Topaz Remask Error

I forgot to add that as well as decreasing the memory available to Photoshop to 60% (I have 4GB RAM installed) that I also reduced the image size to 50% - however the procEngine error still occurred. (I am also using an AMD processor - if this is anything to do with the problem ?) I have had Remask installed for 12 hours now and still cannot get it to work.

Now it works. Don't ask me why !! I restarted Photoshop (CS4) and created the tri-colour mask (without the action). Remask worked flawlessly and created the mask - on a full sized image. Yet I had changed nothing. I'll keep my eye on it !!

It's refusing to work on a full sized image again. Same procEngine: error code: -1000. Even after a Photoshop restart. If I downsize the image by 50% - it works. So haven't a clue what is happening here.

Hello Eric,
Thanks for the response. The image size is 3940 by 2706 and is 300 dpi. It is in jpg format. If I resize it to 2500 by 1717 Remask will handle it with no errors. Sometimes I have to make it even smaller. I thought at first it was because it was in .psd format - but I saved it as a jpg and got the same result.

Can I ask another question ? You sent me an e-mail with a discount code - unfortunately I did not scroll down and read the discount code until after I had paid the full amount for the software - ie $69.99. I then saw that I should have applied the discount code and got it for $29.99 Is there any way you can give me a refund for this ? My order reference is 1254007311-760 (6:21PM) and I bought it last night (26th September. It was my silly mistake - but I just wondered if you could help me out here ?

Regards,

Richard

Hi Eric,

Just to say that I also took your advice and increased the memory available to Photoshop to 85% but it made no difference to processing the larger image and I still got the procEngine: error code: -1000.

Also, I got the partial refund - thank you so much to Topaz Labs. A great company to deal with - and in my own experiences - a company who cares about their customers.

Regards,

Richard

I used the remask software and the first time it did just fine in working...then I started to get the -1000 code and a -878 error code. I shut down my PS CS2 and also shut down the computer and re-started it. On the next 5 tries, one even with the original photo all I get is the error codes.
BTW...it did a great job on the first image and I was going to order it!

This is not my image, but a sample image that came with nik silver efex book!

Topaz Remask Require a minimum of 1Gb to work correctly. so the RAM shall be available meaning NOT part of photoshop. So first, make sure your the memory in photoshop in no greater than 60% you can even try up to 35% without affecting the overal performance, please try lowering from 60 to 40 and trying Remask again.
Second, How many applications are you using apart from photoshop? If You (Richard) has 4 Gb or Ram, your system will be seeing only about 3.2, Windows will need about 1.3 Gb so if you give 1 Gb to phootoshop, then you only have 0.9Gb for Remask and any other software...
If you further reduce the photoshop amount you will free more memory for Remask.

Try closing any other software and/or checking memory leaks in the system.

Hello Jorge,
I have done what you said and reduced the available RAM to Photoshop to 40%. This now means that almost 1GB has been freed up for the system. I have used Remask now to process three full sized images without a problem. I will continue to watch how it performs.

Thanks,

Richard

I have also had the same problem and per Jorge's instructions reduced my PS usage to available RAM to 50% or 688 MB...my remask now works well with an 8MB photo.

Margie

I am still stuck! 2gb system memory. PS set to 30% of 1689gb available.
Small 800k jpeg file used in test and still getting the -1000 error. I also tried 40%, 50%, 60% etc. but no go??? Can remask even be used on a system with 2gb of memory? Help!

Funky...My whole system is only 1.5 GB....did you remember to shut down PS each time you reduced the %...otherwise the new % does not take effect, so it says in my PS.

Funky and Margie,

I have 4GB RAM and am using Photoshop CS4. I am finding Remask is inconsistent. I only have Photoshop running and now it will not process an 8MB 1812X1554 pixel image at 180ppi. Even after I shut Photoshop down and restarted it, it still refuses to process the image with the Photoshop memory usage at only 36% (585MB available to Photoshop out of 1625MB). So it still isn't working properly for me I'm afraid.

Regards,

Richard

Richard...I think we are being used to trial the software and report its errors! I think we should get a free copy of the software for our time and efforts trying and reporting.

What do you think, Jorge?

Hi Margie,

Well, I have already purchased it !! But am quite happy to wait for Topaz Labs to come up with a fix. They always have done in the past and this is a far better tool (for me anyway) than Photoshop's own Extract Tool. I think if we keep reporting back to them with the details, then they will find a fix. After my discount the software only cost me $29.99 and I think it is worth that - despite the present inconsistencies.

Regards,

Richard

Yes, I am restarting photoshop every time. Free copy for being a test monkey? I wouldn't turn it down. Although I have experienced several problems, the Topaz folks seem pretty responsive here and most of my issues have been resolved. I just wish this one was. I would like to get the bundle so I am trying to be patient and see how these issues pan out before I pull the trigger.

One final comment after several retries with this (including shutting the PC down and restarting it) Remask will NOT process an 8.27MB 1700 X 1700 square image at 180 ppi no matter where I set the memory available to Photoshop - I have had it as low as 35% and up to 60% (and restarted Photoshop each time) but still get the procEngine: error: -1000. I thought it might be because I had saved it (multi layer with the trimask) as a .psd file. So I reloaded the image as a jpg and recreated the trimask layer. But still Remask did not want to know.

I think I'm giving up for today !!

Regards,

Richard

Ok guys... I was the "testing monkey" time ago so I can tell you abaut it.
Most likely and since this product is using photoshop base instructions with a topaz algorithm I can only think the problem is memory. Could it be a leak or a dll problem.
Many people incorrectly thinks that increasing memory to photoshop is good but it's the opposite. When you assign memory to PS what you actually doing is giving that memory (used or not) ONLY to PS. I've run PS CS4 in an old 1Gb laptop without issues,, yeah, very slow but it works.
Tricks here: find the balance between the used memory of the system and photoshop. b) find any leaks c) a clean defragmented scratch disk.

So first, please check that your computers have virtual memory correct (either about 1.5 the installed ram) or managed by Windows BUT PRESENT.
Then, just to make sure, please disable the fonts preview in photoshop (most of the times, memory leak is due faulty fonts), so go to Edit, preferences then uncheck smart quotes, asian text, missing gliph and font preview.

And make some tests.
Another possible problem is the Open GL, disable it to test, go to preferences, performance and disable the GPU settings (if this correct the problem, then you need the latest drivers for your video cards).

Have your HD defragmented and point the scratch disks to a fast drive or as many as you can (don't use external or keys) just use internal drives and let us know.

Since I had all this problems in the past, I upgraded to an x64 system.

Richard, for you, another problem could be a corrupted RAM. This is very difficult to test. Once I had in my system 4Gb and the 3Gb switch applied, but had so many problems... one day I exchanged the RAM and voila... everything was ok, result that 2 tablets were corrupted.

Check all this and report back.

By the way... guy, I don't work for Topaz, I'm just their number one fan! I've follow Topaz since a long time and I simply love their products...

Jorge and others, thanks for your input. Here's my report:

Vurtual memory = 1.5 x ram = ERROR
With and without Open GL (Latest drivers? Yes) = ERROR
Font settings as suggested = ERROR
Scratch disk (Internal 200gb/28gb free/defragged 2 weeks ago) = ERROR
Memory issues? None that I know of. HQ Corsair stuff.
dll issues? How would I know?

I'm stumped???

Hi Jorge,

OK, everything checks out. Within Vista Ultimate - the system reports Installed physical memory (RAM) as 4GB and total virtual memory is reported as 7.19GB. Total physical memory is reported as 3.5GB, available physical memory is 1.89GB, and available virtual memory is 5.3GB.

The items not checked in Photoshop CS4 are smart quotes, asian text, missing glyph and font preview. Unchecking these and restarting Photoshop and trying Remask, produced the same error. Disabling Open GL (and restarting Photoshop) made no difference either.

My scratch disk is a 500GB, 7200RPM drive with very little stored on it - if anything. So about 460GB free space.

I don't think I have corrupt RAM as I don't have problems with anything else - I run a load of Topaz software plus loads of other plug ins, with no problems at all.

So I don't know what the problem is to be honest.

Thanks for trying - I appreciate your help.

KInd Regards,

Richard

Richard and Funky, I'll research more. I really don't understand the problem. I just made a couple tests in a latptop duocore and 2 Gb ram in XP home. The pictures came from a 5D2 (21 Mp) from RAW to PS and Remask. It took more to open the raw than to use Remask and no issue. I set PS to 35%.
I'm really puzzled about it. I'll report my findings later.

HI Jorge,

Don't worry about it - I'm sure the guys at Topaz will have a fix eventually. I'm playing with Fluid Mask also - but Remask is a lot easier to use. I'd like to be able to be 100% with it. I'm running an AMD dual core processor as well - just so as you know !! It's strange that earlier today it did handle a full sized 30MB jpg file from Nikon NEF conversion. But right now - no matter what I do - I cannot even get it to run on an 8MB jpg. Sometimes it seems to work - but more often not.

Regards,

Richard

Welll...last evening I had finally gotten the software to work with my max in PS set to 50% or 688 MB. I felt like my problem had been solved. Just a few min. ago I tried it with the same setting and it was a no go...
So, I guess I too, still have a problem.

You know, I've heard of this kind of problems before in PS. I'll give a try searching for it. Topaz Had a Problem with AMD time ago, but I really don't think it's related. The problem I knew was PS or the system taking (reserving) memory and not releasing which can be the culprit here. It looks that you all have the memory but suddenly it's reserved and not releleased or Topaz is not able to grab it.

Hi Jorge,

Yes, I had initial problems (and similar) with Topaz Adjust (I think it was) but it was sorted by the guys at Topaz. Never had any problems since. I think they will come up with a fix for Remask - but there only seems to be three of us on here with the problem - that worries me - I thought (with the popularity ot Topaz products) there would be more experiencing this problem ?

Regards,

Richard

Happy Day!
After removing re-mask from my computer a few days ago, I decided this morning to re-install it and to try it out. I put my PS memory to 50% and worked on a 20MB photo and it worked just fine!
I am hoping that this will be a permanent change! I will let you know as time goes by.

Hi ! i have the same problem here... proc engine -1000 or proc engine -878 all the time. Tried all the possible ram settings (4gig) from min to max and it doesnt change a thing. Using CS3 on XP dual intel core with all the other topaz plugins working fine. Tried small (3megs JPG)images and bigger (35megs JPG)images and no change too.
Please help.

Thank you

Martin

I forgot to tell you i tried both ways, manual and with the action pack.

thanks

Hey Richard and my fellow remask users. Just wanted to let you know that there's more of us out here who are having the very same problem, but like you, I know that Eric and the Topaz team will eventually find a fix for all of us. It's just a drag that I've had this on my system for over 5 days now and still haven't been able to use it. I also have an AMD proc. so I'm not totally convinced that this is not a related problem to that chip. Sit tight guys, help is on the way....hopefully soon.

Tried CS4 and Remask again this evening on a 1700X1360 6.6MB 300ppi image and still the ProcEngine: error -1000 result. Haven't had it working for days now and no matter what I do - I still get the same error. It's a bit frustrating !! I am still playing with Vertus Fluid Mask - and whilst that is a good product I find it fiddly to work with - not as simple as Remask. I still don't understand how it worked perfectly for a while (even on large images) and now - even after starting the PC from cold - and only opening CS4 and nothing else - Remask still refuses to work. I changed nothing !!

Hello Ashley,
Thanks for the info. Have uninstalled and reinstalled the new version but still getting the Proc Engine 1000 error. However - I notice now that the mask definition is not as good as it was before. Unless I am doing something wrong somwhere. I don't use the actions but create a tri-mask manually with a 50% grey brush. Is the brush meant to be hard or soft ? I tried with both but the mask definition is not as good as before. I'll keep trying.
Thanks.
Richard

Same goes for me Richard! Correct me if I'm wrong, but could it be that the mask you're referring to, is just a result of the grey outline, black and white fills that you created and nothing to do with the workings of Remask? I tried it with a soft brush, hard brush, pencil tool, reducing the image size, trying just a small portion of my image and nothing seems to work.

Hi Lucky,
Yes it seems that way - the 50% grey area defines the masking limits and nothing within the grey area is masked at all. I tried both with Quickmask and various brushes - even going into the image with a higher magnification and as small a brush as I could to cover the edges I wanted defined. But the mask just consisted of the brush edges and nothing else. I thought I was doing something wrong and tried all sorts - but the results were the same. The mask process just isn't working at all from what I can see.
Regards,
Richard

Well, I have mixed emotions about this one Richard. On one hand, I'm sorry that you're still having the same problem, but on the other, I'm glad that it's not just me. In any case, I sure hope they get this thing to work for us real soon 'cause I'm just about ready to give up on this!
Regards,
Lucky

Hello Lucky,
Well I guess the folk at Topaz read these posts and will come back with a response. Further tests here revealed that no masking whatsoever is occurring in the grey 'zone'. It's just the edges that are getting the masking process actioned. So something has happened to the software in this update. Wish I had kept the original now !!
Regards,
Richard

Hello All,
After following directions, I am seeing no change whatsoever.
Still get the proc error -1000.
No mask is created at all.

Sidenote: I am now getting the proc error -1000 when I try to use Clean2 ???
It worked twice and then failed on me???