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Author Topic: Question about Topaz  (Read 3614 times)

earlybird

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Question about Topaz
« on: January 05, 2018, 08:19:51 am »

Hi,
 I have several Topaz Photoshop plugins and have been very satisfied with them.

 I get periodic emails about sales etc. and I occasionally go to their website to be tempted by something I do not have yet.

 Lately though, I seem to get confused every time I visit the Topaz website. It seems like the site steers me to their newer Topaz Studio product and I have to search diligently to find a way to get to their Photoshop plugin product pages.

 For example; their official home page https://web.topazlabs.com/ makes no mention of Photoshop plugins and emphasizes their Studio host. Meanwhile, this page: http://www.topazlabs.com/ still provides a link to a "products" page which seems to list the familiar Photoshop plugins, but there is no mention of the word "plugin" or "Photoshop". Finally, if you stumble your way into their "store" you can find a minor mention of "plugins", but the more info links for the products guide you recursively back to info about using the products in their "Studio".


 My question; Is Topaz deprecating their Photoshop plugins or are my impressions and experiences a symptom of choices they have made in web design?

 Are the Photoshop plugins going to be around for a while longer?

 Thank you.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2018, 10:46:48 am by earlybird »
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Kevin Raber

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2018, 08:28:49 am »

The studio is one place where all the plugins reside and you can access any of them.  I have been working with the studio version for a while and love it.  Seems many of the older plugins have updated to use with studio.  I heard some people have had some issues with the app but I am on a MAC and use it every day.  Easier updates too.  I'd recommend it.
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earlybird

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2018, 09:27:07 am »

I am asking about the plugins that work in Photoshop.

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E.J. Peiker

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2018, 10:04:58 am »

earlybird, I had no problem at all going directly to the plug-ins store. Here is a direct link and it is clearly labeled Plug-ins:
https://www.topazlabs.com/store

No issues on Windows for me either with Studio, Kevin
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earlybird

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2018, 10:33:48 am »

Yet the link from their official home page ( https://web.topazlabs.com/  ) to their "store": https://web.topazlabs.com/shop/ takes you to a page that makes NO mention of the word plugin except as a mention at the very bottom of their webpage in a RSS twitter feed panel where the word plugin is used. ( I used the "find" function in my browser to find it ).


However, after searching through the site this morning I finally found this page:

https://support.topazlabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/200284638-Compatible-Host-Editors

I also found that on each "more" page, about three quarters of the way down this is published:

"Use seamlessly in your existing workflow
Topaz Clarity isn’t a standalone software. Instead, it plugs directly into your existing editing software to minimize disruption to your workflow.
Compatible with Photoshop, Lightroom, iPhoto, and more"


I think my impression has been formed by choices they have made  with their website design, and I glad to learn that the products are still thought of as plugins that are meant to be compatible with various hosts.

Thank you.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2018, 11:25:14 am by earlybird »
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myotis

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2018, 11:01:49 am »

My question; Is Topaz deprecating their Photoshop plugins or are my impressions and experiences a symptom of choices they have made in web design?

Yes, I think from everything Topaz have said, that the old plugins are part of their history. They explained when they introduced Studio that the current Plugin model was both commercially and technically unviable, and they needed a different approach, which was Studio.

Studio itself, with basic editing features,  is free, but with paid for Pro features that didn't/don't initially match the capability of the stand alone plugins.

However, when the updates to a Studio Pro feature matches the original plugin features, you automatically get the equivalent Pro feature activated in Studio (assuming its a Plugin you already own). So far five Studio plugin equivalents have been activated for free in Studio (including Detail and Clarity).

You can run Studio as a Plugin from Photoshop, much as you did with the original plugins, except running them through Studio is much quicker, and the new design of Studio is allowing Topaz to provide upgrades to the Studio versions of the plugins that they couldn't have provided with the stand alone version.

The old plugins still work, and can be run from PS as before, or from inside Studio, and of course, you can now run Studio as a standalone program, including doing raw conversions, but its not something I have tried.  Nor do I intend paying directly for any of the "Pro" Studio features, as I am just waiting for them to be automatically activated for free as they match the capability of "my already paid for" older stand alone plugins.

It looks as if there will be no long term updates to the old plugins, and the only updates will be through the Studio route. The reason the plugins are still for sale, I assume, is because Studio doesn't yet provide all the capability of the equivalent plugins.

Crucially, you need to open a new Topaz "Studio" account, with the same email address as your existing Topaz account, to get the automatic free upgrades to the Studio versions of the Plugins as they become available.

I confess, I found it all a bit confusing at first, and I had problems with the auto updates, because of how long ago I had bought my Plugins, but  Topaz were very helpful and sorted everything out.

Cheers,
Graham


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earlybird

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2018, 11:24:35 am »

Thank you for the helpful information.

I did not realize that Studio can be run as a plugin. I have assumed it was just a stand alone interface.

Thank you.
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myotis

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2018, 11:49:27 am »

Thank you for the helpful information.

I did not realize that Studio can be run as a plugin. I have assumed it was just a stand alone interface.

Thank you.

Glad it was useful

In Photoshop you get an additional option in the filter menu called Topaz Studio. Under this menu are options to directly run the Plugins that have been updated to Studio (Clarity, Detail etc) or to open the default Studio interface.

If you click on the Plugin Name, Studio opens, but with the appropriate Plugin menus already selected.

There have been lots of teething troubles with this new approach, but long term, it looks as if this is going to work well.

Cheers,
Graham

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E.J. Peiker

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #8 on: January 05, 2018, 02:30:40 pm »

Yet the link from their official home page ( https://web.topazlabs.com/  ) to their "store": https://web.topazlabs.com/shop/ takes you to a page that makes NO mention of the word plugin except as a mention at the very bottom of their webpage in a RSS twitter feed panel where the word plugin is used. ( I used the "find" function in my browser to find it ).

I dont get what the problem is.  If you go to topazlas.com, click on Products in the menu bar at the top of the screen and then click on Store from the drop-down it takes you directly to a page with a huge font that says Plug-ins right on top. 
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Peano

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2018, 08:10:22 pm »

Glad it was useful

In Photoshop you get an additional option in the filter menu called Topaz Studio. Under this menu are options to directly run the Plugins that have been updated to Studio (Clarity, Detail etc) or to open the default Studio interface.

If you click on the Plugin Name, Studio opens, but with the appropriate Plugin menus already selected.

There have been lots of teething troubles with this new approach, but long term, it looks as if this is going to work well.

Cheers,
Graham
I use the Detail and Clarity plug-ins with Photoshop CS6. Is there any advantage to getting the Studio interface? Would that add anything to the features or operation of Detail and Clarity?

Thanks.

myotis

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2018, 01:46:23 am »

I use the Detail and Clarity plug-ins with Photoshop CS6. Is there any advantage to getting the Studio interface? Would that add anything to the features or operation of Detail and Clarity?

I don't use it very much, so maybe others can add to my comments.

The latest update to Clarity or Detail (I can't remember which) was only available as the Studio versions, and as you already have a license for Clarity and Detail, you should get the Topaz Studio versions of these plugins for free.  It doesn't look like the original plugins will get anymore updates. 

Running the Studio versions of the Plugins is  faster than running the original plugins. 

Studio adds a stand alone program (including Raw converter) should you need it. For example, I use Capture One and I am aware of some people who  mainly use PS, with C1, just to run some Plugins to "finish" their image. With Topaz Studio, you could probably bypass PS altogether.

Given it's free I think you should just give it a try. You don't lose anything, and you make some gains.
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Peano

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #11 on: January 16, 2018, 09:40:29 am »

Thank you! I'll give it a try.

EDIT: Installation failed. Error msg said I don't have minimum system requirements, but I can't figure out what is deficient.

Win 7/64 bit
8 GB RAM
ATI HD 5450 graphics card (supported)
OpenGL (not sure what version, so I may need to update the graphics card driver)
« Last Edit: January 16, 2018, 10:49:11 am by Peano »
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myotis

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2018, 11:57:22 am »

Thank you! I'll give it a try.

EDIT: Installation failed. Error msg said I don't have minimum system requirements, but I can't figure out what is deficient.


I can't help I'm afraid, but Topaz technical support has always been excellent when I have contacted them, so they may be the quickest way to tie down where the issue is. 

Graham
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Peano

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #13 on: January 16, 2018, 06:02:39 pm »

I can't help I'm afraid, but Topaz technical support has always been excellent when I have contacted them, so they may be the quickest way to tie down where the issue is. 

Graham

Thanks. I emailed them, and we'll see how it goes.

DougDolde

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #14 on: January 16, 2018, 08:22:22 pm »

Impression is all the Topaz software I use.  When they moved it to Studio there was a tremendous speed increase maybe 20x faster
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Alan Smallbone

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #15 on: January 17, 2018, 10:57:43 am »

Thank you! I'll give it a try.

EDIT: Installation failed. Error msg said I don't have minimum system requirements, but I can't figure out what is deficient.

Win 7/64 bit
8 GB RAM
ATI HD 5450 graphics card (supported)
OpenGL (not sure what version, so I may need to update the graphics card driver)

A wild guess but the only time I have seen this is if the opengl is not the latest. They had a tool you could download that will tell you if the opengl is compatible or not...

Alan
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Alan Smallbone
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Peano

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #16 on: January 17, 2018, 11:17:04 am »

A wild guess but the only time I have seen this is if the opengl is not the latest. They had a tool you could download that will tell you if the opengl is compatible or not...

Alan

Thank you. I've searched the Topaz site but couldn't find the tool you referred to. I've contacted tech support and will see if they can help. Thanks again.

Peano

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #17 on: January 19, 2018, 06:33:53 pm »

Follow up: Topaz tech support was excellent. Turned out I needed to update the driver for my graphics card. Ran into several bumps along the way, but their tech support got me over all of them.

Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #18 on: January 19, 2018, 09:32:25 pm »

Follow up: Topaz tech support was excellent. Turned out I needed to update the driver for my graphics card. Ran into several bumps along the way, but their tech support got me over all of them.

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback, glad they got your issue solved.

Cheers,
Bart
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myotis

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Re: Question about Topaz
« Reply #19 on: January 20, 2018, 01:28:48 am »

Follow up: Topaz tech support was excellent. Turned out I needed to update the driver for my graphics card. Ran into several bumps along the way, but their tech support got me over all of them.

Glad you got it sorted.

Cheers,
Graham
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