Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Down

Author Topic: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster  (Read 5418 times)

plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« on: August 16, 2019, 12:27:53 am »

Yesterday Topaz soft-released version 4.3.1 of Gigapixel AI, with the following features:

•Toggle in right panel to enable and disable Face Refinement
•Face Refinement will detect small faces (16x16px - 64x64px) and apply targeted improved upsampling

They are also aiming for 3X faster processing in CPU mode.

Attached is a screenshot of the new GUI with a 15-year old, 4MP image being treated with 4X magnification.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2019, 04:18:25 pm by plugsnpixels »
Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2019, 01:19:04 am »

Another sample of some unsuspecting woman at Disneyland, also from about 15 years ago. I love the 6X results, especially on the nose. Too bad we can't use this treatment on ourselves!

Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

vjbelle

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 635
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2019, 07:31:05 am »

However they still have not removed the ridiculous pixel limitation of 22,000 pixels in any dimension.  I was promised by them that they would do so four updates ago. 

I'm not using it until they fix it.

Victor
Logged

Bart_van_der_Wolf

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8913
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2019, 08:30:26 am »

However they still have not removed the ridiculous pixel limitation of 22,000 pixels in any dimension.  I was promised by them that they would do so four updates ago. 

I'm not using it until they fix it.

Hi Victor,

I have not seen them making such a promise. They did say that they were going to look into that and see if they could relax those limitations somehow, by circumventing some of the inherent memory issues that exist. The limitations are there to prevent memory overflow errors, or file format limitations (i.e. TIFFs > 2GB or 4GB, depending on the TIFF-library used).

Anyway, you can already increase the maximum output size to 32000 pixels, by selecting 8-bit/channel output files instead of 16-b/ch. That's not a huge limitation, given that printed output usually uses an 8-b/ch print pipeline, and that printer drivers also have maximum pixel dimension/length limitations.

I do agree that a 22000 pixels limit in any dimension is probably too restricted, even if only looking at file-format, because that produces at a maximum something like just shy of 1GB. So a 31000 pixel limitation would not even exceed the 2GB limit, and that's only in the worst case of a square image.

But additional RAM memory-related restrictions can be imposed by GPU memory limits or software libraries, which would require a potentially significant rewrite of the way the software is structured to allow circumventing those limitations. I suspect that is the reason they haven't 'fixed' it yet. Limited demand and thus lack of an incentive to splurge money on allocating a lot of resources.

Cheers,
Bart
« Last Edit: August 16, 2019, 08:38:21 am by Bart_van_der_Wolf »
Logged
== If you do what you did, you'll get what you got. ==

Wolfman

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 314
    • www.bernardwolf.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2019, 04:19:53 pm »

Yesterday Topaz soft-released version 4.3.1 of Gigapixel AI, with the following features:

•Toggle in right panel to enable and disable Face Refinement
•Face Refinement will detect small faces (16x16px - 64x64px) and apply targeted improved upsampling

They are also aiming for 3X faster processing.

Attached is a screenshot of the new GUI with a 15-year old, 4MP image being treated with 4X magnification.

I opened my current version and the upgrade notice didn't come up like it usually does.....maybe too soon.



plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2019, 04:42:59 pm »

My previous release version offered the update a couple of days ago (Mac).
Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

Chris Kern

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2034
    • Chris Kern's Eponymous Website
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2019, 04:48:27 pm »

I opened my current version and the upgrade notice didn't come up like it usually does.....maybe too soon.

Not showing up here, either (U.S. mid-Atlantic), at the time I am posting this.  Either it's still propagating to the distribution servers or Topaz has pulled the release.

plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2019, 04:56:59 pm »

OK, I just checked their website and it says "Current Version: 4.2.2". I am just a Future Man!
Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

Chris Kern

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2034
    • Chris Kern's Eponymous Website
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2019, 05:03:18 pm »

OK, I just checked their website and it says "Current Version: 4.2.2". I am just a Future Man!

Were you updating from a Beta release to a later Beta?

plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2019, 05:07:03 pm »

From the previous release version, via auto-update. I am awaiting clarification from Topaz at the moment and will let you know what I hear.
Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2019, 06:55:13 pm »

OK, it seems some Mac users are having some issues which should be resolved in a couple of days. On my MacBook Air at home I'm good with 4.3.1
Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

Chris Kern

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2034
    • Chris Kern's Eponymous Website
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2019, 07:06:14 pm »

OK, it seems some Mac users are having some issues which should be resolved in a couple of days. On my MacBook Air at home I'm good with 4.3.1

So they pulled it.  I'm looking forward to the update — not just the performance improvement (always welcome, obviously) but also the face enhancement, which sounds interesting.

Thanks for checking and reporting back.

plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2019, 07:11:34 pm »

I know they're working hard on this release and it involves some additional tech not in the prior version, so we'll wait a bit for it to be sorted out.

In the meantime, here's another one of my before-and-afters using a 15-year old 4MP image. Nobody is safe... ;-)

Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #13 on: August 17, 2019, 12:24:03 pm »

While we wait: Here's Scott Kelby and Dave Cross from Photoshop World Vegas 2006, 4MP original.
Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

Daverich

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 164
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #14 on: August 18, 2019, 12:29:55 pm »

I just checked and I must have gotten the upgrade because I"m on 4.3.1. I just gave it a quick try and if it's any faster, you couldn't prove it by me. Don't have much time right this minute though so I have to wait until later to give it a real test.
Logged

plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #15 on: August 18, 2019, 01:01:17 pm »

Thanks Dave, I believe the speed increase is aimed at CPU mode, which is the fallback depending on your GPU setup.
Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

Daverich

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 164
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #16 on: August 20, 2019, 03:04:43 pm »

Thanks Dave, I believe the speed increase is aimed at CPU mode, which is the fallback depending on your GPU setup.

I must have missed that. I normally use GPU mode but I’ll try CPU and see if there’s a difference. Thanks.
Logged

plugsnpixels

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1034
    • http://www.plugsandpixels.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #17 on: August 20, 2019, 03:55:21 pm »

The official release of Gigapixel AI version 4.3.1 was just announced. See the For Sale section for a double-discount if you don't already own it.
Logged
Digital imaging blog, software discounts:
www.plugsandpixels.com/blog

dgberg

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2753
    • http://bergsprintstudio.com http://bergscustomfurniture.com
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #18 on: August 20, 2019, 04:32:30 pm »

lightroom plugin?

Bart_van_der_Wolf

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8913
Re: Topaz sneaks out Gigapixel AI update, 3X faster
« Reply #19 on: August 20, 2019, 06:34:32 pm »

lightroom plugin?

Hi Dan,

During the various Beta testing cycles several things have been proposed. The plugin functionality is one of the features that was proposed, if I remember correctly. But for the time being, Gigapixel AI is a stand-alone application.

Cheers,
Bart
Logged
== If you do what you did, you'll get what you got. ==
Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Up