Topaz Photo AI v2.4.0

One problem with the default zoom scaling down is the scaling method used. So, with line-based artwork (anime, manga, cartoon, sketches, pencil/ink), all the lines are a jagged mess at 50% even if the upscale is clean at 100%.

I quite like the idea of keeping the image stable, provided I can change it and have 100% stick from that point onwards, but the quality at 50% is not actually a preview of the final result.

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Update on my previous post: the problem is caused by first using Photoshop Generative Fill. Even when placing a stamp layer on top of the original, it will still smudge all over the photo as soon as Topaz is opened. Hope this helps someone.

I generally like the ideas behind the new interface - particularly being able to stack multiple enhancements in any order.

  • Sharpen works for me on the Standard and Strong models. For Lens Blur and Motion Blur, I originally thought it didnā€™t work at all. But I realised it was working, but only on a very small part of the masked area.

  • It would be better if you could change the order, or at least insert an enhancement anywhere in the list. Currently if Autopilot selects just Sharpen, I canā€™t add Denoise at the start. I have to remove Sharpen, add Denoise, and then add Sharpen.

  • I donā€™t like the flyouts. Generally I would rather have the old method of expanding/contracting the enhancement. Or at the very least allow multiple flyouts to be visible at once. I now have a lot of wasted space in the Enhancement list.

  • Like several other users, I miss seeing the mask when moving the mouse over the button.
    It took me a while to see how to edit the mask. When a flyout first appears, you get big buttons with text labels at the top for Controls and Selection. But as soon as you move the flyout, they change into small buttons with tiny icons that arenā€™t obvious.

  • If you add multiple enhancements of the same type, it would be good to number them (eg ā€˜Sharpen 1ā€™, ā€˜Sharpen 2ā€™) so that you can see what the flyout refers to. And have this name in the flyout. No point being able to move a flyout anywhere on the screen if you have to look back at the list to see what enhancement it refers to.

The UI is a lot more responsive - thanks!

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I prefer to see upscaling at 100% first. I want to be able to see that thereā€™s no artifacts or other wierdness before I consider further changes.

By defaulting to 50% after upscailing, itā€™s as if the software is saying ā€œTrust me bro. No need to scrutinize my upscaling. Just move on to the next step.ā€

Upscailing is impressive with this software, but we have not reached the point where we can assume every upscale is good and skip to the next step.

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Hi everyone,

iā€™ve installed the v 2.4.0 and iā€™ve the same issue. At this version sharpen doesnt work.
I go back to v2.3.2, its works great

Best regards

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Is the face recovery problem (hanging face detection) that many people had in versions 2.3.2 and 2.3.1 solved in version 2.4.0?

I have just tried V2.4.0 and to be honest not impressed with the Sharpening (Practically non existent)
and it also produced some strange patterns on an image which in my previous version was fine.
I have now reverted back to V 2.3.0 which works perfectly for me and I can put up with the older interface if I am going to be able to produce the images that I am happy with.

My images are CR.3 files from a Canon R6 MKII
Running an iMac M1 Sonoma 14.3.1

Regards

I too agree.
It was much better before. Itā€™s annoying how you now never get to see the final result in the preview when you make changes to a filter (the upscale turns itself off).

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Iā€™m reverting back to the previous version too.

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A few observations about the new version:

  1. When I used ā€œPreserve textā€ in the old version I could mask the whole image with single click. Has this been removed in the new one? How can I mask the whole image with a single click instead of painting it manually?

  2. It would be nice to be able to turn enhancements on and off

  3. it would be nice to be able to keep enhancements ā€œunfoldedā€ if I want. Constantly clicking on them to reveal their settings gets tiresome quickly.

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I really enjoy Topazā€™s products, but I donā€™t understand how Photo AI messed up some basic functionalities with this release.

I personally like the new interface, but:

  • When there is no upscale (at 1x), we canā€™t have the image be seen at 100%. Iā€™m a bit tired of this
    ā€œzoom to fitā€ by default anyway. And ctrl+1 (zoom to 100%) doesnā€™t work.

  • We should be able to be use Sharpening after the upscale too. I donā€™t see how it is useful to sharpen 300x300 images before an upscale. I used that all the time before: upscale > debluring/sharpening. Let people choose if the upscale happens at the beginning or then ends.

  • Recovery faces + Remove, will show cutout faces: face_with_diagonal_mouth:

  • Where is the on/off toggle for the enhancements?!

  • Itā€™s cool to be able to add just the enhancements we need, but why not take the extra step, like making them drag and drop, so we can reorganize them instead of having to delete and add them again in the correct order?

If Iā€™m missing something, let me know.

Honestly, this update broke my workflow. I never reverted to a previous update with any of Topazā€™s products because it was always good enough for my work, even with new bugs. But this is maybe the first time Iā€™ll have to revert to the previous version. I donā€™t like that. I donā€™t get how these basic things got messed up like this.

Itā€™s like the program is not used by regular users before being released.

Please donā€™t mess up with Gigapixel AI because now itā€™s my fallback for my work, and itā€™s way faster with 3++ images. But itā€™s missing what I like in Photo AI, the remove tool, and the sharpening.

2.4 is a semi - major - update, but we regressed in the basic functionalities. Not cool.

Edit:
Oh, and there is this constant problem when we grab the top-left corner of the window to resize it (on Windows), it moves the whole Window. Itā€™s like that since forever now. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnā€™t. The - hitbox - is very narrow, and we canā€™t trust the mouse icon change indicating that weā€™re in the - resizing window - mode

Edit 2:
I think 2.4 is handling 2k+ files worse than the previous version. Itā€™s not very stable for me. Anyway Iā€™ll switch to Gigapixel AI for the next 2 weeks even if Iā€™m missing the sharpening after upscale (Iā€™ll use a batch function in an external editor).

9 Likes

To me, the interface is totally fine and pretty cleanā€¦
The problem are the regressions of the basic functionalities, and omissions of other logical and basic things like being able to just move the enhancements in the stack.

Waarom moet ik dit betalen,het probleem is al voor dat mijn updates gekomen zijn,ik ben. zeer teleurgesteld.

The LR Plug-in Extra process needs some help with the facesā€¦
MyFile.dng.dng (52.9 MB)

The same image with the same settings doesnā€™t do this with the ā€œEdit Inā€ process via a TIF fileā€¦ I didnā€™t try the NEF file as a stand alone processā€¦

Mac M1 w/16G all latest versions of Sononma

really unfortunate decision to move the tool controls further away from the users. Upscaling is auto applied and controls are difficult to bring on screen. Intent of the decision is clear - but this deep dive that is now required to be able and go through the workflow with manual adjustments to the individual tools (denoise, sharpen, upscale) has made it in my humble opinion almost ā€œpainfulā€ to use.

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Quick report while reading through the comments hereā€¦

2023 M2 Mac Mini/Ventura, no problem installing or activating.

  1. Preview defaults to upper left instead of center:

Screenshot 2024-03-01 at 8.40.32 AM

After trying some Enhancements (adding and subtracting at 100%), the view jumped to lower right:

Screenshot 2024-03-01 at 8.51.14 AM

  1. Crop tool works well, but for rotation I prefer a curved double arrow cursor icon instead of a straight one (which implies scaling instead). I also canā€™t seem to zoom into the view to see small vertical details to aid with straightening. Also needed: A more detailed grid to aid with alignment.

Does rotating the image in Crop result in jaggies on vertical lines later? This is the Upscaled preview before final processing:

With rotated Crop removed:

Photoshop before committing to rotation:

Turns out the final processed PAI image is smooth. Photoshop behaves the same way.

  1. I do love Topaz upscaling! iPhone 12 photo captured this morning at the car repair shop, while California awaits another winter pounding (different sections shown at 100%):



The final crop (reduced here) after using Photo AI, Radiant Photo and ON1 Photo RAW 2024:

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Yes. Completely agree! Want the ā€˜classicā€™ UI layout and easy, fast, convenient access to settings (none of which are overlaid on my images - ever). Including for my PAI Ps plugin.

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Iā€™m going to be honest, the ability to choose enhancements for background and subject was something i asked for a while back. I havenā€™t tested and used it fully yet, but thank you for moving this way. How you implement it is obviously up for discussion, but I welcome the attempt and hopefully once youā€™ve had a few refinements to take in everybodyā€™s suggestions i am sure it will be a game changer.

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@Lingyu ā€”

  Have you yet fixed the problem with the program getting stuck on face recovery?

  Iā€™m not even going to bother downloading or installing any new versions until you say that that problem has been fixed.  Itā€™s now been a month since that problem first came up, and I cannot think of any excuse at all for not having fixed it, by now.

@dke @Swallow80

Yes Face Detection freezing is fixed in v2.4.0. I just added an update to the release post about this issue and will update bugs and issues as well so this is clear.

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