SNS-HDR Forum

Redcrown wrote:In the following YouTube video I offer an analysis of SNS 2.0 with comparisons to the prior version. It is a 21 minute "screencast" of three different image sets.

Thanks, I watched.

The images are darker for four reasons:
1. RAW images are converted by default in Adobe RGB color spaces. SNS-HDR 1 had a bad gamma factors for this color profile.
2. SNS-HDR 2 retains more detail in the highlights during the merge.
3. The algorithm of Midtone Contrast is less aggressive and less brighten shadows.
4. The Clarity parameter prefers dark tones to minimize the halo effect. Most other parameters based on this parameter.

Dear Sebastian!

I'm glad you are developing new version. I installed it and tried one image I previously just done in current version. my first thought are mixed:
+++ It is faster :)
Not just processing, but the program loads instantly, where current version needs 11 seconds (on fast SSD). Also sliders seems to be even more responsive. They seems to be less agressive and we have much greater control now. But at this point there is drawback also. It is so much sliders, switches, sections, separate light and color... that it is almost confusing. But certain it is way more time consuming.

I remember I came to your precious product in 2012 because I didn't stand "toy/cartoon" look of other softwares. SNS-HDR was by far the slowest to process. It had a lot of sliders to twek but at just managable number to remember what certain one does to image. While competition had much simpler designs, a lot of people praise that software probably just because simplicity. SNS-HDR 2 is not simpler, by any mean. While I like all the fine tuning possibilities, which gives almost endless possibilities to salvage even flattest image, I did not miss much in version one. Actually it is easier to get nice image from V1, despite being more harsh and have less tweaks.

MASKS are not present in V2 at the time: I think your way of masking implementation is the best of any software I know. So I hope it stays >>> possible upgrade would be "similarity slider", since at some area (grass), it is tedious to paint all shades of green.

I like that we have still "normal" and "highlights", and nov ve have even "lightness" per curve. That is great. But it need to be redesigned somehow to be more clear what is engaged. Even on 24'' display, buttons are very tiny. And somehow it is confusing when button is pressed or not. Too small to see emboss and if only color is changed than we slide to "adobe" disign - where you never know what is on or off, since they omitted shades (emboss was ommited even before). If I look at the current SNS, there is no doubt. Bigger buttons SAME color, but darker shade and embossed instead of beveled. Please consider that we have only bigger displays with bigger resolutions theese days, and we most certainly have dual setups, so full screen preview is on different monitor.

Version 2 give great improvement over current version in how merge exposures together. Colors are EVEN MORE NATURAL than in version one. Version one sometimes have hard time to map light curve if 2 out of three images are very bright. If "normal exposed" frame have already almost ok exposure, than "overexposed" frame would throw tonemaped composite to impossible-to-fix-bright image. Solution is either to preexpose frames in RAW processor and than merge them in HDR. This was due to SNS mapped whole image together additive, so "underexposed" frame was darkening shadows (and adding noise) and "overexposed" frame brighten overbrtight areas and make them washed out (and adding noise when this was salvaged back with sliders). I remeber the ZERO NOISE project by Guillermo Luijk, which took only parts from each raw which was right for that part of final tone curve. No duplication, noise, shadowing...

I can praise highlights protection in V2 as well. It reatain contrast and not dimm whole image as before. I like very VERY good sharpening.

In SNS-HDR v2 I see greeat improvement regarding that, since same files which gives false colors in v1 are right in v2. I will evaluate it further.

But forst problem I found is "thickening" of tiny branches on trees against bright sky. While version 1 gives less of that effect. V2 "grabs" too much of surrounding.

cdmikelis wrote:It is so much sliders, switches, sections, separate light and color... that it is almost confusing. But certain it is way more time consuming.
...
Actually it is easier to get nice image from V1, despite being more harsh and have less tweaks.

What would you change, what parameters would you like removed, any idea?

cdmikelis wrote:MASKS are not present in V2 at the time: I think your way of masking implementation is the best of any software I know.

Masks will be available.

cdmikelis wrote:I like that we have still "normal" and "highlights", and nov ve have even "lightness" per curve. That is great. But it need to be redesigned somehow to be more clear what is engaged.

I'll think about this.

cdmikelis wrote:But forst problem I found is "thickening" of tiny branches on trees against bright sky. While version 1 gives less of that effect. V2 "grabs" too much of surrounding.

The reason is reduction local contrast to reduce the halo effect in high contrast areas.

Hi, I asked back on the Sun May 17, 2015
"Sebastian any word on the option to transfer Radiance Files into the new SNS-HDR please"
The reply was "You have to wait for the version 2.0 beta"
Tried the 2.0 A1 and still cannot load a radience file. (File not reconised)
This is an option I use many times in conjunction with another HDR program and SNS-HDR.
Thank You.
Russ

russellsnr2 wrote:Hi, I asked back on the Sun May 17, 2015
"Sebastian any word on the option to transfer Radiance Files into the new SNS-HDR please"
The reply was "You have to wait for the version 2.0 beta"
Tried the 2.0 A1 and still cannot load a radience file. (File not reconised)

Hi Russ,

Alpha is not yet Beta, so there is still hope

Kidding aside, 'EXR' is superior over 'Radiance' for realistically tonemapped HDRI, so I hope that Sebastian keeps supporting that as well.

Cheers,
Bart

Will you be adding the 360 option soon to Alpha-1. The current Home version doesn't handle the three HDR tiff files output from PTGUI without an error. Alpha-1 does input and functions fine but for the mismatch in tone at the end points.
By the way, this program beats all the others out there for natural looking results.
Thanks
Doug

Sebastian,

I have SNS-HDR Home v.1.22 - it is working OK
I have SNS-HDR v. 1.x - it is working OK
I have SNS-HDR v.2 alpha but it stopped working today


I uninstalled v.2 and reinstalled it but it is still not working

Help

Martin

Martin,
You have such stripes on all images?

No crashes or problems for me, it works fine for now.
It's true that default images are darker than the previous version, but it's also true that colours, tones...are more realistic in this alpha. Maybe it's more difficult to get impact images, like a "cloudy day becaming a sunny day" but I bought this program because I want realistic images. I still have to try with more images but for the moment I'm happy with this alpha version. Keep the good work and implementing the missing things.

PD: sorry for my english

Sebastian Nibisz wrote:Martin,
You have such stripes on all images?

Sebastian, My apologies for alarming you! I think I have solved the problem.

Windows started to run slowly and "freeze" occasionally - everything was slow. I found that newly installed Spyware Terminator was running in the background and using a lot of cpu (maybe there was conflict with my copy of Avast!) . I have now replaced this software with AdAware and everything is normal (I hope!)

Martin