Something about the unsharp mask filter

[TomM1]

Set up Filters>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask.

Compare with the split screen at 100%. Click apply.

The sharpening effect seems to revert and does not apply.

 

[smadell]

TomM1...

Not sure what's happening on your side, but I tried this and it works for me as it should. Here's a video, with the sharpening grossly exaggerated so as to be more obvious.

[TomM1]

Actually, it sticks when I use an extreme radius.

It's at a lower setting that it does not apply.

Try it with the settings in the screen shot attached.

[smadell]

Actually, the Unsharp Mask filter does work with your given parameters. It's just that those parameters give a reasonably subtle degree of sharpening. Once again, I've made a little video. You can see that when the History panel is used to reveal the sharpening, undo it, redo it, etc. there are changes being made at the border between colors. These changes are the work of the Sharpening algorithm. Take away lesson: you've applied very gentle sharpening (which is probably best); to make it more noticeable, increase either the radius or the factor sliders.

[TomM1]

I have verified what you are saying, by looking at my image at 400%, that a minuscule amount of sharpening is applied.

But 1.7 should not be showing me a preview that is obvious sharpening then not applying the same amount of sharpening in that preview.

Observe my attached screen movie.

Also if I choose the same filter on the same image in 1.6 the preview is the same but the sharpening is applied to the entire image when applied.

 

[smadell]

I agree - it does look suspicious! Don't know how to explain it, unless the screen draw procedures are different before and after the sharpening is applied.

[Chris B]

Hey TomM1,

I'm not quite seeing what can be seen in your video. As soon as I apply the filter, it applies to the rest of my image.

If you were at less than 100% zoom I could maybe understand why you would be seeing this as things can render differently at different zoom levels.

Can you screenshot your Performance settings in Preferences? FYI—it looks like we're using a very similar iMac (I have an R9 M390) so I don't think it's hardware related...

 

[TomM1]

It's the same at 100%.

[PierreL]

I get the same issue as TomM1, furthermore if I use sharpen clarity filter I get the same issue, the clarity I get from the preview is undone once I apply. If I use blur it works fine so it's not operator error. I restarted the app and get the same issue. I closed other apps.

If I use .8 and 2 as per screenshot above I immediately get jaggies added in my photo rather than removing so that's no solution.

I've recently started to use raw files as I am using Nik Collection so I need this to work otherwise my images look worse than jpeg in some respect.

 

 

 

[Chris B]

Right, this time I've used a very noisy raw file and have managed to reproduced the behaviour you're experiencing. I'll enquire.

Welcome to the Affinity forums @PierreL  

[Chris B]

It looks like the Live Filter Unsharp Mask is actually giving me a more accurate representation of what we are going to end up with. If I use the exact same values of: Radius 0.8 px, Factor 2 and Threshold of 0% in a Live Filter and apply it, it looks as expected. 

If I do a destructive Unsharp Mask from the Filters menu, the initial effect with the same above values looks exacerbated in comparison to the Live Filter layer.

Can you confirm? 

 

[TomM1]

It appears to me that  the untrue split screen previews are more apparent under about 1 px radius.

(Filters>Sharpen>Unsharp Mask)

However the filter preview seems more realistic at an image size of 200%.

Testing on 116

 

 

[user_0815]

I am experiencing the same issue. In order to see some reasonable sharpening, I need to apply an insane amount to the sliders.

For example, a current edit of fabrics gets 0.4 pixels at Factor 1 and Threshold 0. In Photo 1.6 and other apps, this is clearly visible. In 1.7 it isn't noticeable at all, not even at Factor 4. 

I can barely see a difference starting around 1 pixels at Factor 1 and Threshold 0.

I wouldn't consider this as accurate. 

Sometimes the image disappears, leaving just a checkerboard when turning on/off the sharpening layer. Maybe this is connected somehow.

I can provide a screen recording comparing 1.7 (120) with 1.6 if that helps.

EDIT: The preview is accurate, meaning the final exported image looks the same as during the edit. It's just the amount of sharpening applied seems to be too low.

[TomM1]

This seems to be fixed in .127

[GDeeb]

I just came across this problem when following the example in the Affinity Photo Workbook, page 130, file filter_sharpening.jpg from the photo_core_skills download. Everything works until I click APPLY. Two seconds later the sharpening disappears. Windows 10 system, AP version 1.6.5.123 (which I believe is latest for Windows). As stated above, it appears the NEW LIVE FILTER LAYER - UNSHARP MASK FILTER retains the sharpening when you close the control box. Problem seems to be only with the FILTERS - SHARPEN - UNSHARP MASK function.

[TomM1]

2 hours ago, GDeeb said:

I just came across this problem when following the example in the Affinity Photo Workbook, page 130, file filter_sharpening.jpg from the photo_core_skills download. Everything works until I click APPLY. Two seconds later the sharpening disappears. Windows 10 system, AP version 1.6.5.123 (which I believe is latest for Windows). As stated above, it appears the NEW LIVE FILTER LAYER - UNSHARP MASK FILTER retains the sharpening when you close the control box. Problem seems to be only with the FILTERS - SHARPEN - UNSHARP MASK function.

I have also noticed this in 1.6 but this is a thread about the 1.7 beta.

[GDeeb]

Oops!  My faux pas.

[Gaynor D]

I am reasonably computer literate otherwise I wouldn't have even tried to do colour matching myself. I am a botanical artist and since switching to Affinity Photo from Photoshop I have real problems with the unsharp mask. I scan my images in at quite a high resolution to get all the detail and therefore my image sizes can be quite large. I don't want to reduce them for printing for fear of losing the detail. Presently one of my images is 12 x 15cm at 800dpi. As previously mentioned in other posts, as soon as I merge the unsharp mask, it disappears. I have just done it at 100%, and had to increase the radius to 2.9 and factor to 3.248 before I got any sharpening at all. It is getting so frustrating, but as a pensioner I can't afford Photoshop anymore. With everything else so far I am very happy with Affinity - I am learning.

Unfortunately I am a perfectionist and it has to be just right.

[MEB]

Hi Gaynor D,
Welcome to Affinity Forums
Are you using the live filter from the Layers menu (New Live Filter Layer) or the destructive version from the Filters menu?
You said you just done it at 100% but are you performing the merge operation while looking/checking the image at 100% zoom or are you doing it at a lower zoom level (<100%) and then checking at 100%? The live filters are dynamic - their output on screen is not 100% accurate at other zoom levels other than 100% zoom. If you zoom to 100%, perform the Merge operation and the result differs from what you were seeing a moment before the merge operation then something is wrong. In that case can you attach the file for us to check please? I can provide an upload link if you wish to keep the file private.

[phetaroi]

In case anyone is wondering, this issue is still happening.  For me, it is not 100% of the time...but mostly.  First real flaw I've experienced in Affinity.