AfterShot Pro 2.0

[Tuvok]

I don't see much changes for a version 2.0. I was hoping for face detection and a way to manage your photo locations. The most simple and free photo management applications support this. For me speed and the way the GUI works is the same. Aftershot Pro 2 is the same old application with a handful new features, what others have for a very long time. A good thing is the Linux and Mac support although I think Mac users do use more professional tools and Linux users have some great (better) free and opensource alternatives. Come on Corel, what are you doing. Don't make only software for housewifes, but also for professionals.

[Dutchmm]

Last year I took some outdoor photos at a family party - with my A55 set to ISO 12800. Absent-minded or what? I have been waiting for the much promised AS2 to try out the noise reduction.

Here is a link to the original ARW http://www.mikemurphy.nl/ASPNR/DSC05463.ARW

I first "developed" the shot with no noise reduction at all. The jpg was bigger than the RAW
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

Next I turned on only the Raw Impulse Noise reduction, and this gave some improvement - visible in the file size, if not in the 100% pixel view:
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

Add the Raw Noise checkbox - the value I had set for this as a default in AS1 - 60/0 - Again, there is some invisible improvement, but the shot is still not usable
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

Next, the new Perfectly Clear (60/10), on default NR, but with the Raw noise reduction controls set off. We have ditched a lot of noise from the tweed:
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

Adding back the Raw Impulse - no perceptible improvement
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

Turn on the rest of the Raw Noise, and the result is almost good enough for a web page, even if we are far from print-ready:
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

Thought I would try with a more aggressive set of Perfectly Clear settings - put it into Force Noise Reduction:
Sans Raw NR
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

Plus Impulse NR
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

Full Raw NR
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

Still not good enough for print. I think this awful photo needs wavelet denoise as well.
Full size
Sample of tweed coat
Sample of face

If anyone wants to have a go at improving on my efforts (or use NN with AS1 to make a competent comparison), then the gimp rectangle selection parameters for my samples are:
Tweed: 1450 2000 400 400
Face: 2100 700 800 800

[awm03]

Dutchmm, I just tried working on some noisy files too (not as bad as yours). Instead, I set up Topaz Express Fusion as my external editor so I could get to Topaz DeNoise. ASP automatically converted the RAW photo to a TIFF & sent it to Express Fusion to pass on to DeNoise. I made the adjustments in DeNoise, which passed it back to ASP as a TIFF. It was a fast and smooooooothe operation. Very nice.

[Dutchmm]

Thx awm
This solution isn't possible (I suspect) for me, because AFAIK the Topaz software won't run on Linux - even under WINE
Mike

[dsigman]

Well, I've done mine for 64-bit and tintin has done his. I don't know when they'll be made available. Some of kbarni's now come packaged with ASP and the others are in progress. Not sure about the other developers.

This is great! The one I shall really miss, if it isn't re-done for 64-bit, is the Graduated ND filter. In fact, it will hold me on the 32-bit version (as long as that runs) until it it is re-done or replaced. I would be happy to pay for another copy, if that helped Roger Barnes to make the right decision!

Have you got the 32bit Graduated ND filter filter working in ASP2?
It doesn't work for me on Linux Mint 16 with a 32bit install of ASP2.

Like you I would have no objections to paying Roger Barnes for his work.


R.

I haven't gotten ND filter to work yet with Windows 7 32 bit,

[vieledinge]

Last year I took some outdoor photos at a family party - with my A55 set to ISO 12800. Absent-minded or what? I have been waiting for the much promised AS2 to try out the noise reduction.

Here is a link to the original ARW http://www.mikemurphy.nl/ASPNR/DSC05463.ARW

Sorry, i could not resist....

Lightroom 5.4

Full file:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/htl1djurb1a2u ... 05463_.jpg

Settings:

Samples:

[awm03]

I gave it a whirl: Open the RAW file in ASP, sent it to DeNoise as a TIFF, cranked up the settings, returned it to ASP as a TIFF, saved as a jpeg & sharpened and brightened a smidgeon.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ff2mlbd0puw8k ... edit_1.jpg

[Brainslug]

Not sure if I understand this right - you first converted the image to TIFF, because ASP is doing an unsatisfactory job of denoising. Then you saved it as a jpg and did the sharpening on the jpg. What's the point of using ASP, if you do all your key work in an external program and then on an 8-bit jpg instead of the raw file? If you just need ASP to convert the raw to tiff, there's free software that does that for you equally well...

The picture you posted is pretty decent, though, which means that DeNoise is an interesting piece of software. But it shows that ASP2 is not sufficient as a raw processor.

I'm not sure why they call it AfterShot Pro 2 - it has barely the features I would expect from a point release upgrade as part of Corel's software maintenance cycle on the original ASP. Instead, they're trying to force users to pay for a new "version", which it's clearly not. I like the fact that it is now available in a native 64bit Linux version, granted, but the lack of plugins forces you to stick w/ the 32bit version anyway, so what's it really worth?
Speaking of plugins - missing all the plugins in the 64bit version just made me realize that most of ASP's great and unique features are actually not provided by ASP, but by community software which might or might not get ported to ASP2_x64 at some point in the future.
Just starting to wonder how people can base their ambitious hobby or even professional work on something like this...

Well done, Corel, well done.

[awm03]

Hi Brainslug (your name gave me a laugh!).

This is a really tough picture: loads of noise. The OP wasn't thrilled with the results of the noise removal tool in ASP. Frankly, I don't think Lightroom did such a great job either (please forgive me!). I also have PaintshopPro x 6, and it doesn't remove heavy noise to my satisfaction either. I have ACDSee Pro, which did an okay job, a little artifact-y, but not bad. So yes, I used a heavy duty, *expensive* plugin that does a good job on tough noise issues. If ASP/Lightroom/ACDSee/PS/PSP or any RAW converter did their jobs perfectly, there wouldn't be demand for dedicated, popular plugins like Topaz DeNoise. But sometimes you need to call in the Marines.

Here's why all the file changes: The Topaz applet that imports files to the Topaz plugin demands that files be converted to TIFF or jpeg first. Conveniently, ASP converted the RAW file to a TIFF automatically when I called up the plugin via the external editor. (How nice -- ACDSee Pro doesn't do that automatically, and I got an error message.) When finished in the Topaz plugin, it was sent back to ASP as a TIFF, and I saved it as a jpeg for uploading to this site. As an afterthought, I sharpened & brightened it a bit. Yep, should have done that before converting to jpeg, but I didn't. My bad

Thanks re the photo. Yes, Topaz DeNoise is an excellent plugin, and should be for $80! But saying ASP is insufficient as a RAW converter because it doesn't remove noise as well as an $80 plugin is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. ASP certainly did a nice job with skin tones, and the lighting & the other colors look nice. Perhaps a tad more contrast would have been good.

[Dutchmm]

@awm

I find to my surprise that I can use Topaz in WINE - at least, I can use it as a standalone. When you say you opened your copy and denoised it as a TIFF, do you mean that you used the Presets which are delivered with RAW as part of the name? My next trick will be to see whether I can make a WINE instance of fusion express run as the external editor ...

Mike

[scorpi11]

Just installed ASP 2 and tried the library function by using the Download queue. OMG, it's just as crappy as in previous versions. In fact, Bibble 5 worked better than ASP. How comes? Does nobody use the library at all, except for me?

Is there anyone I can talk to about my specific problems? Maybe I'm just doing things wrong.

[mindsocket]

Hi all,

Just a note to let you know that you've got my attention regarding GradFilter Pro. As per previous SDK changes, I'll see what I can do, but can't promise if or when it will happen.

Roger

[afx]

Just installed ASP 2 and tried the library function by using the Download queue. OMG, it's just as crappy as in previous versions. In fact, Bibble 5 worked better than ASP. How comes? Does nobody use the library at all, except for me?

It always has been a toy, so rarely anyone uses it seriously.

Is there anyone I can talk to about my specific problems? Maybe I'm just doing things wrong.

Why not open up an extra thread on the specific issues?

cheers
afx

[Hobgoblin]

Hi all,

Just a note to let you know that you've got my attention regarding GradFilter Pro. As per previous SDK changes, I'll see what I can do, but can't promise if or when it will happen.

Roger

Thank you Roger.
Your efforts will be appreciated.

R.

[mipopa]

ASP1 Raw Impulse Noise reduction + Noise Ninja:

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