Soft Previews in Bridge in CS3

[mikebore]

If I have Bridge in Filmstrip setting, the preview window occupies most of the screen, but the preview image is soft compared the same file opened in CS3 or Camera Raw, or Lightroom. Too soft to use for editting because I can't assess sharpness adequately.

Bridge in CS2 limited the size of Previews and looked sharper. I guess in CS2 the max preview size corresponded to 100% of the preview pixel dimensions. Bridge in CS3 allows the preview image to be much larger, and the previews look very soft. If the preview window is reduced down to the CS2 limit it looks about the same as in CS2.

I can't find any adjustments in the prefs which affect the preview quality, (as in Lightroom where you can select the pixel resolution of the previews and get great previews). I have "high quality" thumbnails selected in the Bridge prefs, but it is the previews not the thumbnails which are disappointing. Anyone know what pixel dimension previews Bridge is building? Some rough scaling from my screen, assuming that the CS2 preview max also applies in CS3, suggests it about 1150x720 pixels...not enough.

There was a thread in the Bridge beta forum here which expresses it well but which was never resolved. I had the same problem in the beta as now with the released version.

Because there aren't loads of threads about this, I feel I am missing something, but in addition to things mentioned above, I have tried purging caches, centralised and distributed caches, software rendering, deleting preferences.

I see the problem easily on my 30 and 23 inch monitors, but not on my 15 inch MacBook Pro...it is all down to the size at which the preview is being shown.

Any input very welcome!

Mac Pro 2.66, 5 Gb RAM, 30 inch ACD, X1900 card, 10.4.9

Thanks

Mike

[pminicucci]

Mike: The answer appears to be to purge the bridge cache, up to 3 times to catch it all. If that does not do it, reset Bridge's preferences upon launch.

[mikebore]

Mike: The answer appears to be to purge the bridge cache, up to 3 times to catch it all. If that does not do it, reset Bridge's preferences upon launch.
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Thanks for quick reply.

Although I have purged caches and deleted prefs many times, I tried again starting Bridge with alt held down and re-setting everything...but the problem remains. I also tried just repeatedly deleting the cache.

What I haven't tried is creating a new user...I'll do it now.

[mikebore]

What I haven't tried is creating a new user...I'll do it now.
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Just tried creating a new user, but problem is the same

[pminicucci]

Does the softness persist when using the loupe tool?

Interesting that the problem does not appear on the laptop. It's gotta be some kind of disjoint with the graphics card on the desktop.

I'd also try medium to deep cleaning of system caches, using TinkerTool or one of that ilk.  Cannot hurt. I know that I ran the uninstall app and the clean script and I still found CS3 remnents by searching in File Buddy as well as whole folders that should have been deleted from the beta.

In addition to posting in the Adobe forums, you might want to open a "case" on your account to get this resolved. My understanding is that there is no charge for install issues.

Just tried creating a new user, but problem is the same
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[mikebore]

Does the softness persist when using the loupe tool?

Interesting that the problem does not appear on the laptop. It's gotta be some kind of disjoint with the graphics card on the desktop.

I'd also try medium to deep cleaning of system caches, using TinkerTool or one of that ilk.  Cannot hurt. I know that I ran the uninstall app and the clean script and I still found CS3 remnents by searching in File Buddy as well as whole folders that should have been deleted from the beta.

In addition to posting in the Adobe forums, you might want to open a "case" on your account to get this resolved. My understanding is that there is no charge for install issues.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=114071\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for that.

The loupe tool works perfectly...very quick and shows full sharpness.

Some progress here.

After deleting caches, and preferences, switching to and from central cache etc etc, SOME photos in the wedding I am working ARE showing sharp large previews, but not all, and other folders are still soft.

I have formed the impression that the preview building process is stop/starting and getting stuck.

On the wedding folder, after purging the cache the rebuilding process started with the percentage showing bottom left. Even AFTER it got to 100% I could click on a thumbnail and the preview would initially appear small then take a second to go to a large sharp one. On other folders it goes straight to a large soft one and I don't seem to able to be able make it go sharp.

Alternatively, it is as if the purging process is not happening properly. I have tried deleting the cache files with the finder after making them visible, without effect.

I feel encouraged that things are going in the right direction.

I will try your suggestion of a system cache clean when backing up is finished.

Mike

[Christopher]

Thanks for that.

The loupe tool works perfectly...very quick and shows full sharpness.

Some progress here.

After deleting caches, and preferences, switching to and from central cache etc etc, SOME photos in the wedding I am working ARE showing sharp large previews, but not all, and other folders are still soft.

I have formed the impression that the preview building process is stop/starting and getting stuck.

On the wedding folder, after purging the cache the rebuilding process started with the percentage showing bottom left. Even AFTER it got to 100% I could click on a thumbnail and the preview would initially appear small then take a second to go to a large sharp one. On other folders it goes straight to a large soft one and I don't seem to able to be able make it go sharp.

Alternatively, it is as if the purging process is not happening properly. I have tried deleting the cache files with the finder after making them visible, without effect.

I feel encouraged that things are going in the right direction.

I will try your suggestion of a system cache clean when backing up is finished.

Mike
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Same problem here, these large previews are totally unsuable... Still looking for a fix...

[mikebore]

Same problem here, these large previews are totally unsuable... Still looking for a fix...
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Glad I am not alone!

Two updates;

1. I just tried a deep cache clean with Tiger Cache Cleaner, also ran Diskwarrior, permissions, prebindings etc...no benefit.

2. Looking again at the previews on my MacBook Pro, they are definitely sharp. It isn't just that they look sharp because of the smaller screen, so there is something wrong with my MacPro. What I said in the first first about pixel dimensions of the preview being inadequate is off the mark, something else is happening, or not.

Christoper, what machine and graphics  card are you using?

[mikebore]

Glad I am not alone!

Two updates;

1. I just tried a deep cache clean with Tiger Cache Cleaner, also ran Diskwarrior, permissions, prebindings etc...no benefit.

2. Looking again at the previews on my MacBook Pro, they are definitely sharp. It isn't just that they look sharp because of the smaller screen, so there is something wrong with my MacPro. What I said in the first first about pixel dimensions of the preview being inadequate is off the mark, something else is happening, or not.

Christoper, what machine and graphics  card are you using?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=114098\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Another update

It now seems that, after multiple purging of caches, that TIFFs are displayed sharp, but RAW (30D and 5D) are not, whatever I do.

Any suggestions?

Mike

[Christopher]

Another update

It now seems that, after multiple purging of caches, that TIFFs are displayed sharp, but RAW (30D and 5D) are not, whatever I do.

Any suggestions?

Mike
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I run a PC
Intel C2D
4Gb Ram
Win XP 64
2* NV 7300

I will do some more testings today.

[pminicucci]

Mike:

Try this:

Shoot some fresh raws of anything with either the 30D or 5D. Import them to the desktop into a different place than you usually would (say, the desktop). Do a DNG conversion and give the files a different than normal name. (What I am trying to setup here is something that will defeat any cache glitch.)

Now open Bridge and examine the CR2s and the DNGs for relative sharpness. If they are sharp, it is still some kind of cache issue. If they are not...well, I'm stumped.

[mikebore]

Mike:

Try this:

Shoot some fresh raws of anything with either the 30D or 5D. Import them to the desktop into a different place than you usually would (say, the desktop). Do a DNG conversion and give the files a different than normal name. (What I am trying to setup here is something that will defeat any cache glitch.)

Now open Bridge and examine the CR2s and the DNGs for relative sharpness. If they are sharp, it is still some kind of cache issue. If they are not...well, I'm stumped.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=114175\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks for the suggestion. I like the logic but I just tried it and the previews are still soft.

Perhaps a re-install, but since the beta was exactly the same for me, I suspect this wouldn't do anything for me.

[pminicucci]

Ok, last shot for me

Do you have software rendering on? (In Bridge prefs under the advanced tab.) If so, turn it off, quit and restart Bridge and see if that makes a difference. If software rendering is already off, turn it on, quit and restart Bridge and see if that makes a difference.

I cannot tell from your original post if your multiple monitors are used in a mirror arrangement. In the beta, software rendering had to be on to use the mirroring setup. Supposedly, this would have been fixed in the final release.

Still, if I read the docs correctly, software rendering would allow previews to be drawn without any fancy work by the graphics card.

Thanks for the suggestion. I like the logic but I just tried it and the previews are still soft.

Perhaps a re-install, but since the beta was exactly the same for me, I suspect this wouldn't do anything for me.
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