HighDeF

HighDeF views HDF5 files on Apple devices. Open an .h5 file and browse its groups and datasets in the sidebar, then read any dataset as a table, a plot, or an image — whichever suits the data. HighDeF only reads the part of a dataset you are looking at, so even multi-gigabyte files open immediately and stay responsive. It is free and open source, and built on the HDF5 library.

Plots

Numeric datasets become plots. One- and two-column data is drawn as a line series; wider numeric data becomes a heatmap. Pan and zoom to explore — HighDeF resamples to the resolution of the view instead of drawing every point, so sweeping across millions of samples stays smooth. When a dataset carries a time or sample_number column, HighDeF uses it for the x axis automatically.

Tables

Any dataset can be read as a table. Rows load in bounded windows as you scroll, so the table appears at once no matter how long the dataset is. For datasets with more than two dimensions, a control along the top steps through the extra dimensions one slice at a time.

Images

Datasets shaped like pictures — a two-dimensional grid, or a grid of RGB or RGBA pixels — render as a proper image, scaled to fit the window.

Live data

HighDeF watches the file on disk and reloads when it changes, picking up rows as they are written. That makes it handy for watching a data logger fill a file in real time, not just for inspecting finished ones — and it holds your place, keeping the selected dataset, view, and zoom where you left them.

iPad

The same viewer runs on iPad and iPhone. Browse the hierarchy, scroll through tables, and pinch to zoom a plot.

Support

Please discuss and register issues on GitHub.