uclouvain/openjpeg
FreeOfficial repository of the OpenJPEG project
FreeFree tier
About uclouvain/openjpeg
OpenJPEG is an open-source JPEG 2000 codec library written in C. It serves as the official JPEG 2000 Reference Software, recognized by ISO/IEC and ITU-T since April 2015. The library provides encoding and decoding of JPEG 2000 images, with support for Part 1 and Part 2 of the standard, as well as JPIP for remote browsing of JPEG 2000 images. It is released under the BSD 2-clause license, allowing free use in commercial applications. Maintained by the ISPGroup at Université catholique de Louvain, the project includes command-line tools, a JPIP server, and a Java viewer. Note: the repository is currently considered unmaintained.
Key Features
JPEG 2000 encoding and decoding
Part 1 and Part 2 standard compliance
JPIP client-server for remote image browsing
BSD 2-clause open source license
Written in C for portability and performance
Recognized as official JPEG 2000 Reference Software by ISO/IEC and ITU-T
Includes basic codec, JPIP server, and Java viewer applications
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Open source with permissive BSD license allows commercial use
- Recognized as the official reference implementation of JPEG 2000
- Supports advanced JPEG 2000 features including Part 2 extensions
- Lightweight C library with no mandatory external dependencies
- Cross-platform and suitable for integration into various systems
Cons
- Repository is currently unmaintained with infrequent commits and no active ticket review
- Deprecated components (openjpwl, openjp3d, openmj2) indicate stale functionality
- API documentation needs major refactoring as noted on the repository
- Limited modern development activity may affect long-term viability
Best For
Still-image compression in photography and digital cinemaMedical imaging requiring high-quality lossless compressionRemote sensing and satellite imagery (supported by CNES)Archival and cultural heritage image preservationRemote browsing of large JPEG 2000 images via JPIP
FAQ
What is OpenJPEG?
OpenJPEG is an open-source JPEG 2000 codec written in C. It has been developed to promote the use of JPEG 2000 and is officially recognized by ISO/IEC and ITU-T as a JPEG 2000 Reference Software since April 2015.
Who can use the code?
Anyone. The code is released under the BSD 2-clause license, so anyone can use or modify it, even for commercial applications. The only restriction is to retain the copyright in the sources or in the binaries documentation.
Is OpenJPEG still maintained?
The repository is currently considered unmaintained. Commits may appear occasionally based on committer interest, but no committer feels responsible to regularly review tickets or pull requests.
What components are included?
The project includes the openjp2 library (Part 1 and 2), openjpip for remote browsing, various applications (basic codec, JPIP server, Java viewer, wxWidgets viewer), and Java JNI wrappers. Some components (openjpwl, openjp3d, openmj2) are deprecated.