G'MIC-8bf - A Photoshop-compatible filter interface for G'MIC-Qt

[PDN_GMIC]

This is a filter plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® and other compatible software that interacts with G’MIC-Qt.
Both 64-bit and 32-bit plug-ins are provided on the gmic-8bf releases page.

The 64-bit plugin has been tested in Adobe Photoshop CC 2020.
The 32-bit plugin has been tested in IrfanView and XnView.
It should also work with other hosts. e.g. PhotoLine.

Reading from multiple layers is supported on Photoshop CS and later.
If a filter produces multiple output images the plugin will prompt the user for a folder to copy them into.

Plugin: https://github.com/0xC0000054/gmic-8bf
G’MIC-Qt host interface: https://github.com/0xC0000054/gmic-qt/tree/8bf-host

[David_Tschumperle (G'MIC staff)]

What great news!

I’d like to share these links on the G’MIC twitter account, do you have any screenshot available that I could use to illustrate the post ?

[PDN_GMIC]

@David_Tschumperle

I’d like to share these links on the G’MIC twitter account, do you have any screenshot available that I could use to illustrate the post ?

I added a few images to the gmic-8bf repository, https://github.com/0xC0000054/gmic-8bf/tree/main/images.
I also edited the first post to clarify how layers and multiple output images are handled.

The following image is a screenshot of the filter “about” box, I also posted screenshots of the menu location and the G’MIC-Qt UI.

[afre]

@PDN_GMIC

The 32-bit plugin has been tested in IrfanView

Yes, it works. For more info

1 Enter the filter dialog Ctrl+k.

2 Add 8BF filters.
3 Start selected filter (starts G’MIC Qt).
4 Exit to see changes.

[PDN_GMIC]

Released version 1.0.1.
Changes:

• Fixed an issue with layer support for Photoshop CS and CS2.

I also added a Usage section to the read-me, https://github.com/0xC0000054/gmic-8bf/blob/main/Readme.md.

[David_Tschumperle (G'MIC staff)]

Nice. I’ve tried installing the 8bf file for Irfanview, but no luck. Irfanview didn’t want to import the 8bf filter (and gave no warnings nor error messages, so I don’t know what is going on).
Also, I’ve tried getting a trial version for Photoshop to test the plug-in, but I had to promise to subscribe for at least one year, at 23.99eur/month. Still not sure what free trial means for them, but anyway… Windows world is so much different

Also a suggestion : I’ve fixed a few invalid memory accesses that were happening in G’MIC 2.9.3, and released version 2.9.4 lately. I know that a few users had crash just by launching the plug-in, due to these bugs. Maybe you should update to “stable” version 2.9.4 (I got no complains so far ).

[gaaned92]

Is there a ready to use package (including 8bf and all needed gmic-QT files) for W10?
All that is written to build the plugin is obscure for me.
Thanks

[PDN_GMIC]

@David_Tschumperle

Nice. I’ve tried installing the 8bf file for Irfanview, but no luck. Irfanview didn’t want to import the 8bf filter (and gave no warnings nor error messages, so I don’t know what is going on).

Make sure that you are using the 32-bit / x86 version of the plug-in, IrfanView will silently ignore a 64-bit plugin.

@David_Tschumperle

Also a suggestion : I’ve fixed a few invalid memory accesses that were happening in G’MIC 2.9.3, and released version 2.9.4 lately. I know that a few users had crash just by launching the plug-in, due to these bugs. Maybe you should update to “stable” version 2.9.4 (I got no complains so far ).

Will do.
I have been considering adding gray / gray + alpha support to the plug-in, but I am not sure if it would be worth the amount of work that feature would require.

@gaaned92

Is there a ready to use package (including 8bf and all needed gmic-QT files) for W10?

The binaries can be downloaded from the Releases page on GitHub.

[David_Tschumperle (G'MIC staff)]

@PDN_GMIC

Make sure that you are using the 32-bit / x86 version of the plug-in, IrfanView will silently ignore a 64-bit plugin.

Ah, that must be it then. Thanks for the tip.

[David_Tschumperle (G'MIC staff)]

@PDN_GMIC

Make sure that you are using the 32-bit / x86 version of the plug-in, IrfanView will silently ignore a 64-bit plugin.

I’ve reinstalled Irfanview, 32bits version, and the G’MIC-Qt 8bf (32 bits), but still no luck.
I use the recommended menu Image / Adobe 8bf plugin (screenshot below), but it won’t let me add the 8bf file for G’MIC-Qt.

I’ve tried the ‘Add files’ and ‘Add folder’ mode, with the same result. The list stays empty.

[David_Tschumperle (G'MIC staff)]

It has been reported that the plug-in works actually on Affinity Photo.
Just tried (there is a real free trial version available), and indeed, it works :

The only thing is that when I move the G’MIC-Qt window, it does not repaint the content of the Affinity window behind. Looks like the plug-in is “blocking” the window refresh somehow.
Apart from that, it seems to work flawlessly.

Well done @PDN_GMIC! Here the result of the great Dream Smoothing filter of G’MIC-Qt, applied in Affinity Photo.

[David_Tschumperle (G'MIC staff)]

@PDN_GMIC

@David_Tschumperle

Also a suggestion : I’ve fixed a few invalid memory accesses that were happening in G’MIC 2.9.3, and released version 2.9.4 lately. I know that a few users had crash just by launching the plug-in, due to these bugs. Maybe you should update to “stable” version 2.9.4 (I got no complains so far ).

Will do.

I confirm, I’ve been able to make the plug-in crash with Affinity photo, by selecting the “Freaky Details” filter.

[afre]

@David_Tschumperle I placed the contents in ..\IrfanView\Plugins\Plugins32\GMIC 8BF. Shouldn’t matter what “GMIC 8BF” is called.

In terms of redrawing, as mentioned above, I have to close the Qt window and exit the filter dialog before anything commits. Also, I have to close these windows in this order; otherwise, they will be unstable.

[gaaned92]

@PDN_GMIC

The binaries can be downloaded from the Releases page on GitHub.

Thanks. I downloaded the 64bits version and could open with xnviewMP.
I noticed that some filters crash and it comes back to the 8bf plugin selection. Don’t know how to generate useful information for reporting.
The xnview window is not refreshed until the filter is closed.

[PDN_GMIC]

Updated to G’MIC version 2.9.4.

@gaaned92

I noticed that some filters crash and it comes back to the 8bf plugin selection. Don’t know how to generate useful information for reporting.

That should hopefully be fixed with the G’MIC version 2.9.4 update.

[lylejk (Lyle Kroll)]

Wow; that’s fantastic news. Going to try this one out with Irfanview (Windows) and also share this at a few photo oriented sites that I frequent. Going to make a lot of folk happy since many folk still are PS brainwashed. lolol

[lylejk (Lyle Kroll)]

Just installed it for Irfanview; works great. It even somehow picked up my favs from GIMP’s interface (guess it shares same share folder). Kudos.

[lylejk (Lyle Kroll)]

Yeah; had a few crashes with 2.93, David but it only crashes the plugin and you can run it again and it work. Thanks for the 2.94 update; going to download that now. The 8bf already uses 2.94 as I understand it. Can only say I believe the 8bf is the game changer for a lot of people. I shared it at two sites that I frequent. Got some feedback already at one of them (see link below).

G'MIC now available in an 8bf.: Retouching Forum: Digital Photography Review

[jstvnsn (John Stevenson)]

I am using the plug-in (accessing v.2.9.4) successfully in Photoshop 2021. The only issue I’ve found is with Stylize, as shown here:

It does work when selecting on of the default style references:

Did I make an error …?

[David_Tschumperle (G'MIC staff)]

You have to set the “Input layer option” to "“All”, this option should be available under the parameter pane, just as in my screenshot below.

Otherwise, the filter does not take multiple layers as input.