PTGui 13 really not worth it

[Miroslav]

Hello colleagues. I ordered updade of my license from 12 pro to 13 pro some days ago.  
Is there anyone who ask money back?

The image output is lower quality, generator of stitching points is 10 - 20 % worse.
Is this only my experience? Or someone else has the similar too.

[Erik Krause]

Am 17.08.2025 um 19:09 schrieb Miroslav:

> The image output is lower quality, generator of stitching points is 10 - 20
> % worse.
> Is this only my experience?

Apparently. I have versions 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 installed in parallel,
and image quality is at least the same for all of them (improved of
course, if new features are used). Control point generation has also
improved over time.

If you want to try for yourself, older versions can be downloaded from
https://ptgui.com/account?lpps=alldownloads Just install them in a
different directory.

However, if you don't need the Patch Editor, better raw handling, DNG
output and lots of small improvements, you should not have updated to
v13. Joost uses to offer a full refund, if you are not satisfied.

But perhaps the problem lies elsewhere, since new version tend to make
things differently, which might require a modified workflow. Please
describe your problem in detail, so we can reproduce and hopefully solve it.

--
Erik Krause
http://www.erik-krause.de

[Miroslav]

How did you keep so many versions? Can you please let me more details? I would like to have at least 12 and 13 to check and choose.
I have many projects and for some image sources, I will prefer version 12. Thank you

Dátum: nedeľa 17. augusta 2025, čas: 19:36:09 UTC+2, odosielateľ: Erik Krause

[Erik Krause]

Am 17.08.2025 um 19:55 schrieb Miroslav:

> How did you keep so many versions?

I always install new versions in a new folder. Please read my previous
message.

[PTGui Support]

Hi Miroslav,

Please see 3.29:
https://ptgui.com/support.html#3_29

If you're unhappy with the upgrade just let me know, and I'll cancel and
refund it.

But if there's a problem then I would like to fix it. Could you share a
project for which PTGui 13 does a worse job? I'm not aware of any
issues, nor can I think of any changes in v13 that would cause those
kind of problems.

Kind regards,

Joost Nieuwenhuijse
www.ptgui.com

On 8/17/25 19:55, Miroslav wrote:
> How did you keep so many versions? Can you please let me more details? I
> would like to have at least 12 and 13 to check and choose.
> I have many projects and for some image sources, I will prefer version
> 12. Thank you
>
> Dátum: nedeľa 17. augusta 2025, čas: 19:36:09 UTC+2, odosielateľ: Erik
> Krause
>
> Am 17.08.2025 um 19:09 schrieb Miroslav:
>
> > The image output is lower quality, generator of stitching points
> is 10 - 20
> > % worse.
> > Is this only my experience?
>
> Apparently. I have versions 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 installed in parallel,
> and image quality is at least the same for all of them (improved of
> course, if new features are used). Control point generation has also
> improved over time.
>
> If you want to try for yourself, older versions can be downloaded from

> https://ptgui.com/account?lpps=alldownloads <https://ptgui.com/
> account?lpps=alldownloads> Just install them in a

> different directory.
>
> However, if you don't need the Patch Editor, better raw handling, DNG
> output and lots of small improvements, you should not have updated to
> v13. Joost uses to offer a full refund, if you are not satisfied.
>
> But perhaps the problem lies elsewhere, since new version tend to make
> things differently, which might require a modified workflow. Please
> describe your problem in detail, so we can reproduce and hopefully
> solve it.
>
> --
> Erik Krause

> http://www.erik-krause.de <http://www.erik-krause.de>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "PTGui Support" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com>.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/
> ptgui/0c9294e1-326c-41e1-a8c7-91221671d1a8n%40googlegroups.com <https://
> groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/0c9294e1-326c-41e1-
> a8c7-91221671d1a8n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

[Manuel Dahmann (kubische-panoramen-de)]

I agree with Miroslav. For my workflow, Ptgui 10 had been best. A pitty, it is not usable anymore.

The loss of the exposure filter in the render option is still a desaster mayor drawback - with many, many other details which got worse in the GUI.

I bought PTGui 13 just because of the support of one shot cameras and the intelligent seam handling, which generates much better results in special situations 

[Erik Krause]

Am 18.08.25 um 10:34 schrieb Manuel Dahmann (kubische-panoramen-de):

> Ptgui 10 had been best. A pitty, it is not usable anymore.

I can't speak for Mac, but on windows, all versions of PTGui back to at
least v9 work perfectly. Just install in a different directory.

> with many, many other details which got worse in the GUI.

Could you name those in detail? Because Joost is always open to good GUI
enhancement ideas.

[Manuel Dahmann (kubische-panoramen-de)]

As I never use HDR, this is not the same. I needed a fast selecion of image with same exposure files in the render tab for maximum flexibility. Select picture from one exposure, then add or subtract images as needed from other exposures. The same kind of filter Lightroom has or PTGUi 10 had.

[PTGui Support]

Hi Manuel,

This was moved to the menu Images - Select - Blend Plane (or All Except
Blend Plane).

Subsequently you can include/exclude them from the panorama (again via
the Images menu).

Kind regards,

Joost Nieuwenhuijse
www.ptgui.com

> http://www.erik-krause.de <http://www.erik-krause.de>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "PTGui Support" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com>.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/

> b1d274de-6023-4225-8b81-6e5909ba2501n%40googlegroups.com <https://
> groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/
> b1d274de-6023-4225-8b81-6e5909ba2501n%40googlegroups.com?
> utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

[Manuel Dahmann (kubische-panoramen-de)]

This is a different function. The image selection filter has been removed, worst case scenario for me.

[PTGui Support]

But you can achieve the same, isn't it?

If not, could you explain what you are missing because this would be new
to me.

Kind regards,

Joost Nieuwenhuijse
www.ptgui.com

On 8/18/25 13:51, Manuel Dahmann (kubische-panoramen-de) wrote:
> This is a different function. The image selection filter has been
> removed, worst case scenario for me.
>
> PTGui Support schrieb am Montag, 18. August 2025 um 13:38:09 UTC+2:
>
> Hi Manuel,
>
> This was moved to the menu Images - Select - Blend Plane (or All Except
> Blend Plane).
>
> Subsequently you can include/exclude them from the panorama (again via
> the Images menu).
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Joost Nieuwenhuijse

> www.ptgui.com <http://www.ptgui.com>

>
> On 8/18/25 12:58, Manuel Dahmann (kubische-panoramen-de) wrote:
> >
> > As I never use HDR, this is not the same. I needed a fast
> selecion of
> > image with same exposure files in the render tab for maximum
> > flexibility. Select picture from one exposure, then add or subtract
> > images as needed from other exposures. The same kind of filter
> Lightroom
> > has or PTGUi 10 had.
> > Erik Krause schrieb am Montag, 18. August 2025 um 11:37:30 UTC+2:
> >
> > Am 18.08.25 um 10:34 schrieb Manuel Dahmann (kubische-panoramen-de):
> >
> > > Ptgui 10 had been best. A pitty, it is not usable anymore.
> >
> > I can't speak for Mac, but on windows, all versions of PTGui back
> to at
> > least v9 work perfectly. Just install in a different directory.
> >
> > > with many, many other details which got worse in the GUI.
> >
> > Could you name those in detail? Because Joost is always open to good
> > GUI
> > enhancement ideas.
> >
> > --
> > Erik Krause

> > http://www.erik-krause.de <http://www.erik-krause.de> <http://

> www.erik-krause.de <http://www.erik-krause.de>>
> >
> > --
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> > Groups "PTGui Support" group.
> > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it,
> send
> > an email to ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com
> > <mailto:ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com>.
> > To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/

> ptgui/ <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/>
> > b1d274de-6023-4225-8b81-6e5909ba2501n%40googlegroups.com
> <http://40googlegroups.com> <https://
> > groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/ <http://groups.google.com/d/
> msgid/ptgui/>
> > b1d274de-6023-4225-8b81-6e5909ba2501n%40googlegroups.com
> <http://40googlegroups.com>?
> > utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "PTGui Support" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com>.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/

> ptgui/8bc09a84-b7da-4e38-9d49-21699875236bn%40googlegroups.com <https://
> groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/8bc09a84-
> b7da-4e38-9d49-21699875236bn%40googlegroups.com?
> utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

[Philip Chong]

PTGui is a great stitching and leveling software.  That's all I use it for.

For tone mapping (never use, not good) and all other edits, I use my favorite photo editor.

[Erik Krause]

Am 18.08.2025 um 14:15 schrieb 'PTGui Support' via PTGui Support:

> But you can achieve the same, isn't it?

While you can achieve the same, it's tedious to click through the menu
all the time (although include/exclude is also in the right click menu
on Source Images and Image Parameters tab).

Idea: Add a right click menu to the Include images list on Create
Panorama tab, with options to exclude or include the clicked on exposure
step, if exposure steps are expanded.

Or even better: if the exposure levels are expanded, they can be
arranged in columns so that column functions can be used to exclude or
include them. This would also make more efficient use of screen space,
eventually making expansion unnecessary.

[Manuel Dahmann (kubische-panoramen-de)]

Its all about fast work. 
The output target of my workflow are several PSD files per panorama. However, there are always deviations, so that different exposures (with brightness adjusted in Lightroom) have to be combined in one output for various reasons. So you can't combine them purely based on the exposure in the camera. And very often exposure series are not complete because of black images that are left out.

The fastest way is now to drag all the files that are to belong to one output, sorted, onto PTGui. Time-consuming to prepare.

E.g. 
images 1-12 are bright,
images 13-19 are medium,
and image 20 is dark, (e.g. only one bright window)
This way, I can activate them in blocks in the "include images" section . Normally, the images would be sorted into exposure series, which is very tedious to select without filter.

[PTGui Support]

But reordering your images this way doesn't play well with optimum
seams. PTGui 13 insists on having the bracketed exposures together (and
linked) for a reason: to ensure that each EV gets identical seams.
Otherwise you'll get subtle misalignments between EVs.

PTGui can already support irregular bracketing sequences but only if you
use its HDR functionality (Merge to HDR first, then blend). If I
interpret your complaints correctly, ideally you would be able to output
incomplete blend planes, where each image is assigned a partiular blend
plane. Instead of the current way, where each image is assigned a blend
plane based on the position in the bracketing sequence.

Kind regards,

Joost Nieuwenhuijse
www.ptgui.com

> http://www.erik-krause.de <http://www.erik-krause.de>

>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
> Groups "PTGui Support" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send
> an email to ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com
> <mailto:ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com>.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/

> ptgui/84d4597c-7321-4085-a84d-9ac3ea9788b4n%40googlegroups.com <https://
> groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/84d4597c-7321-4085-
> a84d-9ac3ea9788b4n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>.

[Gareth Morris]

Yes, I appreciate that. The irregular exposure was a mistake - I used a second camera for shooting the nadir and didn’t match the same shutter exposure on several panos.


Sent from my iPhone

> On 19 Aug 2025, at 08:01, 'PTGui Support' via PTGui Support <pt...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> But reordering your images this way doesn't play well with optimum seams. PTGui 13 insists on having the bracketed exposures together (and linked) for a reason: to ensure that each EV gets identical seams. Otherwise you'll get subtle misalignments between EVs.

> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ptgui+un...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ptgui/42d821d2-4d37-4992-9f8c-ed04a35e1c71%40ptgui.com.