Machine Learning: Object Selection Tool

[Affinity Info Bot]

The issue "[Win] ML: Cannot swap to CPU Only, app restarts using CPU and GPU" (REF: AF-4319) has been fixed by the developers in the latest beta build (2.6.0.2831). The fix is planned for inclusion in the next customer release.
Customer beta builds are announced here and you can participate by following these instructions.
If you still experience this problem once you are using that build version (or later) please reply to this thread including @Affinity Info Bot to notify us.

[Affinity Info Bot]

The issue "Crash after installing Machine Learning Models when Install is clicked multiple times" (REF: AF-4720) has been fixed by the developers in the latest beta build (2.6.0.2831). The fix is planned for inclusion in the next customer release.
Customer beta builds are announced here and you can participate by following these instructions.
If you still experience this problem once you are using that build version (or later) please reply to this thread including @Affinity Info Bot to notify us.

[Affinity Info Bot]

The issue "App will crash when using Object Selection tool on RAW layers" (REF: AF-4813) has been fixed by the developers in the latest beta build (2.6.0.2831). The fix is planned for inclusion in the next customer release.
Customer beta builds are announced here and you can participate by following these instructions.
If you still experience this problem once you are using that build version (or later) please reply to this thread including @Affinity Info Bot to notify us.

[bobbybosler]

20 hours ago, Patrick Connor said:

Sorry but due to the functions we need to run the Object Selection and Subject Selection functionality (on macOS) we are going to have to make Machine Learning only available on Apple Silicon machines running on a recent macOS, so in the next build the Machine Learning libraries will not be available to download so it cannot crash. Sorry this limitations was not already in for the start of the beta. I have added a section on Compatibility to the initial post in this thread

Major bummer. I'm on the last Intel Mac (2019 Macbook Pro, 32GB RAM, Radeon Pro 5500M). Sad that my machine won't be able to use this feature, especially considering the beef that my machine has under the hood.

[RichardMH]

I'd like to see an option to save the selection as a masked group. Most of the time with subject or object masking I'll want to do curve, hsl and maybe clarity and sharpening on the selection. 

[walt.farrell]

9 hours ago, RichardMH said:

I'd like to see an option to save the selection as a masked group. Most of the time with subject or object masking I'll want to do curve, hsl and maybe clarity and sharpening on the selection. 

Couldn't you just use Ctrl+J or Cmd+J and get it as a new pixel layer? I don't see the advantage of having a group, but once you have the pixel layer it's easy enough to turn it into a group if you want.

[HCl]

.

[JpLaf]

These new modules work perfectly under Windows 11.
So much time saved!
Many thanks to the developers!

[EMC UAV]

just did an update, now this

 

[EmT]

49 minutes ago, EMC UAV said:

just did an update, now this

Hi @EMC UAV please see this previous post regarding this.

On 10/31/2024 at 4:13 PM, Patrick Connor said:

Sorry but due to the functions we need to run the Object Selection and Subject Selection functionality (on macOS) we are going to have to make Machine Learning only available on Apple Silicon machines running on a recent macOS, so in the next build the Machine Learning libraries will not be available to download so it cannot crash. Sorry this limitations was not already in for the start of the beta. I have added a section on Compatibility to the initial post in this thread

 

[nomi02118]

On 11/1/2024 at 8:15 AM, bobbybosler said:

Major bummer. I'm on the last Intel Mac (2019 Macbook Pro, 32GB RAM, Radeon Pro 5500M). Sad that my machine won't be able to use this feature, especially considering the beef that my machine has under the hood.

Sad for me as well. My imac is not old and powerful, this was a feature i was looking forward to but i cant buy a new computer every year. 

[ondre.luqmaan]

Is there any reason why you need to download the models manually, instead of them coming pre-installed? Sure, people are aware of the word "machine learning" but this feature should just be included from the start, models are not big, Photoshop had those a couple of years before anyone knew anything about AI or machine learning, and you have them in there from the start. They just called it different.

This is more like a complex script that lets you have better selection, so nothing to be scared of, just a file that runs locally, offline.

[GarryP]

Welcome to the forums @ondre.luqmaan

I refer you to the text in the original posting:

On 10/21/2024 at 12:42 PM, Patrick Connor said:

These models can be quite large in size, making it impractical to include them in the initial app installation. Users also have the choice to uninstall these models to free up space if they are not needed.

This situation might change in the future, but I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for it to happen if I were you.

[ondre.luqmaan]

Thank you, @GarryP! And true, they can be large. But those ones are just 300mb, not that big, looking at how small the client is, compared to other app sizes. Still, not a problem, or am I smelling in the future more of those kind of features, like a model that can make a photo into a vector, and another that can generate simple icons symbols, etc?

Edited November 7, 2024 by ondre.luqmaan

[GarryP]

12 minutes ago, ondre.luqmaan said:

But those ones are just 300mb, not that big,

300MB might not be big for you, but they might make the download awkward (or even impossible) for people with ‘poorer’ access to the internet, especially if it pushes the total installation download ‘weight’ to near 1GB which could be beyond some people’s reach.

And the problem would be compounded if extra learning models were added.

With Serif making them an option, people can choose what they get, and when they get it.

[walt.farrell]

4 hours ago, ondre.luqmaan said:

Is there any reason why you need to download the models manually, instead of them coming pre-installed?

Some users may not want AI functions installed, and they will appreciate having to do it manually as it means they can ensure it's not used on their system. 

 

[leinmi]

The Machine Learning "Object Selection Tool" (or AI masking) in Affinity Photo is a great start, but there is still significant room for improvement. The accuracy of the selections needs to be enhanced considerably; otherwise, users will spend excessive time fixing masks, ultimately losing the benefits they were aiming for.

However, this tool is a promising beginning. I recommend looking at how Capture One approaches AI masking as a benchmark. Capture One’s “people” AI masking feature is particularly impressive, allowing users to simply select what they want to mask from a dropdown list:

- Body skin (excludes rings, jewelry, fingernails, etc.)
- Face skin
- Eyes
- Eyebrows
- Lips
- Hair

These options can be combined or used individually, and the software handles the masking automatically, without the user needing to manually “paint” unless they specifically choose to. The accuracy of Capture One’s masks is exceptionally high, and there is rarely any need for adjustments.

Affinity Photo’s AI masking tool could greatly benefit from incorporating similar functionality and precision.

[AiDon]

Hi, The Object Selection Tool doesn't seem to be installed on my ASUS ROG after installing either the MSIX or MSI/EXE versions (v2.6.0.2831). So I had to use the Reset Beta Apps option under the Beta Program settings to get it to show. Specifications listed in the footer below as PC1.

Note that this did NOT happen on my other PC which is an ARM PC so it uses a different installer. Again specs in the footer under PC2.

[walt.farrell]

8 hours ago, AiDon said:

The Object Selection Tool doesn't seem to be installed on my ASUS ROG after installing either the MSIX or MSI/EXE versions (v2.6.0.2831)

That may depend on what customizations you've made to Tools via View > Customize Tools. There have been cases where new Tools haven't shown up automatically for users who have customized the Tools layout, because the installer (or developers) didn't know where it should be placed in that case without messing up the user's customizations.

[jubarbie]

So... to be clear. It doesn't work on Mac Intel but it works on any computer using Windows ?

I mean, I can understand that such a functionnality has some hardware requirements, but it shouldn't be OS specific.

The irony of it is that I can use this feature on my mac intel, using a windows virtual machine, I mean... 

Oh and also ! Just don't show the tool on the toolbar if we cannot use it, it's just frustrating.

[garrettm30]

1 hour ago, jubarbie said:

The irony of it is that I can use this feature on my mac intel, using a windows virtual machine, I mean... 

 

And we did use the feature on Intel Mac in the previous beta, so it should be technically possible. I suspect there is some technical compatibility issue with the library they are using, probably holding them back regarding where they want to go or how it works in certain circumstances, but it is not clear what.

[ondre.luqmaan]

On 11/7/2024 at 7:28 PM, walt.farrell said:

Some users may not want AI functions installed, and they will appreciate having to do it manually as it means they can ensure it's not used on their system. 

 

It's not an AI function, not even stable diffusion or chatGPT is a real AI, just buzz words, cause in the end, those are just advanced "scripts", or you can think of them as just a part of a brain that does a function, and you need all of those small parts added together to be considered AI, but as of now, AI doesn't do so well on the logic and math part as many of people are trying to make it sound like, and it also hallucinates, and you would not want that.

So this is why I would consider it just an advanced tool.

I do understand the ethical and legal problems behind those things, I'm all for it, but in this case, it doesn't step into any zone than just a tool.

But, I had some thinking myself, and it does sound ok having it as an option, nothing lost.

Edited November 8, 2024 by ondre.luqmaan

[AiDon]

12 hours ago, walt.farrell said:

That may depend on what customizations you've made to Tools via View > Customize Tools. There have been cases where new Tools haven't shown up automatically for users who have customized the Tools layout, because the installer (or developers) didn't know where it should be placed in that case without messing up the user's customizations.

I didn't make any customizations Walt.

[walt.farrell]

11 hours ago, AiDon said:

I didn't make any customizations Walt.

OK; if you've never moved the Tools around in any of the betas for that application since you originally installed it, or switched to 2 columns, or anything like that, then there may be a bug.

[Patrick Connor]

21 hours ago, AiDon said:

I didn't make any customizations Walt.

Did you ask the beta to import your release settings the very first time you ran the beta?