#2460·ImageGlass

RAW image rendering lag persists even when enabling embedded thumbnail settings

Author: adripoCreated Sep 10, 2026Updated Sep 10, 2026
Labels🐞 bug

Windows OS version

Windows 11

ImageGlass version

latest

ImageGlass release

Classic

1️⃣ Steps to reproduce

  1. Go to ImageGlass performance settings/configuration.
  2. Ensure UseEmbeddedThumbnailRawFormats is set to True (and set minimum dimensions to fallback values like 1920x1080).
  3. Open a folder containing uncompressed camera RAW files.
  4. Rapidly navigate through the images using the arrow keys or mouse wheel.

2️⃣ Actual behavior

There is a distinct, multi-second bottleneck/freeze or a prolonged "blurry mosaic" phase when advancing to the next file. System resources do not reflect active pre-loading of upcoming frames.

3️⃣ Expected behavior

The viewer should extract and paint the embedded preview image instantly, allowing for rapid culling/scrolling—matching the fluid performance seen in legacy C++ alternatives like FastStone Image Viewer or XnView MP.

4️⃣ Screenshots / Video / Sample image file

No response

5️⃣ Additional context

While the UseEmbeddedThumbnailRawFormats setting exists, the underlying framework pipeline or third-party decoding layers (such as Magick.NET) appear to add significant overhead before rendering the preview. A major optimization to bypass the full file pipeline for RAW file types during quick-browsing would vastly improve the app for hobbyist and professional photographers.