JUST RELEASED: Topaz A.I. Gigapixel 1.1.1 (CPU friendly)

[vjbelle]

Wayne..... you have gotten my attention.  This is the first time that I have been able to bring a relatively large file (30x20 at 600dpi) into PS on a high rez monitor (my latest 13 inch MacBook Pro) and actually 'SEE' the resolution change during sharpening as to how it would affect printing.  At 600dpi the original file looked soft, as if that is possible with the MacBook Pro monitor, unlike a native processed raw file from anything I own (3100, GFX) - they all look sharp no matter what. Geeezzz I may have to actually go out and buy a Hi REZ Monitor. 

Victor

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Wouldn't it be better to use a higher resolution monitor?

I think that when we reach a display resolution of around 300 PPI (which is approx. the Human Visual Acuity limit of 20/20 vision at reading distance), like your display, we reach the point of diminishing returns. When displays can achieve twice that, then we can even resolve Vernier resolution. Better than the resolving power of our eyes, but with still detectable minuscule offsets.

Cheers,
Bart

[Arlen]

A note possibly of interest to some:  While doing these upscaling tests, I've found that saving uncompressed 16-bit TIFF output files (in Windows 10) that are larger than 2 GB from either Photoshop or AI Gigapixel yields files that are missing metadata and thumbnails. No thumbnails are visible in File Explorer, and Windows Photo Viewer can't open them. Photoshop opens them, but only after first popping up a message that the metadata is missing or corrupted. However, saving the files as compressed, via either LZW or ZIP, eliminates those problems. Maybe this is a "feature" of TIFF files that others know about, but I didn't.

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

A note possibly of interest to some:  While doing these upscaling tests, I've found that saving uncompressed 16-bit TIFF output files (in Windows 10) that are larger than 2 GB from either Photoshop or AI Gigapixel yields files that are missing metadata and thumbnails. No thumbnails are visible in File Explorer, and Windows Photo Viewer can't open them. Photoshop opens them, but only after first popping up a message that the metadata is missing or corrupted. However, saving the files as compressed, via either LZW or ZIP, eliminates those problems. Maybe this is a "feature" of TIFF files that others know about, but I didn't.

The TIFF file specification has, due to an internal addressing limitation, 4 GB maximum file size limit. Some TIFF libraries produce a 2GB file limit. For larger files, there is a Big-TIFF specification, but support for that is at the moment still limited.

But I would not completely rule out some sort of bug either. If reported to their service people, they'll look into it.

Cheers,
Bart

[Arlen]

Thanks, Bart. I knew about the TIFF 4GB file size limit, but not what I'm seeing with the metadata when the file is  over 2GB. At first I thought it was a problem with AI Gigapixel, but then I saw similar results with >2GB uncompressed TIFF files generated with Preserve Details2 and saved out of PS CC 2018. I might report it to Topaz Labs anyway, to see what they have to say about it. In the meantime, I would be interested in knowing if anyone else is seeing a similar behavior.

[vjbelle]

A 40x30 image at 600ppi yields a file size of around 2.6gb.  At that size out of AI Giga I consistently get an error message from PS regarding missing metadata.  The file, though, always opens. 

Victor

[bjanes]

Thanks, Bart. I knew about the TIFF 4GB file size limit, but not what I'm seeing with the metadata when the file is  over 2GB. At first I thought it was a problem with AI Gigapixel, but then I saw similar results with >2GB uncompressed TIFF files generated with Preserve Details2 and saved out of PS CC 2018. I might report it to Topaz Labs anyway, to see what they have to say about it. In the meantime, I would be interested in knowing if anyone else is seeing a similar behavior.

You might try using Adobe large document format (PSB) which can accommodate 300,000 pixels in any dimension. For a 1:1 aspect ratio that is 90 GB. I don't know if the Topaz software could handle that size.

Regards,

Bill

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

You might try using Adobe large document format (PSB) which can accommodate 300,000 pixels in any dimension. For a 1:1 aspect ratio that is 90 GB. I don't know if the Topaz software could handle that size.

Hi Bill,

PSBs are not (yet) supported as output format, possibly because they are a proprietary Adobe file format.

Big-TIFF is, although TIFF is formally now owned by Adobe, an openly documented format that has seen some development towards this new standard (http://bigtiff.org/) despite Adobe's lack of support. I think that it has a bigger chance of being implemented by e.g. Topas Labs, but only if enough people start asking for it. It would make sense to add it, especially for an application that creates larger files.

Cheers,
Bart

[Arlen]

A 40x30 image at 600ppi yields a file size of around 2.6gb.  At that size out of AI Giga I consistently get an error message from PS regarding missing metadata.  The file, though, always opens. 

Victor

Thanks Victor, that's exactly what I'm seeing. Are you using a Mac, or Windows? (The latter for me.)
Since the file always opens in PS and LR, without any apparent image errors, it's not a huge issue. But it is annoying not to have a thumbnail in File Explorer, nor to be able to read the file properties (like pixel dimensions) there.

Note again that, at least on my PC, it is not exculsively an AI Gigapixel issue, since I see the same thing for files over 2 GB that are generated within Photoshop via Preserve Details 2. That is, Photoshop seems to be generating TIFF files with corrupted or missing metadata, that it then complains about when re-opened in the same program.

[vjbelle]

Arlen...... I am on a Windows - recent build - computer but also have recent MacBook Pro's but don't use them much for anything this large.  I too just ignore the error message and continue on. I don't use File Explorer but instead use Directory Opus which, if you never have, may want to look into.  It is much more powerful than File Explorer.  I also just use Bridge for a quick look at what is in a folder..... 

Victor