A little confused about the DxO Filmpack palette in Photolab 3

DxO PhotoLab
1

I’m trying out DxO Filmpack 5 but I also see a Filmpack pallette in my DxO Photolab 3. Filmpack 5 is stand alone right? Is the one in Photolab 3 a trimmed down version?

Thanks.

2

FilmPack is both integrated in PL and a standalone version at the same time.

3

It looks different, but all the functionality of the standalone version is in the PhotoLab plug-in except for the presets. The plug-in will work on raw files. The stand-alone version will not. Which version of FilmPack are you using? If you want all 82 presets for the Elite version I created them. Here is the link:

Mark

4

I was trying out the Elite version of FilmPack 5. Thanks for the presets. That’s very generous.

5

OK thanks. I guess there’s no sense in buying the stand alone package for £69 then. Glad I asked.

6

Tom, if you don’t buy FilmPack, you won’t have the extra controls in PhotoLab. FilmPack can be used as a standalone program, but it can also be used entirely within PhotoLab (which is how I use it). It can also be called from other applications as part of a multi-program workflow.

7

As @Egregius pointed out, you need to purchase FilmPack 5 in order to see the FilmPack palette in PhotoLab. The palette and functionality is built into PhotoLab but is hidden until you purchase a FilmPack 5 license. If you do purchase it, you should get the Elite version which has more features as well as more film types, although I’m not certain the non-Elite version is even offered anymore

Mark

8

Sorry, I’m confused about the extra controls. I’d much prefer to use FilmPack within PhotoLab and it seems like I can do that without the stand alone FilmPack. What controls are missing in FilmPack within PhotoLab?

9

The same controls are in PhotoLab as in the Stand-alone version. They work the same way but just look different. In the stand-alone version you select the film types using the presets which are visual thumbnails showing what the image would look like with each film type applied. In PhotoLab you select the film types from lists. There are no presets. That is the reason I created the Filmpack presets for PhotoLab. You need to purchase and install the standalone version in order to activate Filmpack in PhotoLab and make the Filmpack palette visible. You need to purchase the Elite version.

Mark

10

That’s what I don’t understand. I installed the trial version FilmPack but the palette in PL3 Elite doesn’t change. I can uninstall FilmPack and it’s still there too. All the options seem to be there.

11

Tom: Start-up PL and go to Help / About … - Is Filmpack listed there ?

If not then, within PL, you’ll be missing some extra sliders/options in the Contrast correction tool - and the Colour Rendering tool will be missing all the FilmPack-specific renderings.

John M

12

Thanks John. Yes, I show FilmPack in About. The settings I have in Color Rendering are: Category, Rendering, Intensity and saturated colors intensity. In Contrast the settings are: Contrast, Microcontrast and Fine Contrast. Highlights, Midtones and Shadows are in advanced settings.

13

You indicate you have the trial version of Filmpack 5 Elite. The reason you see the Filmpack palette in PhotoLab is because of the trial version of Filmpack. Once that trial is over if you do not purchase a license the Filmpack palette in PhotoLab will not longer be available.

I probably did not explain this properly earlier. I misspoke when I indicated you needed to install the Filmpack 5 standalone, but you must still purchase it to get the license to activate the palette in PhotoLab. Filmpack is not available in PhotoLab Elite by default.

Mark

2 Likes
14

OK I think I’ve got it now. I just purchased the activation code. There’s a little glitch in the confirmation email but it’ll be sorted.

Thanks for the clarification.

15

When you purchase FilmPack 5 you get both the stand-alone version and the activation code. However you don’t need to install the standalone version.

Mark