How to load distortion-correction plugin?

[popotla]

I want to correct barrel and pincushion distortion and at this link:

https://forums.finalgear.com/photography/free-distortion-correction-software-33248/

have found this:

IrfanView plus this Adobe 8BF plugin. It will fix basic barrel and pincushion distortion.

1. Extract the contained file to [installation directory]\IrfanView\Plugins\Adobe 8BF
2. Open an image in IrfanView
3. Press CTRL+K
4. Click "Add 8BF filters"
5. Select the afforementioned directory
6. Select "Lens Correction..."
7. Click "Start Selected Filter"
8. Adjust as needed
9. Click "OK", click "Exit"

It's a bit convoluted, but you can skip steps 1, 4 and 5 for future uses of the plugin.

I've downloaded the file and unzipped it (I think). Then, on opening the file, I get a blank Irfanview screen with a "hand" symbol in the middle.

On my existing Irfanview drop-down menu there are various 8BF Plugin options and obviously this is where I want this distortion corrector to appear. However, I don't know, don't understand, how to do #1 above, Extract the contained file to [installation directory]\IrfanView\Plugins\Adobe 8BF
. Where are the installation directories/this specific directory? This directory is not appearing anywhere as I search my computer and I'm not making progress.

Please help this not-very-tech beginner move forward on this.

Thanks.

[jazzman]

As for #1: the file you downloaded should be pplenscor.zip, under Windows double-click on it, it behaves just like a normal folder and inside you find a file pplenscor.8bf
Copy this file to either a new folder (into which you may also copy future photoshop plugins) or into C:\Programme\Irfanview\Plugins\Adobe 8BF (assuming you chose the standard installation path).

Now continue with #2 in your list. - let us know if that still gives you problems.

Cheers,
jazzman

[Mij]

You do not need to open the file you unzipped (pplenscor.8bf). Just move it into the folder named "Adobe 8bf" that you will find in Irfanview's Plugins folder but you will probably need an administrator password to put it there. (You can actually put it anywhere you like but it will be easier to find it again in step 5 above if you put all your 8bf filters together there).

Note that you must have an image open in Irfanview to get to the 8bf filter dialog whether you press Ctrl+K as in step 3 or from the menu by selecting Image > Adobe 8bf plugins > Filter dialog

Worth noting perhaps that you will find a barrel distortion filter included in the Perspective transformations 8bf filter that Irfanview has already pre-installed for you.

Postscript: I will leave this reply even though Jazzman got there first while I was writing it. There are a few points that he did not cover.

[popotla]

Very many thanks, both of you. I'll try this and let you know.

Worth noting perhaps that you will find a barrel distortion filter included in the Perspective transformations 8bf filter that Irfanview has already pre-installed for you.

Not for pincushion as well?

[Mij]

Not for pincushion as well?

No, the plugin is mainly for getting things upright and square. Especially useful for tall buildings that appear to be leaning sideways or in danger of falling onto you.
The Barrel distortion correction is a sort of bonus. I use it mostly for images in books which I have photographed. The barrel distortion correction helps if the page was not quite flat.

[popotla]

In Irfanview's Plugin folder I created an Adobe 8bf sub-folder (since there wasn't one there) and put the pplenscor,8bf file in it.

I then opened a photo in Adobe and brought up the filter dialogue box ("Irfanview-Adobe 8bf Filters"). I clicked on "Add 8bf filters (Folder) and navigated as far as the Adobe 8bf folder (with file now in it) that I created.

Then in the filter dialogue box again I clicked "Add 8bf filters (File)". The 8bf file opened and I added it. Then in the filter dialogue box, the only thing that can be clicked is "Start selected Filter". I clicked it but nothing happened/happens.

Returning to the IfV "Image" drop-down menu and "Adobe 8 bf Plugins", nothing new is there. That's where I am at present. Thank you.

[popotla]

It's pincushion correction that I need at the moment.

[Mij]

Having looked up a definition of pincushion distortion on Wikipedia I see that the "De-barrel" slider in the Perspective Transformations 8bf filter does both - pincushion in one direction, barrel in the other.
It is similar to the top slider in the Lens Correction 8bf that you downloaded except that has a slightly wider range. The lower slider in Lens Correction appears to correct what Wikipedia calls Mustache distortion.

[jazzman]

...deleted ...

[jazzman]

...
Then in the filter dialogue box, the only thing that can be clicked is "Start selected Filter". I clicked it but nothing happened/happens.
...

Are you running IrfanView 64bit or 32bit version?

[popotla]

I'm about to look into "Perspective Transformations". Thank you for looking into this.

Are you running IrfanView 64bit or 32bit version?

I'm using 64-bit 4.42 at present.

[jazzman]

According to the author Martin Vicanek's website and the read-me note that comes with the Perspective Transformation plug-in, it is a 32bit software, so you will need to run IrfanView 32bit. I strongly suspect the same is true for the pplenscor plug-in.

P.S.: Has anyone else checked whether IrfanView64 supports 8bf at all?

[Mij]

Ah, no. I had not checked but looking at the zip downloads the only 8bf filters I can see included in the 64 bit version of Irfanview are HarrysFilters and PopArt.

[popotla]

My (4.42) version of the 64-bit includes Perspective Transformations, Smart Curve, Wire Worm and Pop Art. HarrysFilters is greyed out.

[Jacal]

On my laptop, pplenscor.8bf works with 32-bit but crashes 64-bit IrfanView.

Working with 64-bit: AdaptiveContrastCurve, AdaptiveHistogramEQ, FineUSMSharpen_x64, UltimateHueSaturation_x64, VHRUnsharpMask_x64