Mask AI & Affinity Photo

Mask AI is really amazing. However, it does not seem to work with Affinity Photo. I’ve added the folder on preferences and an image sent to it from Affinity Photo opens fine. I set the trimask and click compute. The results are nothing like they should be. Parts painted with the red brush are not completely removed and parts paint with the green brush are partially removed. Mask AI works great as a standalone.
Has anyone had success using Mask AI (ver 1.1.0) as a plugin to Affinity Photo?
Thanks.

See the instructions in this thread:

image

Note the instructions for Mask AI are the same as reMask except you cannot re-edit the mask in Mask AI from Affinity Photo.

I have the same problem as John. I’ve tried Mask AI several times in Affinity and it does not return a useable mask. I can only use Mask through ON1 or as a stand-alone.

You must duplicate the layer and follow the instructions in the link above … works fine. The image I posted above I just did for the post.

Thanks, Don. I’m not sure what I am doing wrong. My problem is not getting the mask to work in Affinity Photo, it’s that Mask AI does not generate a usable mask when used as a plugin using AI mode. I just tried again and found out that If I use contrast mode it works (but I’d like to use AI mode!). AI mode works fine when used as a standalone.
Using AI mode as a plugin either generates a mask with nothing removed, or a mask with some of the image remaining but not at all like what contrast mode generates.
The attached images show what I’m talking about.

Mask generated with contrast mode (Standalone looks the same in AI or contrast)

Mask generated in AI mode as plugin (works fine in standalone mode)

Here’s an example of a partial mask generated as a plugin in AI mode (again using contrast mode worked fine in plugin mode and both AI mode and contrast mode works fine in standalone mode)

In my case using “Auto Detect Sky”, and then using AI Mode to compute the mask:

Mask:

After Compute:

Returned to Affinity Photo after pressing Apply:

So it is as I expected, could you go to Preferences (File Menu), click on the Advanced button and take a screenshot of the Panel and post it here.

Then go the Help, Graphics info, press Copy and paste the info here.

Thanks, again Don. It looks like you are on Windows, I’m on a Mac. When I tried Auto Detect Sky, the app crashed. Again, that works fine in standalone mode. I tried a complete uninstall and reinstall but the same problem occurs. Works great as a standalone, bur does not work as a plugin.
Here’s the screenshot of the preferences panel.
03%20AM

And here’s the Graphics info:
Application & Version: Topaz Mask AI Version 1.1.0

Operating System: macOS 10.15

Graphics Hardware: Intel HD Graphics 4000 OpenGL Engine

OpenGL Driver: 4.1 INTEL-14.5.22

CPU RAM: 16384 MB

Video RAM: 1536 MB Total, 1536 MB In Use

Preview Limit: 3820 Pixels

John, perhaps the problem may be Affinity Photo. Serif updated to 1.8.3 a few days ago. I began to have problems with Topaz Studio 2 running as a plugin in Affinity Photo after that. A new beta is already available – 1.8.3.180 – from [NO ACTIVE BETA] Affinity Photo Customer Beta (1.8.3.180 - GM Seed) - [ARCHIVE] Photo beta on macOS threads - Affinity | Forum

I downloaded and installed, ran TS2 from that version and all was well. I also checked Mask AI on a portrait-oriented image, and it ran as intended as a plugin in Affinity Photo 1.8.3.180.

Thanks! I’ll have to wait until it’s in the Mac app store since I bought it there - no product key.

Because the GPU you have doesn’t meet the minimum requirements you can try clicking on Advanced Preferences and select CPU processing to see if that helps.

If it doesn’t all I can suggest is that you raise a support request at the main website and see if they can help.

Thanks, Don. I had tried using the cpu for processing but that did not help. I did try running the plugin from On1 Phot oRaw and it worked fine. So I think it’s an Affinity Photo issue like OldRadfioGuy said above.

I appreciate the help!

Don and OldRadioGuy, it was definitely an Affinity Photo issue, not a Topaz issue. Thanks again to you both for the help!

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I’m on a Mac (Catalina 10.15.5) and using Affinity Photo (1.8.4). I just purchased Mask AI and have installed v1.2.5. Although in April you noted that the portrait orientation issue had been resolved, I’m having the same problem now with portrait pics passed to the Mask AI plugin showing in Landscape mode. Do you have the same issue now as well or is there something that’s changed in either Affinity or Mask AI?

Just discovered a solution on the Affinity Forum; before calling to plugin, do a Rasterize and Trim of the image. Portrait mode then shows properly.

I just tried an image (below) in Affinity Photo v1.8.4.xxx using the latest Mask AI beta v 1.3.0.5b and it does return properly to Affinity. I was fooled at first because I had the main layer still visible so it show the sky in the clear part of the Mask AI returned layer. If you have the deleted part show as clear then be sure to turn off the layer/s below so you can see it .

Please try this.

1 Duplicate Layer
2 Run Mask AI
3 Apply to return to Affinity Photo, it will look like nothing has happened, because the original background is showing through.
4 In the Channels Tab you will see a channel called Background Alpha
5 Right Click on that channel and select Create Mask Layer, this will put a mask layer at the top of the layers panel

You can paint in black or whit to reveal the image in the original background layer