LaserSoft Imaging

Hi,

to improve image quality I bought SilverFast Ai with my DigitDia 4000 a couple of days ago. Up to now I'm very dissapointed. Originally I got version 6.4.3r9 which has the following problems:

1.) In 48 bit mode iSRD is not usable. It produces distortions instead of "cleaning" the image
2.) Scan time is very very long. 6.4.3r9 needs a lot of time for iSRD processing.

To have a faster scanning and a iSRD in 48-bit mode I updated to SilverFast Ai version 6.4.4r2. This version is completely unusable because of the crashes allready described in other topics.

Dear Gerd

thank you for your interest in LaserSoft Imaging's software products.

This forum, as others, has a search function. "Digitdia" or "iSRD" will show you that when you experience problems after an update, trashing the prefs might by a good idea:
Thus, please delete the Prefs folder (while SF isn't running) and check whether this does improve the situation.
On a typical Windows XP installation, the SilverFast "Prefs" folder is to be found at:
C: \ Documents and Settings \ (your username) \ Application Data \ LaserSoft Imaging \ SilverFast \
On a typical Mac OS X installation, the SilverFast "Prefs" folder is to be found at:
/ User / (your username) / Library / Preferences / LaserSoft Imaging / SilverFast /

But if this doesn't help, please don't hesitate to contact support: https://www.silverfast.com/problemreport/en.html
How to help support staff to help you: https://www.silverfast.com/faq/1058/en.html
Thank you in anticipation of your kind co-operation.

Best regards
Sonny Noack
- Manager Technical Support, LaserSoft Imaging AG -

LSI_Noack wrote:Dear Gerd

thank you for your interest in LaserSoft Imaging's software products.

This forum, as others, has a search function. "Digitdia" or "iSRD" will show you that when you experience problems after an update, trashing the prefs might by a good idea:
Thus, please delete the Prefs folder (while SF isn't running) and check whether this does improve the situation.
On a typical Windows XP installation, the SilverFast "Prefs" folder is to be found at:
C: \ Documents and Settings \ (your username) \ Application Data \ Lasersoft Imaging \ SilverFast \
On a typical Mac OS X installation, the SilverFast "Prefs" folder is to be found at:
/ User / (your username) / Library / Preferences / LaserSoft Imaging / SilverFast /

But if this doesn't help, please don't hesitate to contact support: http://www.silverfast.com/problemreport/en.html
How to help support staff to help you: http://www.silverfast.com/faq/1058/en.html
Thank you in anticipation of your kind co-operation.

Best regards
Sonny Noack
- Manager Technical Support, LaserSoft Imaging AG -

Thank you for your reply. I've searched this forum for help and tried all proposed solutions and tips (including the deletion of the prefs folder). But until now nothing helped and I'm still unhappy with your software.

I'll have a last try before contacting your support and asking for the last version which seems to be o.k. (6.4.3r8). I'm going to uninstall the software including the deletion of all directories and registry entries.

Best regards,

Gerd

Gerd wrote:I'll have a last try before contacting your support and asking for the last version which seems to be o.k. (6.4.3r8). I'm going to uninstall the software including the deletion of all directories and registry entries.

You can have more than one version installed:
After Installation of the program, rename the program folder
to (for example)
and install the second one.

Afterwards, you can use the Silverfast Launcher to switch between the versions.
I do this, because I do also have problems with frequent crashing of the newer software especially when using the Multiscan feature. By not deleting the prefs (in order not to need a re-setup the job) when switching versions, the Isrd function does not work correctly (only) with the older version (does simply not remove dust), which might be one possible cause for less crashing. Furhermore, crashes are more frequent when working with other applications at the computer while scanning.

When you see distortions intead of a cleaned picture, you should check the ISRD level setting. Across versions, the settings scale for this parameter has changed. Depending on the slide film and picture contents, the ISRD function sometimes detects dark sections as dust and does (very time-consuming) interpolations sometimes for large areas - then you will see mostly diagonal structures like triangles and/or torn edges.
Note that there are some slide film types such as Kodachrome which are unsuitable for ISRD cleaning.
If you still have the problem, you should include a snapshot of the distortion in the message to allow better analysis.

Eckart M?rkel

Thanks, Eckart. I have been using Silverfast for several years and never thought to do this! I am going to try running more than one version and do some comparison tests. Great tip!

Helpful Corn wrote: I am going to try running more than one version and do some comparison tests. Great tip!

I am not quite sure but I think I got the tip from this forum, maybe with a slightly different context.
Although I mentioned it, with this type of installtion you should keep in mind one thing:
When you install a newer program version, the program is responsible for necessary convertings of old data left from the previous installation, if it accesses or processes it - whatever mechanism is used for.
A downgrade is not always considered by programmers, therefore manual action might be necessary, mostly by a complete deinstallation of the old version.
The tricky installation described prevents these mechanisms and can lead to invalid configurations when they access the same configuration data: first the older version might get problems with a changed data format and after modifyind the data, the newer version too.
While this way is ok if solving problems (you see what you get), this may lead to invalid results when comparing versions to judge what is good - you do not use an installation provided by the manufacturer at own risk with no guarantee until you reinstall the program according to installation instructions.
Eckart M?rkel