Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => For Sale => Topic started by: plugsnpixels on September 15, 2022, 07:05:40 pm
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As I described in a previous post, Photo AI (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/) integrates the functionality of the Topaz Image Quality Bundle (DeNoise, Sharpen, and Gigapixel) into a single app with the aim of providing "autopilot for image quality".
This approach saves you the effort needed to treat your image in those 3 separate apps, one after the other.
As part of their launch special, Topaz is offering a $40 discount (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/) through 10/7 using coupon GETPHOTOAI.
Here are some examples of non-DLSR images as well as vintage image scans being treated in Photo AI, with emphasis on upscaling (which was my favorite feature in Gigapixel). I am especially excited about the Face Recovery feature, as I have a ton of old family photos on hand.
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Latest Photo AI (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/) news:
v1.0.1
Released September 22, 2022
Changes since 1.0.0:
Implemented face selection/deselection
Implemented free trials
Updated various camera profiles to have proper exposure baselines, including logic for determining camera make/model, and adding several new cameras
The windows installer now checks for AVX2 support before installing
Removed padding around the app icon on Windows
Filters are now hidden when refining subject or selecting faces, and the save button is disabled
Fixed “COne” folder being created on computers with multiple hard drives and don’t have Capture One installed
Fixed some images having incorrect cropping
Fixed Mac Capture One plugin not working on files with spaces in them
Fixed auto-upscaling showing check when using plugin mode that doesn’t support resizing
Partial fix for crash on some monitors with custom colorspaces
Partial fix for window being larger than the current monitor’s display
Going forward we’d like to share a bit about what major feedback the team is actively working on addressing, to give an idea on what you can expect in the coming weeks. There are no promises these will be completed and ready by any specific release, only that they’re in the pipeline. Here’s the current list:
Subject refinement is not precise enough
Autopilot takes too long looking for subjects or faces, particularly in cases where the user knows there aren’t any
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New version today: Regain control with Auto-Pilot override!
Still on sale through 10/7. (http://plugsandpixels.com/discounts.html)
v1.0.2
Released September 29, 2022
Changes since 1.0.1:
•Added preferences panel for customizing Autopilot
•Choose default subject detection model to use, or None
•Disable automatic face detection
•Choose what blur levels should suggest the Sharpen filter
•Customize resolution/scaling targets for auto upscaling
•Lens correction is now applied to input images
•This feature can be disabled using a toggle in the “Preferences” menu
•Replaced AVX2 check in the installer with just an AVX check
•Added prompt when using LrC Plug-In on a list of images that don’t exist on the hard drive
•Fixed model downloading issues within Mac installer
•Fixed some Windows 11 computers not opening TPAI
•Fixed auth failing on users with upgrade licenses that have expired (but should own 1.0.X)
•Fixed issues with window appearing larger than the size of the monitor
•Fixed LrC plugin not installing on Mac if the user renamed their HOME folder
•Fixed prompt about enabling international language support on windows not appearing when invoked from a host editor
•Fixed refine buttons being clickable while Autopilot is processing
To improve:
•Subject refinement is not precise enough
•The Sharpen filter sometimes oversharpens on images with low amounts of blur
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New weekly update! On sale through tomorrow, 10/7 (http://plugsandpixels.com/discounts.html).
v1.0.3
Released October 6, 2022
Changes since 1.0.2:
"Added new model to Sharpen filter that better handles low amounts of blur without over-sharpening
Added sliders for more parameters on some filters
Added command line interface
There’s a lot to this one, but if you run the executable with --help you can see the different options it takes
Re-designed seats dialog
Re-designed updates available dialog
Improved performance and stability on some hardware
Improved accuracy of luma noise detection
Fixed rare crash when checking authentication
Fixed file paths not loading with certain characters
Fixed AP Preferences dialog not expanding properly
Fixed crash caused by lens correction
Fixed black border in corners when zoomed in with lens correction enabled
Fixed preview not stop processing when opening a refine mode
Fixed crashes when opening or exporting large amounts of images
Fixed certain cropping metadata on ORF photos not being handled
Fixed some visual artifacts with Face Refinement in certain circumstances
Fixed subject mask sometimes showing the mask of a previous image after switching
Fixed switching images while in a refine mode saving the changes rather than cancelling
Fixed horizontal lines visual artifact on some images
Potentially fixed crash on open on Mac
Known Issues
Face refinement may have visual artifacts when lens correction is enabled
Users behind some firewall products may need to allow “Multi-compressed ZIP/GZIP files” to be downloaded
We still have a lot more planned! Here’s the problem areas we’ve heard your feedback on and are actively working on improving:
Subject refinement is not precise enough"
Attached:
Experimenting with 4x enlargement, otherwise I left settings on Auto Pilot. This is a screenshot from Instagram of one of the photos I posted there. Very nice cleanup! Gigapixel was always my favorite Topaz app, glad to see the legacy continues in Photo AI.
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And again!
v1.0.4
Released October 7, 2022
Changes since 1.0.3:
Fixed a crash when working with RAW files whose lens correction was smaller than the original image size
Fixed black borders on RAW files whose lens correction was smaller than the original image size
Fixed CLI output on Windows being hidden due to it running as a GUI application
Fixed closing an image making it so it cannot be re-imported until restarting the app
Fixed issue with AI engine where an invalid minimum Mac OS version was listed
Fixed some issues when switching images when in refine mode
Known Issues:
Lens correction may still cause crashes when zooming in on certain images. As a workaround, disable lens correction from the preferences menu item.
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Tonight's update:
v1.0.5
Released October 13, 2022
Change log:
General:
Use HTTPS for downloads on Windows in installer
CLI should now respect Autopilot settings
CLI should now apply camera profile correctly depending on input/output
Fixes:
Fixed crash when importing lots of images at once
Fixed issue with demo mode when no seats were available
Fixed lens correction crash/weird preview behavior. Now only applies lens correction on true RAW files, not linear RAW.
Fixed lens correction crash when using high zoom levels on corners of some images
Fixed DeNoise standard model not loading in some cases
Fixed preview area jumping around when importing an image
Memory related:
Updated AI engine to fix a memory leak
Rework how images are passed around to avoid multiple copies in some places
Lower memory footprint of TIFF/DNG output (6000x4000 saves ~48MB, 32000x32000 saves ~2GB)
Hide preview/navigator when exporting
Use high bit depth format for previews instead of converting to 8-bit
Reduce size of various image caches by 90+% (masks, face refinement)
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This week Topaz has an update for Photo AI (http://'https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/') (v. 1.0.6) that continues improving memory usage and performance improvements and bug fixes, general quality of life stuff AND an AI Brush, a feature that will allow you to refine your subject mask with much more precision! Topaz thinks this is much better than the “dumb” brushing in the older IQ apps, even with their edge detection modes. It still has a lot to improve upon though, and you should expect to see further updates to it.
My early tests are attached showing auto-selection, then my refinements (a little more could still be done):
v1.0.6
Released October 20, 2022
Changes since 1.0.5:
•Implemented AI Brush, a feature for more finely editing the subject selection
•Further reduced memory usage, particularly when batch processing
•Various performance optimizations
•Default zoom is now “Zoom to fit” on small images
•Updated exiftool, adding support for several new cameras and metadata tags
•Updated lensfun, adding support for several new cameras and lenses
•Fixed some special characters, like #, causing issues with loaded images
•Fixed crash when saving some RAW images
•Fixed Mac being prevented from falling asleep whenever the app is open. Now it’s only prevented while processing images
•Fixed issues with Subject Only and subject masks sometimes not applying correctly
•Fixed images that are 1024x1024 or 2048x2048 becoming washed out after running face detection
•Fixed the subject detection setting in AP preferences visually resetting to “Default” after re-opening the application
•Fixed subject refinement and face selection modes not closing when dragging an image into the application
•Fixed the app sometimes crashing while closing, particularly when used as an external editor
•Fixed image settings tooltip showing Sharpen settings incorrectly
•Fixed Sharpen sliders showing suggested values at 1 when Sharpen is not suggested
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v1.0.7
Released October 27, 2022
Changes since 1.0.6:
While making a mask brush stroke, the feathering won’t be rendered so you can see what precisely is being selected
The Face Recovery filter is now enabled if there are detected faces, and will automatically select all or no faces on toggle, as appropriate
Enabled the mask softness slider when the subject is set to “None”
The “Activate” button in the login dialog now reactivates after a couple seconds, in case the user closes their browser / tab
Fixed crash when starting a mask brush in the margins of the preview
Fixed crash caused by switching images rapidly
Fixed crash on certain images due to lens correction
Fixed CLI hanging if an image fails to write
Fixed installer claiming some versions of AVX as not supported that actually are
Fixed issues with the AI Brush appearing in the wrong spot in some situations
Fixed Mac not opening files as an external editor sometimes
Fixed instances not merging on Windows when files are located on external drives (causing issues like LrC appearing to not open all your files in TPAI if you have many selected)
Fixed images opened on Windows using “Open With” not saving if set to “original folder”
Fixed some plugin files on Mac being owned by root rather than the user, preventing things like PhotoShop 2023 automatically copying them over to the new plugins folder
Fixed face indicators in navigator appearing incorrectly on large faces
We still have a lot more planned! Here’s some of the things we are actively working on improving:
AI Brush
Performance of the preview panel (particularly when zoomed out on large images)
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v1.0.8
Released November 3, 2022
Changes since 1.0.7:
Add --showSettings and --skipProcessing flags to command line interface
Window position should now be saved between app runs
AVX check should no longer trigger antivirus
Installer will now attempt to use HTTPS to avoid firewall issues
Image preview should now clear after closing and re-opening an image
Fixed an issue where CLI didn’t cap the amount of simultaneously saving images
Fixed Autopilot dots not being correct in Sharpen
Fixed Enhance parameters being wrong if controls were modified before resizing
We still have a lot more planned! Here’s some of the things we are actively working on improving:
AI Brush
Performance of the preview panel (particularly when zoomed out on large images)
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v1.0.9
Released November 10, 2022
Changes since 1.0.8:
- App should open on lower end GPU setups again
- Updated AI Engine
– First time caching should be slightly faster
– Will now cache CPU models in memory
– Reduce memory usage on large images
– Fix various concurrency issues
- Updated Exiftool to 12.50
- Added ability to drag and drop folders to import all images inside them
- Added scrollbar to the file list at the bottom and made scrollbars slightly bigger
- Added a help message when using LR from the Edit In option instead of the plugin workflow
- Fixed frequent block artifact on high softness strength while masking
- Fixed zoom combobox stealing focus after it was clicked
- Tweaked Lightroom Classic plugin wording
Attached: Scan of a 1994 35mm negative with Photo AI on complete auto-pilot.
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v1.0.10 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Released November 17, 2022
Currently offered as a Black Friday discount (https://www.topazlabs.com/black-friday/ref/5/).
Changes since 1.0.9:
- Fixed a potential crash on super pixel generation
- Fixed an issue where the Photoshop plugin wouldn’t start sometimes on Mac
- Fixed plugin installation for Photoshop Elements and Affinity Photo 2
- ExifTool start error from LrC now comes with a support link to help fix the issue
- Fixed tooltip showing image settings getting stuck, can now get unstuck by hovering any image in batch view
- Uninstaller should now remove everything properly
- Installer will now ask to close Capture One on Windows to avoid plugin installation issues
- There is now a warning when closing an image whose settings have been modified
- Fixed mask mode sometimes saying “No Filters Active” instead of “Viewing Original”
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From Topaz' CEO:
You can now get Topaz Photo AI v1.1.0 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/') with a new raw model, better AI Brush, snappier previews, better noise detection, and more. This is our biggest update since release; we’re really proud of it and hope you like it! You will see Topaz Photo AI continue to improve each Thursday.
Topaz Photo AI’s core value is that it helps you maximize image quality on autopilot, so our team has been focused on both the quality and consistency of your results. To that end, right now we’re mainly working on improving the image quality models, autopilot accuracy, subject refinement, and performance.
We’re actively working on these features:
- New upscaling model (Enhance Resolution) for finer detail and more natural results. In internal testing, this new model significantly outperforms our existing upscaling models in both Gigapixel and Topaz Photo AI.
- Improve blur estimation so Autopilot can enable or disable Sharpen more reliably.
- Further improve subject refinement based on AI Brush feedback
- For raw images: improve strong raw noise parameter estimation and allow Autopilot to select it.
- Add Configure Autopilot option to enable or disable Remove Noise at various noise levels, similar to the current Sharpen option.
After that, here’s what’s next:
- New Remove Noise model for non-raw images that preserves more detail and responds better to slider changes.
- New Sharpen model for focus and motion blur that creates fewer artifacts.
- Add cropping and allow optional auto-upscaling to original image dimensions.
- Improve subject detection model accuracy to reduce how often you need to refine inaccurate subjects
- Add Apple Photos extension
- Improve the batch processing workflow
We’re also improving performance, reducing memory, and fixing bugs every release. We aim to release most of these improvements within the next few months, although there’s not a firm timeline. While you’ll likely see this roadmap change based on feedback, in the meantime we hope this shows you the direction we’re taking the product.
Thanks. We’re looking forward to making Topaz Photo AI the perfect tool for you!
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v1.1.1
Released December 8, 2022 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/')
Changes since 1.1.0:
Updated AI Engine
Fixed some model loading issues
Fixed some OpenVINO crashes
Fixed some TensorRT errors
Memory usage reduced
ExifTool is now embedded in the app instead of being run as a separate process
Model files on Mac should now be pre-cached in the installer which should make first load faster
Photoshop silent mode plugin will now save automatically when invoked
Added right click menu on preview panel which mirrors batch menu
Changed image open errors on Mac to use the native dialog
Reworded some Autopilot configuration labels
Cleared up batch thumbnail hover tooltip
Reworded buy license button if license is expired
Lightroom Plug-In Extras helper prompt no longer shows when input file is from a potentially unsupported camera
Added a camera profile translation for Panasonic DC-TZ200
Fixes:
Fixed issue with face refinement when using NVidia backend
Fixed issue where CPU was being used excessively when an image was not opened
Fixed issue where metadata being read would freeze on unsupported images from LR
Fixed face bounding boxes being at incorrect scales and positions
Fixed orientation not being applied to 180 degree images
Fixed issues with auth and updates
Fixed fit zoom breaking between view modes and image loads
Fixed clicking on the image requesting a proc instead of just showing original
Fixed some pixel shift in fit view
Fixed last filter saving/loading
Fixed preview jumping around when switching between images of different sizes
Fixed “Renew” button adding the wrong item to the cart
Fixed claim seats button disappearing when a user needs to claim multiple seats
Fixed some login prompt issues where an incorrect error would show
Known Issues:
In Photoshop, editing a smart filter will reset it to Autopilot settings
If you own this version and have an expired license while offline you cannot log in until reconnecting to the internet
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v1.1.2
Released December 15, 2022 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.1.1:
Added “Apply current settings to all” in image menu
New model for suggested strength parameter for RAW Denoise Strong
Updated camera profiles
Improved error handling in LrC Plug-In Extras flow
Added filename validation to prefix and suffix text fields
App updates dialog opens faster, update indicator is hidden while login dialog is open
Fixed some images having incorrect image cropping applied
Fixed prompt for sending RAW images as TIFFs from LrC appearing when it shouldn’t
Fixed preview snapping when changing zoom
Fixed “Subject Only” toggle not working
Fixed GPS data being stripped when saving images
Fixed some images loading with vertical stripes
Fixed users with expired licenses not being able to use an owned version of the app while offline
Known Issues:
Apply Settings sets the incorrect number of faces in Face Recovery
Apply Settings to or from linear raw files will cause a model loading failure from other formats
When subject is set to “None”, mask strokes disappear after you lift your mouse. As a workaround, you can select a different subject setting and erase it.
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v1.1.3, currently on sale for 25% off (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Released December 22, 2022
Changes since 1.1.2:
Photoshop plugin can now save masking strokes between runs on the same image
Current image should now be removed from the background when loading another image
Added formatting support based on current locale (e.g., 2.87 will be 2,87 for locales that use comma as the decimal separator)
Improved batch tooltip UI
Improved error messages when model fails to load or run
Modified error messages coming from the image reader to hopefully be more clear
Added an unfocused color to the titlebar
Fixes:
Fixed issue where certain characters would cause issues with external editors (e.g., Japanese, Norwegian, some German characters, etc)
Fixed an issue where only the preview area of the image would be saved if saving at the exact right moment during processing
Fixed mask not rendering when subject mask was set to “None”
Fixed some masking related crashes
Fixed turning off subject mask not updating preview until panned
Fixed crash reporter not running in plugin mode
Fixed some RAW files loading with incorrect colors due to floating-point black level values
Fixed several RAW files using incorrect camera profiles
Fixed right clicking preview showing original image
Fixed some cases where the current image would process while switching to another image
Fixed interaction with Apply Settings to All and Face Refinement
Fixed Linear RAW interaction with Apply Settings to All
Known Issues:
We are investigating some issues with images sometimes not being imported back to LR
“Apply Settings to All” may not work if the batch includes Linear RAW images
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v1.1.4, currently on sale for 25% off – LAST DAY (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Released December 29, 2022
Changes since 1.1.3:
Updated blur detection model
Added hotkey to switch masking modes (x swaps between add/sub)
Checking for updates button is faster, and has a manual refresh button
Improve main menu organization
Menu items now show shortcut keys on Windows
Removed autopilot green dot when the autopilot suggested model is NOT selected
Apply Current Settings to All now respects Linear RAWs
Fixed Mac not closing images correctly
Fixed split view being offset at 100% display scale
Fixed plugin crashing when using older hosts (CS6, Corel PSP)
Fixed some images using the wrong camera profiles (e.g., Canon EOS R5)
Fixed old preview image popping in while processing a new image in batch mode
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v1.1.5
Released January 5, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.1.4:
•Added settings for customizing mask overlay color and opacity
•Add Select Faces button inside the Face Recovery settings block
•Added and improved various error messages in LrC plugin
•Improved handling of authentication errors when checking for updates
•Fixed some images opening with the wrong orientation
•Fixed some images opening with a blue color shift
•Fixed some images opening with incorrect cropping
•Fixed PS plugin not opening layers with transparency on grayscale images
•Fixed model download issue in Mac installer
•Fixed “Edit Smart Filter” in PS resetting settings to autopilot values
•Fixed opening many images from LrC taking a long time
•Fixed updates dialog not being scrollable
•Updated lens correction files
•Updated ExifTool to 12.53
Examples show the results of an image found online being upscaled 4X on complete autopilot.
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Catching up!
v1.2.0
Released February 2, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/')
Changes since 1.1.9:
•Added new High Fidelity upscaling model
•Added new Standard upscaling model which replaces the old Natural model
•Added ability to crop in plugin modes that support resizing
•Remove open images and show images in finder/explorer while in plugin mode
•Cropping on import via metadata now handles CropArea tag
•Automatically try to correct cases where crop size is knowably incorrect
•Updated app icons
•Updated upscaling Autopilot models
•Update lens correction files
•Fixed HEIC files being incorrectly oriented
•Fixed Standard Sharpen clarity slider not doing anything
•Fixed crash when combining crop and masking
•Fixed alpha channel not being oriented the same as the image
•Fixed CLI not accepting directories as arguments
•Fixed edges of original image showing behind preview on images with transparency
•Fixed RAW images having incorrect size due to order of lens correction and metadata cropping
•Fixed issue where Autopilot values were incorrectly cached between cropped and non-cropped images
•Fixed crash when re-entering cropping after refining the mask
•Fixed Olympus Stylus 1 and 1s camera profile mappings
•Fixed some images with unsupported lens correction data showing wrong image after cropping
1-megapixel source photos attached!
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I was just notified that Photo AI is on sale (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) ($40 off) through 1/17.
6-megapixel sources attached.
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v1.2.1
Released February 9, 2023 (Photo AI is on sale (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) for $40 off through 1/17)
Changes since 1.2.0:
•Added Apple Photos extension with full support for non-RAW images
. Full support for RAW images will be added later this month
•Added sliders to Enhance models for more control
•Tuned Autopilot’s selection of Enhance models
•Changed Enhance model settings to get quality parity on GPU vs CPU
•Lightroom Classic should now stack images above the original after returning from Photo AI
•Fixed CLI help not working on Windows
•Fixed CLI hanging on Mac
•Added installer caching to the Windows installer which should help avoid some repair issues
•Updated login success page style
•Fixed typo in face detection tooltip
Cropping:
•Changed crop so that it works on a centered crop selection
•Added a shadow to areas of the image outside of the current crop while cropping
•Fixed some cases of pixel shifting
•Fixed crop not quite lining up exactly
•Bottom bar is now disabled while in cropping mode
•Changed the drag areas for crop to be easier to grab
•View mode should now return to the previously selected one when finishing cropping
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Photo AI just reached version 1.2.2 in its aggressive weekly update schedule (with the following changes since v1.2.1).
The current $40 off sale (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) ends TODAY.
•Apple Photos should now save RAW files with better colors than before
•Metadata should now be copied from sidecar XMP files if one is found
•Changed default Face Recovery value to 80 instead of 100
•Locked position of opposing sides when moving crop handles
•Baseline Exposure value is now read from DNG files and used when possible
•Updated “Up To Date” dialog
•Removed exiftool executables since they are no longer required
•Fixed Help > Give Feedback URL
Attached image was done in v1.2.1 just before 1.2.2 was released. 4X enhancement of a 2007 lo-res digital image:
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v1.2.3
Released February 23, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.2.2:
•Added compression slider on PNG exports
•Added support for opening files with extensions jif, jfi, jfif, and jpe
•Lightroom Plug-In should now copy Rating and Keyword metadata correctly
•Fixed files with non-ASCII filenames and folder paths not saving metadata on Windows
– Anyone who turned on the beta UTF8 region setting as a workaround can safely disable it
•Fixed issue with face refinement being blurry
•Fixed issue where Enhance slider values were reset automatically
•Fixed open image shortcut not being disabled correctly while in plugin mode
•Fixed not being able to flip a custom crop ratio more than once
•Fixed aspect ratio not changing the first time after unlocked custom aspect ratio was selected
•Fixed crop not preserving correctly after flipping the ratio
•Fixed crop aspect ratio going out of bounds in some instances
•Fixed crop box moving erratically when dragging trackpad along sides
•Fixed some issues with installer on Ventura not being able to write to the Home directory
•Fixed issue where “dllhost” would show up as a host editor on Windows
•Updated ExifTool to 12.56
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v1.2.4
Released March 2, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.2.3:
•Added basic masking brush
– Switch between AI brush and the basic brush while in refine mode with the “b” hotkey, or use the toggle on the right panel
•Added opacity slider to mask overlay color selection
•Added support for more DNG types (HDR, Monochrome)
•Fixed scroll bar on right panel being too large in certain cases
•Navigator will no longer hide the old mask when generating an updated mask
•Fixed crop being able to go out of bounds when unlocked
•Fixed issue where dragging crop boundaries against an edge quickly would extend opposite side’s bounds
•JPEG quality value will reset to 95 on next save if left under 30
•Windows installer should now handle symlink errors
•Minor UI tweaks
– Sliders can now be incremented with arrow keys when the text field is selected
– Added app icon to the title bar area
– Made icon smaller on activation screen
– Added feedback button to title bar when no updates available
– Added more links under the Help menu
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v1.2.5
Released March 9, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.2.4:
This week has various masking tweaks as well as some other minor fixes and changes. In the background there is still a lot of work happening surrounding RAW color and metadata but it may take a few releases to show up.
•Mask refinement mode now force single image view mode
•Masking brush can now go down to 1 pixel
•Fixed issue where masking off the edge of an image would not fully draw the stroke
•Windows shortcut should now support drag & drop of files
– Note: This removes the auto-repair functionality in order to support drag & drop
•Fixed logic for when increase and decrease shortcuts for masking brush are enabled
•Fixed the update download progress bar staying open until the app is closed
•The minimum saved JPEG quality between sessions is now 50 instead of 30
•Added more detailed error when file fails to save due to name length
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v1.2.6
Released March 10, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.2.5:
•Fixed images with unicode characters in the output path not saving on Windows
•Fixed width of update indicator when there are 2 or more updates available
•Fixed Demo button not showing up in trial/expired license mode
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v1.2.7
Released March 16, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.2.6:
•Added preferences panel that replaces scattered settings around the app
– Includes Autopilot settings and various general settings
•Added new optional settings in preferences
– Additional control over which faces are auto-selected
– Added ability to change default Face Recovery strength
– Added a toggle for closing images once they are saved
•Lightroom Plug-In now copies over additional metadata
– Now copies label, title, caption, gps, and altitude tags
•Added bit depth options for PNG
– Preserving file type while saving a PNG will use same bit depth as original
•Switched to using Huffman compression for PNG
•Updated lensfun definitions
•Remove requirement of installing Vulkan on Windows
•App now cleans up old installers on Mac
•Changed error prompt when the current version isn’t owned
•Changed “Cancel Processing” button to be red so it doesn’t visually merge with the “Close Window” button
•Toggling Face Recovery resets to Autopilot suggested faces instead of selecting all
•Fixed Wacom tablet not releasing preview after panning
– Note: You may need to update your Wacom drivers if the issue is still persisting in 1.2.7
•Fixed crop going out of bounds when XMP crop wasn’t between 0 and 1
•Fixed temp files staying around when a save error occurs
•Fixed TensorRT models being slow on certain machines
•Fixed some Autopilot preferences not applying to already open images
•Fixed Autopilot settings sometimes not applying correctly due to auto-upscaling
•Fixed Hasselblad X1D not using the correct camera profile
•Fixed Autopilot progress going backwards sometimes
•Fixed View menu zoom options being enabled when no image is open
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v1.2.8
Released March 23, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.2.7:
•Removed “Help Improve Autopilot” preference
. Turning the preference on will no longer upload in any version of Photo AI
•Fixed 100+ cameras not mapping to correct camera profiles
. There is still work being done to update the profiles themselves
•Loosened check on monitor colorspace conversion so more monitor colorspaces should look correct
•Copy additional metadata when using the Lightroom Plug-In Extras flow
•Currently selected preferences tab now persists within the active session
•Added Open Recents option in File menu
•Fixed scrolling the file list view with trackpad on Windows only being able to scroll right
•Changed minimum value of Face Recovery slider to 1
•Fixed some update snoozing issues
•Small UI/wording tweaks
: Welcome screen now mentions that you can drop folders
. Preferences panel now has Cancel/Save buttons
. Cursor now shows as waiting when manually checking for updates
. Added tooltip to Original View toggle
. Fixed a layout bug where update information would have lots of extra spacing
. Replaced the sub-menu on the left side of file list to be a collapsible toggle
Known issues:
•HDR or Monochrome DNGs which previously did not open may have issues when saving as a DNG
. To get around this you can save as JPEG, PNG, or TIFF which shouldn’t have the same color issues
This update came out the same day an elderly relative sent me an iPhone snap of an old family photo hanging on the wall... As someone who prefers to scan originals in hi-res, this was painful, so I ran it through Photo AI to recover the faces (after fixing the geometry in Photoshop).
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Sharing My Review on Topaz Photo AI with Before/ After Images for different types of images like High-Noise, Medium Noise, Soft focus, Motion Blur, JPEG, & Raw.
Check out - Topaz Photo AI Review (https://www.photographyaxis.com/post-processing/topaz-photo-ai-review/)
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v1.2.9
Released March 30, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.2.8:
•Reworked camera profiles and added ~100 new profiles
– If there are still issues with your specific RAW files please let us know
•Preferences panel will now save its active tab between sessions
•Changed cursor when waiting to check for updates
•Space bar will now properly toggle the original button’s state
•Added shortcut for Close All Images (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + W)
•Fixed minor memory leak when saving images
•Fixed maximize button taking 2 clicks to change window state on Windows when taskbar auto-hide was enabled
•Fixed downscaling being disabled due to Autopilot suggestions
•Fixed dialogs closing when clicking on their background
•Fixed issue where folders with dots in them would not save on Windows
•Fixed app not being able to save images while working offline
Known issues:
HDR or Monochrome DNGs which previously did not open may have issues when saving as a DNG
– To get around this you can save as JPEG, PNG, or TIFF which shouldn’t have the same color issues
"This week we have updated and added several camera profiles. This should help various cameras that previously would not load correctly (e.g., very dark/bright compared to original and/or desaturated). Overall around 100 profiles were added, many of which were for various mobile devices.
"Along with profile there were several annoyances fixed, like not being able to save images while offline, not being able to downscale, and more."
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This week's example shows a 1995-era medium format negative scanned on a flatbed transparency scanner at 9600ppi. The faces shown are from the back of the group!
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STARTING TODAY through 4/21:
Topaz is offering $40 off (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) the latest Photo AI release, 1.2.10
Update info:
v1.2.10
Released April 6, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.2.9:
•Sharpen strength recommendation is now based on subject if it exists
•Minimize detail and clarity slider recommendations when both Denoise and Sharpen are recommended
•Remove plugins when uninstalling on Windows
•Fixed Sony camera profiles for DSC-RX10M4 and DSC-RX100M7
•Fixed various Samsung Galaxy phone camera profile mappings (S20 to S23 series, excluding S20+ and S23)
•Fixed 2 channel grayscale image with alpha crashing the program
•Fixed some small slider increments/decrements not registering
•Fixed login flow creating files in the home directory on Mac
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Topaz is offering $40 off (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) the latest Photo AI release, 1.3.0 through 4/21
v1.3.0
Released April 13, 2023
(https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.2.10:
•Updated Motion & Lens blur models to new generalized Strong Sharpen model with less artifacts and greater slider sensitivity
•Thumbnails for all file types should now be displayed
•Updated ExifTool from 12.56 to 12.60
•Fixed not recommending Sharpen when blur was low, but preferences included low
•Sharpen now has minimum recommended slider values when enabled when Autopilot is on
•Autopilot will now enable Remove Noise and/or Sharpen when noise or blur is high even if Upscaling is on
•Fixed thumbnail tooltip showing values below their normal range
•Fixed exporting not working after a certain large amount of images
•Fixed various file size estimate issues
•Fixed hiding the file list making the app think it was not in batch mode
•Fixed issues with some text having poor margins
•Added ability to double click slider to reset to Autopilot value
•Added menu items for My Products under Account
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It's Thursday so we are getting another build of Photo AI (details at end), so I want to remind everyone that Topaz is offering $40 off (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) the latest Photo AI release through tomorrow, 4/21.
v1.3.1
Released April 20, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
"This week we have made a few small improvements to the Standard Enhance model. This should help fix various issues like occasional blurriness in bright regions, make it more robust to JPEG compression, and have more natural faces. Alongside this we have made some other improvements around the app including increasing thumbnail generation performance, updating close warning dialog logic, updated tooltips on thumbnails, and standardized some menu items, text, and buttons."
Changes since 1.3.0:
Improved Standard Enhance model
– Fixed blurriness that can occasionally happen in bright highlighted regions
– More robust to strong JPEG compression
– More natural faces
Added preference for enabling legacy Sharpen models
– Can be found under General tab in Preferences
Improved thumbnail hover tooltip
Changed logic for showing close image warning
Changed “Technical Support” Help menu item to “Support”, changed to link to our new Docs platform
Standardized done button when refining mask, selecting faces, or cropping
Added error message when dragging and dropping unsupported files
Fixed some large images not generating thumbnails
Fixed trackpad scrolling behavior in the update dialog
Fixed inconsistent capitalization of “RAW”
Fixed BMP not being importable from open dialog on Windows
Fixed blank space in export dialog caused by scrolling while exporting
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"This week we have major changes surrounding the AI Engine. This is the portion of the app that runs the various filters and models. Specifically, there should now be various improvements to loading speed and stability in various circumstances as well as caching of preview tiles now which should make the preview experience better on slower machines. A list of various changes related to the engine can be found below. In order to support adding the engine we did have to temporarily pull back some of the straightening additions we made last week due to conflicts. We are looking into adding these back in better form later down the road.
Alongside those changes we also have tons of fixes which should improve stability in various sections of the app. This includes some crashes, freezing in the CLI, preview issues, metadata issues, and more."
v1.3.3
Released May 4th, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.3.2:
Updated AI Engine
– Implemented caching of preview tiles to make preview more responsive on slower machines
– Improved model loading speed when stacking models
– Improved Autopilot accuracy
– Fixed lens correction and crop sizes on some RAW images
– Fixed CoreML GPU selection on some Intel Macs
– Fixed some ONNX related crashing issues
Updated to OpenImageIO 2.4.11.0
– Fixes PNG metadata and color issues
Added ability to select low confidence faces manually
Removed various straightening features temporarily
App will now clean thumbnails instead of leaving them in temp directory
Capture One plugin will now send canceled event when no images are saved
Added camera profile translation for Hasselblad X1D II 50C
Mac installer should now respect system theme
Added tpai to PATH on Mac
Fixed applying crop not working via Plug-in Extras in Lightroom
Fixed image processing errors causing the CLI to freeze
Fixed incorrect tooltips being displayed when closing an image while hovering thumbnails
Fixed switching images sometimes causing previous thumbnail to be copied onto new image
Fixed potential crashes surrounding writing images with the wrong size
Fixed order of drag and drop images being backwards
Fixed non-RAW images using MakerNotes EXIF data to determine crop
Fixed XMP files being shown as non-supported (avoids annoying error message when importing RAWs by selecting all in folder)
Fixed very large non-RAW images not generating thumbnails
Fixed some files with “.DNG” extension causing a crash on exit
Fixed potential crash in thumbnail writer
Fixed image previews being shown while exporting
Fixed preview image showing dark/desaturated after finishing or canceling an export
Fixed background of image view sometimes showing as grey when using light system theme
Fixed issue with camera profiles that would prevent select ones from loading correctly
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v1.3.4
Released May 11th, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.3.3:
•Added new v2 non-RAW Remove Noise models
: These will eventually replace the old models.
•Added camera profile for Galaxy Note 8
•Improved messaging in various auth states
•CLI will now preserve folder structure when using --recursive and --output
•Fixed CLI not respecting enhance Autopilot options
•Fixed downscaling not working
•Fixed exposure on S22 Ultra rear wide camera
•Fixed issue where unknown cameras would be prevented from saving
•Fixed crop not being correct on some RAW images
•Fixed crop issue when XMP was rotated 90 degrees clockwise
•Fixed crop issue when XMP crop used a different tag name
•Fixed “Could not read image” error messages not having any information
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This week includes a lot of fixes around the app. Some big ones would be that Face Recovery should now fully work compared to 1.3.4. It should no longer skip improving faces depending on where you were previewing or what scale you are at. We’ve also resolved an issue where settings were being desynced which caused login information to not be saved between app instances.
Besides those two, we’ve also improved lots of phone camera profile mappings. This includes phones like Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 Pro which would save out invalid DNGs. We’ve also added mappings for dozens of Samsung phones, so those should be better supported by default now.
v1.3.5
Released May 18th, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.3.4:
Fixed Face Recovery no longer recovering all faces in certain situations
Fixed issues that caused the login prompt to activate every launch due to settings desync
Fixed XMP sidecar files applying to non-RAW outputs
Fixed Pixel 6 and 7 Pro camera profiles not being used
Fixed various Samsung phone camera profiles
Fixed thumbnail tooltip not properly showing Remove Noise settings
Fixed escape key not letting you escape the preferences panel
Fixed Capture One plugin install not working if Capture One’s plugin folder was missing
Fixed some AI engine related crashes when using Remove Noise’s Strong model on Windows
Fixed app freezing when manually checking for updates fails
Fixed discrepancy between Autopilot’s displayed scale and the scale shown in the Upscale settings
Updated lensfun database
Autopilot will now recommend higher Sharpen Strong values
Changed lower limit of image scaling from 0.5 to 0.2
Fixed Face Recovery not properly caching faces when switching scales
Group shot attached is from a scan of a 1996 35mm negative, first color-corrected in Radiant Photo (https://radiantimaging.pxf.io/ORD6MQ) and treated with Photo AI 1.3.5
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The latest Photo AI release is on sale at $40 off (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/) starting today through 6/16.
This week introduces a few model changes for Remove Noise and Sharpen. Remove Noise v2 models are now out of initial beta and will now be recommended by Autopilot. For Sharpen, the legacy models preference has been removed and the old models re-instated. We have tweaked Autopilot to recommend the Lens Blur Sharpen model in cases where we’ve found they should perform better. Likewise, Remove Noise v2 has had Autopilot updates as well.
v1.3.7
Released June 1st, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.3.6:
Removed legacy models setting from preferences
Autopilot can now recommend the older Sharpen Lens Blur model again
Remove Noise v2 models have dropped their beta tag and are now recommended by default by Autopilot
Added Nvidia GPU models for Remove Noise v2 models
Changed close image shortcut to be Ctrl+W instead of Ctrl+F4 on Windows
Selecting Custom aspect ratio will now automatically unlock the aspect ratio while cropping
Fixed issue where only half of face would be recovered in some cases
Fixed Close Image shortcut only being able to close one image on Windows
Examples showing 4X upscale of lo-res DiffusionBee AI-generated image as well as face recovery of a vintage 1906 image, also at 4X.
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Photo AI is on sale for $40 off (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/) through TOMORROW, June 16.
For this week we have taken the beta Remove Noise models out of beta. They will now replace the previous Normal and Strong models, and the old Strong is kept and re-labeled as Extreme.
In the background there was a large overhaul of the engine that runs the processing of images. We have not run into any new issues but if you run into strange behavior please let us know. There should not be much different for now but this allows us to more easily add stuff in the future. The main user-facing change this adds is that now exporting will use the cache if possible which should drastically speed up exports for images you’ve already previewed.
v1.3.9
Released June 15, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.3.8:
• Remove Noise models are now out of beta.
◦ Strong is now Extreme
◦ Normal v2 and Strong v2 are now just Normal and Strong
• The app should now block the computer sleeping while process on Windows
• Uninstaller should now fully clean up all registry values on Windows
• Fixed Ctrl+W not closing the image the first time on Windows
• Mac installer will now request additional permissions to try to avoid installation issues when downloading models
• Appending model names to exported files will now include the scale information on Enhance
◦ For example, -enhance-1.5x when using scale 1.5, -enhance-1000w when using width = 1000, etc
• Fixed processing stopping when exporting runs into an error
• Added a new more specific error message if an image does not exist anymore when attempting to save
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This week we have changed Face Recovery slightly so that it no longer also tries to enhance necks and clothing around the face. This should help in instances where collars or other clothing gets smoothed out.
We’ve also added two new preferences: One for sRGB preview fallback and one for checking low disk space. The sRGB preview fallback is disabled by default which is new behavior compared to 1.3.9. If you experience crashes when previewing you can try to enable that setting and see if it’s resolved. Keeping it disabled should help ensure your colors are accurate for your monitor. The second option for checking low disk space will check your free space available when processing. If it detects it is below certain thresholds it will give you a warning or error message. This does not stop the program in any way, but should let you know that stuff may start breaking if space gets too low. This currently does not apply to exporting due to limitations with free space checking on certain types of drives, but we hope to add this in the future.
There are also several other fixes as well.
v1.3.10
Released June 22nd, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.3.9:
Face Recovery should now avoid modifying clothes
Fixed an issue that caused caching to work incorrectly
Changed preview to no longer use sRGB fallback
If you experience crashes, turn on sRGB Fallback under Preferences > General
Image reads can now be interrupted by trying to load another image
Known issue: If rapidly switching images you may still have to wait for it to catch up
Added warnings for low disk space when running models
If you experience performance issues, you can disable these checks under Preferences > General
Fixed a crash when canceling processing in certain cases
Fixed Lightroom Classic sometimes opening multiple Photo AI instances
If you still run into this let us know
Fixed a crash when initialization of models fails
Fixed “Could not run model” errors when engine cancels during processing
Note: This does not fix all cases
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This week we have a handful of updates related to different cameras as well as some fixes for some annoying issues.
For general fixes, there should no longer be a large movement in the preview when zooming in/out for the first time. We’ve also fixed the Open Recents menu staying open after selecting an image on Windows, as well as adding an additional option to clear all recent files.
For cameras, we have added profiles for:
•Fujifilm X-S20
•Leica Q3
•Sony ZV-1M2
We have also updated profiles for:
•Canon EOS R50
•Canon EOS R8
•Google Pixel 2 XL
•Google Pixel 4a Rear Wide Camera
•Google Pixel 7a
•Nikon Z 8 (Does not fix unsupported image issues)
•Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Rear Super Telephoto Camera
•Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Rear Telephoto Camera
•Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Rear Wide Camera
•Samsung Galaxy S23+ Rear Telephoto Camera
•Samsung Galaxy S23+ Rear Wide Camera
On top of these profiles, DNG files with missing profiles should now no longer output invalid DNG files. We have additionally updated lensfun definitions to be up-to-date as of June 23rd.
v1.3.12
Released June 29, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai/ref/5/)
Changes since 1.3.11:
Updated lens correction files
Updated camera profile support for various cameras
Added fix for unsupported DNG files not creating valid DNGs
Added Clear Recent Files option under File > Open Recent
Renamed Detail to Refine Detail in Remove Noise and RAW Remove Noise
Fixed crop on certain RAW images
Fixed images with invalid orientation causing issues
Fixed zoom not being centered on first zoom in/out
Fixed Photoshop plugin not correctly storing settings
Fixed open recents menu staying open after selecting an image on Windows
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This version includes a new text recovery model which can improve results of text in images, a re-design of the right panel controls, and long awaited support for Z9 High Efficiency compressed files. Improve the visual quality of text: The new Preserve Text filter specializes in making small or degraded text appear sharper and more natural than existing methods. It is also the first text enhancement AI model commercially available.
v1.4.0
Released July 6th, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Note for MacOS users: The new minimum supported OS version is now 11.0 (Big Sur).
Changes since 1.3.12:
•Auth system internals changed to allow Alpha, Beta, and Release builds to use the same seat
•You may need to login again and claim seats from pre-1.4.0 versions
•Added preserve text enhancement
•Re-designed right panel
•Re-designed welcome screen
•Added support for Nikon’s High Efficiency compression
•Nikon Z9 High Efficiency compression support
•Fixes Z8 files that open incorrectly (Z8 files that use HE compression)
•When resizing the image, you may now specify pixels per inch or centimeter and how long each edge should be
•Access these options by clicking the “px” in the width or height text field. This setting will persist after closing the app.
•If inches or centimeters is selected, the resolution and resolution unit will be read from the image and written on export
•Optimized autopilot performance when re-running due to switching images or toggling upscale
•Changed font from Roboto to Inter, and updated various icons
•Right click and three dot menus should now automatically disappear if you move away from them
•Fixed Adobe Lightroom Classic Plug-In text being too big for the save button
•Fixed error when using LrC plug-in with LrC versions below 6 (noting that LrC 3.0 is still the minimum LrC version supported)
•Fixed face recovery sometimes changing the tone of the face
•Fixed CLI not allowing you to specify bit depth
•Fixed status bar sometimes indicating the wrong status when inside an edit mode
•Potential fix for toggles not updating for some users
•Updated lensfun
I find this update especially useful for enhancing genealogical-type documents, such as those found in lo-res online, as well as smoothing out text in general images.
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A new version was released today (1.4.1) (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/).
I seem to be unable to post the details in my usual format (forum errors).
Improvements have been made to Face Recovery (among other things). I've attached a couple of examples where I made hi-res scans of my great-grandmother's circa-1904 cameo photos and ran them through Photo AI.
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Topaz Photo AI 1.4.2 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) was released today.
I'd give more details but the forum is broken ;-)
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v1.4.3
Released July 27, 2023 (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/)
Cannot add details, forum posting is still broken.
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Photo AI v1.5 was just released. Today starts a 2-week discount (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) ($40 off through 8/18).
Also, the current Video AI sale (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) ends 8/4.
I am still unable to provide details due to the forum bug, but see the links above...
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New version today (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) (1.5.1). On sale through 8/18.
Below I used Preserve text on the soft and noisy malted milk container and general upscaling and sharpening on the soft 2008-era digital photos.
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Topaz is offering $40 off the latest Photo AI release (https://www.topazlabs.com/shop/ref/5/) (ENDS TODAY, 8/18)