Mark,
You state:
you have to understand that the FilmPack and Viewpoint features are not integrated in PhotoLab from the stand alone versions.
All of the FilmPack and VIewpoint features are already built into PhotoLab like any other PhotoLab features. They are in PhotoLab even if you don’t have licenses for those other products. With regard to PhotoLab all that a license for Viewpoint and FilmPack does is unhide those already built in features so you can see and use them.
End quote from your reply.
Either there are two “parallel” code basis – one for PL and the other for the two standalones of Viewpoint and FilmPack – or the internals of Viewpoint and FilmPack – SAME CODE BASE – are in PL with only the input and output (and user interface controls) methods (assuming an object oriented design and implementation – if pre-OO, then modules) changed. In the PL versions, the I/O access the internal attributes (data structures) of PL, and otherwise use JPEG/TIFF/whatever readers and writers. if the SAME CODE BASE, then presumably (unless the Nik collection is “spaghetti” or “ravioli” code) changing input/output to the internal data structures of PL (in OO, encapsulated methods to use a different set of I/O attributes) is a relatively straightforward thing to do (provided the original design is OO or at least pre-OO modular). I could be more detailed, but I would need to see the UML diagrams (or equivalent) for the various applications we have discussed, all of which are closed source proprietary (“crown jewels”) of DxO intellectual property.