Depth of field blending / RAM

[LMMPhoto]

I am new to Photoshop and am learning to use CS4. I tried to blend 5 images for depth of field but got the not enough RAM msg.

I am using Windows with 4gigs of RAM and a 512 vid card. The files that I was trying to blend were raw taken with a 5d.

I checked Preferences-Performance and it showed:
Avail. RAM - 1694
Ideal Range : 931-1220
Let Photoshop use 1016 set at 60%

I didn't have anything else running or open.
I loaded the files as layers from LR2.

Should I adj. the 60%?
How much RAM do I need for this application?
How much would I need if I bought a 5d2 and wanted to use the same number of images?
Are there techniques to use less RAM while blending but still maintain maximum image detail and quality?

Sorry for the multi-questions and that this got kinda long.

[LostShootingStar]

You need to do something one way or another. Try increasing th 60%, or getting more RAM, or even working with smaller files? those messages don't just come from no where http://www.entertainment-place.info/smile/img/2465/o09a0208gstn/POTNsmile.gif
http://www.entertainment-place.info/smile/img/3200/n08d1214eybr/1by1.gif

[Yogesh Sarkar]

Are you using 32bit windows or 64bit? Close all the programs that are running, apart from Photoshop and also increase the RAM amount from 60% to 80-90% and see if it works.

[mrso]

try a fresh reboot too ... when I edit movies sometimes it gets bogged down.

[LMMPhoto]

I am using 32bit.

I just tried a fresh re-boot, and upping the allowable ram avail. to Photoshop to 85%. The only thing open was Photoshop.

I still got the "not enough RAM" msg.

The files are about 11mb. each.

How much ram are people building systems with for this type of work?

[Yogesh Sarkar]

Try reinstalling photoshop, most likely application error. Btw with 32bit windows you can only use about 3.5GB of RAM (including graphic card memory). Check this thread for more info, http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=441063

[Aszental]

i just updated from vista 32bit 3 gig ram... to 64bit with 6 gig. It was totally worth it, can open up multiple 5d Mark II files, have multi layer documents open all without a slowdown.

[LMMPhoto]

Try reinstalling photoshop, most likely application error. Btw with 32bit windows you can only use about 3.5GB of RAM (including graphic card memory). Check this thread for more info, http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=441063

I figured that I had 3.5GB since the video card was taking up the rest of the 4GB. I didn't know the whole story though. Thanks for the link. Good info.


i just updated from vista 32bit 3 gig ram... to 64bit with 6 gig. It was totally worth it, can open up multiple 5d Mark II files, have multi layer documents open all without a slowdown.

All this definitely makes me want to upgrade as well. Are you happy with 6GB or do you want more already?

[René Damkot]

I am using Windows with 4gigs of RAM and a 512 vid card.
[...]
I checked Preferences-Performance and it showed:
Avail. RAM - 1694

Where did the rest of the 3 Gb go?

[LMMPhoto]

Where did the rest of the 3 Gb go?

The link below explains it.

Try reinstalling photoshop, most likely application error. Btw with 32bit windows you can only use about 3.5GB of RAM (including graphic card memory). Check this thread for more info, http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=441063

[LMMPhoto]

I checked the performance tab in the Windows Task Manager and this is what it showed as avail. memory.

Nothing open: 3052372

Photoshop open with no images: 2983492

Photoshop with the 5 images as layers: 2299740

5 images as layers after Auto Align: 1670564

I can't complete auto blend because of the not enough RAM msg.

I am assuming that the difference between the 2.98 with Photoshop open and the 1.6 that Photoshop says I have avail. is because of my motherboard etc. using up memory like is explained in the above link already posted.

1.3GB seems like alot though.

[Yogesh Sarkar]

Reduce the number of history states to something like 5 and see if it makes a difference, also increase the maximum RAM available to photoshop to 100% and reduce the cache level to 1.

[Bearmann]

Reduce the number of history states to something like 5 and see if it makes a difference, also increase the maximum RAM available to photoshop to 100% and reduce the cache level to 1.

Oh, I don't think you are supposed to run photshop at 100% ram. The operating system needs some.

[Zebceponaf]

This might not help, but I've gotten those errors before when I resize images, instead of to 2000 pixels, I did it to 2000 inches.

Just wanted to throw out the idea that it could be a bonehead moment you don't realize.

[Moppie]

Oh, I don't think you are supposed to run photshop at 100% ram. The operating system needs some.


I run mine at 100%, never had a problem with it.

I can leave CS3 and LR both batching RAW and Tiff files from my 30D while I play FarCry2 and I only have 4GB of ram.

[Colorblinded]

Oh, I don't think you are supposed to run photshop at 100% ram. The operating system needs some.
It should only be able to get 100% of what the OS allows it to have.


The files are about 11mb. each.

For what it's worth that's only the size of the compressed RAW file, the amount of space the open file needs in memory is much larger. I don't know how Photoshop would handle the converted RAW data internally if it's not specifically placing it in a standard 16 bit container to hold all 12 bits of RAW data. If it were a 16 bit file at the 5D's full resolution you'd be looking at north of 70MB of data.

[LMMPhoto]

It should only be able to get 100% of what the OS allows it to have.


For what it's worth that's only the size of the compressed RAW file, the amount of space the open file needs in memory is much larger. I don't know how Photoshop would handle the converted RAW data internally if it's not specifically placing it in a standard 16 bit container to hold all 12 bits of RAW data. If it were a 16 bit file at the 5D's full resolution you'd be looking at north of 70MB of data.

Yeah, I think you are right about the files being around 70mb. I think that's about what they have been without any layers added etc. The 11mb was just a frame of reference for what they start life as.

[Colorblinded]

Yeah, I think you are right about the files being around 70mb. I think that's about what they have been without any layers added etc. The 11mb was just a frame of reference for what they start life as.
Yes if you start adding layers that size can start increasing rather quickly!

[Yogesh Sarkar]

Oh, I don't think you are supposed to run photshop at 100% ram. The operating system needs some.
That percentage only refers to the free RAM available in the system, after OS and other previously opened applications have had their share.

[Bearmann]

In that case, I'm going to start running mine full out at 110% RAM :shock: I'm giving her all she's got, Captain!!! :mrgreen:

[Default501x]

yea, i always run mine at 100%. also, you NEED to be running a 64 bit OS if you plan on doing anything RAM intensive