PSP2018 - Merge freezes

[Marco73]

Hi there,

in PSP2018, Merge freezes after Step 2.
The popip with the progress bar appears, disappears ... and then the screen is freezed with the workspace of the 2nd step, but without the image,.
Neither buttons not the scroll bars react.

[JoeB]

Hi there,
in PSP2018, Merge freezes after Step 2.
The popip with the progress bar appears, disappears ... and then the screen is freezed with the workspace of the 2nd step, but without the image,.
Neither buttons not the scroll bars react.

Maybe it's just me but I don't know what you mean. The only merge function that springs to mind for me are the various Merge options for layers. Is that what you're talking about, or something completely different?

In any event, you'll have to be much more specific with your question - e.g., which Merge function are you talking about, what steps does it require, and specifically what are you referring to when you say Step 2.

[Marco73]

Maybe it's just me but I don't know what you mean. The only merge function that springs to mind for me are the various Merge options for layers. Is that what you're talking about, or something completely different?

In any event, you'll have to be much more specific with your question - e.g., which Merge function are you talking about, what steps does it require, and specifically what are you referring to when you say Step 2.

"Merge" is the part of PSP2018 which starts when you open the HDR function.
The first step is opening all the pictures you need.
The second step is adjusting contrast, lights, shadows and saturation.
End after finishing that step, a popup appears with a progress bar, and when that popup disappears, the program freezes instead of switching to step 3.

[JoeB]

Thanks for being more specific. I don't use that function but, for others who do, this will give them the specifics they might need to try to duplicate and/or help troubleshoot the issue.

[hartpaul]

Ok from the limited information provided I tried:

1. File > HDR > Exposure Merge
2. Clicked the - sign to remove any photos already there. Then the + sign to add three photos taken on tripod of the same scene with different exposures.
They loaded in and were displayed along the bottom.
3. Clicked process and the three images were combined into on with the best highlights and best shadows.
4. I then had sliders available to make adjustments to temperature, vibrancy , contrast , highlights, midtones, shadows. I also had access to presets which showed thumbs of what the image would look like if they were applied.
5. I then clicked Process and these changed were applied.
6. This then procuced another dialog where I could make final adjustments using Smart Photo Fix, White Balance, Brightness/Contrast etc. I could also do a Save and close which gave the same options as Save As.

No freezing or hanging. Images were 2000 x 1333 portrait orientation.

[Marco73]

Ok from the limited information provided I tried:

1. File > HDR > Exposure Merge
2. Clicked the - sign to remove any photos already there. Then the + sign to add three photos taken on tripod of the same scene with different exposures.
They loaded in and were displayed along the bottom.
3. Clicked process and the three images were combined into on with the best highlights and best shadows.
4. I then had sliders available to make adjustments to temperature, vibrancy , contrast , highlights, midtones, shadows. I also had access to presets which showed thumbs of what the image would look like if they were applied.
5. I then clicked Process and these changed were applied.
6. This then procuced another dialog where I could make final adjustments using Smart Photo Fix, White Balance, Brightness/Contrast etc. I could also do a Save and close which gave the same options as Save As.

No freezing or hanging. Images were 2000 x 1333 portrait orientation.

It works here including your step five.

And it worked without freezing in PSPX9, X8, X7 ...

[Marco73]

Since I was updateing PSP on this computer since X8 I just de-installed anything from Corel, re-booted my computer and re-installed PSP2018.
And: Now it does not freeze anymore.

Nevertheless there is a pause after progressing the images, but it works.

Maybe Corel should tell it's clients to remove older versions when updating to a new one.

[hartpaul]

Not needed.
As shown in my profile I have PSP 8, X2- X9 and 2018 all installed and able to run on a windows 10 computer.
I keep them all available as different people have different older versions and so I can test their problem on older versions to see if it is indeed a bug.
I also have Psp8 , X2 - X9 installed on switchable hard drives on the same computer so I can run them under Windows 8.1 and Windows 7 as well.

[Marco73]

Needed or not - at least now HDR runs properly.
For now.

[JoeB]

Needed or not - at least now HDR runs properly.
For now.

It likely would have worked if you had simply just uninstalled 2018 and then reinstalled it. Has nothing to do with uninstalling previous versions. Most people keep at least one previous version installed in case a bug pops up in the latest version that interferes with workflow, so we have previous versions to go back to for that particular process.

[Marco73]

He who is afraid of bugs must not use any PSP version ...

[3dvisworld]

I can confirm this. It happened to me.
I then uninstalled PSP 2018 and re-installed and it worked exactly once.
Then
File > HDR > Exposure Merge ( button no longer highlights for use again).
Uninstalling / re-installing this program to use it once is not the way forward.

[hartpaul]

Ok after further tests I can now reproduce the freezing bug that has been referred to.

I set up a desktop folder and placed a number of sets of HDR suitable images in separate folders.
As I reported before , when I used the HDR > Exposure Merge, I had no problems, but I only did it once.
Now on further sets I find that I can do the first process (# 3 in my description)
I can do #4 and then when I do #5 the screen freezes, becomes enlarged so that Save and Close is off the screen at the bottom and I cannot access it. I can still do a save using Control S.

01SaveandClose.jpg (31.85 KiB) Viewed 7705 times

If I double click the Merge Title bar really weird things start to happen, the image starts splitting and I have versions overlapping and have to close it to be able to go any further.

Can others reproduce this problem with PSP 2018 . It also is occurring in the 64 bit version of 2018.

[Marco73]

I can confirm this. It happened to me.
I then uninstalled PSP 2018 and re-installed and it worked exactly once.
Then
File > HDR > Exposure Merge ( button no longer highlights for use again).
Uninstalling / re-installing this program to use it once is not the way forward.

Oops?
I did only one try after uninstalling and re-insalling the program ...


I just don't understand why this happens. Merge was running properly with X9 and now it freezes.
Shouldn't they improve the software?

[Marco73]

I can do #4 and then when I do #5 the screen freezes, becomes enlarged so that Save and Close is off the screen at the bottom and I cannot access it.

Exactly what happened to me.