RAW 16-bit Viewer

A VS Code / Cursor extension to view headerless 16-bit RAW binary files directly in the editor.

Features

• Resolution input: Opening a .raw file shows suggested dimensions from file size; enter width/height and click [Open] to load.
• 16-bit grayscale: Interprets pixel data as Little-endian uint16.
• Auto window: "Auto window (1%–99%)" button applies percentile-based default window level.
• Manual window: Level (Center) and Window (Width) sliders adjust brightness and contrast.
• Pixel value inspection: Hover over the image to see coordinates and 16-bit value (decimal and hex) in a tooltip.
• Fast load: Large files are downscaled for display (max 2048×2048) to reduce load time. Pixel values refer to this display view.

Running the extension — Method 1 vs Method 2

Summary: Method 1 = ".raw works only in the new window opened by F5". Method 2 = "Install the extension once; then .raw works in any window". Viewer behavior (resolution, image display) is the same.

Method 1: Run with F5 (works on Node 18)

1. Open this extension project folder (raw-viewer-extension) in Cursor.
2. Press F5. A new window titled [Extension Development Host] opens.
3. In that new window, use File → Open Folder and select a folder that contains .raw files.
4. In the Explorer of that new window, click a .raw file. The RAW 16-bit Viewer opens.
5. In the viewer, confirm width/height and click Open to display the image.

Method 2: Install the extension

Goal: Use one window—open a folder and click .raw in the explorer; no F5, no second window.

2-1. Create the installable .vsix file

In a terminal, from this project folder (Node 18 is fine):

cd raw-viewer-extension   # go to this extension project folder
npm install
npm run package

On success, a file like raw-16bit-viewer-0.1.0.vsix appears in the project folder. This is the installable package.

2-2. Install the extension in Cursor (step by step)

1. Open the Extensions panel

   • Click the Extensions icon (four squares) in the left activity bar, or press Ctrl+Shift+X (Mac: Cmd+Shift+X).

2. Open the “Install from VSIX” flow

   • Option A (recommended)
     Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Mac: Cmd+Shift+P) to open the Command Palette, type VSIX or Install from VSIX, then run Extensions: Install from VSIX....
   • Option B
     If your Extensions panel has a ⋯ or ▼ next to the search box, click it and choose Install from VSIX.... (Some Cursor builds omit this; use Option A then.)

3. Select the .vsix file

   • In the file picker, go to this project folder and select raw-16bit-viewer-0.1.0.vsix, then click Open.
   • Example path: ~/train_model/Training/raw-viewer-extension/raw-16bit-viewer-0.1.0.vsix

4. Confirm installation

   • A short message like “Extension installed” appears. RAW 16-bit Viewer should appear in your extension list.

5. Reload the window

   • Ctrl+Shift+P → run Developer: Reload Window, or fully quit and restart Cursor.

After that, open any folder and click a .raw file in the Explorer to open it in RAW 16-bit Viewer.

2-3. Using the viewer

You do not need to press F5 again. In the same window where you work, use File → Open Folder, then click a .raw file in the Explorer. Resolution input and image display work the same as in Method 1.

Does the extension start automatically when I open Cursor?
Yes. Once installed, the extension is loaded with Cursor. You don’t need to run anything extra. Clicking a .raw file in the Explorer activates the extension and opens the viewer.

Viewer usage (Method 1 and 2)

1. Check the suggested width/height and click Open (edit if needed).
2. Use Auto window for a quick look, or the Level / Window sliders to adjust brightness and contrast.
3. Use Display size (25%–100% or Fit to view) to zoom.

Development

npm install
npm run compile

Debug: Open this folder in VS Code/Cursor and press F5.

Publishing to the Marketplace (for others to install)

VS Code and Cursor use the Visual Studio Code Marketplace. Publishing there lets anyone find and install your extension from the Extensions view.

Prerequisites

1. A Microsoft account (e.g. Outlook.com).
2. Create a publisher: Go to https://marketplace.visualstudio.com, sign in, click Publish extension, then Create Publisher and choose a publisher ID (e.g. your-name). One-time setup.
3. Ensure npm run package produces a valid .vsix (works on Node 18).

Set publisher and repository in package.json

This project’s package.json already has publisher and repository placeholders. Before publishing, replace them with your values:

• publisher: The publisher ID you created on marketplace.visualstudio.com (e.g. johndoe).
• repository.url: Your GitHub (or other) repo URL. Optional but recommended; it adds a “Repository” link on the extension page.

Replace "your-publisher-id", your-username, and your-repo with your real values.

How to publish (pick one)

Option A: Upload via the web

1. Go to https://marketplace.visualstudio.com, sign in, click Publish extension.
2. Open the VSIX tab, click Select file, and upload raw-16bit-viewer-0.1.0.vsix (or the version you built).
3. Fill in description, category, etc., and publish. For future versions, build a new .vsix and upload it the same way.

Option B: Publish from the terminal

1. Create a Personal Access Token (PAT) with “Publish” scope from Azure DevOps or marketplace.visualstudio.com.
2. In a terminal (Node 20+ required for vsce publish; building .vsix works on Node 18 with npm run package):

   npx @vscode/vsce login (your-publisher-id)
   

   Paste the PAT when prompted.
3. From this project folder:

   npm run package
   npx @vscode/vsce publish -p (PAT)
   

   Or after login, run npx @vscode/vsce publish only.

Once published, others can search for RAW 16-bit Viewer in the Extensions view and click Install.

Notes

• Pixel data is assumed Little-endian 16-bit.
• Very large resolutions (e.g. 3072×3072) may take 1–2 seconds on first load for percentile calculation.