Daniel Geiger

Just started playing with macros. I notice that AP will not permit me to move a layer to a different position. I like the insert new layer options (top, bottom, n-th layer from top/bottom), but the inability of moving layer requires me to execute the macro recording in a very specific sequence. I also notice that save/save-as/export is not available in the Macro menu. This is handled in the batch dialog. Might be nice to have a hint in the error message from the Macro panel when attempting to use save/export that save/export is handled in the batch dialog, rather than just saying "sorry cannot". Are there other commands/actions/procedures that are not permissible? Or is there a list of available commands/macro steps? For a 1.0 on macros, very impressive, but not quite prefect yet. In batch processing, it would be great if an entire directory (with/without subdirectories) could be specified as source for images to be batch-processed. With complex directory structures, adding files becomes very time consuming, while specifying the root directory (with all its subdirectories) would be a single click.

By and large EXTREMELY happy with AP. - In image Size (option-command-I), enable Size adjustment with no resampling, so that AP adjusts dpi automatically to new value. Currently, if re-sample is turned off, Size cannot be adjusted. - When calling up feathering (Shift F6), have value highlighted so that I can immediately type in my desired value, rather than mousing over, double click on value, enter value then hit return. This is an efficiency request. - In Transform, provide length of diagonal lines, so a line that is going from 0/0 to 100/100 has Length 141, not only Width of 100 and Height of 100. Diagonal length should be then adjustable numerically in Transform (which works great for horizontal/vertical lines, but not diagonal ones). - Brush feathering: have an option for absolute feather border, not one relative to brush size. I want to define a brush with a 2 pixel feather, and if I set it at 5 pixel diameter and it has a 2 pixel feather and if I set it to 100 pixel diameter and it has a 2 pixel feather. Currently the 100 pixel brush would have a 40 pixel feather. I frequently use the option-control mouse left-right to adjust brush size, but I need a constant feather radius regardless of brush size. - Have a line stroke style, possibly like the brushes palette. If I use the Pen Tool, I would like to call up a line style with a single click, rather than first go to stroke color, select color, go to line style, select type of line, width of line, end-cap option, and that for every single document. Another efficiency request. I use that A LOT for scale bars in scientific illustrations.

Thanks for the ultimate PS killer. Macro-batch and layered .tifs were the last holdovers for using CS5.5. I can lay that to rest now. Thanks for listening to what your customers want and need. Initial experiments with a short (10 file) z-stack were rather impressive. PS was useless for serious macro stacking, AP is on par with ZereneStacker on short stacks. Will have to run some larger stacks (50-150 files) through it, then we'll see for sure. Cudos!

Thanks for the pointers. That was already very helpful. Started reading AF help sections. I run into trouble with Layer clippingI read through that several times, and for the life of it, I cannot figure out what the grey red and pink layers are doing, and why the grey layer is on top, and not the nested one. The example is WAY too complicated. The PS tutorial with different greyed circles is far better. I also wonder why you would use a mask as opposed to using the curve adjustments for transparency (layer above, layer below). I have been using AP for a while now (year or so), and have 20 years with PS. Never saw the need for mask for scientific illustrations. Recently got into false color IR, and need more refined adjustment options.

I am having a hell of a time trying to figure out masks. Watched all the vimeo videos, but not helping much because the basics are missing. Is there a good write-up on the very elementary masking? I very much need something written out. The request for a written manual is very much supported. Question such as: - Difference between layer mask, quick mask, vector mask, clipping mask, .... including why one works and one does not, or why one is better than the other. Relationship between alpha channel and mask? - What is implied by position of mask in layers palette: layer itself, besides layer, below layer, indented below layer? What is the meaning of the little logos inside the mask layer? - What happens when you paint with black, what when white, red, what if transparent? Utterly confused by that and can never predict what is happening and why. - Terminology hierarchy. Is a luminosity (or fill in what ever mask type there is) mask a quick layer mask (or fill in any mask type there is), vector mask, clipping mask, all, or none, or only partial intersection? I need a Venn Diagram or hierarchical tree of mask terminology. Is a clipping mask a type of a vector mask or not? And is a Vector mask a type of a clipping mask or not? If synonyms, why the two terms? (Part-whole relationships). - How to consistently turn selections into masks. I think I have a <5% success rate and still don't have the foggiest why it works, when it works, and why not when not. Utterly infuriating. If there is a book for PS on masking that is also (or even mostly) applicable to AP, that would also work. But must be methodical and logical, not an assemblage of pretty examples that do not show principles. Maybe with exercises to drive home the principles? If AP is fundamentally different from PS, that would also help, so that I do not even try to understand AP based on PS info. Thanks, I take any help I can get.

Added feature request. Just wanted to make sure first, that there is no other option. Thanks!

In Image size, permit physical dimensions to be specified without resampling. When un-checking "resample" in Resize Document, the top physical dimension boxes are greyed out. I can calculate pixel dimension/inches = DPI and enter that DPI value with resample unchecked. A bit clunky, though. Reason: I want to have consistent lettering on multiple figures, but want to keep images as hires masterfiles. Consistent lettering is best done by specifying font size in mm/points, which is tied to physical size.

It would be great, if the tools would remember the last settings. For every file and every session, I have to specify for my standard lines: - stroke color - Style: line. - line width - cap type - Mode: line. It would be great if AP would remember at least within a session, or even better also after quitting/restarting, those settings/parameters. Then I can just select the tool, and apply the saved settings immediately in the next image. Similar with background fill, it always defaults to white.

Very simple task, just cutting out and combining seven images, some lettering and scale bars. From my research on morphology of some orchid flowers. Images done by critical point drying and variable pressure scanning electron microscopy. Masterfile is just shy of 10,000 pixels wide. Target for this work is a peer reviewed science journal. Noticeable is the much better edge finder in AP, which cuts way down on manual eraser work. Access to brush palette is also much easier. The hovering preview with eraser is also excellent. The absence of rotate-scale: commit step is great. File size is smaller as well (63 vs. 83 MB for .psd). Things to improve: - When entering Select - feather, automatically highlight the value, so that I can immediately enter numerical value (no mouse double click on value field then enter value), then I can hit double enter to apply. Small thing, but in mass production every speed improvement helps. - Histogram in Levels should be scaled so that highest peak is at 100%. It seems that levels frequently looks at layer and all the empty space surrounding it, producing very flat histogram. - Text tool: should remember last fill/stroke settings. Had to reselect with every new letter/box. Eventually just duplicated text layer, then changed letter, which works OK. May also make master letter file, so that I just drag the required letters into the current document. - Separate view does not have the context options in the top area of each window. Find myself switching separate views on/off regularly, and have not figured out how to predictably get the right window on top when switching off. - Default value on brushes is 25% spacing, which leaves irregular edges (was the same in PS), 5% gives much smoother edges and brush does not jump upon moving it. - Enable keyboard page up, page down, home and end keys. This speeds up cleaning up/spotting of images immensely. - Not sure about autoselect layer. I'm used to select layer in layers palette, then click anywhere and move. I think I may like it in the end, but currently I'm still in old habits. - Layered .tif files are not recognized as layered. Had do batch process a few hundred files from layered .tif to psd using PS. Most of this is just teething problems on my end. Once I get the work flow sorted out, AP will be a very nice production tool. Looking forward to the macro editor.

Is it possible to resize document to a specific physical dimensions, but leave pixel dimensions unchanged? When un-checking "resample" in Resize Document, the top physical dimension boxes are greyed out. I can calculate pixel dimension/inches = DPI and enter that DPI value with resample unchecked. A bit clunky, though. Reason: I want to have consistent lettering on multiple figures, but want to keep images as hires masterfiles. Consistent lettering is best done by specifying font size in mm/points, which is tied to physical size.

Dear Hokusai (what an auspicious Ukio-e name!), you nailed it and then some! It's all there, just need to know where to look. Thanks!

OK, misunderstood the preset idea. I thought it would create a tab next to Export 1x ... Got it now. Thanks!

I try to define some export presets, but after going to File - Export - More - Manage Presets all three options are greyed out. Any ideas? Does not depend on intended file type or changed options. In the help file under Export Options panel (Export Persona only)at bottom of page, step 2, it says something about "click Panel Preferences and select Create preset from pop up menu". I guess that is something from a previous version and approach has been slightly modified (see above). Under help Exportat bottom of page, it gives the "more" pathway.

Update: noticed that only with some functions it uses select cores only, most of them use all. Great!

How do I make a line with perfectly square ends? With line tool, the end is rounded with diameter = line thickness. I can use shape-rectangle with stroke = 0, but it is a bit more cumbersome, because line thickness cannot be pre-set.

Thanks Barninga. That's the same as command-zero = View - Zoom to fit.

Is there an easy (1 step, ideally one keystroke) command to fit window to image? Why? I am making composite images out of multiple source images. When figuring out how to arrange the various elements, I have each file (up to about 20) open as separate windows, then move them around for a rough selection/composition. I can easily make the images smaller with command-minus, but the window stays the same size. I can also manually reduce window by dragging mouse and then command-zero to make image fully visible. That leaves a lot of irregular background on the window. With larger number of images, even a 4K screen gets cramped. That's why I am looking for a quick adjustment. Thanks!

Was having the same question. Consider structure help in a way that user can find it. I tried searching for "windows", and "open files", but could not find anything in help. That may also be a nice addition for preferences: User interface options: Open files in separate windows. or something like that. As always, AP has everything, it is just a question of finding it. Still very happy with it. Just a few growing aches.

I work on a MacPro (soup can) with 6 core. I looked at the Activity Monitor, and only 6 of the 12 green processor bars are ever used at once. With PS and Zerene, all 12 are used. Any way of getting AP to use all 12 units? To be sure, there I have no complaints about speed. The only time I have to wait is when saving large (1-2 GB) files via thunderbolt to RAID1 drive, but I think this is I/O limited, not a question of processor speed.

Large file speed is way superior. Manual stitching of four 430 MB files with rotation (PS beachballs galore) is a piece of cake. Re $4 a month, that is student pricing, which will go away the second you have no more student status. And even then, because PS mandates a full year subscription (not month-to-month) it is at least $48. AP is $40/50 depending on special offer. AP's 5 no-validation-code installs is great. With today's work being done in multiple locations, 1 home, 1 work, 1 mobile install would require multiple licenses.

Will be interesting to see how AP deals with batch processing once the macro editor is available. I noticed CR2 file batch processing is faster in DxO than PS CS5.5. Computer makes a huge difference with stacking deep stacks (>100 x 300 MB tif files using Zerene): MB air: don't bother, 6 dual core Mac Pro still runs hot for 10 minutes solid). Flash drives have high failure rate due to limited write-over cycles. I use SS drive only for system and apps/scratch disk, so it is >80% empty, so loads of bad sectors can accumulate. All working files are on a thunderbolt RAID1. File reading is faster than on previous mac-pro tower with built in drives, which really surprised me. Saving 500 MB files is done in a second, so no complaints. Up to 100 MB file saving is done in a blink of an eye. AP runs smooth with one NEC UHD 322 4K display and one Apple 27" cinema display on a 32GB RAM soup can.

Hi there, natural history museum scientist doing a range of imaging from scanning electron microscopy, to light microscopy, macrophotography, dSLR, and even 4x5" view camera. Have used PS v3 - CS5.5 extended currently on Mac Pro. Imaging mainly for print publication, including >1000 page book designs with >1000 figures (QXP). Need rock-solid platform for large master files (100 MB - 1 GB) with excellent color management and proofing options. Efficient tool use is also critical: switching brushes, switching from adding to subtracting selections, changing units (much better in AP than PS), moving layers, scaling individual or multiple layers, forced orthogonal lines. Have to look into customized keyboard commands. Looking forward to macro editor in AP, then I can mothball PS for good. Other functions such as heavy z-stacking (>100 x 300 MB 16 bit tif files) can be done with other apps (HeliconFocus, Zerene); PS CS5 stacking was worse than useless. Thus far very impressed with AP, and I just scratched the surface. Drawing speed on 4K NEC UHD 322 display is excellent. The absence of a license key is pure joy! Opens Canon 5DsR CR2 files no problem [no longer supported on any PS CS version].

Just started with AP, and am thoroughly impressed. PS user since v3 to CS5.5 extended. Advantages: - Full Bezier tools right in the image application. - Arrow customization with immediate WYSIWYG feedback upon moving sliders [PS is utterly clumsy with entering percentage values with keyboard, then enter, see how it look, refine, repeat repeat repeat ...] Arrow width: should be able to enter either pixel or mm/inches, not just %. - Golden ratio spiral overlay in crop tool. GE-NI-OUS! Custom aspect ratio for crop tool. - Brush management and adjustment: double click on brush, and all adjustments are there [no detour to brush-edit menu]. I wish there was an option to add a bit more description to the brush names, more than just diameter (e.g., diameter and hardness maybe also plus spacing). - Help menu is excellent! - Changing units right in Photo Persona - move tool, no detour through preferences-units. - Light fall-off correction is very nicely implemented. - Opens Canon 5DsR CR2 files no problem. Out of luck with any CS-versions of PS. - Text insert both as linear string, but also as text-box like in page-layout programs (QuarkXPress). I know I am just scratching the surface, just 1 day into it, but AP made my holiday! Cudos!