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Author Topic: Topaz Detail in Studio  (Read 5570 times)

Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Topaz Detail in Studio
« on: September 30, 2017, 10:17:45 am »

Hi folks,

I just noticed that there is a new addition to the suit of Topaz Plugins for their Studio host application.

So now the 2 must-have plugins, both Clarity and Detail, have an equivalent in the new Studio environment.
The upgrade for those who already have a license for the previous stand-alone Photoshop plugin versions is free.
For new purchasers, there is an automatic (temporary) introduction discount, no coupon required.

As delighted as I was, there is, however, a difference in behavior that I do not like. Detail used to be a virtually Halo-free operation, which made it very intuitive to use. Just a look at the almost real-time updated preview made it easy to see the effect and hone in on the right amounts. Now, one has to also keep an eye on whether the adjustments create a visible halo at the intended output size, so one needs to zoom in/out too much.

I've raised the issue on the TopazLabs forum, so I'll have to wait and see if this will be fixed.

Anyway, the Photoshop Plugin can also still be called from within the Studio Host program, under the Plugins menu option. But I hope the different behavior of the new 'Studio version' will be made to look much more like the adjustments used to be.

So in summary, for the moment, the upgrade is free but I'd wait if you're a new purchaser. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved before their discount lapses.

Cheers,
Bart
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donbga

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #1 on: October 02, 2017, 06:31:32 pm »


So in summary, for the moment, the upgrade is free but I'd wait if you're a new purchaser. Hopefully, the issue will be resolved before their discount lapses.

Cheers,
Bart

Thanks, good catch.
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Damon Lynch

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2017, 12:16:31 pm »

I do own Topaz Detail, but when I open Topaz Studio, the Precision Detail "Pro" version is not free. So I go to submit a support request to sort the situation out, only to find that their support website has not been updated to allow submission of a support request for that adjustment. Hmmm. I then realize there is an option to "Validate Plugins" under the help menu. I try it, and it unlocks the Precision Detail adjustment. Why is this command necessary, why is it named like that (seemingly affecting plugins, not adjustments), and why is it under the help menu?

It's a shame to see the high quality pixel manipulation technology Topaz creates undermined by such rudimentary errors. They need better UI design, and they need better website management. Only relatively recently did they fix a typo in the menu of Studio.

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rdonson

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2017, 03:08:30 pm »

I'm an owner of both Clarity and Detail in previous the version.  The new ones are upgrades that need to be purchased. 

Since they never addressed the issues I had with the previous versions with an update I'm going to leave Topaz alone.  I've found other tools that work just as well for me, if not better.
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Regards,
Ron

myotis

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2017, 03:46:05 pm »

I'm an owner of both Clarity and Detail in previous the version.  The new ones are upgrades that need to be purchased. 

Why do you think you need to purchase the upgrades?

Topaz have made it clear in all the marketing surrounding Topaz studio that as the existing plugins are built into Topaz Studio, existing Plugin owners will get free upgrades. And this is what has happened with Detail and Clarity.

I have had an issue with the upgrades because I bought my original plugins as part of a bundle, which isn't recognised by the automatic free upgrade process for the Topaz studio versions of the plugins.  In both cases Topaz have given me new (free) Topaz studio licenses for both Detail and Clarity, presumably because of their free upgrades for life promise.

If you already own the plugins, there doesn't seem an obvious reason for you needing to pay for the upgrades.

Cheers,

Graham

 




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DougJ

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2017, 03:46:40 pm »

If I may Ron, what are those other tools to which you refer?
Ciao,
Doug
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m_rouleau

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2017, 04:03:06 pm »



As delighted as I was, there is, however, a difference in behavior that I do not like. Detail used to be a virtually Halo-free operation, which made it very intuitive to use. Just a look at the almost real-time updated preview made it easy to see the effect and hone in on the right amounts. Now, one has to also keep an eye on whether the adjustments create a visible halo at the intended output size, so one needs to zoom in/out too much.

I've raised the issue on the TopazLabs forum, so I'll have to wait and see if this will be fixed.


There was a patch issued today that supposedly fixed those issues:


    Precision Detail (all sliders) at high strength created halo.
    Precision Detail selection was not consistent for what constitutes overall, shadow or highlight.
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Damon Lynch

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #7 on: October 03, 2017, 04:04:23 pm »

I'm an owner of both Clarity and Detail in previous the version.  The new ones are upgrades that need to be purchased. 

Perhaps you need to run "Validate Plugins" under the help menu. At least it worked for me for the Detail adjustment. It's very strange that it must be done manually.
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JimT1

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #8 on: October 03, 2017, 06:29:39 pm »

I've considered buying Topaz plugins in the past and have yet to purchase.  There hasn't been a product I've wanted to use more and just given up on. The frustration in trying to figure out their offerings has always put me off.  I feel there is a disconnect between the engineers and the marketing.  Even the website is an awkward experience.  Past tutorials confused me more.

Can someone tell me which plugin would be used for a progressive sharpening technique for final output before printing if there is one?
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rdonson

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2017, 09:53:44 pm »

Example, I use Lightroom and invoke Topaz Clarity from the "Edit in" option then choose "Fusion Express 2" which then allows me to select "Clarity".  Topaz Clarity then opens.  Using "Menu" I see that it is Topaz Clarity V1.0.0 from May 2013.  I then choose "Check for Updates" and I'm told "Updates Not Available - You are running the latest version of the software".   I bought this in Dec 2015.  I do not own Studio but rather some individual Topaz plugins that I found useful.

I moved on and now I'm using MacPhun Creative Kit which meets my need.
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Regards,
Ron

Damon Lynch

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2017, 10:01:57 pm »

Topaz Clarity then opens.  Using "Menu" I see that it is Topaz Clarity V1.0.0 from May 2013.  I then choose "Check for Updates" and I'm told "Updates Not Available - You are running the latest version of the software".   I bought this in Dec 2015. 

That's a bug. Their "check for update system" was broken for that generation of the product.  There is in fact a newer version of the plugin. For example I have 1.1 from November last year. It's another example of how Topaz gets some things right (pixel manipulation) and other things wrong (the UI and stuff like this).

Anyways it's academic, and not because you're no longer using it.  The installer for the standalone plugin is no longer on the Topaz website. Instead you run it as an "adjustment' in Studio, which is free. And the adjustment is free to you because you already paid for it.
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Garnick

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2017, 08:09:06 am »

Over the past few years I have collected all of the Topaz plugins from their site, some of them with discounted prices etc.  Even though I haven't yet used all of the plugins to a great extent, I have always been happy with the ones I have inserted in my workflow.  One thing I must say is that anytime I've had an issue that put me in touch with their support staff, I have been very satisfied with the rapid response and their desire to make my experience one that keeps me coming back.  Hopefully they will continue down this path and have any issues resolved as soon as possible. 

Just voicing my experience with Topaz as a company, as opposed to their products only.

Gary 
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #12 on: October 04, 2017, 09:19:40 am »

Just an update.

Quote from: TopazLabs
1.3.4
October 3, 2017
Bug Fixes

    Precision Detail (all sliders) at high strength created halo.
    Precision Detail selection was not consistent for what constitutes overall, shadow or highlight.


As I was discussing the halo artifacts issue on the TopazLabs forum with a moderator, and was preparing a Tech Support request, I was notified by 'Studio' that a new Studio update was available, Version 1.3.4 .

This update also changed the behavior of the new Precision Detail plugin, it is now almost as good (but not quite there yet) as the stand-alone plugin. So they are working on improving the issue, I just don't know if they think they have it fixed, or that further improvements are due soon.

Cheers,
Bart
« Last Edit: October 04, 2017, 11:13:03 am by BartvanderWolf »
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scotto

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #13 on: October 04, 2017, 09:55:16 am »

... Can someone tell me which plugin would be used for a progressive sharpening technique for final output before printing if there is one?

Detail is the plugin recommended for both creative and output sharpening. I believe you could use it for progressive output sharpening by adjusting the sharpening settings and pressing the apply button to lock those changes in and then repeating that process as many times as you like.

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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #14 on: October 04, 2017, 12:55:22 pm »

Update:

I just got an answer from a TopazLabs Administrator on the TL-forum:
Quote from: TopazLabs
We're going to keep working on the halo. The new algorithm is much faster, but we're still refining the prominence of edge halos due to some types of smoothing, when you increase the strength of the detail sliders.

So we can expect further improvements, especially at the more extreme settings.

Cheers,
Bart
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #15 on: October 05, 2017, 10:29:15 am »

Another update:

One of the Topaz Labs developers chimed in with the following comment:
Quote from: TopazLabs
Since the plugin version uses an algorithm which takes 15-20seconds of preprocessing, it cannot be used as an adjustment. We actually invented a new GPU algorithm that is fast and good enough to put Detail into TS. Now we know that it is not the case. This now becomes one of the top priority to make it halo-free. It could take weeks...

Thank you guys to hold us accountable.

Well, it's an honest comment. They just released the Precision Detail plugin for Studio a bit too soon, but it will get fixed. It's actually already usable with modest amount settings, but they intend to improve the algorithms further (but it's not easy to optimize it for GPU acceleration, which was the goal).

This is one of the benefits of buying from a developer who is responsive to issues that were raised by customers a few days ago.

Cheers,
Bart
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Damon Lynch

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #16 on: October 06, 2017, 04:42:22 pm »

Thanks for your updates, Bart. Most intriguing. It may demonstrate that there is some merit in building a balanced system, pairing a relatively powerful GPU with a relatively powerful CPU. I mention that in the context of an argument that claims because Lightroom does not make extensive use of the GPU, a modest GPU is sufficient to process photos. From what I can tell, SNS HDR makes extensive use of the GPU too.
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #17 on: October 07, 2017, 08:46:58 am »

Thanks for your updates, Bart. Most intriguing. It may demonstrate that there is some merit in building a balanced system, pairing a relatively powerful GPU with a relatively powerful CPU. I mention that in the context of an argument that claims because Lightroom does not make extensive use of the GPU, a modest GPU is sufficient to process photos. From what I can tell, SNS HDR makes extensive use of the GPU too.

Yes, it's amazing that the smaller developers seem more able and willing to embrace GPU acceleration than some of the big dogs.

Going forward, I think good GPU performance of one's hardware will certainly pay-off.

Cheers,
Bart
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DougDolde

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #18 on: November 02, 2017, 02:39:48 pm »

I don't see the point of Topaz Studio except as a gateway to Impression.
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BAB

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Re: Topaz Detail in Studio
« Reply #19 on: November 02, 2017, 04:42:59 pm »

I also use clarity and have had a few issues with the last three updates but now as you all seem to say the software works good at the moment.

I only have 10 days left on certain trials not sure how the purchased clarity-plug will integrate with Studio, but the Studio part is a great idea when your exhausted finding a look (style) for a particular image you can get some MO JO browsing thru the hundreds of Examples. some (few) but some have saved me lots of time!

I have several inquiries (requests) to Topaz about the clarity plug-in continuing to work integrated with studio but they just wont respond?
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