Buffer Inspector

The PIXERA Buffer Inspector provides tools for analyzing the visual output of a PIXERA system. It allows users to inspect rendered images, evaluate color and brightness information, and identify potential issues using histograms, waveforms, statistics, and chromaticity diagrams.

Opening the Buffer Inspector

The Buffer Inspector can be opened directly from an output in the Mapping tab.

1. Open the Mapping tab in PIXERA.
2. Select the output you want to inspect.
3. Right-click the output to open its context menu.
4. Select Inspect Buffer.
5. The Buffer Inspector opens in a separate window.

The selected output is displayed in the source selection field at the top of the Inspector.

You can reposition the Inspector window while keeping the PIXERA output preview visible.

Buffer Inspector Overview

The Buffer Inspector provides five different analysis views:

• Image: Displays the captured output image.
• Histogram: Visualizes the distribution of pixel values.
• Statistics: Provides numerical information about the image.
• Waveform: Displays signal levels across the image.
• Chromaticity: Visualizes the color distribution in a chromaticity diagram.

You can switch between these views using the tabs at the top of the Inspector window.

Refresh, Capture, and Clear

The upper-right section provides three controls:

• Refresh: Updates the Inspector with data from the selected output.
• Capture: Captures the current output for inspection.
• Clear: Clears the captured inspection data.

These controls allow you to inspect different output frames and compare visual characteristics at different points in your content.

Image

The Image tab displays a visual representation of the selected output.

This view is useful for checking the rendered image independently of the Mapping preview.

1. Select the desired output in the Buffer Inspector.
2. Open the Image tab.
3. Use Refresh or Capture to inspect the output.
4. Observe the image and its displayed information.

This view can help identify unexpected visual results, incorrect content, or differences between the expected and actual output.

Histogram

The Histogram tab visualizes the distribution of pixel values within the captured output.

A histogram helps evaluate the overall tonal distribution of an image and identify potential problems with brightness or color channels.

Understanding the Histogram

• The horizontal axis represents pixel value levels, from dark to bright.
• The vertical axis indicates the relative occurrence of these values.
• The displayed color distributions help evaluate the individual color channels.

The histogram can be used to identify:

• Images with predominantly dark or bright content.
• Potential clipping in dark or bright image areas.
• Differences in color channel distribution.
• Changes in image characteristics between different frames.

Example Use Case

If an output appears too dark or overly bright, capture the output and examine its histogram.

A strong concentration of values near the lower end may indicate predominantly dark image content, while values concentrated near the upper end may indicate bright areas or potential highlight clipping.

Statistics

The Statistics tab provides numerical information about the inspected image.

It can be used to evaluate image characteristics more precisely than a visual preview alone.

1. Select the desired output.
2. Capture or refresh the image data.
3. Open the Statistics tab.
4. Review the displayed values.

This view is particularly useful when numerical measurements are needed to complement the Histogram or Waveform views.

Waveform

The Waveform tab displays the distribution of signal levels across the inspected image.

Unlike a histogram, which summarizes the overall distribution of pixel values, a waveform can help show how these values are distributed spatially.

Typical Applications

• Evaluating brightness differences across an image.
• Identifying areas with unusually high or low signal levels.
• Checking the tonal characteristics of rendered content.
• Comparing signal behavior between different captured frames.
• The Waveform view is especially useful when analyzing content with significant differences in brightness across the output.

Chromaticity

The Chromaticity tab visualizes the color distribution of the captured image within a CIE 1931 xy chromaticity diagram.

The diagram shows the distribution of image colors in relation to reference color gamuts, including BT.709 and BT.2020.

Understanding the Chromaticity Diagram

• The plotted points represent the chromaticity distribution of the inspected image.
• The reference triangles indicate different color gamut boundaries.
• The distribution helps illustrate the range and concentration of colors used by the content.

The view can help analyze the color characteristics of the image and investigate unexpected color distributions.

Example Use Case

When checking content prepared for a particular color workflow, the Chromaticity view can provide a visual indication of how the image's colors are distributed relative to the displayed reference gamuts.

Practical Applications

The Buffer Inspector is useful for various output analysis and troubleshooting workflows.

Checking Image Brightness

Use the Image, Histogram, and Waveform tabs to investigate unexpected brightness levels or tonal distributions.

Investigating Color Differences

Use the Histogram and Chromaticity tabs to examine the distribution of colors within the output image.

Inspecting Individual Frames

Use the capture controls to inspect image characteristics at particular moments during content playback.

Troubleshooting Unexpected Output Behavior

Combine visual inspection with the available analytical views to determine whether an unexpected result is already present in the rendered output.

Pixera 26.2 INTER 152 | 23 October 2026 | FE