Just updated and it’s not working for me. This is the error message: Error processing image, please try again. If problem persists try updating your device drivers or switching to a different AI processor in preferences. I changed the AI processor from NVIDIA GForce RTX 2070 Super to CPU and now it does work but it’s very slow. It’s the same using the Lightroom plugin or standalone.
Windows 10.
5 Likes
Why on Earth did the labels have to be changed?
What was wrong with them? I swear, software companies are really out to annoy their customers.
Now I have no idea what were the settings I liked to use.
Right now I am at trying to figure out the equivalence:
Motion Blur = Stabilize
Out of focus = Focus
Too soft = Sharpen
Where is the “Extra Noise Suppression”? It would appear it’s been replaced by “Very noisy”, which is really weird because it is now a OR selection. You have to choose, what you prefer a sharper image or a less noisy one.
I guess I don’t like this version … oh well… I guess I will have to revert to the old one.
3 Likes
Extremely disappointed in this release, feels like a major step back in quality. Not only are the changes in the software questionable, but it appears the software was released without proper testing given the number of problems people are experience with this new update. I also agree with @Banjar1 and the question about being held hostage after we’ve paid good money for the software.
7 Likes
I note the change " if your license is expired, your image will save with a watermark" which appears to mean that a product I once owned would now have the status of being rented should I ever log out, which is inevitable, with this update - if this is the case then no thanks.
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Two error messages appear when installing:
Topaz Sharpen AI.exe - Entry Point Not Found
The procedure entry point CreateFile2 could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.
Topaz Sharpen AI.exe - System Error
The program can’t start because hddlapi.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.
I reinstalled and got the same messages. I tried running the program after these errors and it started and ran without incident. This has happened repeatedly.
Also, using the update message in an installed program produces a message saying that it can’t update because it can’t find the update file it has downloaded. The complete file address was shown for my computer, but the drive letter was garbled. This has also happened on previous updates. I knew it was C-drive so I manually searched that address, found the update file, and executed the update. But the automatic update procedure needs to be fixed to eliminate this problem.
Also, a file would not save when I used a mask on a relatively small area of the picture and then inverted it, so all the rest of the picture would be masked. When I saved the entire photo without using masking it saved fine.
Regardless of the above, the results (when I got them) looked good.
1 Like
I posted in the DeNoise thread yesterday, and now I’m experiencing the same exact issue with Sharpen, it makes all of the images pixelated and unusable.
I uninstalled both and did clean installs on Windows 10, and I made sure I had the latest nvidia driver thinking that might help. But it doesn’t.
I have exactly the same problem. Using MacOS 10.14.6 as well. There is no way to play with preferences as the program immediately goes to spinning beach ball.
I had the same problem as jrwygant. I have windows 7.
Two error messages appear when installing:
Topaz Sharpen AI.exe - Entry Point Not Found
The procedure entry point CreateFile2 could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.
Topaz Sharpen AI.exe - System Error
The program can’t start because hddlapi.dll is missing from your computer. Try reinstalling the program to fix this problem.
I closed the windows and it appeared to run but after I zoomed in it crashed and disappeared from screen. I’ve reinstalled V2.2.2
I am also having the crash issue with MacOS 10.14.6.
Just downloaded new versions of Denoise and Sharpen 3.0.0. Denoise works, Sharpen does not. I’m using MacOS 10.13.6. Sharpen app crashes when try to click on Update Preview. Trying to figure out how to uninstall and revert to Sharpen 2.2.2. My wife has MacOS 11.2.3 and it seems to work on her computer.
OK, so, new problem.
In case anyone still doesn’t know, I’m an OpenVINO user. 
OpenVINO isn’t working. It’s not working in Sharpen AI 3.0.0, and it’s not working in Denoise AI 3.0.2 either.
I’m on Windows 10 Pro x64 2004.
I ran an image on Sharpen AI version 2.2.1 on Windows 7. It took about 5 - 10 seconds or so.
The same image on Sharpen AI version 3.0.2 on Windows 10 took over 40 seconds.
I have the latest beta of Video Enhance AI installed on the same system, and there, OpenVINO works extremely well.
Attached below are the logs from Windows 10.
2021-03-25-01-28-34-Main.tzlog (67.5 KB)
2021-03-25-01-28-34-QML.tzlog (25.8 KB)
2021-03-25-01-28-34-Main.tzlog seems to show it found the system can support OpenVINO. But check lines 391 - 412, it says:
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> CAN DOWNLOAD MODELS: true
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> BACKENDS: coreml, onnx16, openvino16, tensorflow
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Debug ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> CHOOSE FROM BACKENDS: 146
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> Device ID: -1 FOUND OV: false CML: false TF: true ONNX: false ONNX16: true
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> GPU NAME:
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Debug ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> CPU MODE: 1
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Debug ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> Block: 512 512 12 1.16038 0.560381
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> BLOCK: 512 512
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Debug ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> [N]-v[V]-fp16-[H]x[W]-ox.tz FILENAME: slb-v1-fp16-512x512-ox.tz
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> DEVICE: -1
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Debug ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> Loading default model file: C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Topaz Labs\Topaz Sharpen AI\tgrc\/slb-v1-fp16-512x512-ox.tz
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Debug ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> Trying to open file: C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Topaz Labs\Topaz Sharpen AI\tgrc\/slb-v1-fp16-512x512-ox.tz
2021-03-25T01:30:05.342 [Debug ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> Opened archive containing 1 files
2021-03-25T01:30:06.659 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> OX with device: -1
2021-03-25T01:30:06.659 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> BUFFER DATA: 75732786
2021-03-25T01:30:06.659 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> ORT ENV SETUP
2021-03-25T01:30:06.755 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> Loading time for model file: C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Topaz Labs\Topaz Sharpen AI\tgrc\/slb-v1-fp16-512x512-ox.tz is 1413267
2021-03-25T01:30:06.759 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> TOTAL INSTANCES: 1
2021-03-25T01:30:06.759 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> Model : 0x1edc79d37e0
2021-03-25T01:30:06.759 [Info ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> Block Size selected: 512 x 512
2021-03-25T01:30:06.759 [Debug ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> Clamping required false
2021-03-25T01:30:06.759 [Debug ] Thread: 0x1edb485ff20 < line #: 0> MT created
Line 394 says “FOUND OV: false” and you can see it’s not loading the ov.tz files; it’s loading the tensorflow ox.tz files.
The application is set to “CPU” for “AI Processor” in Preferences.
In the registry, under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Topaz Labs LLC\Topaz Sharpen AI\appMain, DWORD cpuPlugin is set to 1. I believe it should be 0 for OpenVINO. If I change it to 0 it will just get changed back to 1. However, String ifOpenVinoCanWork is set to true.
For comparison, here are logs for Sharpen AI 2.2.1 on Windows Server 2008 R2 (effectively Windows 7), where OpenVINO is working:
2021-03-25-01-55-47-Main.tzlog (44.2 KB)
2021-03-25-01-55-47-QML.tzlog (24.6 KB)
Video Enhance AI version 1.5.2 had a similar problem, where it used Tensorflow instead of OpenVINO, even though the system could support OpenVINO. This was fixed in Video Enhance AI version 1.6.0. I had a support ticket for this, it’s ticket # 250486. However, I don’t think this will help much, as Matt Lathrop, the developer who fixed it, is no longer with Topaz Labs. And it may not have the same cause, even though the issue seems similar. But I thought I’d mention it.
TERRIBLE! Crashes. Using Mac OSX 13.6.
1 Like
Hmmm, did you put on “image sharpen” in the driver?
I know that while not gaming this feature does disturb normal usage, but does wonders while gaming.
Its under “3D” settings.
I agree about the halos. Terrible.
Does anyone know how to revert to the earlier version on Windows 10? Version 3 has overwritten V2. Is it simply to uninstall V3 and reinstall V2?
2 Likes
Exact same issue, same operating system too.
Its named like the problem, not of what to do.
1 Like
I know the software requires a lot of power but you’ve actually managed to make it even slower with this update.
Took 10 minutes to just update previews on a 2020 MacBook Pro with no other software running!
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Same thing happens to me.
How did you revert to the previous version?
Did you choose the GPU as AI processor?
Its actually quite patronizing, and considering that technically its a worse algorithm it is not only aimed at child in naming structure its also a) worse algorithm so it fails to even deliver what it says in all but name, and b) naming the values differently and making sliders act differently with no usual naming structure makes it less usable for users because we are used to using old values and expect certain results, now one has to adopt to completely new names and behavior in an app with no benefit and no valid reason for change expect some person in the developer team had an itch in places where others do not.
I mean never mind the downgrade in the output results of the sharpening with new version, these are the basics of UI design and user experience management. Let me repeat that, these are the basics. As in only an inexperience or arrogant person would not follow the sound fundamentals and instead of realigning the wheel, try to pretend they are smarter than everyone else and reinvent something that is well established.
Bottom line is that this release is a downgrade from previous one, which will shake the trust in the development team and their ability to deliver better products in the future and considering the program this buggy and with this many changes that are clearly not better than last version, it makes one wonder are there any developers in the team that understand its user base. If not, I suggest to Topaz Labs to hire some actual photographer and people who know what sharpening needs people have and also to hire someone with understanding of fundamentals of UI design and user experience.
9 Likes
