Technical question about Adjustment layers

[brucet]

I'm using 3-5 adjustment layers on some of my work. Even though I have larger files, without Adjustment layers, once I add an Adjustment Layer to ANY piece of work things slowdown big time. For example a 'normal' curves application is almost instant. But if I add a curves Adjustment Layer then what took 1-2 second takes 10-15 seconds using an Adjustment Layer.
So is there something that Adjustment Layers are doing that is a computer hog? Or am I overlooking something? Or are they just configured in such away that they are naturally slower?

Thanks

cre8ivephotography.com

[LeviFiction]

Adjustment Layers are calculated differently, they have to be, but how exactly they do what they do I don't know. And this is all conjecture, but I imagine it's similar to creating a merged image of all layers before applying the adjustment. And it needs to look at a lot more information than the regular adjustments that only care about the data on the current layer you're adding it to.

Now my computer is no slouch, and adding 3 curves adjustments to a fairly large image, it was pretty quick. But there was a slight delay in the initial rendering as I added more adjustment layers. I imagine PSP is recalculating the look for each layer and how it's effected by the new layer. Again, assuming everything.

I don't know if it's just inefficient programming, or the nature of the beast, but there is an actual difference between how Adjustment Layers work vs the full filter that needs to be there, that could easily be the reason for your slowdown.

[photodrawken]

For example a 'normal' curves application is almost instant. But if I add a curves Adjustment Layer then what took 1-2 second takes 10-15 seconds using an Adjustment Layer.

That seems a bit extreme.

I opened a 3K x 5K jpg and applied a half-dozen adjustment layers to it, and I can see, for example, the top Curves adjustment layer draw its effect on the image; but that takes at most 2 seconds.

I'd suggest looking at your PSP settings: in Preferences...Display and Caching, ensure that the scratch disk being used is not your system disk. Disable Auto-save and any other resource-sucking things you don't really need. Also, use CCleaner or manually clean out all your various "Temp" directories.

[brucet]

I should have pointed out that the example attachment is 7 layers. 3 Adjustment layers. A PSP file and approx 200 meg. (attachment is a jpeg of course).

When I make an adjustment in the curves Adjustment Layer it can take 10 or more seconds before I see a result on the actual image. (I ignore those small preview images!).

thanks