Hello group. I have updated to version 3.1.0 as topic name suggests. I am running LR Classic up To date with version 16.4 on a desktop iMac with 3.8ghz 8 core I7 processor. It has an AMD Radeon Pro 5500 video processor with 8 gb dedicated memory.
Similar threads have been posted with previous versions of topaz since 2.4 I think but I’m bringing this up here in case this is a new and unknown bug related to functionality of the recent update.
So now when I invoke Photo AI from LR either by right clicking and choosing “Edit in” the program works just fine. In the new update auto pilot gives you a number of options in recommends. If I choose sharpen it processes the image just fine either entire image or just the subject. When I save it smoothly returns to LR classic without issue. If however, I choose sharpen and Denoise or even 3 of the suggested choices it chugs along, processes the image and saves it. However, when I return to LR every single time LR still shows in upper left corner, “Preparing file for editing” and I have a spinning wheel of death where Photo AI won’t close. This does not clear and I either have to wait for a dialogue to force quit Topaz or I have to force quit Lightroom and start again.
I’m reporting this in case it is a bug not yet reported or on the chance someone knows how to stop this from happening.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might make.
If it does not, open Topaz Photo AI, go to the menu bar on the top, and click the ‘Help > Open Log Folder’ menu option. Please send in all the files located in this folder.
You can securely submit your files(s) to my Dropbox using the link below. Make sure to send me a note to let me know you sent something.
Thanks for the help. I’m not sure that worked. It still hangs on closing but this time It was spinning wheel for maybe 20-30 seconds and then it closed out and LR was running normally. Also, I don’t normally run the software using File - Plug in Extras the way you suggested but when in LR I right click on the image I am working on, select edit in - and choose one of the Topaz products I use whether photo AI, Gigapixel or Denoise & Sharpen AI. Even though Topaz has not updated them or supported them in a year+, I feel that I often get better, more accurate and faster results with them than Photo AI. (whether working with a RAW/TIFF etc or JPG) I promise I’m not being negative just to be negative. I really feel the discontinued products still, without having been tampered with or adjusted/upgraded in a year, seem to give me results equal to or better than Photo AI. I’m just sharing this as honest feedback for Topaz. Incidentally neither of those programs has ever hanged up on me or caused any weird issues such as the last few versions of Photo have.
I am grateful to you though and for the group offering suggestions and sincere help without resorting to rudeness or insults. Means a great deal.
My apologies. I sent you the OPEN LOG files at the drop box file request as you suggested in case there is some hint of the issue there. Thanks again for your courtesy. Means a lot!
I will note that Intel CPU Mac devices are slightly underpowered for AI processing and will perform slower. We have some more information on our Topaz Labs Documentation page that I will link below for your review:
Many users with Intel MacOS machines have reported that Topaz Photo AI v2.4.2 is most suited for their needs and experiences better processing times. I have included a link to that previous version below if you would like to revert to this version for your machine:
Just an update. Starting this morning I have been using “Plug in Extras” to try and process my images. Specifically I am running sharpen subject + adjust Lighting on an image. It goes through the entire process of the preview and then click to send it back to LR Classic. It goes through the entire save process, I am returned to LR but get the spinning wheel for 30 seconds to a minute and then finally, Photo AI closes but a pop-up window appears and says, “Topaz Photo AI failed to edit or save the image - Exit Code 6”. I have gone to Topaz website as the pop up box tells me and I put in exit code 6 but do not get any reply as to what exit code 6 is or how to correct it.
I guess I’m just really frustrated at this point. You spend $2500 bucks on a computer and the software you rely on (and use with great effect as it is) tells you after two years that your system can’t keep up and you need to buy a new computer… I guess that’s just how it is any more but it’s not cool. Updates should balance capability with reliability and be tested on a wide variety of machines, not just top of the line with “today’s biggest and best”. Many people are not going to go buy a new computer every time software gets updated. This product while not the most expensive I have ever used, still costs money and for some time now it hasn’t been running right on my end . sigh. Does anyone by any chance know what Exit Code 6 means? hahaha. Thanks!
Just a further update, I have followed your instructions for plist Deletion. It re-loaded Photo AI and the interface looks different. White now, not dark. I clicked on plug in extras to bring the raw file into Photo AI and did the sharpen subject and then adjust lighting. It processed the preview just fine. I clicked to return to LR and once again, the spinning wheel. Photo AI refuses to close. After 5 minutes I choose force quit and this time, get a pop up box that says “Photo AI failed to edit or save the image” but it gave me a new exit code. This time EXIT CODE 15. When I follow the link to the support page and type in Exit Code 15 I also do not get any information back on what that is. :-(. Very frustrated. Small time photographer - can’t afford a new computer and like many others, don’t like paying for a service that makes itself unusable due to “updates”. Really not sure how to precede at this point except to downgrade back to version 2.4.2 which stinks when you are paying to keep the software up to date.
I just want to chime in here to say I’ve been having the same issue with the newest 3.x PhotoAI. I first encountered it while on vacation, using my Mac M1 16" laptop (16GB RAM) and PhotoAI 3.1. At least 7 out of 10 times, while using it from Lightroom Classic (most up to date version), and the plug-in extras menu, it would process the photos fine, but fail to close properly when trying to export photos back to LRC. Either it would crash on its own, or I’d have to force quit. Each time, however, the processed images would import back to LRC once the force quit was done. I’d hoped PAI 3.1 would fix the issue, but it did not - deleting the plist DID seem to help and the crashes were far less frequent, although still persisting.
I’m back home now and trying to process the remaining issues on my Mac mini, Apple M2 Pro with 32gb RAM and PAI 3.1.2, and while it started out working perfectly, it has now also devolved into freezing on quit, forcing me to use Force Quit, whereupon the images successfully import back to LRC. I have tried removing the .plists, but this time I’m not seeing any improvements.
Just an additional followup: I’ve tried completely uninstalling both TAI and its preference files, reinstalled the newest version and it is still failing to quit 9 times out of 10. Almost always an error code 15. Images do import after forcing a quit, but that’s super annoying.
Note: with the 2.x versions I was processing 12 images at a time. With this version I’ve tried scaling down to 8, 6, and 4 at a time, and still no love.
Please try to recreate this crash in Topaz Photo AI, then go to Help > Open Log Folder, please send me all of the files within that folder. You should be able to attach them directly as a response to this thread.
If you would prefer you can securely submit your files(s) to my Dropbox using the link below. Make sure to send me a note to let me know you sent something.
Sounds very similar to what I have been experiencing. I got so frustrated with this that I downgraded back to photo ai version 2.4.2. which sucks because I’m paying the subscription for updates I can no longer use. I do understand that constantly improving one’s product is a good thing, however I think it is bad form to improve it to the point that it no longer runs on the average consumer’s computer any more. People should not have to replace their $2500+ dollar computer/Macs every year or two because of software updates. NOW, dear Topaz. If I could get you to stop reminding me I have 8 updates and asking me to update every time I invoke the software that would ge great. Since I apparently can’t use the updates it just adds insult to injury. ;-).
Ok, here are all the files in that folder (I’m assuming they’re only dated from yesterday when I re-installed the PAI app). I’m also including three screenshots taken after PAI crashed for the second time this morning: Activity Monitor right after clicking “Save to Lightroom …” and Activity Monitor after PAI failed to close, and the error code window.
I do believe the issue is related to the memory leak, as I noticed last night, and again this morning, that PAI works beautifully the first/second time it’s used in a session, afterwich is becomes increasingly unstable. I’ve also noticed if I walk away for 15-20 minutes, PAI will work as expected again at least once before reverting to freezing/un-responsive behaviour.
Same issue here. It’s happened for the last several versions. Here is my workflow to trigger it:
Using Photo AI v3.1.2 (latest), Lightroom Classic v13.4 (latest)
RAW file from a Sony A7R V, 9504x6336
Macbook Pro M3 Max, 36GB memory, plenty of disk space
File → Plugin Extras → Process in Topaz Photo AI
Click Sharpen, Raw Denoise (I usually use both of these, and only these - haven’t tried with only 1 edit)
Click Export to Adobe LrC
Progress bar window comes up, Topaz window disappears but Topaz icon is still on the dock
Photo still isn’t showing in lightroom…
Wait forever… it’s stuck, will never load
Right click on the Topaz Icon → “Application not responding”, click Force Quit
Lightroom pops up a window saying “Failed to process photo” “Topaz Photo AI either failed to start or did not finish successfully. Exit code: 15”
I click OK
Photo then suddenly imports and appears in lightroom, meaning Topaz did actually export it to the correct location, it just got stuck handing it off somewhere.
Sometimes instead of freezing and requiring a force quit, it crashes and pops up error code 6 instead of 15. I click OK, and then the file appears.
I know it is infuriating but apparently they have upgraded/updated the software past the ability to be used by a lot of Macs or PCs. I was told these latter versions won’t work with an intel based Mac such as mine so I downgraded back to Photo AI 2.4.2 which sucks because I paid for a subscription update service I apparently can’t use. But I am confused by this because you are using an M3 Mac with loads of memory. What you have described is very similar to what I was experiencing with my i7 Intel Based iMac. - the reason I downgraded my software. Incidentally, I have more limited functionality with version 2.4.2 but it doesn’t crash or hang on my system. Not an ideal situation for software this expensive but still cheaper than buying the “latest & greatest” Mac to keep up with Topaz.
