Listening to the Voices in My Head

But in a very underhanded and sneaky way.

Siber Systems AI RoboForm password manager. I have been using it for years, and it has saved logins, generated passwords, without fail.

The latest update; to say it's a disappointment is an understatement. Although the new interface is 'prettier', and it saves passwords, too, they sneaked something into it. I have been using two licenses for two different computers (a laptop and a desktop) for what was the latest version of RoboForm Desktop Pro, v7x. When you get the notice there's an update, what they don't inform you is that there is no longer a standalone Pro user, but subscription only, for the convenience of 'syncing' your data between more than one computer.

But what if you don't want or have any use for this feature? Sure, you can keep using Roboform, but you will get constant nag screens that your 'trial' has expired and to upgrade. They claim it's only once in a while, but so far, I get the nag twice a day. Once when I logon to the computer, and at some random time throughout the day. If I leave my system running overnight (full system scan for malware or other problems) the nag screen to upgrade will show up.

This continual nagging is nothing short of bullying. I have read in forums that Roboform's nag screen has gotten to be such an annoyance, that people pay the $20 ransom just to make it stop! Shades of "Gimme your lunch money and I'll stop picking on you." How so very grade school of their company.

So, unless you enjoy having software that bullies/nags you to update to get a feature you don't want or need, stick with your version 7x of AI Roboform.

I have used three different programs to compile timelapse sequences

1: Adobe Premiere CS6

2 LRTimelapse to use with Adobe LightRoom

3 Panolapse by Patrick Shyu

The first time I ever compiled a series of images was with Premiere. I did this after editing the images in Photoshop CS6 E. It was a bit confusing at first, but once I got the hang of it, the process was fairly smooth and the end result was good. Select sequence, and Premiere will export the video. Drawbacks: You have to own CS6 (or CC now) Photoshop and Premiere. You can use other photo editors to edit your CR2/NEF/ORF/RAW files, though, but you would still need to own or rent Premiere.

LRTimelapse is a program to use with Lightroom. You have to run them both at the same time. I found it more than a little fiddly. Edit images, import them, select all then click on Metadata in Light room, while in LRTimelapse you load the images, select the options you want. Go BACK to Lightroom, Select All images, click on EXPORT, select LRTimelapse plugin. It will then open a menu in LRTimelapse, click on RENDER VIDEO.

See what I mean by fiddly?

With the price take of 249 Euros for the full version and 99Euros for the low end version, it's a heftly price tag, especially along with having to have Lightroom, Standalone (if you were lucky enough to have gotten it) or Creative Cloud.

Panolapse 1.25. "Freemium" software. Edit your images, save as JPGs. Select images, click on deflicker, choose what format to export and let it go. It will sequence you photos numerically, then de-flicker, AND auto adjust brightness for changes of shutter speed and ISO.

The free version is limited to 1280x720 HD. The full version is $103AUD (it's on sale for 20% off right now.)

I just bought Panolapse.

You know, everyone goes on and on ad nauseum about Adobe Products. Why? It's not like they are the end all be all of image development/editing. 'Industry standard'? Adobe itself labeled themselves that, and it stuck.

Here is a list of equal, if not better, programs to use. True, not all the Adobe plugins work with them, but many do (mostly the ones that were made to be used on more than one photo editing program)

Affinity - Non-destructive (you know, technically, as long as you don't SAVE the image, overwriting the original, they are all non-destructive) editing program, has both Mac and Windows version. Has features that you have to buy plugins to get the same result. Mixed bag on plugins made for Adobe products (ie Nik tools, they work but with cavaets) Full on camera raw editing, updated by Serif when new raw formats are available. You do have to make a new 'pixel layer' when you want to do multiple edits on different layers, as Affinity doesn't do it automatically.

TopazStudio - Fully featured, non-destructive, camera raw editing. Has a free and a pro version. Works perfectly with TopazLabs plugins, as you would expect. TopazLaps and StudioPro isn't free, BUT you buy it once, and all your updates are free, even to new versions.

Alienskin Exposure X2 - again, non-destructive camera raw editor (I donated 5Ds, 5D4, 7D2 raw files to during development) Fully featured, and again works flawlessly with Alienskin Plugins.

TwistedBrush Pro Studio - Not only an excellent art program, but a much underrated photo editing software. Again, I helped by testing and donating CR2/ORF/RAW files to improve the camera raw edits. You can use some adobe compatible plugins, but alas only 32bit. Because of that 32bit limit, file size can cause the program to crash. Ken Carlino is looking into getting a 64bit version written.

ON1 Photo RAW 2017 - Crammed packed with features. Not only a raw editor, but great as a stand along photo processing/editing program. With layers, brushes, gradient tools, filters and presets, even a way to make your own custom presets and filters, you could use On1 as a plugin for Photoshop, or use it as a stand alone. It's latest version even has lens profiles to correct for aberrations and distortions, BUT unlike DxO Optics, you can choose to not apply the lens correction (DxO forces correction for fisheye lenses) You can, if you choose, do all your edits and effects, and punt a high res JPG to a different photo edition if you want to use a specific plugin in a photo editing program.

Capture One - Also a fully loaded editor that until the latest version was so so slow. Again, non-destructive layer editing, and as great as CO is, it can be a bit overwhelming.

Corel PaintShop Pro X9 - Non destructive layer editing, but you do have to make new layer as it doesn't make them automatically. (import image, duplicate layer, use a plugin. Duplicate result on another layer to keep doing other edits) Many of the plugins made for Adobe will work with PSPX9, but again, with a few cavaets. As with Affinity, you can use plugins that were made for generally any photo editing programs.

I know I've left a few out, but that was because I had iffy results, or that they decided to go the Adobe "rent me" method.

Since ZonerPhoto went rental, I have been on the look out for a new, GOOD, alternative to Photoshop. I found one. Affinty Photo. It has been available for Mac users, but they have now come out with a Windows version, and I have to say, I like it. A lot!

So far, once I figured out that they wouldn't work on CR2/ORF/RAW or other raw files, I exported image as a JPG. So far, I have gotten good results with Nik Viveza 2, Define 2, Color Efex Pro 4, HDR Efex Pro 2, Silver Efex Pro 2, Topaz Labs, and Focus Magic. Alien Skin plugins have issues with Pixel transparency, Piccure and Piccure Plus just don't start, and neither do Redfield plugins. And it doesn't even see any of my OnOne/On1 plugins. Oh well, proprietary software can be something of a boondoggle, yes?

Many of these haven't been tested by Affinity programmers, but I thought I would give them a try.

Many of the 'native' filters and tools amazing. It has some features and tools that Photoshop/Lightroom do not have (or if they do, I haven't found them)

Overall, I am rather impressed.

Ok, for some odd reason, CS6 won't kicks back all Camera Raw files as not the right kind of document. And OnOne PhotoSuite 9 keeps erroring out with a strange code (have forwared it to OnOne)

CS6 64bit Bridge isn't reading Camera Raw files, but CS6 32bit does.

So, for now, until the problem is actually fixed the workflow is as follows.

Open Photoshop CS6

Open Bridge CS6 32bit

Open Raw image by right clicking "Open in Camera Raw"

Make Adjustments in ACR.

Save file as Jpg from ACR.

Open file in Photoshop, and use PhotoSuite version 8.

Yeah, a bit finicky but it will keep me working until this is figured out.