Convert DJI R-JPEG to radiometric TIFF without losing the temperatures
R-JPEG is great for the camera and awkward for everything after it. GIS tools, photogrammetry software, Python and Excel all want a plain grid of temperatures, and that is what a radiometric TIFF is.
To convert DJI R-JPEG to TIFF you decode the raw thermal data into a temperature per pixel and write it to a single-band TIFF, usually 32-bit float in °C. Today the standard route is DJI's Thermal SDK, whose command-line sample outputs a raw temperature array that a short script saves as TIFF; it targets Windows and Linux. HeatDeck exports radiometric TIFF and CSV in batches for the formats it reads now (FLIR radiometric JPEG, InfiRay / Topdon .irg), and DJI R-JPEG support is coming soon.
What a radiometric TIFF is
A radiometric TIFF stores a number per pixel, not a colour. The common layout is a single band of 32-bit floating-point values in degrees Celsius, so a pixel reading 41.27 means 41.27 °C. Some tools write 16-bit integers with a scale factor instead (for example hundredths of a kelvin) to save space; check which convention your downstream software expects.
Unlike the R-JPEG, the TIFF has already had emissivity, distance and reflected temperature applied. Choose those values before converting, because the TIFF can't be re-corrected from raw data later.
Why convert at all
- Photogrammetry and mapping: stitching a thermal orthomosaic needs pixel values that survive the stitch.
- GIS: QGIS and ArcGIS treat a float TIFF as a raster you can classify and threshold.
- Analysis: Python (NumPy, rasterio) and MATLAB read TIFF directly.
- Archive: a TIFF opens in 20 years without the vendor's SDK.
Converting with DJI's Thermal SDK today
DJI's Thermal SDK ships a command-line sample that takes an R-JPEG and outputs a raw temperature array, with options for emissivity, distance, humidity and reflected temperature. Wrap it in a loop over your flight folder, then use Python (for example NumPy plus tifffile or rasterio) to save each array as a float TIFF. It works well and is free; it needs Windows or Linux and some comfort with scripts.
Batch export in HeatDeck
In HeatDeck Pro, select a batch, set the object parameters once, and export every image to radiometric TIFF (32-bit float, °C) and CSV in one step, on Mac or Windows. That works today for FLIR radiometric JPEG and InfiRay / Topdon .irg. DJI R-JPEG is coming soon, and the same export will apply to drone flights once it ships.
Batch-export thermal images to TIFF and CSV
Works today for FLIR and InfiRay / Topdon files on Mac and Windows. DJI R-JPEG is next.
Get HeatDeck for Mac or Windows
FLIR radiometric JPEG and InfiRay / Topdon .irg today · files stay on your computer · cancel Pro any time.
FAQ
Can I convert R-JPEG to TIFF on a Mac?
DJI's Thermal SDK targets Windows and Linux, so on a Mac it needs a Linux container or virtual machine. HeatDeck's R-JPEG support, with batch TIFF export on Mac, is coming soon.
Does the TIFF keep emissivity information?
No. Emissivity and the other object parameters are applied during conversion, so set them before you export.
What does HeatDeck export to TIFF today?
FLIR radiometric JPEG and InfiRay / Topdon .irg files, in batches, as 32-bit float TIFF in °C plus CSV.