Help needed with Topaz Plugins

[Big_Stan 16]

Getting help from Topaz Labs is liking talking to a wall. They brought in a new operations manager, Eric Lowery, and he made encouraging words about cleaning up the mess, but I am seeing no improvement in their responsiveness.  I send them emails requesting help and I receive an automated reply acknowledging that they received my request, but it takes a week before I receive an answer to my question. And, if their answer doesn't solve my problem, it takes another week (if I am lucky) and so forth. I have a chain of emails going back to 8 October (before Catalina) trying to resolve the plugin problem.  

I loaded their AI plugins into Affinity Photo and they show up under Filters > Plugins, but when I try to use them nothing happens; they don't even start-up.  They do work as stand alone but not as Affinity plugins. And, yes I did restart Affinity Photo.  I am using Mac OS 10.15.1 and AP 1.7.3 on a 2019 iMac and I have the latest versions of the plugins.

 

[v_kyr 1,499]

Well PS Plug-ins that have so far not gone through Apple's notarization process will probably make problems under Catalina. I could imagine that it's due to Mac OS Catalinas stricter security changes here, especially if Adobe software has the same problems then.

[Big_Stan 16]

Thank you for your suggestion. Unfortunately, the problem actually started under Mojave.

[All Media Lab 52]

Have it all running flawlessly in Mojave 10.14.6 and think it must be a Catalina issue! 

That's why I wait with updating!

I've been working all day with Adjust AI, Sharpen AI and DeNoise AI in Affinity Photo.

I am beta tester for Mask AI and can confirm that it also works in Mojave and Affinity Photo too.

[Big_Stan 16]

Thank you, however my issue started before Catalina, while I was still using Mojave.  

BTW, all of my other apps are working flawlessly with Catalina.  Going to Catalina was easier than going to Mojave.

 

[DWright 242]

I have tested this with Topaz Adjust AI running on Catalina and using the following settings the plugin works correctly for me 

[All Media Lab 52]

Did you try a total remove of the Topaz apps, a reboot and then clean install of each app?

And  reconnection in the Affinity Photo preferences if necessary? 

They will stay authorized!

Try one to test. But reboot before clean install is important!

[Big_Stan 16]

DWright, Here is my Preferences window

Media Lab, When I went to my new iMac with Catalina, I performed a reboot and a clean install of each plugin. The Topaz apps are working with no problem as stand-alone.

I am obviously doing something wrong and I cannot figure what it is.

[v_kyr 1,499]

There is no entry in "Plugin Search Folders" and "Plugin Support Folders" in your case, so set them up properly to point to where the Topaz tools are installed.

[Big_Stan 16]

How do I do get those entries into the "Plugin Search Folders" and "Plugin Support Folders"?

[All Media Lab 52]

First a screenshot that shows how it has to look!

[All Media Lab 52]

Just to be sure that you use the proper paths in Affinity Photo I posted a screen shot for you!
Example:
/Applications/Topaz Sharpen AI/Topaz Sharpen AI.app/Contents/
You can add the path in the “Plugin Search Folder” by clicking “add” the panel opens and you have to do CMD + Shift + G now you can fill in the path etc. Don't forget to click "Authorise Global" and see if the / slash appears in the Plugin Support Folders Panel.

It is possible that you have to click ones on "add" under the "Plugin Support Folders" panel and then activate "Authorise Global".

Restart Affinity Photo.

Regards,

David

[v_kyr 1,499]

See also: https://help.topazlabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001129351-Serif-Affinity-Photo-Using-Your-Topaz-Labs-Plug-ins especially Step 3 + 4  there. You have to point to the Topaz tools folders.

[All Media Lab 52]

2 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

See also: https://help.topazlabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001129351-Serif-Affinity-Photo-Using-Your-Topaz-Labs-Plug-ins especially Step 3 + 4  there. You have to point to the Topaz tools folders.

Tried that tutorial in the past but it did not work! When you do as I pointed out you get the proper paths!

[Big_Stan 16]

Media lab, Thank you for your help. I also tried that tutorial and it did not work for me either. I am now trying your suggestion.

 

[v_kyr 1,499]

6 minutes ago, All Media Lab said:

Tried that tutorial in the past but it did not work! When you do as I pointed out you get the proper paths!

Since the Topaz tools are individual apps you have to point to every of their apps folder. Thus they probably say here ...

Quote

Mac: Follow the path shown and choose your desired program folders individually

Their images there are just for Win so maybe slighly confusing for Mac users.

[All Media Lab 52]

2 minutes ago, v_kyr said:

Since the Topaz tools are individual apps you have to point to every of their apps folder. Thus they probably say here ...

When you read my post that's exactly what I'm instructing him to do, but then in a way that works on a Mac! That tutorial is obsolete and has to be renewed by Topaz staff. 

[Big_Stan 16]

THANK YOU!!

Making progress?.  I removed all of the plugins and reinstalled Adjust AI.  This is my new Prefs window, notice the the missing "/Contents/".

[All Media Lab 52]

Did you click "Authorise Global", because it needs to look grayed out  and only a / (slash) should appear in the "Plugin Support Folders" panel.

First "remove" the path, then  Authorize global, then add the path like this: /Applications/Topaz Adjust AI/Topaz Adjust AI.app/Contents/

Just copy and past my path.

You can add the path in the “Plugin Search Folder” by clicking “add” the panel opens and you have to do CMD + Shift + G now you can fill in the path etc.

 

[Big_Stan 16]

Thank you for your patience.  I am unable to get Authorise Global to work.

[All Media Lab 52]

To get the slash in:

a.) Affinity Photo -> Preferences -> Photoshop Plugins.

b.) Plugin Support Folders -> Add

c.) Shift+Cmd+G to bring up "Go to the folder" text input.

d.) Type "/" (in other words, root, everything). Press "Ok" a few times.

e.) Photo should show just "/" in the plugin support list.

(only / of course)

Click Authorise Global

But then remove the wrong path and put the proper in the way I explained before:

/Applications/Topaz Adjust AI/Topaz Adjust AI.app/Contents/

Restart the application

[Big_Stan 16]

This is driving me crazy.  I was able to get the sash in.

After Restarting, this is my screen

However I am still unable to get "authorize global" to work

[All Media Lab 52]

It looks like you have "Authorise Global" working, because it's grayed out!

Is the plugin working now?

The path doesn't look complete:

/Contents/ is missing at the end. 

[Big_Stan 16]

You are great!! Thank you very much.

I did not realize that "Authorise Global" was supposed to be grayed out. 

I have tried everything that I can think of, but I cannot get "/contents/" to attach at the end.

[All Media Lab 52]

Does the plugin work now?

Close the preferences and let Affinity Photo restart!