Topaz Studio will not launch a 2nd time from within Photoshop

I wouldn’t make the assumption of equating what I want with what customers as a whole want. Joe has patiently explained, more than once, the rationale behind their decision - I’m sorry it doesn’t suit your needs, but complaining isn’t going to change anything. And the fact that you are not getting what you want doesn’t justify the accusations of “turn a deaf ear” or “ignoring our pleas”. Between here and the Topaz Studio Facebook page the response to Studio has been overwhelmingly favourable. Deal with it.

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It’s close to a week and issues with Studio have not been resolved. And Topaz is trying to “sell” us on Studio… Yeah, right… Again, I’ve NEVER had this issue with Topaz plugins. They were as stable as a small block Chevy V8.

NEVER said anything negative about Topaz before. Yet I’m being told to be quiet and accept Studio? Sorry but I think NOT.

Topaz created this mess. NOT me or the loyal customers.

I don’t think anybody told you to be quiet. Be careful how you quote people.

There is no mess - just a problem which will be resolved in time.

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Macphun just changed its name to SKYLUME… and it has a product in the PipelIne it suggests will knock the socks off of Photoshop (and probably Affinity as well). No, I believe that for the present, Topaz is developing a sleeker, more cloud-oriented plugin experience from which we can all benefit. As long as we all don’t want it ‘yesterday’! :smiley:

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The problem is that a lot of the younger ‘phone’ photographers is that they do like one stop shops. They do not want to spend time honing an image to extract every last ounce of clarity, beauty and perfection from an image. They are ‘immediate gratification guys’, and I would say after watching many years of Topaz webinars, watching folk like Blake Ruddis, Greg Rostami, John Barclay, Hazel Meredith, Howard Davis, Rad Drew, Joel Wolfson etc. etc. etc. who have shown folk how to do just that using Topaz plug-ins and as an audience we have sat spellbound with the wonders which digital photography can reveal we are somewhat dismayed. The darkroom for film photography created many of the tools we still use today like dodge and burn, cropping, straightening, orton, blurring, solarization, infra-red and they spent long hours in their darkrooms producing wonderful images and creations which we still all marvel at today. If you are a photographer in that mold then plug-ins are essential tools and photographers need them. Not for five minutes until the next pair of fluffy ears appear to add to your phone-photos but for the heritage of photography. It’s more serious than a whim!

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Thanks for the info but I am reluctant to move from Photoshop. Have too much invested time, plugins, brushes, etc invested. Photoshop always works. Tried Corel Paint Shop and Gimp. They were good. But Photoshop is much better.

I already have Lightroom, Photoshop, Corel Painter 2017, Corel Painter Essentials 4 & ArtRage 5. I have ALL the 2D image editing and painting tools I need. Don’t need MacPhun. Don’t need Topaz Studio.

But again thanks for the heads up. If MacPhun gets the lead over Adobe, it’s only time before Photoshop/Lightroom catchup and surpass.

Reminds me of the old Muscle Car wars of the 1960s when I was a lad. Ford would have the led, then Chevy would, then Chrysler would unleash a Hemi or 440 six pack engine.

Competition is good…

Well folks, I have just updated Studio to v1.5.2 which adds Simplify to the Studio collection, but, still no fix for the main issue of this thread. Only one shot using Studio from Ps.

The “no 2nd launch” issue also occurs with Paint Shop Pro.

I am not too sure what that has to do with this board???

This is the Topaz Labs official forum …

My apology, I did not know that’ Paint Shop Pro was a Topaz product

Paint Shop Pro is a Corel product as well as Painter. PS Plugins are compatible with Paint Shop Pro…

Just updated Studio to 1.4.4. And the bug seems to be fixed. Studio now launches multiple times not requiring a restart of Photoshop.

This is wonderful news… Quite pleased. Impression 2.0 is simply my most favorite Topaz app.

I’m having the same problem.

I have PSP 6 and Studio would always open multiple times as a plugin. I’ve had a break from photo editing for a few weeks so only upgraded Studio this morning to version 1.5.2. Now Studio will only open once as a plugin from Paint Shop Pro.

It’s nice to have Simplify added but it’s a pain having to keep closing and restarting PSP if I want to use Studio as a plugin again.

PS: I uninstalled Studio and then reinstalled from the Topaz download page but am still having the same problem. I’ve been reading comments on the Studio FB page and people are reporting the same thing with Photoshop Elements.

This is indeed bizarre. Last night I got a message of an update for Studio. So I shut Photoshop down and ran the standalone version of Studio. And installed an update.
Launched Photoshop and launched Studio several times.
Did not have to do the layer transparency work around.
Worked like a charm.
Studio was reporting to be 1.4.4

Today in Photoshop I launch Studio a couple times. Everything is great.
However I notice there is an update.
So, I shut down Photoshop.
Launch Studio as a standalone.
Updates are applied.

Launch Photoshop.
Run Studio as a plugin.
Will only launch once.
Have to close Photoshop and re-launch Photoshop CC 2018.
Studio is reporting to be 1.5.2.

I did not try the lock layer transparency trick. Will do so and get back…

OK… layer transparency lock work around appears to work.
So whatever Topaz did last night to resolve the issue was undone with the last update today.

I guess Topaz is going the Microsoft route and getting it’s cash paying customers to be their beta testers.

I find it ironic I’ve been getting coupons from Topaz this week and I was going to grab Restyler…
But why should I purchase a plugin that will be retired to the shelves or will be converted to a Studio only option after all the issues Studio has been giving loyal customers.

I’ve NEVER been vocal before about an app. I use plugins by Topaz, Akvis, FilterForge, apps Corel Painter 2017, Painter Essentials 4, Adobe Photoshop CC 2018, Artrage 5, Adobe Lightroom CC 2018,
3DCoat 4.6, Curvy 3D 3, Silo3D 2.5, Daz Studio, Poser Pro 2012, e-onsoftware Vue Complete.

My frustration with Studio exceeds anything. Never had issues with the old Topaz Plugins.

It’s been close to two weeks since I started this thread, yet the problem remains unsolved.

Despite my frustration, I must admit Topaz Impression is not only my favorite plugin but one of my most favorite graphic apps.
If only it was a true plugin and not a Studio app.

I do not use Photoshop or Lightroom, using Corel’s PSP as my base editor and although I can’t say that there haven’t been glitches here and there, but for the most part it’s been pretty much trouble free. Updates and new abilities are coming through regularly. The customer base is varied with different operating systems, set-ups, equipment and useage and when released to the general public, things might turn up that were never experienced during beta testing.

The only difference between using Impression as a plugin as it had been used previously and what it has become is clicking on Topaz Studio rather than Topaz Labs in the Effects menu. Each upgraded plug-in is listed on its own and opens to it. If multiple plug-ins are anticipated, clicking on Topaz Studio/Topaz Studio opens up without any plug-in assigned…I can open it, apply Clarity, Detail, and impression or whatever without having to go back to the editor to call up each individual plug-in. If a plug in is still in its original state, like Remask, I can access that from Studio as well from the Plug-in list. Seems to me that being able to accomplish all the plug-in functions I want before returning to the editor is a pretty cool idea.

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I have NO problems with the Topaz Labs plugins they work fabulously. It is Studio and the apps hosted by it that will not launch.
Impression does not list under Topaz Plugins.

This issue needs to be resolved. Either a larger base of beta testers is needed or turf the existing beta testers for not doing their job.
There is NO excuse for this Studio issue.

Better still Topaz should scrap the idea of Studio and go back to what worked. Plugins.

You keep saying that, but you also seem to contradict yourself about which version of Impression you actually have. Impression 2, which is the old plugin, and also works as a standalone, most definitely appears as a plugin within TS - see screenprint attached. Impression in Studio appears in the Specialty section at the bottom left, but not as a plugin. Which do you actually have?

I just purchased it about 3 weeks ago from the store here. I placed a support ticket asking why it does not appear as a plug-in. I was told version 2 does not appear as a plugin. It is Studio only version.

It sounds like you have Impression in Studio then. Impression 2 doesn’t appear to be available for purchase anymore.

That is correct, owners of the previous plugins can download the legacy installers from the link below. Note they are UNSUPPORTED and only for previous owners. Owners of Studio Adjustments do not have serials available to use these installers: