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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

Gear and Gadgets: Questions on choice of the tool for the job and the lke! Breaking Apple and Topaz rules: How low can you go?

M

Mike Bedford

Member
Asher Kelman said:
So what would it be for a 2018 machine.

Also your interesting "Hackintosh": What wo9uld you build today or would you just get a genuine Mac?

Asher
Click to expand...

I dunno, don't have one ;-).

At work I manage 400 various Macs (2012-2017 models plus the occasional older one); this summer we got (160) 2017 SSD i5 iMacs that I need to test with Gigapixel (I still have to set one up for myself to replace what I am using).

I bought the Hackintosh already built but upped the RAM and updated the OS (it's still behind; I need to attempt a more recent install). Otherwise it's the same build.

No, I would not spend my own money on a new Apple product.

Funny, I was talking to a colleague just 2 days ago who just plunked down $4K on a new i9 MacBook Pro (to replace his 17" 2012). He is not happy. It's not faster with the apps he uses, and he doesn't like the Touch Bar. He says there's still room for more keys, like Escape, but it's now "virtual". It does have 4 USB-C ports (FWIW), but on our new iMacs that port is giving us grief with projector systems.

If I were to invest in new hardware I would definitely build a new Hackintosh and triple-boot it, like I do my current one. The forthcoming Mac Pro will not be affordable for me and many others, I suspect.

Oh, our video editing folks have an iMac Pro and they say it's much faster than whatever they used before, but I understand its processor is constrained by the form factor and could be faster otherwise.
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
So is there a link to Hackintosh wisdom? I already have been testing “Content Aware Fill” my most used filter, on various PC units. Does better with 14 pcores.

I may join the dark side and leave my genuine Mac behind if I can run the software I use faster on the PC!

Asher
 
M

Mike Bedford

Member
Start here. I think Reddit has a group, etc.

Interestingly, on my Hack, Windows took a bit longer to do the upsampling. Again, same hardware except HDD, and the one Windows in on is newer.

The advantage of a "PC" of some sort over the Mac is you have more hardware combo options.
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Mike Bedford said:
Start here. I think Reddit has a group, etc.

Interestingly, on my Hack, Windows took a bit longer to do the upsampling. Again, same hardware except HDD, and the one Windows in on is newer.

The advantage of a "PC" of some sort over the Mac is you have more hardware combo options.
Click to expand...

and there would be no need to run PS on the PC via OSX!

Asher
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
well, where is the Mac a clearly superior platform for anything, beyond less malware attacks and build?

Asher
 
M

Mike Bedford

Member
The OS is the gem. So you either run it on the slick (expensive) hardware or you "reverse-engineer" it on ugly (inexpensive) hardware.

The best approach to Apple-branded hardware is to buy it used (let the original buyer pay the "Apple tax"). For more upgrade flexibility, power and better price/performance ratio you build the Hack.
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
If you don't have the latest cutting-edge hardware, can you still play? Sure!
Click to expand...

I could download today the latest version 2.00
With a newly created account I could launch the trial version, on both an iMac and a 2013 Macpro
In both case (with GPU and CPU) the start button is ineffective and nothing happens :(

Mike, do you have any suggestion?

2013 Macpro :
1macpro.jpg


iMac
2imac.png


Settings:
3settings.png
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Mike Bedford said:
Asher, are you referring to Gigapixel or the Mojave hack?
Click to expand...

Read my post!
2013 Macpro :
1macpro.jpg


FYI it has 24 Mb of ram

It launch correctly, but the "Start" button, although not being greyed, is not active, wether GPU or CPU is checked.
Accorded to the Gigapixel web site, the graphic card is not supported
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nicolas Claris said:
Read my post!
2013 Macpro :
1macpro.jpg


FYI it has 24 Mb of ram

It launch correctly, but the "Start" button, although not being greyed, is not active, wether GPU or CPU is checked.
Info from Gigapixel web site, the graphic card is not recognized
Click to expand...

24 MB of RAM!!!

I think you may be able to put the correct Graphics Card in a separate add-on Thunderbolt case for it from Akitio, like this. I have a separate graphics card that I have to pull from another Mac Pro tower and see if it is compatible. If so, I will buy the Akitio box for it myself! If the Thunderbolt 3 is backwards compatible, then we should get that one instead.

Asher
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Asher Kelman said:
24 MB of RAM!!!

I think you may be able to put the correct Graphics Card in a separate add-on Thunderbolt case for it from Akitio, like this. I have a separate graphics card that I have to pull from another Mac Pro tower and see if it is compatible. If so, I will buy the Akitio box for it myself! If the Thunderbolt 3 is backwards compatible, then we should get that one instead.

Asher
Click to expand...

Thanks Asher,

I know but according to Mike's previous post I could have imagined that it works even slowly, and anyway it should on the iMac…

Yes 24 Mb of Ram are necessary when you work on 320 Mb files, using alternatively with Lr and Ps…
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Fun… ?
This morning it works (slow but it does) on the MacPro late 2013, but no more on the Macbookpro…
Go figure!
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Asher Kelman said:
Then, Nicolas, it’s worthwhile someone testing an auxiliary graphics card!
Click to expand...
Not sure I won't change of conyway, my first need is to improve Lr speed and that might go also with a different graphic card whether it is an addon o on a new machine…

Asher Kelman said:
How slow is it my friend?
Asher
Click to expand...
Using GPU (yes, today, it can : to expand a 320 Mb (645Z original 16 bit out of LR) file to 280% with moderate (which is too much… denoise) it takes 20 minutes for a 8 bit file
For the same file but with no denoise, it takes… the same time!
In the mean time, you can't do anything with the computer…
For my workflow with , the best Gigapixel is to export twice the same file, 1st with moderate denoise and 2nd with no denoise, then using one in PS as a layer over the other one and moderate the denoising by diminishing its opacity.
It would be a good thing that in next version there were more choices of denoising strength.

You know that I'm used to do huge enlargements, I can say that the results with Gigapixel is worth it's cost…
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nicolas Claris said:
Not sure I won't change of conyway, my first need is to improve Lr speed and that might go also with a different graphic card whether it is an addon o on a new machine…


Using GPU (yes, today, it can : to expand a 320 Mb (645Z original 16 bit out of LR) file to 280% with moderate (which is too much… denoise) it takes 20 minutes for a 8 bit file
For the same file but with no denoise, it takes… the same time!
In the mean time, you can't do anything with the computer…
For my workflow with , the best Gigapixel is to export twice the same file, 1st with moderate denoise and 2nd with no denoise, then using one in PS as a layer over the other one and moderate the denoising by diminishing its opacity.
It would be a good thing that in next version there were more choices of denoising strength.

You know that I'm used to do huge enlargements, I can say that the results with Gigapixel is worth it's cost…
Click to expand...

For a large exhibition and 12 prints, it’s still very doable, just like having to trek for 5 miles to get to a great waterfall. For everyday work, this expenditure of time is impossible.

I would wager that there are RAW developers for your files that can efficiently use an external GPU. Phase One has now decided to support Fuji. Why not Pentax? Before the official support, folk tricked
capture One by making a DNG file and special customFuji profiles. This must becavailable for Capture One which now has layers...of sorts.

Asher
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Asher,
Lr is an excellent raw developer, and I'm not keen to change…
It is very well integrated into my workflow, I just wish it could a little faster to view the images at 100% to control details and sharpness.
It has great masking option, although I would love to be able to create layers…

Back to Gigapixel
Yesterday night I could have it running again on the Macbookpro… without knowing why… I just did launch and relaunch many times…
That is a weird behaviour if you ask me…
Speed could be an issue, but more than that the inconstancy of being able to work on images or not…
During all these trials on 3 different computers I did zero change to my OS configurations, then Gigapix works or not, randomly…
Once it works, it will do without failure since you do not quit…
 
Asher Kelman

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Nicolas,

It seems like the GPU is either accessed or not, for some reason. Software has to make that commitment to either calculate on the computer’s processor or serve it out to the GPU. That step could be flawed. Some Graphics card are perhaps better matched and recognized as being capable.

It could be that a $200 accessory PCI box for an optimal GPU might work perfectly. That is my guess. I’ve can return the equipment here is one buys from Amazon.

Asher
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Thak you Asher,
I understand. But I'm not an Amazon guy, for long I do prefer brick and mortar shops…

BTW
I give-up with Gigapixel. This morning it failed launching again on my MacPro late 2013.
I've done some great enlargement 1,24 giga pixels from Lr and the result is fine, so far so good : )
 
M

Mike Bedford

Member
Nicolas, I'm on the MacBook Air now and just did a quick Gigapixel test in your honor, and had no problem. The buttons both look the same color but Start was active and working.

I haven't seen this problem on my other computers either. It would be good to do some diagnostics on your systems (boot from Recovery and repair disk, run Onyx from the startup drive, etc.).
 
nicolas claris

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
Hello Mike,
thank you for your concern and efforts : )
All my computers run Cocktail regularly and all apps are running normally.
The random behaviour of Gigapixel is the same with these computers, some under OS X Mojave (2 of them) the other on High Sierra…
If it were on one computer only I would investigate the user's fault, but for three…
PS I also have cleared and reinstall Gigapixel with no change…
 
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