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Welcome to Ravo

Ravo Studio brings your photo library, RAW editing and video browsing into one local workspace. Import a shoot, review the frames, refine a look and export the finished selection. Your catalog and original media stay on storage you control.

Download a release or install and launch. This handbook describes the current development branch; release notes identify the features in each published build.

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Start with a shoot

  1. Import — Add files in place, Copy into an organised folder or explicitly Move after verification.
  2. Review — use ratings, colours, Pick/Reject, keywords, folders and collections to find your selection.
  3. Inspect — use Loupe, Fit/30%/1:1, comparison, the navigator and photographic scopes.
  4. Develop — shape exposure, white balance, tone, colour and detail; use local masks to refine an area.
  5. Deliver — export JPEG, PNG, TIFF or an original copy with explicit format, size and privacy choices.

For a guided first session, follow the five-minute tour.

Keep photos and videos together

Supported MOV/MP4/M4V videos appear beside photographs, with poster thumbnails and duration badges. Open a video in Loupe to play, pause, seek, change volume or mute. Video export currently copies the original file; photo Develop tools and video transcoding do not apply.

The format coverage matrix explains RAW, raster, HEIC/HEIF and video boundaries. A recognised extension is a candidate, not a guarantee that every camera mode or codec variant is supported.

Know what is saved

  • Originals: Add and Copy preserve source media. Move removes sources only after requested copies verify and the primary is cataloged.
  • Edits and organisation: a local SQLite catalog stores recipes, review state, tags and history. Non-destructive editing leaves original content intact.
  • Previews: rebuildable image caches are separate from the catalog.
  • Recovery and backups: catalog-owned recovery records and verified backups preserve catalog state. They exclude original media and preview caches.

Configure Settings → Catalog & Backup for an automatic schedule, retention and backup status. Schedules run while Studio is open. Keep a separate backup of your original photos and videos.

Read File paths, backups, and recovery before relocating or restoring a library.

Make the workspace comfortable

Settings groups language, saved panel dimensions, current-catalog backups and the optional Assistant connection. Nine interface languages are available. Shortcuts and the command palette help you reach commands quickly and explain unavailable actions.

Automate a workflow

The CLI guide covers JSON results, catalog inspection, edits, video frame artifacts, export, backups and revision-checked local Studio control. Scripts use the same catalog and image services as the desktop app.

If something needs attention

Ravo remains in active development. Hardware, package and real-corpus qualification remain specific to the source SHA and host. An unsupported operation reports a reason; a successful test on one platform does not qualify every other platform.