PicToPainting with Paint Shop pro 2019

[doodah]

Okay - here is a 22 minute long video. Hopefully it helps. At the very least it should show how easy it is to edit the screen size.

https://youtu.be/AFfGqPQSMuE

Brilliant! Thank you ever so much!

[Chucklehead]

I have the same problem, only I am using two 32" monitors. The video link was just what I needed...

[iraisok]

Pictopaint hype was very impressive. Apparently, that's where it ends! "Don't expect to work for you" should be the slogan.

Add me to list of people finding it does not work! All I see is the circle that does not complete. Aborted after 10 min ... that is far greater than the "few seconds" stated in plug-in.

It does not work in Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit or Windows 10 Professional 64bit on the same PC.

It was one the reasons I installed 2019U. As for the applications stating in fine print that it requires Window 10. I do not believe it and further, if it were true then that should have stated where you d/l it from the GET More section of the Welcome screen ... just like it says for one item that requires the 32 bit installation. Lastly, it's easy to detect OS type, pop up something saying it won't work.

So, reality - this should work in Windows 7 and Windows 10. It does not work in either for me.

[cupsdell]

As the above users have noted, The PicToPainting plug-in does not work: it simply hangs, doing nothing, and must be closed using the Windows Task Manager. I have tried using it with both the 32- and 64-bit versions of PSP.

I have the 'October 2018' version of Windows 10, with a somewhat old Intel processor, with 8G of RAM and a huge amount of disk space (a SSD and two HDs).

I am quite disappointed by the PicToPainting failure, especially as its availability was one of the reasons I bought the PSP upgrade. Perhaps Corel should stop offering it until it works reliably.

[LeviFiction]

Ignore, it was a worthless addition to the discussion

[iraisok]

Ignore, it was a worthless addition to the discussion

Levi, not sure why you feel his comments are worthless? It supports concerns of others and provides yet another configurations where PictoPainting fails to work and fails same way as others report. Such information needs to be fed back to Corel. Quite honestly I'm hard pressed to understand how Corel did not experience same failure prior to the release of 2019. Begs one to believe they just released as is. How about passing these results to Corel hoping they get PictoPaint to "work" in 2019 instead of perhaps 2020?

Tnx,

[Ken Berry]

Ira -- I suspect you may have misunderstood Levi's comment here. I don't think he was referring to the previous post. I think he made a post of his own, then reconsidered and deleted it. But since he cannot actually remove a post, he substituted those words. He has used similar words in the past in the situation I have described.

Mind you, that does not in any way detract from the validity of what you have written otherwise about the obviously deficient Pic2Painting for many users.

[LeviFiction]

Ken is correct. I was referring to my post. I will never call someone else's post worthless.

My original post was simply this. This plugin uses machine learning. If I had to guess a diacoGAN model of some kind. And it is not easily determined how those will function on different machines. The best they can do is give minimum requirements they know worked for them. I am not offering an excuse, simply a possible explanation. Tensor flow, the python library they used, will first attempt to use your graphics card and if it isn't supported will use your CPU which will be slower for the kinds of calculations they do.

They do attempt to keep the work to a minimum using pre-trained models so all they need to do is load in the model, run a few convolutional layers on the current image to make a few determinations on it's features, and then perform the difference functions to combine them effectively performing style transfer from the source model to the image you pass in. My computer takes on average 12-30 seconds depending on the image size.

However, your computers may be more than. Sufficient to run these transfers and the bug is somewhere else. Somewhere they testing would not have found. Is it getting stuck in the preparation phase? Or on the actual style transfer? Is electron freezing up? is there some other unforseen problem? No idea. Which is why I deemed my response worthless. It offers no help at all.

[ehume]

If you want to stay inside PSP, there is always Menu > Effects > Art Media Effects > Brush Strokes...

[LeviFiction]

So, after trying to get some sleep, and failing to do so, a thought occurred to me. I know how to get PictoPainting working as a standalone. It's a little annoying because the plugin will only ever produce PNG files. But still, it works. And in testing this the "send and close" button worked just fine. But the preview button froze the program. It's the first time I've ever seen that. So, why does this plugin that most definitely work on my machine without issues suddenly freeze up when using it as a stand-alone? Not sure. But I think it might help show what's happening on the machines of people who posted here.

Is anyone willing to help me with a few experiments?

EDIT: Okay so first experiment, we need to run the plugin like you always do, but we need to get the dev tools console up and running so you can see what errors the plugin is reporting, if any.

Here is a video that demonstrates the procedure I'm going to outline below. There is no audio but you should be able to see it's very easy: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HXQex ... CeWItn0FSw

1) Open up File Explorer
2) Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Pic To Painting\resources\app or C:\Program Files\Pic to Painting\resources\app on 32-bit systems.
3) Open main.js in notepad. Please note, this is in a secure area so you may have to copy main.js to your desktop to edit it and then copy in back into this folder. It will require admin privileges. Though it doesn't show it in the video, I've actually edited the security of this file to let me edit it in place.
4) Find the line that says

Code: Select all

// Open the DevTools.
// mainWindow.webContents.openDevTools({mode: 'detach'})

And remove the "//" in front of mainWinddow.webContents.openDevTools({mode: 'detach'})

5) Save the file
6) Run PicToPainting
7) You should see the the dev tools dialog pop-up, don't close this. It looks just like Chrome's dev tools. Because it is.
Click on "Console" on the dev tools, here you can see all errors that the plugin gives.
9) Select a preset and try to apply it.
10) Go back to the dev tools dialog and wait and see if any errors pop up

In the video I did not open an image and so it returns an error "file not found" though you will notice it takes a few seconds.

What errors, if any, do you receive when running the plugin?

[iraisok]

Levi and others,

All acknowledged and YES, I will gladly participate in the experiment.

Still, dumbing it down, having factory built machines, hearing so many of us with failed results, I'd have expected Corel to have "purchased" a few stock PC's to test features, albeit, not possible to verify every combination but to discover obvious flaws.

No need to further explain your theory as to why they just did not have any such freeze as others have reported. Let's go forward with your workaround. I thank you for sharing your theory and possible workaround. I enjoy experimenting and quite honestly, through my working career as a System Engineer, workarounds were part of mainstream.

I'll be able to participate end of this week after my grandkids family return home.

Tnx,

[MarkZ]

Levi and others, . . . .

Still, dumbing it down, having factory built machines, hearing so many of us with failed results, I'd have expected Corel to have "purchased" a few stock PC's to test features, albeit, not possible to verify every combination but to discover obvious flaws.
. . . .Tnx,

We hear from those who are having problems for good reason . . but are they 10% of PSP users, or 60%? We'll never know. Perhaps there is a silent majority for whom the app works without a problem. It has worked for me.

[iraisok]

Mark,
Good point... and to take it further. Of those that are pleased with 2019, we will never know how many have tried or care if PictoPaint works. I also agree that most people only report when there is a problem. I am in that group most often. As for the PictoPaint issue, I have never read so many others reporting the identical symptom/problem.

Let's see if Corel raises priority to investigate it.

[LindaLB]

So, after trying to get some sleep, and failing to do so, a thought occurred to me. I know how to get PictoPainting working as a standalone. It's a little annoying because the plugin will only ever produce PNG files. But still, it works. And in testing this the "send and close" button worked just fine. But the preview button froze the program. It's the first time I've ever seen that. So, why does this plugin that most definitely work on my machine without issues suddenly freeze up when using it as a stand-alone? Not sure. But I think it might help show what's happening on the machines of people who posted here.

Is anyone willing to help me with a few experiments? . . .

What errors, if any, do you receive when running the plugin?

Here's what I got:
g_previewimage=file:///C:/Users/LINDA-~1/AppData/Local/Temp/PicToPainting/input/preview.png
index.js:48 show_spiner
index.js:182 file:///C:/Users/LINDA-~1/AppData/Local/Temp/PicToPainting/input/preview.png
index.js:92 (10) ["--input", "C:\Users\LINDA-~1\AppData\Local\Temp\PicToPainting\input\preview.png", "--output", "C:\Users\LINDA-~1\AppData\Local\Temp\PicToPainting\output\nnart_013", "--presetpath", "C:\Program Files (x86)\Pic to Painting\resources\app\app\presets", "--preset", "nnart_013", "--weight", "1"]
index.js:36 exec error: Error: Command failed: C:\Program Files (x86)\Pic to Painting\resources\app\app\nnart\nnart_preview_cmd.exe --input C:\Users\LINDA-~1\AppData\Local\Temp\PicToPainting\input\preview.png --output C:\Users\LINDA-~1\AppData\Local\Temp\PicToPainting\output\nnart_013 --presetpath C:\Program Files (x86)\Pic to Painting\resources\app\app\presets --preset nnart_013 --weight 1
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow_internal.py", line 14, in swig_import_helper
File "C:\Python36\lib\importlib\__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 994, in _gcd_import
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 971, in _find_and_load
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 955, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 658, in _load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 571, in module_from_spec
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 922, in create_module
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 219, in _call_with_frames_removed
ImportError: DLL load failed: A dynamic link library (DLL) initialization routine failed.

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow.py", line 58, in <module>
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow_internal.py", line 17, in <module>
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow_internal.py", line 16, in swig_import_helper
File "C:\Python36\lib\importlib\__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '_pywrap_tensorflow_internal'

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\cx_Freeze\initscripts\__startup__.py", line 14, in run
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\cx_Freeze\initscripts\Console.py", line 26, in run
File "nnart_preview_cmd.py", line 1, in <module>
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\__init__.py", line 24, in <module>
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\__init__.py", line 49, in <module>
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow.py", line 74, in <module>
ImportError: Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow_internal.py", line 14, in swig_import_helper
File "C:\Python36\lib\importlib\__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 994, in _gcd_import
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 971, in _find_and_load
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 955, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 658, in _load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 571, in module_from_spec
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 922, in create_module
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 219, in _call_with_frames_removed
ImportError: DLL load failed: A dynamic link library (DLL) initialization routine failed.

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow.py", line 58, in <module>
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow_internal.py", line 17, in <module>
File "C:\Python36\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow_internal.py", line 16, in swig_import_helper
File "C:\Python36\lib\importlib\__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '_pywrap_tensorflow_internal'


Failed to load the native TensorFlow runtime.

See https://www.tensorflow.org/install/inst ... n_problems

for some common reasons and solutions. Include the entire stack trace
above this error message when asking for help.

Thanks so much for your help with this.

[LeviFiction]

Hey LindaLB, thanks for posting your error. It appears to be exactly the same one that iraisok gave me.

While working with Iraisok we found that replacing the tensorflow library with an older one worked for him. No guarantees but here is a download and instructions for trying that.

Tensorflow 1.5 Library - https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b4yV3 ... r0tK2PijkB

Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Pic to Painting\resources\app\app\nnart\lib

rename the tensorflow folder to something like tensorflow-old

copy the tensorflow folder from the zip file into the lib folder

Then try running PicToPainting again. Does it still throw an error?