NX Studio Cropping Issue

[korot]

Hi.
I use a MacBook Air M1 with the Sonoma 14.4.1 operating system, and a D300.
I have been learning NX Studio Ver.1.6.1 64bit with NEF images full size of 4288px x 2848px.

When I crop the image using Custom set to 3600 x 2025 and Proceed’ed, the Current image size in the Crop sidebar showed 4212 x 2369. No matter what I do I cannot get Custom to hold the size I input.
Why could this be? Am I missing something or is this a bug?

Also, Free Crop doesn’t show the dimensions as I move the cursor around, so that would take a lot of trial and error to fix on the required values.

Cheers

 

[Marilynne]

Welcome!

I don't use NX Studio. Hopefully someone will be around shortly to help.

Please feel free to introduce yourself here -https://nikonites.com/forum/forums/new-member-introductions.35/post-thread

 

[BF Hammer]

When you process a Raw file, the original stays unchanged. A separate description file is created that describes the alterations. So the crop will not happen until you export the image to some other file format. I would guess that is why the size still reports as original.

Edit: I reread this. My idea is all wrong.
I admittedly only use NX Studio to import photos and organize images. I do the real post processing with RawTherapee (freeware). I also crop freehand with the select box and have my standard size input in the Resize tool so that is what I get when I do the final export.

 

[Clovishound]

Is this the aspect ratio you are putting in? If so, the 4212x2369 is roughly the same aspect ratio as the 3600x2025 you inputted.

I'm spitballing here, as I don't use NX. I use Lightroom, and one of the options you have in the crop tool is aspect ratio. This gives you a rectangle or square of the AR you select, but depending on the size of the original image, and how much you want to crop it, determines the final size, although the ratio will remain the same.

 

[korot]

Hi.
I use a MacBook Air M1 with the Sonoma 14.4.1 operating system, and a D300.
I have been learning NX Studio Ver.1.6.1 64bit with NEF images full size of 4288px x 2848px.

When I crop the image using Custom set to 3600 x 2025 and Proceed’ed, the Current image size in the Crop sidebar showed 4212 x 2369. No matter what I do I cannot get Custom to hold the size I input.
Why could this be? Am I missing something or is this a bug?

Also, Free Crop doesn’t show the dimensions as I move the cursor around, so that would take a lot of trial and error to fix on the required values.

Cheers

 

[korot]

Thanks guys for working on this with me.
Hopefully someone will have a solution soon.

 

[nikonbill]

Hello korot

I do not think this is a bug, probably a misleading layout of the option. I use NX some and was curious on your question. I did some experiments and I believe the "custom" crop in NX Studio only sets the box ratio. You see you can still change the size of the crop before "proceed" is selected. I understand completely it looks like it would resample, but that is not what custom does in this software.

From your question I am pretty sure you are looking to "resample" the image to your desired dimensions. This can be achieved with NX by selecting your aspect ratio in "crop" like you did and then duplicating those dimensions in the export settings. This will ensure the image is not stretched or distorted. I just ran an example doing this and it worked well, and resulted in a image of those dimensions after export.

Here is a snip of the export dialog from my test

Hope this helps - NX Studio is a pretty good editor hope you enjoy it -- Bill

PS - sorry for the late reply

 

[korot]

Hello korot

I do not think this is a bug, probably a misleading layout of the option. I use NX some and was curious on your question. I did some experiments and I believe the "custom" crop in NX Studio only sets the box ratio. You see you can still change the size of the crop before "proceed" is selected. I understand completely it looks like it would resample, but that is not what custom does in this software.

From your question I am pretty sure you are looking to "resample" the image to your desired dimensions. This can be achieved with NX by selecting your aspect ratio in "crop" like you did and then duplicating those dimensions in the export settings. This will ensure the image is not stretched or distorted. I just ran an example doing this and it worked well, and resulted in a image of those dimensions after export.

Here is a snip of the export dialog from my test
View attachment 404403

Hope this helps - NX Studio is a pretty good editor hope you enjoy it -- Bill

PS - sorry for the late reply

Perfect! Cheers Bill. Exactly what I needed.

It would help if Nikon updated the Help and stated that to crop when using Custom should be done on Exporting the NEF image. That would save a lot of photographers’ neurons

 

[nikonbill]

Perfect! Cheers Bill. Exactly what I needed.

It would help if Nikon updated the Help and stated that to crop when using Custom should be done on Exporting the NEF image. That would save a lot of photographers’ neurons

So glad this helped - enjoy!

 

[korot]

Perfect! Cheers Bill. Exactly what I needed.

It would help if Nikon updated the Help and stated that to crop when using Custom should be done on Exporting the NEF image. That would save a lot of photographers’ neurons

I discovered I had to trick NX Studio to achieve the required aspect sizes. If this isn’t needed please let me know how it’s done.

Select Crop > Crop tool > Free crop > Show cropping grid > 16 x 9 > Custom > Dimensions (eg 3600 x 2025)
> Position the grid and move it in order to show the subject placement required
> Proceed > The NEF image is now ready to crop its JPG equivalent
> Export – a pop-up appears as in your image

 

[nikonbill]

So just to be clear you wish to to wind up with a 16x9 output for printing?

I will look into this, probably this evening after work

 

[nikonbill]

I think you are doing a bit more steps than needed, and possibly confusing the width to height ratio into a certain pixel number.

Find a "aspect ratio calculator" by plugging that phrase into your favorite search engine. Below are the results of one I found.

All of the above pixel counts are 16x9 "ratio" . The higher the pixel counts are the more "resolution" you have (a denser pixel count) but all are 16x9.

So sizing the crop box is one thing, then the resolution is quite another. My Nikon D7200 with the DX sensor's image is about 6000x4000 pixels so any crop will be "smaller" than that size. With editing software you can do what we call "upscale" a small image if that capability exist in it.

Since the topic is NX studio this is possible when you export, keep in mind the image quality can change when "up scaling" so there are limits.

As an example if you "start" here (I have chosen the 16x9 from the drop down for this example)

Your drawn box on your image will have a ratio of 16x9, then if you upscale back up when exporting and use a pixel count that works out to 16x9 you can successfully fit the image into a 16x9 size box (such as a paper print or web box).

The custom selection is for creating your own pixel count so you have a "custom" ratio.

If this is confusing, I will do my best to sort it out. If I missed your intended question let me know -- Bill

 

[korot]

I think you are doing a bit more steps than needed, and possibly confusing the width to height ratio into a certain pixel number.

Find a "aspect ratio calculator" by plugging that phrase into your favorite search engine. Below are the results of one I found.

View attachment 404467
All of the above pixel counts are 16x9 "ratio" . The higher the pixel counts are the more "resolution" you have (a denser pixel count) but all are 16x9.

So sizing the crop box is one thing, then the resolution is quite another. My Nikon D7200 with the DX sensor's image is about 6000x4000 pixels so any crop will be "smaller" than that size. With editing software you can do what we call "upscale" a small image if that capability exist in it.

Since the topic is NX studio this is possible when you export, keep in mind the image quality can change when "up scaling" so there are limits.

As an example if you "start" here (I have chosen the 16x9 from the drop down for this example)
View attachment 404468

Your drawn box on your image will have a ratio of 16x9, then if you upscale back up when exporting and use a pixel count that works out to 16x9 you can successfully fit the image into a 16x9 size box (such as a paper print or web box).

The custom selection is for creating your own pixel count so you have a "custom" ratio.

If this is confusing, I will do my best to sort it out. If I missed your intended question let me know -- Bill

Great description! Thank you, Bill.

I am using this process for a website which has specific pixel requirements. My D300 has a higher pixel count in both dimensions - 4288px x 2848px (3:2) - and so I don't think that I'll need to upscale. I've now successfully got a few shots of the 16:9 aspect ratio setting them at 600 resolution - the catalogue images need some close-ups with a lot of detail and the JPGs seem really good on both the Mac and on the PC for my needs.

However, I took a wild guess on resolution. Admittedly, I'm not sure how to decide the resolution. The MacBook Air M1 is 2560px x 1600px @227ppi while the PC monitor is 1920px x 1080px @102ppi.

Am I right is calculating that a 600 image resolution on the Mac would be 600/2560 of the screen width and 600/1920 of the PC's monitor width? Or would they be 600/227 on the Mac and 600/102 on the PC?

 

[nikonbill]

Korot,

I am not certain - is my answer

One thing that " could " help, does the web site have a "long side" pixel dimension to shot for?

Here we like the long side to be 1000 ( I use 1024 when posting here).

One thing for sure - during export is the easiest place to change things in NX studio

Sorry for not knowing this one - Bill

 

[korot]

Korot,

I am not certain - is my answer

One thing that " could " help, does the web site have a "long side" pixel dimension to shot for?

Here we like the long side to be 1000 ( I use 1024 when posting here).

One thing for sure - during export is the easiest place to change things in NX studio

Sorry for not knowing this one - Bill

Np Bill. I did some research as follows which may be helpful in some way for those doing mental loops trying to figure all this out, like me.

This is my thinking on monitor resolution ..

My MacBook Air M1 has a monitor aspect of 16:10
The monitor px: 2560 x 1600
An image of 2560px width with an aspect ratio of 16:9 would show a height of 1440px = 160px less height.

My understanding is that Apple designed the aspect ratio to be 16:10 because of the design of the newer monitors with a reduced bezel size. So at 1440px the top 160px would not be hidden by the new ‘Notch’ since the camera which used to be in the bezel.

My PC monitor has an aspect ratio of 16:9
The monitor px: 1920 x 1080
An image of 1920px width with an aspect ratio of 16:9 would show a height of 1080px = the full height of the monitor.

My iPhone has a screen size of 2778 x 1284
With the landscape orientation, 1920px width with an aspect ratio image 16:9 would make the height 1080px allowing 204px for the ‘Notch’ and controls at both sides.

So an image aspect ratio of 16:9 works all round.

This is my thinking on image resolution ..

Taking the image resolution of 300ppi vs 600ppi:

The Mac monitor resolution is a width of 2560px @ 227ppi = 2560/227 = 11.27 inches full width.
So at 300ppi the image would show as 2560/300 = 8.53 inches which is around 75% of the Mac monitor width.
At 600ppi the image would show as 2560/600 = 4.25 inches or 37.5%.

Likewise, the PC monitor at 1920px @ 102ppi = 1920/102 = 18.8 inches full width.
So at 300ppi the image would show as 1920/300 = 6.40 inches which is around 34% of the PC monitor width.
At 600ppi the image would show as 1920/600 = 3.20 inches or 17%.

The iPhone monitor landscape resolution is a width of 2778px @ 458ppi = 2778/458 = 6.06 inches full width.
So at 300ppi the image would show as 2778/300 = 9.26 inches which is around 1.6 times the iPhone monitor size (so it would no doubt be automatically scaled down to the max width of the device).
At 600ppi the image would show as 2778/600 = 4.63 or 80%.

Having said all that, the application may force 72ppi

I’m not sure if this helps. But if I or someone can help show how this math answers my question I’ll be delirious
So I’m going to test and cry till I get the best choice of image ppi that allows good zoom for great detail.

 

[nikonbill]

Korot - I think we have some good detail, maybe another forum member more knowledgeable on screens will see this thread.

Im fairly confident you will figure it out, you have the concept of ratios - all the best Bill