Thumbnail/Quick Preview/Export have strange grey overlay

I spent quite some time googling this issue, so it's starting to seem like a "just me" issue. Yet I can't find a way to solve it, so here I go asking for help.
I have a library with a single project and a series of photos in it. Most photos have a crop, white balance, exposure, sharpen and curve global adjustments, as well as areas with definition brush strokes and dodge brush strokes. The dodge brush was used to make the "almost white" background around product in the shot completely white.
The thumbnails display a light grey (around 250;250;250 RGB, although it varies a bit) blotchy overlay in the areas of the image that are expected to be white. When I click on a thumbnail to bring up the larger image into view, for the first few seconds, while the "loading" spinner is visible on top, the grey overlay can also be seen on the enlarged image. After loading is finished, it disappears. If I turn on the Quick Preview mode, the grey overlay persists and does not go away. Images that I have viewed enlarged with Quick Preview turned off continue to display correctly when I come back to them after looking at other images, as if they are cached in memory. After I view a few dozen images, though, these correct versions seem to be evicted from cache, and I get the grey overlay during the "loading" period again.
The grey overlay does not correspond one-to-one with the area where brush strokes have been applied.
The scariest part of it all is that when I try to export versions, they are exported with the grey overlay intact.
I have tried rebuilding thumbnails, reprocessing masters, repairing permissions, repairing the database. The problem persists. I have tried disabling the dodge adjustment but unchecking it and then checking it again. The problem persists. I have tried removing the dodge adjustment and then brushing it on from scratch. The problem persists.
Out of ideas now. Please help. I would love to attach screenshots, but don't see an option to do so.
Message was edited by: antonzzzz

All you are seeing is the difference between the fully-decoded image created on the fly by applying the adjustments saved as instructions in the Version text file to the Master image file, and the Preview created according to the parameters you set in Preferences.
If the Previews don't meet your needs, try a higher quality/larger dimensions.
Likewise for your exports.
What are your Preview and Export settings?
Take a look at the highlighted section
How Aperture Displays Images in the Viewer
on this page in the User Manual.

Similar Messages

Quick preview issues - can someone please test

Quick preview does not seem to work correctly.
When photographing, I do not have my camera automatically rotate my images. I do this so I can see a full preview on the LCD on the back of the camera. When I download images into Aperture, I rotate manually.
With the advent of Quick Preview, I have begun to use it only to find that with RAW files, the manually rotated image appears squished and not formatted correctly in the viewer (2nd display). Images that were not manually rotated appear fine. For some reason, when photograph in JEPG, the same issue does not surface. All images, manually rotated included, appear fine in the viewer.
Could someone please test if this is happening for themselves too.
Thank you in advance,
Christopher David

Hi,
thanks alot for testing the video.
If anyone can provide any more info, or can show me an
alternative way to embed the video in a webpage (other than
paid-Streaming), I'd be grateful,
thanks.
PS. - the video is from the YouTube website
(www.youtube.com), the .flv file downloaded through KeepVid -
www.keepvid.com .

Jpgs opened in Preview have strange distortions

Hi. I am trying to import some jpgs from a DVD into my iPhoto library (iPhoto 6 (6.0.6). I get the "Unreadable File" error message others have reported. When I open the images in Preview (Preview 3.0.9) the images have strange pixelated distortions. If I save them from Preview, I can import them into the iPhoto library, but the pixelations remain.
Troubleshooting things I have tried:
1. Booting in safe mode - opening another jpg (no problem). Restarting normally and trying to open image from DVD in Preview - same pixelation problem.
2. Opening images from DVD on another computer. The DVD would not open at all on a Windows machine - just hung. Opened FINE on another mac (iMac, with same OS, iPhoto and Preview versions - but it had Photoshop, which I do not.)
So, it appears there is a combatibility problem? What do I do now?
I wanted to attach a screenshot of what the images look like when I open them, but am not sure how to do that....

Posted an example on a webpage:
http://home.uchicago.edu/~jltaylor/imghelp/index2.html
Burning a new DVD might be a possibility, but a little tricky. Its a public computer, so depending on how long it would take to burn the images (there are 199 of them) it could be possible. But I wonder if I would need to save them in a different format or with a different naming scheme - there are some special characters in the titles - since I can open them normally on the other computer?
I even tried importing into iPhoto on the other machine directly from the DVD with no problem. My machine is unable to read them without saving them from Preview first.
Message was edited by: jtay2001

Thumbnails and Previews have a green tinge

The thumbnails and previews in my library have suddenly developed a green tinge.
I have tried Update Previews, Generate Thumbnails, and Generate Previews with no success. I have also used Repair database and Rebuild database, again with no positive result.
I am at a loss to know what to do next.
Jerry

I have a similar issue, but it doesn't seem to affect all thumbnails.
Thumbnails have thos unprocessed raw look (bluish, greenish tint):
But they look fine once you open the real pictiure:
What could possibly cause this problem? I have re-generated prebviews and thumbnails but can't seem to solve the problem.

Alpha channels really have messed up thumbnails and Previews

In AP2 I use to have to put a blank (all white) layer above any alpha channels so the thumbnails would build properly. Now in Ap3 The thumbnails and Previews are screwed up so they are totaly unrecognizable or not showing up at all even after deleting and re generating them. I've placed a bug report with apple but I need a solution or a work around fast.
Thanks to all who help.

When you look at the songs in your Music library in iTunes, does the artist name have any punctuation in the artist column?
I know with some MP3's I ripped from CD before iTunes was available, I had put both title and artist in the title field, and until I corrected them they didn't show up correctly on my iPod.

Why is there a strange grey object on the top left corner of my iPhone?I have included a photo

Why is there a strange grey object on the top left corner of my iPhone? I have included a photo. It randomly appears and disappears.

Hey Scott! Like I said, I thought I had done some damage -- even though the drop was just a couple of inches that was my very first thought, but when it came and went with which app I was in (or not) I knew it wasn't a damaged SCREEN. So I wondered if it was a different damaged part, memory or some such.
When I saw that others had the exact same shape, I could only imagine that perhaps the phone was indicating it was running a diagnostic, had been forcefully dropped, had a faulty/damaged accelerometer or some other purposeful object. It clearly wasn't random, it was a definite shape.
Hey Paul! I'm hoping they've seen the issue and tried replacing a few parts or something... Ya never know. As a (mostly) retired guy I have the time!
I also mentioned in a kind of oblique way that I had enabled the Kanji keyboard. I should also mention that I have the field strength test enabled so that I am able to see the -db numbers instead of the antenna bars. That's right in the same area, so it could be related.... maybe... or not. The screen was unlocked when this happened and I'm guessing I pushed a whole lotta buttons and/or icons as I was grabbing at it... I wonder if it is possibly an easter egg of some sort -- just the right combo of touches. Then again, it bounced right on THAT corner... LOL
That's the only stuff I've ever done to the phone. It's never been jailbroken or anything like that. It has taken a few falls in its lifetime but none resulting in any obvious damage.
It's a 32GB iPhone 3Gs and it is now 2 years old (bought June 27, 2009.) I'm just happy that it seems to be OK. While Apple's stock may be the largest market cap in the US, my portfolio sure isn't.

Adobe Premiere exports white as grey

I have been searching the web for my problem, but I think I am on the wrong path:
After rendering a 3D-Animation in single PNGs, I imported these to Premiere, added them to a sequence and exported it. The problem I am getting with all codecs and all container-formats (except QuickTime!): white is rendered grey
Here is a screenshot of comparison final video/ preview in premiere:
Here is what I tried (and what did not work):
- applying ProcAmp Effect: no difference
- rendering preview (preview in premiere looks good) and using preview files for export: white still grey
- exporting in different container formats and codecs: no results for all windows container file formats: avi, mpeg, H.264 etc.
- only time it works: exporting to quick time container file (works with all codecs!) - so I have the feeling it is not a codec-issue
- using all combination of settings: Maximum Render Quality and Render at Maximum Depth, using PAL or NTSC etc.
So, at least there is a way to export it correctly using Quicktime as the file format. But I need to put this animation in a power point presentation for a presentation, and unfortunateley QuickTime is the only format not supported by PP..
Thank you for any suggestions or hints..

I would suggest a few things, more or less in this order:
- Delete your preferences (quit, hold alt and launch Pr), try again.
- Start a new project with different but similar footage, and export again. Any change?
- Uninstall and reinstall Pr.
- If all this fails, you might need to reinstall your OS, as some of the core video functions may be damaged.
I don't share your feeling about ruling out a codec. CoDec is short for Compression/Decompression. You may be compressing fine, but having issues with decompression, or vice-versa.
Don't know if this will help, but there are options in Quicktime and the WMV component for Mac (which I use) that holds settings for gamma filters, etc. And I wonder if there isn't something similar in the Windows side that you may have inadvertently set, or gotten broken because of a file corruption, preference, etc.
Sounds maddening, though. Hope you get it fixed.

Missing thumbnails and previews Bridge CC x64. Help!

Week ago have missing thumbnails and previews in Bridge CC x64.
Where are no thumbnails cannot preview and open in photoshop.
What can i do? Please help!
Thanks!

Thanks, station_two!
I have surprised there all pictures from OneDrive on Windows 8.1.
When i copy those out of OneDrive thumbnails generated
Then copy all folder with images back and all works good!
Very strange. But good!

Quick Preview unusable - images are "squared"/blurred

Hi,
Probably since 3.1.2 upgrade or 10.6.7 or turning on Time Machine I am experiencing following behavior:
I have project for my family photos in aperture for this Year where I have folders for months and then albums for events. I usually drag and drop the selected images from Import browser to appropriate album.
The problem is when I use Quick Preview - then all of imported images (in whole Album, but not project) are "squared"/blurred (you can imagine that like if you take image 200*200 and resize it to 1680*1680) - the small and middle preview are squared and the biggest and fullscreen are clear.
When I turn of the Quick Preview then the Loading... appears and clear the image. I can then turn on the Quick Preview and it stays clear until I restart the Aperture and squared image is back.
When I start the Aperture and select the album/project it automatically starts processing (Processing IMG_XXXX) some, seems random, number of images) - and nothing happened. (turn off and turn on Aperture and processing starts again).
Here is what I tried (no success with anything):
- Delete preview and generate new previews
- Copy to other project
- Change the size of the preview image (from 1680*1680 to 1920*1920) in Aperture preferences
- Change preview image quality to 9 from 8 in Aperture preferences
- Export the project as New library - this has one effect - the biggest preview and fullscreen image are squared here also
- applied all file permissions to files as are by default on Picture folder
- Repaired permissions
So in summary:
- preview pictures are squared
- aperture does not remember/store the smaller quick preview files after restart
And here is a example of the image:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17422374/example-squared.png
Thank you for any help or ideas to try.
Regadrs
Princatko
Mac OS X 10.6.7, with FileVault turn on
Aperture 3.1.2, masters are in Aperture Library, Library sits in ~/Pictures/ (default place)
Canon 5D Mark II

Since you've covered most everything (inc. permissions repair), it's probably time to move on to "Repair Database" and then, if needed, to "Rebuilt Database".
Instructions are found on [the general trouble-shooting page.|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3805]

Quick Preview toggle - images appear very soft?

I have noticed that when using Quick Preview to run through images in my projects all images appear sharp, however if I toggle quick preview off and then back on again the image never sharpens.
This is similar to the effect you would get on first view, i.e. an initial soft image that sharpens when loading completes.
Has anyone else noticed this?

Hi guys:
I came searching for this same problem and only happened upon a solution (at least for me) very accidently. In my case the "softness" doesn't seem to be actually linked to the "quick preview" toggle.
When I pull down the "view" menu from the top of the screen, I pass the "quick preview" command and go down to the bottom to "Proofing Profiles". The profile for the proofing was set to one of many of my printer's profiles, which was not calibrated, yet, for my mac. I selected, instead, a previously saved calibration setting (one that I made using the simple calibration wizard under the monitor system preference) specifically for my monitor, and the viewer image changed to look exactly as the one in Browser thumbnail; sharp and detailed.
I certainly hope that this may help you. As I said, this is not based on in-depth knowledge of this program, just trial and error, so may not apply to your situation.
Good Luck
Arcody

Quick preview issues

I’m using a late 2008 MBP and SL 10.6.4 with AP3. After importing around 5000 RAW to a new project, quick preview in full screen isn’t working properly. Viewing the photos in full screen at full resolution is not an issue. Only when switching to quick preview, the image disappears and the screen goes black. When flipping through the photos in full screen and quick preview on, the photos flash up for a blink of an eye before the screen goes black again.
What I’ve tried so far is to delete and generate new previews, repair permissions and the library and rebuild the library. However, as a result all projects now have the same issue. Moreover, photos aren’t shared with other (iLife) applications. The projects in the photo browser in Mail as well as the control panel for desktop background are empty. Sharing with iTunes, i.e. syncing photos on my iPhone, doesn’t work (again, projects have 0 photos). Of course, sharing is enabled in AP preferences. I’ve read several articles about this sharing problem but the solutions posted didn’t work for me. As sharing uses the jpg files, I guess this is somehow related to the quick preview issue.
It seems that for some reason Aperture does not read the jpg files. Any ideas what else I can try to solve this? Thanks!

Unfortunately, I do not have a solution for you because I am struggling with a similar problem since the release of AP3. I have also experienced the blink of an eye appearance and disappearance of some previews. Also, sometimes the thumbnails and the preview pictures shown are unrelated, or the previews are scrambled. I have tried every AP2 to AP3 conversion strategy in the book; the result is always the same. Hope Apple finds a solution for this quickly.

Bridge "stops working" and displays split thumbnails and previews.

When working with Windows XP, my Photoshop/Bridge CS3 was working fine. On my new computer with Vista, Bridge acts up in strange ways. It sometimes shuts down spontaneously, causing a Windows "Bridge has stopped working" message to appear.
At other times, Bridge displays thumbnails that are split or only half there, with the preview image also split in half with the sides reversed. If I wait a few minutes, the proper thumbnails and preview finally appear, but this is a nuisance. BTW, the same copy of Bridge works just fine on my laptop with XP. When I contacted Adobe, they blamed it on Windows. When I contacted Windows, they blamed it on Adobe. Anyone with similar problems and suggested fix?
Thanks!

Hi Gerry,
as it is nearly two months since your initial post, you may have already solved your problem. In which case I'll continue with this reply for the benefit of anyone else who suffers the same affliction:
My problem was Bridge CS3 running on a 32-bit Vista Home Premium SP1, Intel Core 2 CPU T5300 @ 1.73GHz and 2GB of RAM (if that makes any difference). Like Curt, I'm no computer expert either but I was experiencing a very similar problem to your's in CS3 Bridge.
The error message contained something about the "nvlddmkm.sys" not working. The 'nvlddmkm.sys' refers to the driver for my graphics card, a 'NVIDIA GeForce Go 7300', whose driver I had recently updated (to solve a separate conflict between an updated BIOS - it never stops!).
After some fiddling, I discovered that changing the 3D Graphics setting on the Nvidia Control Panel made Bridge once again behave.
Open the Nvidia Control Panel (right click on the 'desktop' to access it).
Under the '3D Settings' task, select 'Adjust Image Settings with Preview'. This should reveal a window with an image of a slowly spinning, three-dimensional Nvidia logo. (I understand that the Nvidia Control Panel is common to all its cards.)
Under the spinning logo image there are three options for 3D settings. On my computer, while my Bridge was broken, the "Use my preference emphasizing: Balanced" option was selected. I changed the option to, "Let the 3D application decide" and crikey! - when I restarted Bridge the previews were once again working. (It may be my imagination, but Bridge appears to now be going better than ever.)
I switched the Nividia preferences a couple of times just to make sure. The change appeared to have done the job.
NB: I noticed another discussion in the forums entitled "Suddenly No Images in Bridge" which appears to be a similar problem. They resolved it this way;
"Depress and hold Ctrl-Alt-Shift when you start PS or Bridge. A menu comes up with three options. Check them all."
I didn't see that fix until I had sorted mine so I haven't tried it... but now that 'it ain't broke', I 'ain't gonna fix it'!
Hope this helps you or someone else.

Regenerating thumbnails and previews after Time Machine restore

Hi there,
My Aperture library was recently corrupted and fixed only by completely restoring everything on my iMac using Time Machine. This seems to have worked insofar as my library is alive again. However, I'm unable to even USE Aperture due to it recreating all my thumbnails and previews. I currently have about 57,000 remaining and it's taking about 5 seconds to finish each one, all the while bogging Aperture down to the point of being unusable.
Is this to be expected? I understand that Time Machine doesn't save previews and thumbnails because Aperture can simply recreate them but at this pace, I'm looking at about a week of over 100% CPU usage. It just seems strange that its so slow.
Just to give some specs on my machine:
Intel Core i3
3.2 gHz
Dual Core
12 GB RAM
Any advice would be appreciated. I'm kinda stuck here.
Thanks,
Rick

Hey Mark,
I ultimately just scrapped Time Machine and started using SuperDuper cloner. I have been really pleased with it--much more user-friendly than TM in my opinion.
As far as working with Aperture, the rebuild process does take awhile but seems to be just the way it goes. The reason mine was taking so exceptionally long though was due to HDD failure, not anything inherently wrong with TM or Aperture.
Good luck!
Rick

When i print a pdf from preview it prints strange characters - it looks fine on screen

when i print a pdf from preview it prints strange characters - it looks fine on screen

You can also try opening the PDF with preview, then doing a copy and paste to TextEdit and printing from there.
Adobe makes it easier, but you do have software to accomplish this.
Only download Adobe reader from this site, to avoid "fakes/spoofs/malware" that will cause damage to your machine.
http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp?platform=macintosh&product=10
Hope this helps

Why is my preview area showing only greyed out boxes instead of photos?

I am unable to import my photos so they can be seen. Whether I try to import them from the hard drive, camera card, or my desktop (following the tutorial), I do not see photographs in the preview area, only greyed out boxes instead of photos. If I imported 6 photos, I have six greyed out (photo-sized) boxes. The specific photos are there somehow, becuase they are properly named when I scroll the mouse over them, but I see only flat grey, no pictures. As I said, this happens even when I follow the tutorial and import from my desktop.

George,
I appreciate you responding to my inquiry. We (that would be the "royal" we, which would be my husband) finally determined that the monitor was not configured properly. "We" discovered this out after uninstalling and reinstalling Lightroom several times.
To answer your question, I was trying to import both photos taken in JPEG, as well as RAW, both were problematic. I could import no images. It was interesting that I could tell all of the data was coming over (when I floated the cursor over a grayed-out box I could read the data), just not the images.
I have a Nikon D5100. I purchased Lightroom 5.0 just before now(two days ago), and was trying to install and play with it. I upgraded to 5.2 as I was going into it for the first time (it is an automatic question). I knew there was obviously a problem when I couldn't see any images. Particularly when I went into the tutorials -- it just reemphasized that something was wrong. Who ever thinks of how their monitor is configured?????
Thank you for following up. I was very frustrated for many, many hours.
Kelly

Thumbnail/Quick Preview/Export have strange grey overlay

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for