External Program and plugins

[brucet]

Curiosity makes me ask this question.
I use Topaz DeNoise. I have DeNoise setup as an Plugin in both PSPx7 and Photoline.

If I'm working on an image in Photoline I have no issues calling up DeNoise. However if I have to/need to go to the external editor/PSPx7 and while using PSPx7 I try to use DeNoise the plugin/DeNoise is missing from PSPx7. If I get out of Photoline and go to the already open PSPx7 the plugin/DeNoise is still missing. However if PSPx7 was already running prior to me jumping from Photoline, DeNoise is available in PSPx7.

So in summary. Photoline is not allowing the external program to load the plugins. However if that external program is already running then Photoline is happy for the external program to run the plugin.

Is this a Photoline issue or a PSPx7 issue?

Not important but it does make it easier if I want to jump to PSPx7 and need to use DeNoise while there.

regards

[Hoogo]

Maybe the current path is wrong, maybe PSP expects the path to be its home folder, but it is the path of PL? Does PSP allow absolute paths to the plugins? And if Windows: Does PL allow to select a link instead of a .exe?

[brucet]

Both use the same path. Remember both work fine. It's only when Photoline actually opens PSPx7 as an external program that the plugins vanish. If PSPx7 is already open then everything is fine.

Not the end of the world. The curious.

regards

[photoken]

Are you sure you're trying to launch a 32-bit plugin from a 32-bit application, or a 64-bit plugin from a 64-bit application?

[brucet]

I have fallen for that trick before Ken. Everything is 64 bit.

regards

[photoken]

Then I agree with Hoogo that it's likely a path problem. For example, launching CorelDraw as an external program from PL shows this hierarchy in Process Explorer:

procexp.png

If PSP is using any sort of relative path searching from the process root, then it will fail to find the plugin, I'm thinking.

Is Topaz installed in its own independent directory, or is it installed under one of PSP's subdirectories?

[brucet]

I have my Topaz plugins in their own directory. Path is the same for both Photoline and PSP.

Photoline to PSP to use plugin works fine if PSP is already running. But if PSP is not running when opened by Photoline then the plugins fail to show up. I've tried on two different computers. Checking paths etc. It seems as though PSP is waiting for its own instructions to open the plugins. It must be something in the start up of PSP that loads the path to the plugins. So Photoline is not the issue but something within PSP.

So don't assume that plugins that work in other programs can be used via External Programs.

regards

[photoken]

brucet,
I did a test: Since I have CorelDrawGraphicsSuite X5 installed, I opened Corel PhotoPaint (their raster image editor) and added my general 32-bit plugins directory to its plugins search path. Then I defined PhotoPaint as a PL external program.

PhotoPaint is a 32-bit application, but when I launch PL 64-bit I can send the PL active layer to PhotoPaint and it opens and displays all the 32-bit plugins, which I can use to modify the image and PL will update its layer. Everything works as it should.

So the problem definitely seems to be with PSP, since all the various plugins as well as PhotoPaint and PL are working as expected.

[brucet]

Ken keep in mind that if, for any reason, I have already opened PSP everything works ok. It's only if PSP isn't running and is opened by Photoline as an external program that there is an issue.

So something in PSP opens the plugins. For whatever reason Photoline can't open the plugins within PSP unless it is already running. Easy answer is to open PSP normally. Then it's sitting there in the background. If needed by Photoline all is then well.
Just a habit to get into.

regards

[photoken]

It's only if PSP isn't running and is opened by Photoline as an external program that there is an issue.

That's my point -- when Corel PhotoPaint is not running, PL launches it and PhotoPaint sees all the plugins as it should.

So something in PSP opens the plugins. For whatever reason Photoline can't open the plugins within PSP unless it is already running.

Not quite right. PL has nothing at all to do with "opening the plugins within PSP". It's all up to PSP to do what it's supposed to.

[photoken]

brucet,
I just had a thought -- check the PSP documentation and see if it can take a commandline parameter to "load plugins at startup", or something similar....

[brucet]

"Not quite right. PL has nothing at all to do with "opening the plugins within PSP". It's all up to PSP to do what it's supposed to."

Ken isn't that what I said? PL isn't opening the plugin because PSP has to.

regards

[Hoogo]

Is there a 64Bit version of PSP?
PL comes in 2 flavors, 32Bit and 64Bit. Do they behave the same when PSP is started from them?

[brucet]

Yes Hoogo, PSP comes as both 32 and 64bit. I only use 64bit programs and plugins.
I know that with PSP the 64 bit version wont load 32 bit plugins. It's a common mistake made by many to try and mix the 32 and 64bit versions.

regards

[Hoogo]

Maybe the 32Bit version gets started when called by PL?