What is your average file size?

[Dustbak]

After I got my new MacPro I started only processing my images at 16bit (before that I used that only when things were critical). Now file sizes are on average in between 2gb & 6gb per file. I quite often get Photoshop CS4 to refuse doing stuff because it thinks it hasn't gotten enough memory (12Gb in the machine). After closing PS and reopening I can continue. Quite frankly I find this a bit disappointing and begin to wondering whether it is me or the machine?

[DarkPenguin]

This is why I like lightroom.

[Dustbak]

Yeah, I use lightroom too but for some stuff it is just not up to par with PS. A lot of things I do with PS cannot be done with Lightroom. Lets not compare those 2.

[Jack Flesher]

After I got my new MacPro I started only processing my images at 16bit (before that I used that only when things were critical). Now file sizes are on average in between 2gb & 6gb per file. I quite often get Photoshop CS4 to refuse doing stuff because it thinks it hasn't gotten enough memory (12Gb in the machine). After closing PS and reopening I can continue. Quite frankly I find this a bit disappointing and begin to wondering whether it is me or the machine?

Huh???  Between 2 and 6 *Gig*s each on AVERAGE?  One of my largest recent files is a pano assembled from 5 P45+ 16bit files, put into CS4 and has about 10 layers total added --- and it is only 2.6 Gig if saved as an uncompressed layered tiff!  So I am wondering now about exactly what your typical image file is?

Regardless, I can confirm that 2.6G file when open in CS4 on my older Mac Pro with 24G ram runs fine, and OSX/CS4 is limited to 3G RAM max. If I do anything on it, it definitely has to tag the scratch disk, but it will and does and moves along just fine considering what it is...

*IF* you are getting memory errors from CS4, I suggest you try turning off Open GL and see if they go away. FWIW, turning Open GL off has solved both memory errors and display accuracy issues for several of my colleagues with fast, high RAM, high-end video card systems.  

Edit: And of course make sure you have a scratch disk selected and enabled with a check in the preference box designating the drive.  No scratch disk with files that large will most certainly have system problems.

PS: My average single file size from the P45+ in 16-Bit even after healthy manipulation in CS4 with layers retained and saved as an uncompressed tiff is maybe 400 or 500MB -- but I only process a few to that degree so the average will be even lower, and these files come out of the raw processor at over 230MB each. Obviously my Canon files are smaller still, lowering the average size further.

[Dustbak]

Huh???  Between 2 and 6 *Gig*s each on AVERAGE?  One of my largest recent files is a pano assembled from 5 P45+ 16bit files, put into CS4 and has about 10 layers total added --- and it is only 2.6 Gig if saved as an uncompressed layered tiff!  So I am wondering now about exactly what your typical image file is?

Regardless, I can confirm that 2.6G file when open in CS4 on my older Mac Pro with 24G ram runs fine, and OSX/CS4 is limited to 3G RAM max. If I do anything on it, it definitely has to tag the scratch disk, but it will and does and moves along just fine considering what it is...

*IF* you are getting memory errors from CS4, I suggest you try turning off Open GL and see if they go away. FWIW, turning Open GL off has solved both memory errors and display accuracy issues for several of my colleagues with fast, high RAM, high-end video card systems.  

Edit: And of course make sure you have a scratch disk selected and enabled with a check in the preference box designating the drive.  No scratch disk with files that large will most certainly have system problems.

PS: My average single file size from the P45+ in 16-Bit even after healthy manipulation in CS4 with layers retained and saved as an uncompressed tiff is maybe 400 or 500MB -- but I only process a few to that degree so the average will be even lower, and these files come out of the raw processor at over 230MB each. Obviously my Canon files are smaller still, lowering the average size further.

I start with 224mb 39MP files but I end up with anything in between 20 to 40 layers. This will get you to file sizes that big fairly quickly. I just checked most of the files are about 3gb big (1 as big as 6, some as big as 4 to 5). I definitely get memory errors from CS4. I safe uncompressed Tiffs as well (PSD files are a nightmare to open and safe )

I have a 3disk 3TB stripeset with 2 partitions and designated the fastest partition as scratch disk.  

I will try turning of OpenGL and see if this works, thanks for the suggestion.

[Jack Flesher]

between 20 to 40 layers.

Wow!   And that would certainly explain your averages

Kudos on the striped scratch, I do the same and it flies.  And in case you have not already done so, be sure to activate the "Disable Scratch Compression" plug-in in your CS4 extensions folder -- this one speeds things up considerably when you have a large, fast scratch volume.

[Dustbak]

Thx again Jack! Just turned of OpenGL which helps with the screen redraw (especially on the 30" screen). I might start looking for a much faster graphics card if that would help. Since my history is with PC based systems I find it quite hard to figure out what can work on a Mac. An ATI 4890X2 would be nice if I could put it in.

I also turned off the disable scratch compression and I dropped in the bigger Tiles plugin, smart sharpen with an edge mask is one of my favorite sharpening techniques and I read that gets a pretty significant speed boost by this.

Now I think I just need to wait until affordable 4Gb Mem sticks will hit the market, Snow Leopard & CS5....

[Jack Flesher]

I also turned off the disable scratch compression and I dropped in the bigger Tiles plugin,

You want to turn it ON, or have it active in the extensions folder -- since it disables scratch compression it speeds things up by writing the file directly without compressing it first and having to uncompress it on the read  

[Panopeeper]

I start with 224mb 39MP files
I safe uncompressed Tiffs as well

Why are you saving uncompressed TIFFs? Do you have a fondness for large files?

I find LZW better for 8bit files and ZIP for 16bit, but this may not be a generic wisdom.

[Phil Indeblanc]

There is a faster part of a raid 0 scratch setup?
Any info on how to config things?

I have the OS on 10K drive, the dedicated scratch as RAID 0 across 2 x 150gb 10k drives unpartitioned.

What would be a faster config of this?


thanks
There is a 32bit to 64bit differnce you might(not sure the differences) get large benifits from. Not sure when Adobe has a 64bit version yet?

Your memory speed can make a difference by a few seconds in processes if you don't already have DDR3.

[Dustbak]

Why are you saving uncompressed TIFFs? Do you have a fondness for large files?

I find LZW better for 8bit files and ZIP for 16bit, but this may not be a generic wisdom.

According to http://macperformanceguide.com/OptimizingP...figuration.html this will speed up things significantly on a fast drive. Probably because it can write a larger file faster than it can compress it to a smaller size. A 3drive stripe set qualifies as a fast drive and I find  it is indeed a lot faster. I don't mind the larger file sizes as long as it is faster. Disk space is cheaper and regarded less than my time.

[Dustbak]

There is a faster part of a raid 0 scratch setup?
Any info on how to config things?

I have the OS on 10K drive, the dedicated scratch as RAID 0 across 2 x 150gb 10k drives unpartitioned.

What would be a faster config of this?


thanks
There is a 32bit to 64bit differnce you might(not sure the differences) get large benifits from. Not sure when Adobe has a 64bit version yet?

Your memory speed can make a difference by a few seconds in processes if you don't already have DDR3.

Divide your stripe set in separate partitions. The first partition you create will be on the outer rim which turns faster and will be the fastest partition. I thought it was the first but Jack can elaborate more on that. I thought it was him that set me on that track.

CS4 is still 32bit unfortunately which is why us Mac users are anxiously waiting for CS5. The new MacPro uses DDR3.

[Dustbak]

You want to turn it ON, or have it active in the extensions folder -- since it disables scratch compression it speeds things up by writing the file directly without compressing it first and having to uncompress it on the read

Slight typo from my side. Naturally I dropped the plug-in in the extention folder and now have scratch compression disabled. Or 'disable scratch compression' turned on

[Jack Flesher]

Divide your stripe set in separate partitions. The first partition you create will be on the outer rim which turns faster and will be the fastest partition. I thought it was the first but Jack can elaborate more on that. I thought it was him that set me on that track.

CS4 is still 32bit unfortunately which is why us Mac users are anxiously waiting for CS5. The new MacPro uses DDR3.

Yes, as you use OSX disk utility to format, the first partition is on the outer rim and faster.  In Phil's case, since he has nothing else on his striped  pair of 150's, the drive will write from the outside in anyway, so he gains nothing by partitioning unless he has a use for the space on a second, dedicated partition.  So he could divide them in two and have a fast outer 150G stripe for scratch and a slower inner 150G partition for data storage.