Hi everyone,
I just downloaded the newest update to PhotoLab and when I opened PL the first thing I saw was a button labelled NIK Collection just under the image display. I’m assuming this is brand new in Version 2.3.0 Build 23891.
Does anyone have any information on this new Version?
Larry, when I hit the link to go to Color Efex Pro I got a notice there was an update. I selected to update but it simply took me to a page at DxO with the NIK Collection logo. So, I don’t know if they are just now posting the update or if the update procedure isn’t working quite right. That is the only info I have.
In the past you need to go to “Export to application” if you wanted to use Nik collection like Viveza.
Now you can go to the label “Nik collection” and see everything directly
Agree Sigi. But, how does a person initiate the NIK Collection update?
Butch,
I am not on windows, I use Mac. I hope a windows user can help you. If not, I would get in touch with Support.
Ok. Thanks.
OK, for everyone. I’m on Windows 10 and the update was downloaded just after PhotoLab opened so you might check for updates.
I’m on Win10. I don’t need any help at all I was just wondering if anyone knew about this update.
From just looking over the how the integration works which is actually a plugin you are able to go directly to NIK from the PL GUI and edit a raw then export back in Tiff format to process further or export as a Jpeg. All in all a nice update.
If you own PhotoLab Elite 2 you should be able to update the program from inside PhotoLab 2 Elite.
Thank you Larry.
Does the integration of Nik 2 in Photolabs mean that I don’t need Lightroom to use it now? I have been refraining myself from looking at Nik because I don’t have Lightroom but have heard so many nice things about it.
Hello,
Regards,
Svetlana G.
Is this the only difference? Just an UI shortcut to the functionality which existed before?
It looks like it! Be greatfull it wasn’t called PL version 3
You don’t even need any host to use the Nik plugins. They are standalone executables. You just need to launch the exe file, passing it the image filepath on the command line :
Silver Efex Pro 2.exe “D:\My Images\MyImage.tif” (quotes are needed when the filepath contains spaces)
Of course, doing this from the command line is rather awkward. But there are a lot of utilities that can make this process easier. For example, the Filemenu Tools provide a context menu command named “Run with parameters”. You just have to right-click the exe file, provide the parameter list (that is, in that case, the image path surrounded with quotes). The plugin will be launched.and your image will be loaded.
Typing the full path of the image is also cumbersome. No problem, Filemenu Tools also has a command for copying the path of a file. You can also use my Clipname utility to do that. You can get the 32/64-bit, FR/EN versions there :
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3kmylgajt6xglpr/Clipname64En.zip?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1hnxou3sjf96nth/Clipname64Fr.zip?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rdokyl8ta7mkxb2/ClipNameEn.zip?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/45xeyxjd4vokhx4/ClipNameFr.zip?dl=0
Using these tools, you can easily right-click the image file and copy its full path. Then right-click the plugin exe file, use the Run with parameters command and pass it the image path.
Another possibility is to merely create a shortcut on your desktop for each Nik executable. Then, just drag and drop the image on the shortcut’s thumbnail and that’s it. Or you launch the plugin by double-clicking the shortcut and then use the File menu to load the image.
Once your image has been loaded and processed in the plugin use the plugins File | Save as… command to save your edited file. Viveza doesn’t have a File menu, though. When you click save, your edits are saved to the original file which is overwritten (by the way, for the 110 euros I have already spent to support the development of the Nik plugins by DxO, I expected, at least, to get this oddity fixed).
Hi Larry, I am a little bit lost with this new announcement.
I have a photolab 2.3 (just did the update) and reading the publication I understood the Nick Collection is embedded in Photolab. Does it mean that I will also have access to nick collection with my photolab Elite licence ?
Hi Laurent,
No, the Nik Collection is not embedded in Photolab, despite the erroneous announcement. But yes, you can access the Nik plugins from DPL Elite. However, you just get a button in DPL allowing you to export a TIFF or a JPEG to one of the Nik plugins. The Nik plugins have never been able to work on RAW files directly and nothing has changed in this area. The announcement in the “What’s new” page is just plain wrong and we all hope this was not intentional. This announcement is just generating confusion and mistrust. It should be removed or edited.
Anyway, see my post above. There’s no need to use an host application to run the Nik plugins.
So, what you are saying, if I have this right, is that all that NIK button does is separate out a special “Export to Application” button instead of burying it in the Export to Application drop down menu. In which case it actually does not do any non-destructive editing on RAWs as the advert leads one to believe.
Exactly correct. I guess they installed s separate button because they are marketing Photolab to be used with the Nik Collection and wanted to make it easy and obvious for new users. But, it rightly belongs in the Export to Application drop down.
Their argument about being able to use the Nik collection on raw files is based on the fact that they are including Photolab Essential as part of the Nik collection now, and Photolab, of course, has local adjustments based on U point technology. So it is a big stretch when they say the Nik collection now uses U point technology on raw files. My concern is that many will see this as deceptive advertising, especially those who have no intention of using PhotoLab.
Mark