Google Nik Collection is now free for everyone.

[naqoy]

It's just frustrating. It now tried with 1.5. I completely uninstalled NIK. I newly downloaded the plugins from the Web site; it's version 1.2.11. I reinstalled them, configured them in AP by adding the plugin directory as shown in the video (not the folder where the apps are installed but the one with the plugins), clicked authorise globally, restarted AP, and ... still get this splash screen saying that my trial has ended. Obvisously, something is still left even after calling the uninstaller. I cannot figure out what it is but it seems to prevent me from using the plugins with AP. As before, they run perfectly as standalone apps but this is not what I wanted to achieve. Has anyone any other idea what I could try to delete (except my whole system)?

[tokai]

The only thing I can suggest apart from that not-very-helpful suggestion is to download a fresh copy of the free version from https://www.google.com/nikcollection/& see if installing that helps.

I never had any non-free version of the NIK Collection. Just to be sure I downloaded the huge current archive from the Google website again and compared it to the version I had already:

 

$ md5sum /Volumes/Backup/Beryl/Installer/nikcollection-full-1.2.11.dmg

49080b166a590701535bdbcb6289d887 /Volumes/Backup/Beryl/Installer/nikcollection-full-1.2.11.dmg

 

$ md5sum /Volumes/Temporary/Downloads/nikcollection-full-1.2.11.dmg

49080b166a590701535bdbcb6289d887 /Volumes/Temporary/Downloads/nikcollection-full-1.2.11.dmg

 

 

They are perfectly identical. So it's definitely not a problem of an outdated version of the NIK Collection. It must be something else that is required to get this to work properly (obviously some people managed to get it done.) NIK Collection is pretty much the main reason for me to still fire up Photoshop (all my 3D renders are passed through NIK for some extra effect.) I really want to do that in Affinity Photo.

[R C-R]

tokai, you said you added all kinds of paths, but what did you put in the Plugins Support Folders field in AP preferences > Photoshop Plugins?

 

What should be there is just "/" (without the quote marks), which allows AP to access any needed support file your user account has permission to use (including indirectly through sandboxing).

 

If that is what is there, you may have a permissions issue. An Apple support agent once told me that the new, simplified "First Aid" in recent Disk Utility versions checks for that but I am not sure I believe it. I put more trust for that in using a Terminal command or a third party utility like TechTools Pro or Onyx.

[naqoy]

Since my problems seem to be the same, I want to add some further remarks. I tried "First Aid" right now, with no effect. Today I created a new user and activtated the plugins for this user. A new trial period will start there, while the one for my normal user is still expired. So obviously, AP or NIK writes some user specific information somewhere to recognize the trial period, and this information will survive an uninstallation of NIK. I tried to figure out what this could be (by running a find command from the terminal for all recently created files) but without a real success. I found some files and folders under ~Library/Containers/com.seriflabs.affinityphoto/Data/Library/Preferences/Google and ...Application Support/NikLicenseFiles. I deleted them with the result that the initial feedback dialog comes up again (the one where I can decide to send information to Google which I declined). But afterwards I still get the expired trial info and that's it.

I continue to follow this thread and, maybe, make some further tests when I have some time.

[R C-R]

naqoy,

 

For what is is worth, I do not have anything named NikLicenseFiles on my system, not in Applications Support or anywhere else.

[naqoy]

Good question, I don't know. The full path is ~/Library/Containers/com.seriflabs.affinityphoto/Data/Library/Application Support/NikLicenseFiles. The folder contains a single empty .txt file (like a timestamp). It will be recreated after deletion and since it is in an AP-specific folder, I assume that it is written from AP. However, as I said it does not influence the behavior. So maybe, the answer is: for nothing. It was just another try to figure out why my system behaves different than the ones of most other systens. I do not doubt that the plugins work with AP. But I still want them to do so on my system. This was one try...

My current goal is to figure out where that timestamp about the start of the trial period is stored. Currently I only know that it is not system-wide, but user-specific, and it is not in the above mentioned files or directories. Also I'm pretty sure that is controlled in some way by AP since the standalone apps work properly. But here my poor wisdom ends at the moment.

 

Edit:

Since I don't want to hijack this thread any more for my technical problem (it's news, I think), I opened a new thread in the Questions section: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/31680-nik-collection-runs-in-demo-mode/

[tokai]

What should be there is just "/" (without the quote marks), which allows AP to access any needed support file your user account has permission to use (including indirectly through sandboxing).

But doesn't this defy the idea of sandboxing (aka limiting available resources to specific apps) when I then manually overwrite it, so it can access everything again? No disrespect to Affinity apps meant by this, of course. ;)

[R C-R]

But doesn't this defy the idea of sandboxing (aka limiting available resources to specific apps) when I then manually overwrite it, so it can access everything again?

You are not manually overwriting anything. AP is still limited to what the user account running it can access, & like with any other sandboxed app, the OS tightly controls which resources it can use other than its own.

[tokai]

You are not manually overwriting anything. AP is still limited to what the user account running it can access, & like with any other sandboxed app, the OS tightly controls which resources it can use other than its own.

Sure, you are overwriting (or "extending") the default sandbox the application is allowed to use according to Apple Store rules. Adding the whole root there basically would allow the app to read anything (in the users account context vs. the apps sandbox context which is far more limited by default.) More or less the sandbox gets switched off that way. With the current security landscape this is even something one should properly weigh in regards to Affinity Apps (they could have a bug, crash, and run foreign code when feed with a broken/ maliciously crafted input file, f.ex.) :)

 

While adding the root there sounds like an easy fix (I didn't try it) I would prefer a more limited approach to specific directories (even if that means adding more entries to the list).

[R C-R]

Sure, you are overwriting (or "extending") the default sandbox the application is allowed to use according to Apple Store rules. Adding the whole root there basically would allow the app to read anything (in the users account context vs. the apps sandbox context which is far more limited by default.)More or less the sandbox gets switched off that way.

It doesn't work like that. The app still runs in its own sandbox & everything it does runs in that context. Access to everything outside the app's sandbox is controlled by the OS, enforced at the kernel level. See App Sandbox Design Guide for a more detailed explanation, but basically the only extension is a user-determined permission to allow the plugin (which is typically not in the user domain to begin with) to access any support folder it needs to work (which also typically is not in the user domain).

 

I believe this is an example of what Apple calls Persistent Resource Access -- retaining "security-scoped bookmarks" across launches of the app to any additional files that the user has specifically granted the app access to.

 

You could try to figure out what support folder(s) each plugin needs (good luck with that if you have more than a few plugins!) & add just those specific file paths to the Support folder list, but since either the plugin or its support files may have their own security vulnerabilities, it doesn't make anything more secure -- if the plugin is allowed to run, it exposes those vulnerabilities to any app that uses it.

[Mithferion]

I just recently installed this. So far I've found no problem at all. :)

 

Best regards!

[Peteg]

I've posted the idea elsewhere, but perhaps its more appropriate to post here. Id be interested in the view of others, and perhaps from Serif too. Google have stated they are not going to be doping any further development of the Nik Collection. Over time it will therefore wither away if no one takes an interest. As many of you clearly know, they are a great set of useful tools (and free) that IMO complement AP both as technical tools and in terms of cost. There is a possibly good business case for Serif to consider taking the tools on board. As Google aren't into the Nik for making money directly, they must be interested in the side effect of usage data, possibly including users utilising other Google services. So, Nik/AP users stand to benefit from future development to maintain the usefulness of the tools, Serif gain from maintaining/extending the user base, Google could still get their data, but from an increased user base. Note that the ability of Google to hold/use such data remains the same as now i.e. you have to opt in etc. 

So, what say you all? Am I talking rubbish, no one interested, no business appeal for Serif?

[rmar]

I think google bought nik for a particular app. The rest of nik was just baggage so they made it free. My guess is they would never offer it for sale in order to protect the small bit they did want. Keeps the competition away.

[v_kyr]

See also related to this: "In vain is death" (the org German article: Umsonst ist der Tod) another good read is "Nik Software ... A Safe Port?" (German org: here). - What isn't mentioned there in that articles is, that Nikon's CNX2 software was also built in cooperation with NIK Software and thus used strong parts of their U-Point technology and other NIK imaging knowledge in CNX2 too. But Nikon in the past somehow missed to aquire NIK before Google did. Googles interest on NIK was maybe first of all their U-Point technology, which is predestined for touch usage on smaller devices. Beside that, NIK has of course general good knowledge about making graphics and imaging software.

 

However, the results of that aquire can be seen nowadays in Google Snapseed and some other Google Android based graphics/imaging things. I highly doubt that Google will sell the NIK collection suite at all, instead they might probably let it die silently and use the ressources for other tasks. Further I also doubt that a small company like Serif would be able to take that software over or make any use out of it at all.

[John Rostron]

I own a couple of books on Nik software, now out of print. I have just looked for these on eBay and they are clearly becoming collctors' items. "Plug in with Nik" is being offered at £104 and "Nik Software Captured" is £94. Personally I think this last one is the better book. There are a number of books available (on ebay) on individual Nik components at more modest prices.

[Peteg]

See also related to this: "In vain is death" (the org German article: Umsonst ist der Tod) another good read is "Nik Software ... A Safe Port?" (German org: here). - What isn't mentioned there in that articles is, that Nikon's CNX2 software was also built in cooperation with NIK Software and thus used strong parts of their U-Point technology and other NIK imaging knowledge in CNX2 too. But Nikon in the past somehow missed to aquire NIK before Google did. Googles interest on NIK was maybe first of all their U-Point technology, which is predestined for touch usage on smaller devices. Beside that, NIK has of course general good knowledge about making graphics and imaging software.

 

However, the results of that aquire can be seen nowadays in Google Snapseed and some other Google Android based graphics/imaging things. I highly doubt that Google will sell the NIK collection suite at all, instead they might probably let it die silently and use the ressources for other tasks. Further I also doubt that a small company like Serif would be able to take that software over or make any use out of it at all.

I haven't had a chance to read the links you kindly provide, but I will (thanks). Very interesting, I hadn't known the Nikon connection, less about the other Google software. Shame really, as its good tech.

[FriendDesign]

Wow! Thank you very much!!

[Spency]

Thanks for the sharing! I have successfully used a paid version of the Nik Collection.

[Woad V.]

MEB, A very belated big "thank you" from me. Nix filters installed and working well. Cheers!

[Michail]

B Y  T H E  W A Y :
The development of Nik Collection has been discontinued. Like many things Google gets into their hands:

https://www.google.com/intl/en/nikcollection/

[harrym]

Just hope Silver Efex Pro keeps working with AP!

 

Oh if only Serif could legitimitly get hold of and use the source code for that.

[MEB]

This was somewhat expected but It's always sad to see a product of this quality being dropped like this...

[verysame]

Not sure how much this can do, but there's a petition:

https://www.change.org/p/google-inc-save-the-nik-collection

[BiffBrown]

There is some hope that maybe (just maybe) Google could release the code as Open Source. 

 

Biff

[Krist]

Just installed AP on my new iPad Pro. Scroll thru this thread fast, but I did not see any mention of using these NIK on iOS. Am I correct that iOS cannot use them?