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PR2023 Workflow with External Apps

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14 comments

  • Rick Sammartino Community moderator

    You're sending a RAW file to Topaz, but when Topaz is done with it, Topaz can't save changes to the RAW, it has to save in some other format. Assuming that Topaz is saving the results to the same folder, you need to look for that file whatever it is.

    There is a chance that everything is working as it should but Photo Raw just isn't picking up the new file from Topaz quickly enough. If you can see that file in its folder OUTSIDE of On1 (ie, with your file explorer), then that's all that's happening and the photo will show up as soon as ON1 detects it. On the other hand, if you check the folder and the file isn't there, then Topaz is saving it elsewhere.

    Personally, I always use the "Edit a copy with settings applied" method so I always know what format and folder the results will be in.

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  • Ray Miles

    Nowadays, I use the layers option for Topaz products by adding the Photoshop plugin to the appropriate On1 folder.

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  • David Orlando

    Hey Rick,

    I don't see an output from Topaz anywhere outside of ON1.  I expected a TIFF or maybe a DNG since that's the default output I use in Topaz.  Also expected it to be in the same folder since the Topaz default is Source location.  No idea why it doesn't produce anything when I hit "apply" ... I get the "processing" progress bar and when it is done it closes and takes me back to ON1.

    I can certainly use "Edit a copy" since that works fine.  I wanted to try "Edit original" since if Topaz is doing demosaic and other magic using the raw input it could produce a better result.  I can always use Topaz standalone on the Raw and then edit the output DNG in ON1.  Its just a few additional clicks.

    Hi Ray,

    I don't know what it means to "use the layers option" with the Photoshop plugin.   I'll have to read the user guide again.  I do know how to use Topaz standalone and import that output to ON1 as a new layer.

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  • Ray Miles

    David,

    If you chose to edit the original raw file, you should see this dialogue box. In my case, I set it to save to the original folder and it did so as a DNG. The original is a Sony ARW.

     

    I suppose the advantage of the layers route is that it allows you to do some editing prior to denoising. The user guide covers PS plug-ins on P8, but it doesn't explain where to find the plug-in. Maybe it differs from app to app. Anyway, what you do is control click on the DNAI app icon to Show Package Contents. The plug in is in a folder called PS_Plugins in the Resources folder. It has .plugin as the extension. You then copy that file to the PhotoShopPlugins folder, which is in the On1 PR 2023 folder in Application Support in your Library. If your Library is not visible, hold down the option key when you click on the Go menu in Finder. (I hope that is all reasonably clear)

    Once installed you will then see the PS plug-ins in the Layers menu within PR 2023 when it's in edit mode.

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  • David Orlando

    Ray,

    Yes, if I open and edit the raw file standalone in Topaz, I can save the result back to the original folder via the dialogue box you you pictured.  However if I send to Topaz from the ON1 file menu in Browse, and choose "Edit original", after I hit "Apply" in Topaz I get no save dialog box, it just gives me the  "processing image" progress indicator and then Topaz finishes and closes without saving anything.

    I'm trying your layer approach.  I installed the Photoshop plugins, and I can now invoke Topaz Denoise and Sharpen from the layer menu in edit mode.  I selected Topaz Sharpen and it opened.  After adjusting in Topaz, I hit "Apply" and get the "processing image" progress indicator and then Topaz finishes and closes.  It takes me back to ON1 where it has created a .onphoto file and added a new, sharpened layer.  In the original folder I now have the original raw file and the .onphoto file, nothing else.  I have no idea what kind of file format Topaz passed to ON1 (DNG? TIFF?) to create the new layer.  Is what I described the behavior you expected?  Thanks for your help.

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  • Brian Lawson Community moderator

    David, the question about what type of file the Topaz plug-in passed back to Photo RAW would be better asked on the Topaz site. They know the internals of their software.

    I just tried using the Send To… command to send the original RAW file to Topaz Denoise. When I click Save Image I get this:

    It created a new DNG file in the same directory (per my settings) with the same name as the original RAW file and -raw appended. If you send it a DNG file it can overwrite that file so you would see only 1 file. That is the first option with I have disabled in my screenshot.

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  • David Orlando

    Brian, you've given me a clue that there is something else going on.  When I open Topaz Denoise or Sharpen standalone, I get the "Save Image" button and resulting save dialog box you and Ray are showing, and can save as DNG just fine:

     

     

    But when I use "Send to" and "edit original" from On1 instead of the "Save Image" button I get an "Apply" button with no associated save dialogue box.  So I'm missing something basic, resulting in it somehow behaving differently for me than it does for you.

     

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  • Brian Lawson Community moderator

    Which version of Denoise are you running? I used v3.7.0. Could there have been some changes?

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  • David Orlando

    OK I'm just realizing now that Denoise (3.7.0) works fine and its just Sharpen (4.1.0) that is my problem.

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  • Brian Lawson Community moderator

    I'm seeing the same thing with Sharpen 4.1.0.

    My recommendation is to use the plug-ins. They offer more flexibility in that you can selectively mask areas that don't need the sharpening when needed. I THINK they return a .dng to the new Layer but you should ask Topaz to be certain.

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  • David Orlando

    OK thanks for all the help.  BTW don't know if you noticed but Sharpen 4.1.0 now does have masking for selective sharpening.

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  • Brian Lawson Community moderator

    Yes, I do know about that. Thanks.

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  • David Tillett
    Great answers

    David,

    When using an external application as a plugin from PhotoRAW the result does not come back as a separate file. The updated information is in the new layer so that is what you now work with. Given that the new layer is a  modified copy of the original file then you can delete this if you don't want to do any masking of the modified "image" onto the original.

    You can use all the standard PhotoRAW adjustments on this new layer bar things that only work on a RAW file such as setting camera profile or using original model NoNoise. You could set these in the base layer before you call the plugin but they would then be baked into the version returned by Topaz etc.

    As to the problem with not seeing a returned image I suspect that you are using Sharpen. This hasn't been updated for ages and, on my Mac, somehow pickuped that tit was being called from an external source (and that includes Finder on Mac) and only offer to Apply the changes even when called to process a RAW file, which can't be overwritten. So a Topaz bug not On1.

    If you open Sharpen and then open a RAW file within it then you will be offered the Save dialogue as Brian showed above, but need to uncheck Preserve Input Settings to choose output format.

    Denoise and PhotoAI work as one would expect and have Save as exit option which gives the dialogues to set up details of output file.

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  • David Tillett
    Great answers

    Ah - more responses while I was half way writing mine when had to go to lunch. Looks like you may be sorted now.

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