In December 2024, Brad Hards developed support for embedding custom image properties in the AVIF encoder within the libsdl-org/libavif repository. He introduced new C APIs, avifImageAddOpaqueProperty and avifImageAddUUIDProperty, enabling the encoding of non-standard metadata directly into AVIF images. Brad’s work included designing validation checks and comprehensive unit tests to ensure the reliability and maintainability of these features. By focusing on file format specification and low-level programming, he expanded the encoder’s capabilities to support downstream metadata workflows. The implementation was well-documented and integrated seamlessly, reflecting a thoughtful approach to API design and robust image encoding practices.