Do I need 8-bit or 16-bit output?
Is there a PDF manual, how do I print out the users guide?
Q:
I have a Noise Ninja license and want to use the new plug-in, what should
I do?
You should upgrade your license from a standalone license
to a bundle license that will allow you to use the plug-in and the standalone
versions of Noise Ninja. You can upgrade to a Bundle license here.
Q: Where
should Noise Ninja be used in the workflow?
It is usually best to apply noise reduction as early
as is practical in the workflow. Post-processing adjustments like sharpening,
contrast stretching, and color balancing can alter pixel values and noise
levels in unpredictable ways. Depending on the amount of adjustment, this
can make it more difficult for Noise Ninja to estimate noise levels. Sharpening,
for instance, is a nonlinear operation that can significantly distort
the distribution of noise values.
If your workflow requires that you use Noise Ninja after
some other operations, then try to create noise profiles using calibration
images that have been put through the same operations.
Q: Do you
have a profile for camera XYZ?
Current profiles are listed on the Download
page. If your camera is not listed there, it is easy to create your own
profiles, and it only takes a few minutes once you understand the process.
Instructions are in the Help file. If you create new profiles and would
like to share them with other users, feel free to email them to us.
Q: Do I need 8-bit or 16-bit
output?
An 8-bit file represents each pixel using three 8-bit
values: one each for red, green, and blue, for a total of 24 bits per
pixel. A 16-bit file represents each pixel using three 16-bit values,
for a total of 48 bits per pixel. In an 8-bit file, there are only 256
possible brightness levels for each color channel. In a 16-bit file, there
are 65536 possible levels.
16-bit files hold up better to subsequent image adjustments
like contrast stretching or color balancing. 8-bit images will tend to
show obvious posterization artifacts even after modest adjustments. Dark
shadows, for instance, have very few bits of useful information in an
8-bit file, so they exhibit visible steps in color values when they are
lightened. Gradient areas of the same color can also show banding or steps
after adjustments.
So, if you expect to make substantial adjustments to
images after filtering them with Noise Ninja, then 16-bit output is recommended.
However, if you only intend to make minor adjustments before printing
or displaying the images, then 8-bit output will probably be adequate.
Professional workflows typically use 16-bit files because it allows fine
control over tonality and color with less risk of introducing objectionable
artifacts.
Internally, Noise Ninja processes all images at 16 bits
or 32 bits per channel, in both the Home and Pro editions. Conversion
to 8 bits only happens when you save the file to disk.
Is there a PDF manual, how
do I print out the users guide?
A PDF version of the users guide for easy printing can
be found in the Doc sub-folder of the main Noise Ninja folder.
Q: I purchased a keycode
for Noise Ninja 1. Do I need to purchase a new keycode for Noise Ninja
2?
Noise Ninja 2 Standalone is a free upgrade for customers
who purchased a license for Noise Ninja 1. Send us an email to request
a keycode.
The plug-in version of Noise Ninja requires a Home Bundle
or Pro Bundle keycode. You can upgrade from the standalone version for
$10. To upgrade, go to the Purchase page and
follow the link near the top to the upgrade page. You will need to enter
a valid keycode for the 2.0 standalone product.
Q: Noise
Ninja won't accept my license keycode. What should I do?
Almost without exception, this turns out to be caused
by one of the following:
- Mistaking the digits "0" and "1"
for the letters "O" and "l".
- Forgetting to enter the correct user name.
- Trying to install a version 2 keycode in Noise
Ninja 1, or a version 1 keycode in Noise Ninja 2. (If you have purchased
a keycode for Noise Ninja 1, you can request a new keycode for Noise
Ninja 2 at no charge.)
- Trying to install a standalone keycode in the
Noise Ninja plug-in. If you want to use the plug-in you'll have to upgrade
to a bundle license. You can upgrade here.
In the Noise Ninja 2 User Guide, there is page titled
"Installing a license key" in the "Preliminaries"
section. It includes screenshots to show how to correctly fill in the
fields of the License dialog.
If the information here doesn't help you to resolve
your keycode problem, send us an email.
Q: I had a problem placing my order.
What should I do?
Orders via the website are handled by SWREG, a firm
located in Britain. If there is a problem with payment (for instance,
your credit card is rejected for some reason, or you were inappropriately
charged VAT), it is usually best to contact SWREG first at http://www.swreg.org/pages/contact.html.
If you are unable to achieve a satistfactory resolution of the problem
with SWREG, then contact PictureCode and we will try to help.
Q: On how many computers
can I install Noise Ninja with one license?
You may install and use your Key on one
computer at home, one computer at work, and one portable computer, if and only if no
more than one person uses the Key at any time. So, a
family member or coworker can use the same Key on one of your
computers, but only when nobody else is using the Key on any other
computer. If more than one person wishes to use the activated
features of the Software simultaneously, then a different Key must be
purchased for each person.
|