Helicon Soft Forum

Dear all,
I'm currently having an issue with 8.3.3 on a Mac M3 Max running under 15.4.1:
I created twitter outputs from one stack. One with method B and one with A. Whenever I go to retouching I cannot select the other output from the list box. It's just not listed. In the last version I used (8.2.xx) this was working. I hope this helps to find the issue.

Thanks,

Björn

Hi Björn,

Check that both stacks are sorted in the same order (ascending/descending). Select a fixed order instead of Auto if it's different.

Hi Catherine,
both stacks were made with the same settings an order. The only "issue" is, that the order used was ascending or descending, but mixed. Again, in both cases the same order. Could this be the issue?

Hi Catherine,
short update: The functionality of retouching a stack with another output stack from the same source images doesn't work in 8.3.3. I've tested it with a "perfect" stack, which worked under 8.2.18. The listbox on the retouching tab is just not populated with the output images from the same source images. This is true for all my Mac setups: M3Max, M4Max.

Can you reproduce this issue or can I help further? I've very urgent need for that functionality!

Thanks!

Björn

Hi Björn,

It works for me, so there is no obvious problem with it outright not working.
After rendering your two stacks, click each output image at the bottom to select the stack, then right-click any one of the source images (doesn't matter which) and see whether "Sort ascending" or "Sort descending" has a checkmark next to it. It must be the same for both stacks to be compatible.

Hi Catherine,
already checked it and did it again:
Both outputs were made with the same settings (i.e. descending). It's not showing uptime in the listbox. Whenever I click on it, it doesn't open.
I've tried to attach 3 screenshots with each 250 kb, but the board bring the message that they are to big for posting (Although, in the line above it states 10 MB...).
In the one with the retouching tab open, I clicked in the listbox for the output images, but nothing happened. In 8.2.18 it worked w/o issues.

Though, any other thoughts. This might not be the issue, unless I understood you correctly.

Thanks!

Björn

Is the list of source images the same between the two stacks? If it is, they should be compatible. Please do the following: restart Helicon Focus (version 8.3.3, the one currently on the website). Render one stack, then render it the second time however you wanted to, and if they are still incompatible for retouching - send a bug report (menu - Help - Contact support).

I've send the bug report. It still did not work.

Just an update related to this issue:

I can reproduce it with the current release on a different MacBook Pro, too. Unfortunately, it's nearly the same setup MacOS 15.4.1, same processor, but different SSD. Though, I assume there's an issue around this MacOs version and / or this processor...

I hope this helps to find the issue.

Thanks for your efforts!

Hi Bjorn,

We have replied to you yesterday with a link to a working version, looks like you didn't get the e-mail. Here it is, the issue is fixed, sorry for the inconvenience.

Hi Catherine,
great! I've tested quickly the retouching and it works. Great service and very quick reaction. Absolutely no need to say sorry.

Thanks,

Björn

Catherine wrote: 06.05.2025 14:21 Hi Bjorn,

We have replied to you yesterday with a link to a working version, looks like you didn't get the e-mail. Here it is, the issue is fixed, sorry for the inconvenience.

I have had the same issue. This post is the first I've found - the _first_! Normally I have to search for clues...

I know how challenging it can be to chase down bugs, to replicate the fault so you can try and figure out the problem.

I'm impressed.

FWIW, the measure of quality is not things not going wrong, it's how things going wrong are handled. And it's not even about speed - it's about treating the problem with appropriate seriousness.

Hi Catherine,
I am using HF 8.3.6 on an M4 Max. I tried rendering a stack of 3 images first with the C method, then immediately with method B. I wanted to use the C stack as a source for retouching B but it says ""no compatible outputs". The images were sorted automatically in both cases. The options for ascending and descending sorts were grayed out. Can you help me?
Thanks,
Eric
PS. I subsequently realized that I can ignore the "grayed out" items and check auto again, and then the other sorting options become available. Once I switch to ascending or descending, I get "compatible" outputs for retouching. Can I suggest expanding the relevant part of the manual a little? Thanks.

Hi!

Yes, you can un-check the "Auto" option to get access to the fixed manual order. When you select a rendered stack (click the result in the bottom bar) and right-click any of the source images in that stack, the checkmark will indicated the order used for this stack, ascending or descending, even if "Auto" is also enabled.
If your gets auto-sorted in different directions, it means that it's not uniform in terms of focus/magnification increasing or decreasing, specifically, there's a problem with the first couple shots or the last couple shots.
We'll check the manual, thanks for pointing it out.