Apache License 2.0.

Modifications and ongoing maintenance by Ho Tzin Mein (2023–2026).

Roadmap

• ✅ Modularization – Core, IO, Processing packages split out.
• ✅ API modernization – Mutate/Clone, typed encoders, ImageFormats registry.
• ✅ PixelArt – opt-in ChromaFx.PixelArt (Scale2x / Scale3x / Hq2x–4x / CleanEdge / Eagle / SaI, RotateSprite / CleanEdgeRotate).
• ✅ Performance (pass) – Color ctor alloc fix; faster ApplyRgbLut; AdaptiveThreshold / AdaptiveEqualize / Kuwahara / Blend alloc cuts.
• ✅ Extended formats – managed TGA and TIFF; opt-in ChromaFx.Native still WebP, AVIF, and JPEG XL (no animation).
• ⏭ Extended features – more drawing/effects.
• ⏭ Performance – more Span/ArrayPool/SIMD on codecs and remaining filters.

Contributing

Contributions, bug reports, and suggestions are welcome.