Nikon NX studio

[arthurking83]

NXStudio appears to have a bit of a personality complex.
I re-installed CNX-D a few days ago to do some tests.

I had a folder from last year with images of my brother and I camping.
NXStudio doesn't seem to be consistent in how to display files previously edited by various software .. or more accurately it creates the illusion of inconsistency to the viewer.
In that folder of images I refer too, I used VNX2 as a primary editing tool. I find it's easier to edit for example whitebalance/picture control maybe some exposure .. etc. all in batches where needed on some, most or all images ... depending on image results.
VNX2 as a detailed editor is far too basic, and on some images I then send them to CNX2 for spot editing using for example colour control points here and there.

CNX-D, I used for 'optional' editing on some images .. more as a test for possible switch to this program if I needed too based on camera model purchases.

VNX2 and CNX2 both edit the NEFs with embedded instructions for how to display the NEF and in capable viewing software which depends on the NEF codec installed(ie. Windows Explorer and my use of Windows Photo Gallery).
So edits in VNX2/CNX2 are displayed as were edited .. perfect!

CNX-D as we know uses the sidecar file system and creates a folder(NKSC_PARAM) in the main folder where images are stored and edit steps are stored in .nksc files. Delete those sidecar files and CNX-D edits are gone.
If a file is not edited in CNX-D, the embedded edits are honoured by CNX-D. Once the .nksc file is created CNX-D ignores the embedded edit and uses it's own edit sidecar file.

NXStudio then comes along and it appears to me to honour the latest software edit processes.
That is, if no .nksc edit files are present it honours the embedded edit(VNX2/CNX2) without issue. Displays the rating/label made in those software too.
But if I edit the already edited images in CNX-D too, Studio prefers the CNX-D edit over the embedded edit instead. If I change the rating(already set in VNX2) Studio also maintains the CNX-D rating(if it has been altered).

Delete the NKSC_PARAM folder or individual .nksc sidecar file .. ie. nullifying any CNX-D edits and Studio then reverts back to the VNX2/CNX2 embedded edit. Studio can also revert the VNX2/CNX2 edited image back to it's original unedited state too if required.

I totally forgot that I edited the images in CNX-D in this folder(shot back in June 2020) and couldn't work out why my CNX2 edited images didn't look right in Studio .. then noted the hierarchy preference for displaying NEFs when edited.

@ David: Following on from the ITPC thread, if you used VNX2 to rate and tag your D850 images then used Studio to edit them you shouldn't have any issues. As long as you use Studio to view those images again, and not VNX2.
You should see parity between those two software at least in terms of tagged data, but edited images in Studio(as yet) will not display in that way in VNX2. Nikon seems to have altered the embedded editing method from VNX2/CNX2's embedded method now, in Studio.

As my edits in CNX-D were only ever for testing and maintaining some semblance of contact with the future of Nikon software .. I'm going to do a PC wide search for all NKSC_PARAM directories and delete them all so as to not confuse myself when using VNX2/CNX2 and Studio.
Have to say too, a bit disappointed that Studio will not add tag/keyword data in the same way of old when supposedly embedding it. Hope they will fix that aspect one day.

What happens is that using VNX2 to embed tag data, my Windows workflow works fine. Using EXIFToolGUI one can easily see the embedded XMP and ITPC data entered via those methods. But not the supposedly embedded Studio keyword data.
Where this is supposed to be saved too in the image, and it appears to be saved going only via Studio itself, it's not saved neither in the XMP or IPTC area of the raw files.

[David H. Hartman]

Here is an example of what can be done with Color Control Points in NX Studio. In this case I used Capture NX-D since NX Studio requires a newer OS than High Sierra and this old MacBook Pro won't run a newer macOS than High Sierra. As far as I can see the Color Control Points feature is the same in NX Studio as it is in Capture NX-D. I used nine control points to darken features surrounding the artichoke bloom to make the bloom look as though it was in a spotlight. To an extent the bloom was somewhat spotlighted by a Nikon SB-800 but it took the CCP(s) to enhance the effect. Out of the nine sliders offered by CCP I used smaller Size, lower Brightness and less Saturation. I used LCH, master lightness curve to darken the shadows and increase the contrast in the mid tones and high lights and also chroma to lower the saturation of the greens.  A few other tricks were used but the most important was Color Control Points.


Globe Artichoke by Dave Hartman, on Flickr

The lens used was an AF-S 105/2.8G IF-ED VR Micro-Nikkor. I was standing on stairs so a tripod was out of the question. I used AF-C, continuous servo auto focus and VR. The Artichoke was lit by a hazy sky and a Nikon SB-800 speedlight with a diffusion cap. The SB-800 was on the right and above. I would have had one hell of a time getting anything with my manual focus 105/4.0 AI Micro-Nikkor.

Here is the stright out of camera photo...

[Jack Dahlgren]

Here is an example of what can be done with Color Control Points in NX Studio. In this case I used Capture NX-D since NX Studio requires a newer OS than High Sierra and this old MacBook Pro won't run a newer macOS than High Sierra. As far as I can see the Color Control Points feature is the same in NX Studio as it is in Capture NX-D. I used nine control points to darken features surrounding the artichoke bloom to make the bloom look as though it was in a spotlight. To an extent the bloom was somewhat spotlighted by a Nikon SB-800 but it took the CCP(s) to enhance the effect. Out of the nine sliders offered by CCP I used smaller Size, lower Brightness and less Saturation. I used LCH, master lightness curve to darken the shadows and increase the contrast in the mid tones and high lights and also chroma to lower the saturation of the greens.  A few other tricks were used but the most important was Color Control Points.


Globe Artichoke by Dave Hartman, on Flickr

The lens used was an AF-S 105/2.8G IF-ED VR Micro-Nikkor. I was standing on stairs so a tripod was out of the question. I used AF-C, continuous servo auto focus and VR. The Artichoke was lit by a hazy sky and a Nikon SB-800 speedlight with a diffusion cap. The SB-800 was on the right and above. I would have had one hell of a time getting anything with my manual focus 105/4.0 AI Micro-Nikkor.

Here is the stright out of camera photo...

It is interesting (to me at least) that I prefer the original shot. It has better tones as well as including the lovely curves in the foliage.

[David H. Hartman]

A feature of NX Studio and Capture NX-D that may be under used is the Adjust> Save all adjustments/load adjustments feature>. This allows one to save multiple sets of adjustments for one NEF. The complete suite of adjustments are saved when the user chooses and can be saved with a meaningful name, e.g.D850_DSC2562_ccp.nxd or for the following rendition D850_DSC2562_ccp_lite.nxd (meaningfull to me anyway). Again on the old macOS I'm using Capture NX-D. If I were on a new macOS using NX Studio the file extension would be *.nka. The feature works the same way on NX Studio as on Capture NX-D but they don't read each others files.  The only bridge currently between CNXD's *.nxd and NXS' *.nka files is the *.nksc side car files.

In the following version of this photo I've backed off the Color Control Points' negative brightness settings to reduce the darkening of the periphery, removed the LCH master lightness curve and there is almost no crop, just a sliver on the left. The Save all adjustments/Load adjustments feature allows me to save as many sets of adjustments as I like. I always include the NEF file name as a part of these adjustment files' name.

I'm using the old MacBook Pro because it has a very good display. The alternative is a school loaner HP Probook with a display that totally sucks.

Dave


Globe Artichoke, alternate processing by Dave Hartman, on Flickr

[David H. Hartman]

What happens is that using VNX2 to embed tag data, my Windows workflow works fine. Using EXIFToolGUI one can easily see the embedded XMP and ITPC data entered via those methods. But not the supposedly embedded Studio keyword data.
Where this is supposed to be saved too in the image, and it appears to be saved going only via Studio itself, it's not saved neither in the XMP or IPTC area of the raw files.

NX Studio is saving the XMP/IPCT metadata in the *.nksc sidecar files in the NKSC_PARAM folder. The lack of standards on where and how XMP/IPCT metadata is stored is making a mess. 

Dave

I may try installing ViewNX2 in Yosemite and then copy and paste the app and it's library support files into High Sierra. I'd prefer a modern and supported app that can embed the XMP/IPCT data in the NEF that runs on the macOS. Which macOS is the 64,000 Dollar question. 

I'm finding Adobe Bridge over-heats this old MacBook Pro. 

[Jack Dahlgren]

In the following version of this photo I've backed off the Color Control Points' negative brightness settings to reduce the darkening of the periphery, removed the LCH master lightness curve and there is almost no crop, just a sliver on the left. The Save all adjustments/Load adjustments feature allows me to save as many sets of adjustments as I like. I always include the NEF file name as a part of these adjustment files' name.

I'm using the old MacBook Pro because it has a very good display. The alternative is a school loaner HP Probook with a display that totally sucks.

Dave

I think the green in the foliage in the original offsets the purple in the center. I'm saying this after viewing on a few different screens.

[David H. Hartman]

With the colour reversal comment .. it was so easy in CNX2 to adjust the tone curve to colour reverse the negative, save that job and use it to batch edit any other negatives I'd digitized.

Arthur,

This is still possible in both Capture NX-D and NX Studio using the Levels and Curves tool. Grab the lower left point (zero) and raise it to 255 then grab the upper right (255) and drag it down to zero. This is in the Levels and Curves tool not the LCH tool.

Note that doing this in NX Studio is a bit flaky either because of a bug or the small size of the tool graph. If the image reverses from positive to negative with a film negative scan you can drag the now upper left point to the right one pixel and the tag will still read "255" and the negative scan will again appear as a positive image.

Don't confuse LCH and Levels and Curves and you'll be fine. This reversing of color can be saved in various ways. I haven't explored this with a scan of a film negative so I can't be too specific but perhaps a custom Picture Control could be created.

Dave

Creating a Custom Curve in Picture Control Utility 2 might do the trick.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

NX Studio 1.0.1 is available for download.

[David H. Hartman]

Thanks for letting us know. Have you tried it? Any improvments?

Dave

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Thanks for letting us know. Have you tried it? Any improvments?

Dave

The download page lists a long list of small changes.

https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/download/sw/199.html

"
    • Added support for the Z fc.
    • Added support for Russian.
    • NX Studio can now link with the Wireless Transmitter Utility to display pictures immediately after shooting. You will need to:
        - choose NX Studio for Open images with this application after transfer in the “select destination folder and application” dialog for Wireless Transmitter Utility version 1.9.5 or later and
        - have placed a check next to Show Image Immediately After Shooting in the NX Studio File menu.

    Support for a link with Camera Control Pro 2 is expected with the next public release of Camera Control Pro 2.
    • Cropping a previously-cropped picture will no longer reset the previous crop.
    • Anchor points can now be deleted from tone curves using the delete key.
    • “Favorites” can now list up to 300 items.
    • Albums can now hold up to 100 items.
    • Rotations are no longer included when adjustments are copied or saved using Copy All Adjustments, Save All Adjustments, or Record All Adjustments.
    • Disabling the Crop Tool now also disables:
        - the crop selection pull-down menu,
        - the “rotate crop” button,
        - the crop dimension text-entry boxes, and
        - the Show Cropping Grid check box.
    • Addressed an issue that prevented export of large numbers of pictures using Export.
    • Fixed the following issues:
        - Color control points added after a picture was cropped would sometimes not be in the expected position.
        - Tone curves with a slope of -45° would not be applied to pictures.
        - Changes to rotated pictures using the retouch brush would not appear where expected.
        - Saving pictures after adjusting labels and/or performing other adjustments would sometimes cause labels to disappear.
        - Saving pictures would reset adjustments made by the user after:
            ▹ using Paste Adjustments to apply adjustments copied using Copy All Adjustments,
            ▹ using Load Adjustments to apply adjustments saved using Save All Adjustments, or
            ▹ applying adjustments using Record All Adjustments.
        - Track logs created using the D6 could not be read.
    • Adjusted the monitor scaling used when Auto was selected for Options > View > Size of Text and Icon.
    • Fixed the following issues:
        - A blue screen would in rare cases be displayed when pictures were opened.
        - Paste Adjustments would not be applied when selected in the context menu displayed by right-clicking thumbnails.
        - The export dialog would sometimes appear at the bottom left corner of the display.
        - The cursor would return to the left end of Japanese-language file names entered in the Save All Adjustments “Save As” dialog when input was complete.
"
I installed it and it seems to work.

I had experienced the mentioned bug that the export dialog would sometimes appear partly outside of the screen, now that has been apparently fixed. Also it's nice the one can use delete key to remove curves control points without having to reset the whole curve as was previously the case.

One of the more annoying things with the 1.0.0 version was that after giving ratings to images it would slow down the responsiveness of the user interface to arrow keys. I'll be checking to see if there has been any improvement in that area.

[David H. Hartman]

Undo/Redo still does not work! 

Nikon NX Studio is still a beta test program.

NX Studio still can't read Capture NX-D's *.ndx files. This is just like Capture NX-D could not to read Capture NX2's edits. This is a basic compatibility issue. Nikon doesn't learn.

Dave Who will continue using Capture NX-D for now.

[Ilkka Nissilä]

I noticed a strange bug in the latest version of NX Studio. When I mark a set of thumbnails by clicking on one image (to start a range) and then shift-clicking on the last thumbnails (to signify the end of the range), sometimes the first selected image has changed so the included set of images in the selection include a few additional images earlier in the display than the first selected image. Thus before deleting the selected images, I have to check that the software is working correctly and does not end up deleting images that I did not intend to delete. Nikon always seem to find a way to introduce new bugs into the software, and the type of bugs that make one a bit worried whether one should or should not be using their software in the first place.

[David H. Hartman]

Nikon always seem to find a way to introduce new bugs into the software, and the type of bugs that make one a bit worried whether one should or should not be using their software in the first place.

I suggest using ViewNX2 to delete or cull images. Then move the deleted images out of the Recycle or Trash to a temporary folder and double check. ViewNX2 will allow viewing the embedded JPG in an NEF in D850 NEF(s) and I believe D500, Z6 II and Z7 II NEF(s) if you install the latest Nikon Codec into Windows or in the case of macOS the Codec needs to be installed in the version of the macOS. It was so stupid of Nikon not to fix the install program so it worked with El Capitan. The install failure occurs on the install attempting to install the movie editor.

To install ViewNX2 in version of the macOS that it will run with it has to be installed in Yosemite first and copied to later versions. I installed ViewNX2 in Yosemite and copied the ViewNX2 folder into High Sierra's Applications folder and it works. I ignored the Library Support files as there were files there from installing ViewNXi and Capture NX-D on this old MacBook Pro.

Even easier is to keep using ViewNXi and CaptureNX-D until Nikon gets its act together. I don't understand why Nikon keeps shooting its self in the foot. Is management so dull they don't know this is costing them customers?

Dave

For those with the latest Intel compatible macOS and those with the M1 chip I don't think any older Nikon software will run. I might be talking trash here. I'm not sure because I'm stuck at High Sierra on this Early 2011 MacBook Pro.

[David H. Hartman]

Something I do to avoid errors is I select a single photo as something might be selected elsewhere I can't see if there are many thumbnails on a page. Then I select the first image to be part of a group and hold the shift key and go to the last image and the group is selected without an error.

I do the same when holding Control or Command to select various photos not in a line or chain. Again by doing this I know pretty well that I'm not going to include a thumbnail that's out of view. After selecting one and being sure only one is selected I hold Control or Command and then select additional thumbnails.

These might help. They help me avoid errors. 

Dave

[Ilkka Nissilä]

Something I do to avoid errors is I select a single photo as something might be selected elsewhere I can't see if there are many thumbnails on a page. Then I select the first image to be part of a group and hold the shift key and go to the last image and the group is selected without an error.

Right, this is how I do it as well but sometimes Studio adds images to the selection on its own (when making a multi-page selection). It's pretty scary actually, I'm wondering what images I may have deleted accidentally. Now I just check the selection from end to end before deleting and this seems to work correctly (after deleting the images NX Studio sometimes adds from the selection)

I can't go back to ViewNX-i; well I could, but it has its own issues. NX Studio is more usable to me. I'll figure out ways around the bugs in it and when I have time, I'll try to report them to Nikon.