Unable to sharpen larger images than 1800 x 2400 pixels

[cryscyman384]

I am using version 4.25 and this is the first program that I have come across with this problem so it could be bug but I am not sure.
For some time now I have noticed that when I try to sharpen a master photo with a file size 2.4mb and 2448 x 3264 pixels then IrfanView indicates that the process has taken place because the undo facility has become enabled. It makes no difference whether the filter setting is at 1 or 99, nothing happens.
I have tried re-sampling with different image sizes and found that I can sharpen an image at 1600 x 2133 pixels but not above. This is only an approximation as sometimes I have noticed that an image 1500 x 2000 pixels will not sharpen either. I am not sure what bearing the file size has on this problem but the original image which would not sharpen was 2.36mb and yet the 1600 x 2133 image which I saved at 100 quality after sharpening had a file size of 3.40mb.
The problem is making photo editing very difficult for me because I am unable to sharpen the original image without resizing and losing quality.

[matera]

I can sharpen images over 6000x5000, and easily ten times the size in MB. Are you looking at the image in its actual size when you do this, or is it fitted to the screen?

[cryscyman384]

Viewing the image at actual size or fitted to screen makes no difference

Whether I view the image at actual size or fit to screen it still gives the same result. Even if I sharpen the image with a setting of 99 at actual size I cannot see any difference whatsoever in the image sharpness.
If I open the same original image in Virtual Studio fitted to screen and sharpen the image at the maximum setting of 20 then the sharpness is very noticeable and obviously too sharp. If I then save it as a tif image I can open the sharpened image in IrfanView and it then shows it quite sharp. I do not understand what it is all about.
The problem with Virtual Studio is that it does not have all the facilities that IrfanView offers like Save to Web etc.

[Mij]

Is this perhaps another memory limit problem?
As a test try unchecking Use Undo optionin the Browsing/Editing section of Properties and see if you can Sharpen then.

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I don't think its a memory problem. I can sharpen much larger images without difficulty.

[cryscyman384]

Is this perhaps another memory limit problem?
As a test try unchecking Use Undo optionin the Browsing/Editing section of Properties and see if you can Sharpen then.

I know Bhikkhu Pesala said he thought it was not a memory problem but I gave it try anyway.
He is quite right. That did not affect being able to sharpen the image.

I have also done another test in PhotoScape and that also sharpens a large image without any difficulty. It is just a shame that program also does not have the facilities that IrfanView does. It is a good program though.

I had thought of uninstalling IrfanView and re-installing but cannot really see what difference that would make. I did not want to do that as I have all the plugins set up now.

[Mij]

I know Bhikkhu Pesala said he thought it was not a memory problem but I gave it try anyway.
He is quite right. That did not affect being able to sharpen the image.

It was worth a try. Sharpen does work for me also on much bigger images than your 1800x2400, so it is difficult to see from what you have told us why it does not work for you.
Have you tried the Unsharp mask in the Effects browser? At the default settings its effect is very similar.

[cryscyman384]

Unsharp Mask behaves exactly like Sharpen

It was worth a try. Sharpen does work for me also on much bigger images than your 1800x2400, so it is difficult to see from what you have told us why it does not work for you.
Have you tried the Unsharp mask in the Effects browser? At the default settings its effect is very similar.

I have tried the Unsharp Mask that you suggest and this has no effect either at normal image size or fitted to screen.
Thanks for looking for a solution. It is very odd.

[matera]

Well, this is a puzzle. Wish we had a clue.

Have you tried any insane hackarounds like running IV from a different drive or partition or removable device? Copying directory elsewhere, uninstalling, and running from the copy after renaming the INI file? Running as a different user (if you have any alternate personalities in your computer)?

Gosh darnit, it ought to be able to do it

[cryscyman384]

Reinstalling works but problems with plugins

Well, this is a puzzle. Wish we had a clue. Have you tried any insane hackarounds like running IV from a different drive?

Tried some 'insane hackarounds' and installing IrfanView on a flash drive did not help. Still would not show sharpen.
However re-installing IrfanView back on the hard drive seems to have solved the problem. It now shows when sharpen is applied although sharpen has to be set at maximum to have any effect at all (only just noticeable at normal view) for a 2448 x 3264 pixel image.

Now having got that working 'reasonably' well I then re-installed all the plugins and this is where the problem seems to be.
I have attached a picture of the contents of my Plugin folder and also a picture of the set up for my plugins in the Effects Browser.

When I check again with IrfanView sharpen at maximum nothing happens like it did before. I could be wrong but I think it is something to do with the Filter Factory folder and plugin that is causing this issue.

Apart from this I am at a loss to understand why sharpen (or any filters) cannot be applied via the Filter Factory as it now requires registration before I can do this.

I think my setup for this may be incorrect as I cannot now add the Adobe 8BF filters either through Adobe 8BF Filters or Filter Factory. Previously I had Topaz Labs for the 8BF filter and that seemed to work OK as far as I can remember.

Can you help please.

[Mij]

I keep all my 8bf filters in a separate folder in the Public User folders (of Vista). That was because some of them have their own INI files that need to be written to, so you can run into problems with permissions if they are in C:\Program files with i_view32.exe.

Speaking of 8bf though if I want to sharpen or blur the whole image I generally use the Sharman convolution filter from Amphisoft (download the Free pack of Amphisoft plugins). The results you can achieve are IMHO far superior to those you can get from the filters that come with Irfanview.

[cryscyman384]

All set up again

That was a useful bit of information.
I have also managed to get the Adobe filter set up properly and have added some free filters to try out as well.
Also I managed to find my old Free Topaz Labs JPG filter which I have now re-installed.
Thanks for your support.