Shine Stacker, new focus stacking application

Hello Luca,

The Depth Map is improved, and I also added an optional sharpen filter, if one wants to enhance the blended image, in case it may appear too soft.

Just to be sure…
This new sharpen filter is available in the retouch mode?
I only see the previous Unsharp mask filter…

Or perhaps is it included in the options of the algorithms (pyramids or depth maps); the ones you are allowed to change when you stack your images (expert options). Btw, I have also checked here…

This aside, everything works great as usual (Windows 10)

Maybe I’m doing something wrong, but I just downloaded your latest version for Windows and when I ran a job with 51 tiff files the retouch screen is just grey with no master or layer files shown. I hadn’t encountered this problem in earlier versions.

Version 1.11.1, with 51 images that were bunched in sets of 10.

Hello @Dave22152

For me version 1.11.1 works both on Windows 10 and 11.
Tried some big stacks of tiff - 16 bit and the retouch screen is activated.

However there are strange things occuring:
With some old and tested stacks there are some Tiff images which now are not stacked anymore (their square is red and the log in the window points this error out). Luckily, the process works and I can retouch this whole stack in the end.

Oddily enough, now, I can’t not even copy the “log” (select all + copy) in the main window because the shortcut: ctr+c does not work (the text is not copied in the memory and so it is not pasted later in a text file)

With this version 1.11.1 huge stacks of TIFF - 16 bit are not stacked anymore.

I suppose that this occurs whenever their GB size is higher than the space available on the drive C:\ (where all softwares run).
This occurs even when you do NOT choose the option “Select Bunches”.
Usually, in the previous versions, this problem only occurred when this option was not selected

E.g.
a stack of TIFF amounting to 20,3 gb (105 files) now does not work wih “select bunches”.
For this pc (Windows 10) the C:\ space avalaible is 19,8 gb (SSD).
D:\ space available 98 gb (where data are saved)

BTW, on the same computer both Helico Focus and Zerene Stacker work fine. No problem whatsoever with the same stacks

This might be what’s happening to me. I’ll pull up some fresh stack sets and see how it works.

I also had a report of issues with Windows 11 retouch by another user. I have no way to test at the moment, I only have a Windows 10 machine that needs upgrade. I will keep you updated.

You should be able to right-click and then click on “Copy” from the context menu.

I will check disk usage. In the meanwhile, you can go to the stack module and force “Sequential” processing instead of “Auto” or “Parallel”.

You can also select another disk wher you have more space if you go to “ShineStacker > Settings > Scratch Disk Folder”.

You can change the parameters below. If the amount is zero, no filter is applied.

Indeed, the other issue on Windows 11 was something different, not gray screen. What you report is probably something different. Can you give me some more details, or a way to reproduce this problem?

Hello @Luca_Lista

you can go to the stack module and force “Sequential” processing instead of “Auto” or “Parallel”.

Thanks a lot. Now it works fine :slight_smile:

Next release will have:

  • lower temporary disk space requirements, because unneeded temporary files are deleted earlier
  • in case the required temporary disk space is not available, issues a warning and reverts to sequential processing automatically

Sorry, I didn’t think about this possible problem.

Hi All,

release 1.11.2 adresseses all bugs I am aware of:

I hope there are no more serious issues with this release. Please, let me know if you find more problems.

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Hello Luca!

To test ths new release, I have chosen, on purpose, the option to NOT “Create bunches”.
Usually there are all sort of problems with this option without bunches.

Just tested one single stack of TiFF - 16 bit
169 images (23 gb, total)

Windows 11 - 32 gb RAM

What it is really bad is this:
C:\ free space is 36,gb
After the stack it is only 3,5 gb;
Unfortunately, this occurs even when I close Shine Stacker.
To really “free” this space on C I need to shut down my computer.
When restarted my pc, I get back my Gb (36 gb again)

Here is the final message

Hello Luca,

I confirm that this stack (169 Tiff images) works fine with the option “Create Bunches”. No problem whatsoever.

At present there is already a big warning to the user
Howver, if you insist on chosing the option to not “Create bunches” the end result might be really disruptive for your pc :slight_smile:

Silvio, if you have a large stak, you either need an important scratch disk area or a very large amount of RAM.

I think you got a warning message saying that you don’t have enough disk space for processing.

OK, a safer cleanup in case of this crash is stil required. I put in the to-do list for 1.11.3.

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