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I just installed a new HP PC in my daughter's home office. It came with PhotoDirector and some other Cyberlink software bundled from the factory.
I didn't spend much time exploring, but it appeared to require purchase for use.
Bob
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I downloaded a trial copy of PhotoDirector 4 this afternoon, expecting significant improvement over version 3. However, I'm disappointed.
The program imported a project of 610 images from PhD3, but stalled, then crashed before it had read half the images. I have tried twice now, but the same thing happened on second attempt.
Will await to see if others encounter this problem and there is a quick patch. If not, I'll not upgrade.
Bob
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When I use the spot removal tool it seems to exchange white spots for dark ones. Not much improvement in picture. I tried different tool sizes and opacities.
This tool is inadequate for cleanup of spots of the type you have here. There are tools in other applications that can do a much better job.
The situation you describe is an argument for changing the spot removal tool to an "intelligent" tool that samples the area surrounding the spot rather than the user having to designate the area for the sample.
Bob
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PIX, thanks for trying to replicate my problem.
I gather you don't have the "Exclude Possible Duplicates" option checked, as you appear to have the 53 images imported twice.
No, since the images didn't appear I didn't think that necessary.
I can't imagine what might have caused the error in the first place but, if it repeats itself, a complete uninstall/re-install may be in order.
I've done that once already since acquiring PhD3, and that drastic action again would only be my last resort. PhotoDirector 3 seems well-engineered, and I'll attribute this problem to an anomaly -- for now. One software company I used to deal with on a regular basis would make that recommendation for every bug they could not solve. Since then I've vowed my reinstall efforts will be extremely limited.
Bob
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I encountered a first-time problem with PhotoDirector 3 this morning: after importing 53 ORF RAW images from a card reader, PhD3 rendered only two of the 53 images in the filmstrip.
I was in the Viewer&Browser mode at the time. The progress bar for import and render in the upper right hand corner of the screen indicated all was well in both operations.
I switched to the Browser Only mode and still saw only two images.
I selected those images and then created a new Album for the images.
I then tried to reimport the RAW images from the card. The import and render progress bars appeared to be normal, but still no additional images in the filmstrip.
I closed PhD3, and opened ACDSee Pro 5, importing the RAW images with that program. All was normal there, and I could see thumbnails for all 53 images in that program's browser window.
Using ACDSee Pro 5, I then navigated to the folder PhD3 had created on my computer. There were all of the images.
So, I went back to PhD3, opening it in the album I had created earlier. This time I had 106 thumbnails now visible, thumbs for the first batch I imported and then duplicated from my second attempt to import.
Bob
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PIX, thanks for the information.
Bob
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I fired up PhotoDirector 3 today to edit some more RAW files from a recent three-day wildflower shoot. I was greeted by a message that a patch was available. While looking to download the patch, I searched for a document that would explain what issues were addressed in the patch. Nothing there.
When it came time to export some completed photos, I checked to see if the export interface would allow me to add leading zeros to the file numbers. No, that annoying bug was not fixed.
So, we've had a quick patch issued in just a short period of time.
Thanks, Cyberlink, for getting a patch out in a timely manner. It would be nice, however, if you would provide your customers with information on what was fixed.
Bob
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Are you clicking on functions faster than your machine can keep up?
No. I don't think so. I've never had that problem in any other program.
I haven't encountered that problem since my initial report.
Bob
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I know it's a little early for suggesting additions to the next version of PhotoDirector, but this idea struck me while I was using the Browser Panel.
Why not give us an option for a vertical Browser Panel on the side instead of the horizontal location at the bottom of the workspace. This would make better use of unused space, particularly on wide-screen (9:16 aspect ratio) monitors?
My attached example shows potential side positions (left or right) and how much bigger the image being viewed in the workspace would be (portrait-oriented image in the example)
Thanks for your consideration.
Bob
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I spent the major part of the morning using the Regional Adjustment Tools in PhD3 to get some shots I took at a recent family birthday party to a point where they are suitable for framing -- cleaning up and blurring background, etc. I really came to appreciate the PhD3 method of changing brush sizes -- use of the slider with the mouse, of course, but even better, using the mouse wheel.
It saves wrist and hand movement.
I have always hated use of the bracket keys for performing that function. Thanks, guys, for a very nice feature.
Bob
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In my latest blog entry I report on the results of a comparison test of PhotoDirector 3 and a competing product.
http://alongwayfromcallahancounty.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/compare-corel-aftershot-pro-and-cyberlink-photodirector-3/
With its better tools and more logical design, PhD3 was the winner and recommended product for average amateur photographers and amateur photography enthusiasts.
A couple of things I hope the CyberLine engineers will consider revising:
1. The Magnifier. It's not very useful in its present form. Too small and too far away from the image for the user to visualize in context. A floating window that could be moved next to the image area being viewed would be better.
2. PhD3 needs Stacking. If you create 5 virtual images for HDR, for example, they take up a lot of space. Would be better to be able to fold them in a stack and then unfold when needed.
Bob
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PIX, after seeing your post this morning, I opened PhD3 again.
However, I cannot replicate the issue now.
I encountered this behavior after running PhD3, a competing product and an external editor for a couple of hours. I was doing a feature and performance comparison.
Since you cannot replicate this behavior either -- using all of those different RAW format files -- I have to believe the observed phenomenon was related to memory/graphics card.
Bob
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1. Create a Virtual Image from a RAW file
2. Select that Virtual Image
3. Using either the Zoom dropdown or Ctrl+mouse wheel, from the FIT position zoom in, 50%, 100%, 200%, 300%, etc.
4. At some setting in the zoom, the image in the workspace disappears.
5. Click the spacebar to go back to the Fit position and the image returns to the workspace. Click the spacebar again, and it disappears.
This behavior was not observed when working on the actual RAW image.
Bob
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PIX, thanks for your detailed reply.
It looks like a single project and multiple albums is the approach to take (with the weekly default backup).
It appears the tags assigned cannot be searched across multiple projects. So, I'll stick with one project, but each of my shooting episodes will be imported and assigned to an album. I'll then be able to search among all the files in the project.
I'm really an enthusiast amateur photographer, and some of my images are for work outside PhotoDirector. Those photos usually wind up as multi-level master files in the proprietary format of PhotoLine or Photoshop Elements and exported from there as JPGs or PNGs. Thus for my purposes I see no reason to elect to bring the exported TIFs or JPGs from PhD3 back into PhotoDirector.
I hope we'll soon be getting more users of PhD3 to post about their experiences here to provide additional feedback to the PhotoDirector engineers.
Bob
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I'm hoping you folks experienced with PhD3 can offer some guidance/comments in the following related to the workflow in PhotoDirector 3:
1. Project & Album -- I'm a bit confused about when a new project should be created. I've seen reports on workflow in other products, indicating photographers create a new project file for every photo shoot they do. PhD3, however, doesn't appear to be designed for that way of doing things since I discovered PhotoDirector needs to shut down and restart whenever a new project is created. Albums are a subset of Projects. Any limits on albums in a project? What is the best practice here?
2. Auto Tone -- On my system processing a RAW file, the Auto Tone button under the Adjustment/Manual tabs does not even come close to getting the appropriate slider positions for the various settings under Tone. It's always washed out, verging on actual blowout in some cases. I'm assuming this is related to the application's default rendering of a particular camera's RAW format, in my case ORF. No user adjustment to correct this. A minor nuisance.
3. Export, Start Number in Custom Name -- Won't take a "0" nor leading 0's to begin a multi-digit numbering sequence. In a situation with 100 images, for example, some outside browsers would not properly sort the single-digit numbers. A bug that should be corrected, in my opinion.
Bob
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I wound up doing a complete uninstall of PhD3 and then a reinstall. Unfortunately, the PhD3 software I have (a free version because I purchased PhotoDirector 2011 late in its lifespan) required me to have PhD 2011 on my computer when I did a reinstall.
So, I had to go through the hassle of that extra step. Not a very well throught out process by Cyberlink. They didn't think about customers having to do a reinstall. 
So far, I have imported only RAW files into my PhD3 catalog, avoiding TIFs and JPGs for the moment while I try to figure out what happened to cause the failure of my program to run.
Bob
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I imported about 200 images into PhotoDirector 3. From that group, I deleted approximately 25 RAW images. After that action I get an animated icon and a message PhD3 is updating (I don't remember the specific wording). While this is happening, I work in another program for about 15 minutes. When I return to PhD3, I still have the message and the animated icon. I shut down PhD3 with the Windows Task Manager.
I try to start PhotoDirector 3 again. I get a message that PhD3 is checking the project. A few seconds after that message disappears, PhD3 crashes.
(There's an automatic reporting error-reporting box that pops up requesting details about what I was doing, information to be send to Cyberlink.)
Any suggestions on what I might do before I report this problem to Cyberlink support?
Thanks in advance.
Bob
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On my system there seems to be a limit on the number of Virtual Photos that can be created at one time. I have noticed this phenomenon on several occasions.
The latest:
I imported an old set of images I shot a couple of years ago. It included both camera RAW and exported JPGs for a total of 180 photos. I was reviewing to determine if I could improve the processing in PhotoDirector 3. I created about 15 Virtual Photos for later processing, but the program would not allow creation of any more. I closed PhD3, then restarted the application, and found I could perform "Create Virtual Photo" operations again.
Is this expected behavior?
Bob
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Nor do I. That's why I'm using PhotoDirector. (The FREE product doesn't recognize RAW files anyway.) When I shoot these days it's always RAW.
It's the management of the files not imported into PhD that creates the conundrum for me -- raster images saved in a photo editor's proprietary format, vector graphics, jpg images family and friends have shared, etc.
Still trying to determine the most efficient workflow with those files.
Bob
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Thanks, Danny. I missed the box when I have exported.
I've been using ACDSee Pro 5 as both my RAW editor and DAM, but it's slow, requiring periodic database maintenance, and the workflow is inefficient.
Now that I have switched to PhotoDirector for my out-of-camera work, I want to make certain I'm getting everything I can handled by that application.
For the rest of my images, I've been tinkering with Zoner Photo Studio 14 FREE as a replacement for ACDSee Pro. It seems to be very fast. I know that Faststone has a large user base, indicating its value to many photographers.
Bob
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