JustGeorge

Yes, that's very good! Apparently my main problem originally was working with an image that was pre-processed with DenoiseAI-AIC, which gave me just some vertical lines, hiding those really tiny dots, even zoomed in. I just tried it again with the fresh, un-processed scan, and worked a treat. Now I can see those very tiny dots (just barely, but still...). And for some reason, I thought I had to place my dots on the main vertical & horizontal lines. Now I'll give it a go with an image re-scanned with both the Descreen and Dust & Scratch filters turned on. Thank you very much for taking the time and sharing your expertise. The photo isn't great, but has sentimental value, and may make a nice print, will try RR Polar Luster Metallic after some PP.

I just noticed that the "Max total size" for attachments is 2GB, not MB! Makes sense for this forum. The attached file is an 8x10 crop, no adjustments when scanned. The region by the buggy is where the pattern is most annoying. I have done another scan, applying the Descreen & Dust-Scratches filter, and it looks better, but I can still see it. I'll be interested to see what kind of results anyone else comes up with, and I'd really like to know if the FFT screen is different that what I show in my original post. Test_FFT.tif

Yes, that is the problem. And of course, the original film negative was damaged in storage, beyond repair. At one time, I thought textured paper was the way to go; the prints on glossy paper scan much better. Lesson learned, just too late. I posted this query mainly to see if there was something I was doing wrong when using the FFT Noise filter; I don't get the horizontal and vertical grid lines in the filter window that I've seen online. I also looked into the FFT/iFFT plug-ins for Paint.NET, couldn't make that work, but I did learn that maybe I needed libfftw3-3.dll accessible for AP's FFT filter to work, so I copied to System32, but that didn't help either. At this point I think I'll just see if I can convert the image into an acceptable painting for print. Thanks for the reply.

Thanks, but as I replied to firstdefence, I did know about zooming.

Thanks, but I learned that early on watching a couple of different YT videos.

It's a 68MB TIFF, Adobe RGB. I don't use file sharing web sites, Google closed my docs acct for lack of use. Is it possible that the filter won't work on TIFFs? I've also come across some info that would indicate I need to process the image with the FFT filter prior to any further PP. Could that be the problem? (The image I was working with was processed thru Topaz DenoiseAI AIClear), then further processing with Topaz Studio 2.

I've searched online and in this forum, and looked at several YT videos, but haven't seen anything to help. I've been using AP Win 10 for several years, but not an expert by any means. Using AP vers. 1.9.2.1035. I open an image in a single layer (not other layers at all), and activate the FFT Denloise filter, and get the screen per the attached screen grab. Using the Split View mode, I cannot see any difference, even after clicking apply. My FFT window doesn't look anything like what I see in the YT videos, and can't find any setting to make an adjustment. So what do I need to do to fix this?

I've also sent a help request to Topaz re: the transparency issue. Photo and Studio worked fine together for me through v1.0.9, worked ok in 1.1.5, was broken in 1.1.7, and still broken in 1.1.8. Very annoying. EDIT: I can open an image in Paint.NET, then send it to Topaz Studio as an .8bf plug-in, and TS opens it with no problems, no issues with "unclocking" transparency. I also mentioned this to Topaz. I'm starting to wonder if this is a Photo issue? or both?

I think this is a feature request, and not a bug report. (I'm posting a pointer to here in the "Bugs on Windows" forum. Apparently by default, AP Windows exports to the last used directory, not the current working directory. This can get very frustrating trying to find and move the errant file, as this is one of the two programs I use frequently that does this, so I forget in between sessions. (ViewNX 2 is the other, but I'm using it less-and-less as I use AP more.) I don't work from one single directory. I ingest from my cameras into date-based directories, based on file format (NEF, NRW and ORF). Scanned images are filed totally separately, based on subject matter. I'm using both Zoner Photo Studio 18 and FastStone as DAM programs. As an example: if yesterday I worked in /2015-11/NEF, and today work in /2016-08/ORF, saving the latter TIFF ends up in the 2015-11/NEF directory, if I forget to change it. (And that extra step can be a mild nuisance when I get really going :) .) Nikon ViewNX2 works like Photo; I have to remember to select the directory I want to save to. However: Zoner Photo Studio 18, FastStone, PaintShopPro x8, Paint.net, and Olympus Viewer 3 all save edits to the current directory. Even the new Topaz Studio does this. Qimage Ultimage saves files to a single default working directory, which is ok, since I know where to look. Saving to a default export directory would be an acceptable alternative, but obviously not my first choice. Hopefully this is something that can be implemented soon. --JustGeorge

No, I am not working from one single directory. I ingest from my cameras into date-based directories, based on file format (NEF, NRW and ORF). Scanned images are filed totally separately, based on subject matter. I jump around a lot, so there is no single working directory. It would have thousands of files, multiple formats (TIFF & JPEG besides raw). Here's what happens: if yesterday I worked in 2015-11/NEF, and today work in 2016-08/ORF, saving the latter TIFF ends up in the 2015-11/NEF directory. Nikon ViewNX2 acts the same as Affinity Photo, i.e. saving to the last used directory, which is annoying. However: Zoner Photo Studio 18, FastStone, PaintShopPro x8, Paint.net, and Olympus Viewer 3 all save edits to the current directory. Even the new Topaz Studio. Qimage Ultimage saves files to a specific working directory, which is ok, since I know where to look. Yes, I'm not as organized as I'd like to be, but I've got a ton of catching up to do. Especially since I'm re-doing many that I'd previously over- or under-processed. I could live with the export directory being always the same. Otherwise, I'm going to have to go looking elsewhere for a different image processor. But I'm just getting familiar with AP, really like it, and don't want to abandon it. --JustGeorge

AP Windows exports to the last used directory, not the current working directory. This can get very frustrating trying to find and move the errant file. Is there a setting I've not found? Or should this be a Bug Report or a Feature Request? --JustGeorge

Sharkey, I don't know if this is what you're saying, but I too experience a lot of frustration in trying to use the program. My main issues are (1) the program's help file (search field often yields useless results); and (2) this forum (trying to find topics that are related primarily to Photo, especially AP for Windows). My problem: once I learn a procedure or technique, I may not use it again for a long time, and then can't find out how to do it again. I suspect many of the users on this forum have at least some background and/or familiarity with Adobe's various products, which sometimes makes it hard for me to decipher what they're saying. I think there are multiple terms for the same thing that I can't always decipher. I started out using AP as a replacement for PaintShop Pro x8, which was a replacement for Topaz photoFXlab. In the beginning I used it as a layered front end for the various Topaz plugins, gradually easing in to using more of the AP edit functions. While that background helped me some, there's still a lot that confuses me with AP. All of which usually results in not being able to know what it is I want to ask. I've been evaluating the new Topaz Studio, hoping that it would simplify my workflow, but I'm totally disappointed with it. So for me, I'll be sticking it out with AP, and try to figure out how to get the results I want without stumbling around so much. I have found that the AP video tutorials are a big help. I've watched many of them more than once, several of them many times. While they're good, they often cover multiple procedures/processes, not reflected in their titles. The PDF by dmstraker https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/37281-notes-on-in-house-affinity-photo-video-tutorials/has been extremely useful in finding help within those tutorials. (I can't remember, but I may have needed to run optical character recognition on the PDF to make it searchable.) Give it a look if you haven't already. It might help with figuring out what you want to ask about. A good manual, or better help manual and forum search capability, would go along way to alleviating some of my frustrations. FWIW, YMMV, all the usual disclaimers. --JustGeorge

Is there a v.1.5.2 for Windows, not beta? If so, how do I get it? Thanks, --JustGeorge

I might file the bug report. It definitely doesn't open in the last used category, but in the category at the top of the category list. Adding my new presets to the category that automatically opens would mean waiting for even more presets to finish loading before I could use the program. And each time I load another image, I have to wait for all of the presets to finish loading. I'm thinking I'll go thru and export the un-needed presets, delete the un-needed categories, leaving "my" default category, then import them later on. I'll ponder this some more before making any rash decisions. Thanks for the feedback Alex, --JustGeorge

Is there any way to change the default Tone Mapping Persona presets without deleting the supplied presets? I've made a couple of presets to play around with. I've deleted the old Default category, created a new Default category and renamed that Default, but a different category always loads. The problem is that I have to wait for the other presets to load before I can open my preferred preset category; this takes a bit more time to load, especially knowing I'm going to open a different category as soon as I can. Other than deleting all of the other supplied preset categories, is there any way to make AP open my preferred "Default" category by, well, default? I'd like to eventually come back and play with the supplied presets, but if deleting them is my only option then so be it. Thanks in advance for any assistance, --JustGeorge