Script for deflickering and ramping ACR (.xmp) settings in Bridge

Started by dmilligan, October 17, 2013, 12:32:09 AM

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dmilligan

Quote from: Joachim Buambeki on November 04, 2013, 12:12:58 PM
I can't help with any debugging info, because I still don't get how to create it but I am having the same issue as itsskin.
You should see it in the CC application manager/installer or whatever they call that program. Just click 'install' (like you would to install any other CC component, like Ps, Ae, Pr, Sg, Dw, etc).

Quote from: Joachim Buambeki on November 04, 2013, 12:12:58 PM
I also noticed that Bridge is seems very unstable/unresponsive since the iteration of your script with gradient ramping.
Strange, does it still happen without the script loaded? Can you reliably reproduce it by loading this version of the script vs. the old version?

Quote from: Joachim Buambeki on November 01, 2013, 11:34:56 PM
Okay, let me call it average brightness of each frame.
Technically it's not the average, but the median (or some other percentile of your choosing, median is simply the 50th percentile), which is much more statistically robust than the mean. Notice how the median is the same between the two different statistical distributions on this graph, while the mean and mode are different (a histogram is a type of statistical distribution)


Quote from: Joachim Buambeki on November 01, 2013, 11:34:56 PM
I f I am not mistaken if there is flicker between keyframes, the algorithm evens that out - no matter what, especially with multiple passses.
With my proposed method, it would just reduce the flicker leading to a more natural result. This is important when there are clouds blocking the sunlight and the exposure decreases significantly, for a natural result one would like to have a darker image in the shadow, but not 3EV darker as it was in reality.
Your two different parameters are exactly the same thing in terms of this algorithm. You can either correct the exposure completly to the target or not by some amount. Change this by adjusting the coefficient I mentioned. Make it smaller. 2 / log(2) is the best estimation of the ACR black box that I've found, it would represent 100% deflicker (or at least as close as we can get by guessing). 1 / log(2) would be like 50% deflicker. 0 / log(2) would be no deflicker at all.

Quote from: Joachim Buambeki on November 01, 2013, 11:36:13 PM
Would it be possible to create snapshots of the recent .xmp data? If I decide to alter the settings but want to keep the old ones aswell it would be nice to back them up with a right click.
If that is possible, what do you think of the idea to create a folder with the .xmp files and implement a dialogue where one can to load stored sets of .xmp files?
That would be handy to try and compare different developing styles quickly.
Yes, that should be possible assuming Br always uses the sidecars and doesn't ever store the metadata directly in the files, which has always been the case in my experience.

dmilligan

Quote from: itsskin on November 04, 2013, 06:16:12 AM
I replicated the issue and now it looks different. Second frame is OVERexposed. But still seems because of first keyframe is ignored. Keyframe is +1 EV, second is +6.

Thanks, I think I figured it out. Try it now.

dmilligan

Quote from: Joachim Buambeki on November 03, 2013, 11:36:02 PM
Lookin' good!

I am still trying to get the animated radial gradient to work, the linear one works as expected based on my obersavtions so far.
I am starting to suspect there is a bug in Bridge itself:
If I create a radial gradient (for this particular example I chose one with -3EV to make it REALLY visible) and press "sync everything" (including local adjustments) NOTHING happens.

Can you replicate that issue in some way David?

I can create and synchronize the radial gradients just fine (ACR 8.2.094). They actually don't work with the script though, I figured the tag names would be the same, and I didn't actually test the radial, but they're not the same, so I'll add them, should be pretty much the same code as the linear ones, just with slightly different tags.

Joachim Buambeki

Quote from: dmilligan on November 04, 2013, 11:06:52 PMI can create and synchronize the radial gradients just fine (ACR 8.2.094). They actually don't work with the script though, I figured the tag names would be the same, and I didn't actually test the radial, but they're not the same, so I'll add them, should be pretty much the same code as the linear ones, just with slightly different tags.
Thanks for letting me know. I will wait for the next update with the radial filters and the fix for itsskins and my problem with the deflickering before I start trying to isolate the problems only I seem to have.

Joachim Buambeki

Quote from: dmilligan on November 04, 2013, 05:14:03 PMYour two different parameters are exactly the same thing in terms of this algorithm. You can either correct the exposure completly to the target or not by some amount. Change this by adjusting the coefficient I mentioned. Make it smaller. 2 / log(2) is the best estimation of the ACR black box that I've found, it would represent 100% deflicker (or at least as close as we can get by guessing). 1 / log(2) would be like 50% deflicker. 0 / log(2) would be no deflicker at all.
If I understand you correctly you would just need a "strength slider" that changes the coefficient in the script and that would take care of my "blue graph" in my improvised painting, right?

Quote from: dmilligan on November 04, 2013, 05:14:03 PMYes, that should be possible assuming Br always uses the sidecars and doesn't ever store the metadata directly in the files, which has always been the case in my experience.
That should only be true if you work with DNG files, right? With native RAW files like CR2 or NEF Adobe can't store any metadata within those file formats and has to store them in the sidecar files if I am not mistaken.

dmilligan

Quote from: Joachim Buambeki on November 04, 2013, 11:40:48 PM
Thanks for letting me know. I will wait for the next update with the radial filters and the fix for itsskins and my problem with the deflickering before I start trying to isolate the problems only I seem to have.
Problem fixed, also added backup xmp option.

Danne

Hi!
Tried the gradient tool and ramping. Worked perfect. Awesome! I,m on cs 6 and acr 8.2.0.94

How,s the xmp backup sidecars suppose to work? Selected a folder but no xmps are created? Is it suppose to work with dng files or only original cr2?

Thanks for still developing this superb tool


itsskin

Tested the new version and no bugs so far. Thank you. Great work!!!

dmilligan

Quote from: Danne on November 05, 2013, 08:34:09 AM
How,s the xmp backup sidecars suppose to work? Selected a folder but no xmps are created? Is it suppose to work with dng files or only original cr2?
I guess Adobe stores metadata directly in the dng instead of sidecars, so that's why it's not working. Verify there are actually .xmp sidecar files for what you're trying to backup. Otherwise it could be some file path issues I need to work out (all this really does is copy the *.xmp files to the folder you select).

I think there might still be a way to backup the metadata even if it's embeded in the dng. I'm looking into this.

Joachim Buambeki

Quote from: dmilligan on November 05, 2013, 02:50:43 AMadded backup xmp option.
This keeps getting better and better!

It seems I still have issues with the deflickering not working correctly, but I need to rule out errors on my side first before starting to complain.

itsskin

Tried to Ramp All on 1700 images, got this error:



Found the problem: 1 folder was selected within the sequence.

itsskin

No error messages, but something is still going wrong:


First white frame XMP file: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17452116/_08B8132.xmp
The first white is just after second keyframe. Other non-whites are keyframes also.

Managed to Ramp Multiply selecting less files using keyframes as first and last. Running deflicker process on all files selected now.

UPDATE: Deflicker worked on 1700 images like a charm with great results.

UPDATE 2: Seems like Lightroom can not read .XMP files created. Just doing nothing importing files, or updating from xmp metadata. Unreadable XMP+RAW https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17452116/Archive.zip

Danne

Quote from: dmilligan on November 05, 2013, 12:58:48 PM
I guess Adobe stores metadata directly in the dng instead of sidecars, so that's why it's not working. Verify there are actually .xmp sidecar files for what you're trying to backup. Otherwise it could be some file path issues I need to work out (all this really does is copy the *.xmp files to the folder you select).

I think there might still be a way to backup the metadata even if it's embeded in the dng. I'm looking into this.

Ok, I understand, will try out after creating sidecarfiles.
@itsskin Had the same issue with white files created when selected keyframes(star) and tried to ramp gradient changes. When I skipped the stars it worked. Will try again tonight...

Danne

Works perfect. Gotta find some place to create some nice timelapses though :)

dmilligan

Quote from: itsskin on November 05, 2013, 05:28:24 PM
UPDATE 2: Seems like Lightroom can not read .XMP files created. Just doing nothing importing files, or updating from xmp metadata. Unreadable XMP+RAW https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17452116/Archive.zip

I think there's a setting somewhere in Lr that you have to set, otherwise it keeps all metadata in it's library file rather than in sidecars. What is it that you actually need to do in Lr?

Danne

QuoteUPDATE 2: Seems like Lightroom can not read .XMP files created. Just doing nothing importing files, or updating from xmp metadata. Unreadable XMP+RAW https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17452116/Archive.zip

@itsskin
Tried your file, with and without the xmp. Reads the xmp just fine in lightroom over here. My catalogue settings looks like this in lighroom


Joachim Buambeki

Quote from: itsskin on November 05, 2013, 05:28:24 PMUPDATE 2: Seems like Lightroom can not read .XMP files created. Just doing nothing importing files, or updating from xmp metadata. Unreadable XMP+RAW https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17452116/Archive.zip

Please try "Metadata->Read Metadata from files" and see if that works.

itsskin

Quote from: Joachim Buambeki on November 05, 2013, 09:30:12 PM
Please try "Metadata->Read Metadata from files" and see if that works.

After this step LR5 is stuck updating. Importing is stuck on "importing".

I prefer LR to edit keyframes and copy\paste settings. It's just my main tool overall.

dmilligan


itsskin

Thank you again :)

Here is another example of what script can do. It was shot earlier in "manual ettr" :) Adjustments were made in 1EV stops. I'm super happy with the result.


dmilligan



dmilligan

Quote from: Joachim Buambeki on November 06, 2013, 04:10:10 AM
Deflickering is still producing random results with the latest version.
I can't replicate your issue, can you get me the debug info.

Joachim Buambeki

Will take a while, sorry.
I just realised my CPU fan isn't working anymore and probably didn't in the last days aswell....
So my general lagginess in Bridge and the random crashes I had were likely caused by that.
I'll get back to you ASAP.

timdit

I seem to be running into an issue where the first time I run the deflicker script on a group of files, it processes everything, but no values are changing in the exposure2012 in the xmp file.  If I run it again, it seems to be working and adding values to the files.

It seems like I either need to change iterations to 2, or I need to  change some parameter from whatever the window pops up with as default, or just run it more than once on a set of files to get it to work.  Not sure which change has made it work, but it does seem to be working well on the second go for some reason.

Tim