FiLMiC patents image remapping technology promising nearly 5x faster performance

FiLMiC has patented a new high-efficiency image remapping technology, Cubiform.

The newly-patented Cubiform is ‘an approach to applying a remap to each pixel in an image.’ Cubiform generates color look-up tables (C-LUTs) using a dynamic set of parameters, which can then be modified by users in real-time. By using C-LUTs rather than directly modifying images, a stream of C-LUTs can be applied to an image, or series of images, without placing high demand upon the CPU or GPU.

FiLMiC says that by eschewing per-pixel processing for chrominance and luminance modifications, Cubiform adjusts color and brightness using C-LUTs, which ‘look up’ new values from a pre-calculated table. FiLMiC writes, ‘This approach is significantly more efficient for complex remap operations as the C-LUT is treated as a static data-model and discarded if a different transform is desired.”

A traditional GPU shader pipeline. Image credit: FiLMiC

When editing using Cubiform image processing technology, image-transform parameters are manipulated in real-time, which results in lower image quality. However, the lower image quality is only a consequence when edits are occurring. Once edits are complete, Cubiform generates a high-precision C-LUT, which FiLMiC states produces a high-quality image remap.

Just how much faster is Cubiform? Nearly five times faster, per FiLMiC. A task that a traditional GPU pipeline completes in 26.4 milliseconds can be achieved using Cubiform in 5.6ms. If you are rendering resource-intensive video, such as a long 4K clip, Cubiform’s gains are significant.

Cubiform pipeline. Image credit: FiLMiC

FiLMiC Inc. CEO Neill Barham says, ‘FiLMIC’s Cubiform technology not only represents a significant technological advancement in image processing, it also represents our deep commitment to forwarding mobile cinema camera and professional mobile photography innovation. The entire team at FiLMiC recognizes the responsibility we have to our customers, and to the industry. This is no longer just about making great apps, this is about enabling an entirely new generation of filmmakers and photographers, and to do that well demands advanced technological sophistication and elegance. We’re extremely proud of this contribution.’

These are four key figures from FiLMiC’s Cubiform patent. Click to enlarge.

The Cubiform patent is just one of FiLMiC’s recent advancements and innovations. Last September, an update to FiLMiC Pro added clean HDMI output to Android and iOS devices, giving users new options for recording and livestreaming. Just over a year ago, FiLMiC’s Double Take app allowed for multi-camera recording. In November 2019, the company branched out from just video with FiLMiC Firstlight, a still photography application for mobile devices.