Larry Leuallen

Larry Leuallen

Mackinaw, Il

80 years old, been photographing since 1964. Did not start to become good until digital revolution. First good digital camera a Panasonic G1. Photoshop and LR followed. Was an avid B/W darkroom printer. When I lived in the Chicago area I was exposed...
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  • Larry Leuallen
    Larry Leuallen
    Participant
    Posts: 2
    The Tangent Wave 2 – Does It Speed Up editing?
    on: December 29, 2020 at 6:33 pm

    I am a nut when it comes to using tools that make a good workflow. There a lots of things to consider besides speed, i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome, ergonomics, comfort, ease, and price. I have used the mouse, a tablet, some thingy software that use a synthesizer, AutoHotKey for keystroke macros, and auxiliary keypads.

    What I do not like about the Tangent Wave 2 and similar devices is that you have to hold your arm above the device to use it. If you are processing many photos this gets tiring so a no go for me. With TW2, $$$ makes it a non starter as there are many other methods that work as well for a lot less $$$.

    Same thing with a tablet, at least how I have it placed there is no good support for the arm. The tablet is overrated. Many swear that it the best thing since sliced bread. I have been using one since my CAD days in the early 2000’s so I know how to use them. Have you ever tried to exactly place a point on the image with a pen and shaky hands (I am 80),  it is so much easier and accurate with a mouse. The pen has its uses, I am not anti pen. For retouching, painting etc it cannot be beat. Just don’t try to do things like scrolling through the web.

    The key to using the mouse is comfort. It does not belong on top of a desk where most people place it. The raised arm and tiredness from use often results. I have my mouse pad on a tray at the level of the arm on my chair and extending out so that the mouse fits in the hand with my arm comfortably resting in the chair arm. I don’t get tired using it this way. This is to the right as I am right handed.

    On the left are two key pads. Low and extending out so that my arm rests on the chair arm and I can reach the keys easily. One key pad is a Logitech G13 which unfortunately has been discontinued. This was originally designed for gaming but is so awesome with Lightroom and PS. It was the best $80 or so that I have spent for my office. I have seen used ones for $400 on Ebay. The other keypad is a Genovation  24 key. They are right next to each other. The G13 is used mainly for PS and the Genovation for LR and general use.

    The keypad are sometimes used in conjunction with AutoHotKey. If LR or PS does not have a short cut key for a certain command, I can write one. For example, in LR with a two monitor setup, the secondary monitor on the left. The secondary monitor is often use in Loupe mode and I often switch between Normal and Live. There are no shortcuts for these. I wrote some and I can switch easily with a keystroke. Another useful shortcut is Win-F which takes me to Folder in Library. There are many macro that do useful things, too many to list. Unfortunately something is foul with my computer and these macros no longer work with LR and PS. It is as if they had cut off my right hand.

    An example of a useful things the G13 can do, is culling in LR. I press a key and six images are selected, given a red color, and a Flagged and displayed on the main monitor in Survey mode. The selected image of the bunch is shown in Loupe view on the second monitor where I can see it full size or zoom 100% to check focus. In Zoom 100%, as I move my mouse around on the survey image, the zoom image follows position so I can easily check any part of an image for focus. A button is assigned Reject and when pressed the selected image is removed from the set, filters set to Both Flagged and Unflagged. If the image is good, I can pick the little X lower right and the image is removed from the set but still flagged and will remain active. When all of the selections have been made, the remaining images, if any, not being rejected are considered are considered Rejected and I press a key on the G13 or the G key on the keyboard and go the Grid mode. Then press the Reject button and move the the next set. Why a button on the G13, it is closer than the keyboard and I am lazy. Set to red color so when in Grid mode I can tell which photos have been processed from those not.

    This process is pretty fast. On Sunday I photographed a bunch of young guys with the ATV’s in the woods having a ball, and so did I. I took about 850 photos. Without a good culling method I would be lost.

    Another use I made of the G13 and I will shut up. There are other keypads which can be adapted but probably not as well. When I send a bunch of photos from LR to DxO or Denoise for removing noise, they come back as tifs into the original folder but are not grouped. I group using  Photo->Stacking->Auto stack by Capture Time. That works but with one very big hitch. The original file is on top of the stack and I need the denoised file to be there for processing. There is no batch way to move all of the denoised files to the top of the stack, I have tried plug-ins and anything I could think of to do it. It has to be done single group by single group. With 20o images that takes some time.  So I wrote a simple macro in G13.  I expand all of the groups with the top of the stack (original) highlighted.  I select the first denoised file and press the macro. It does a Shift S, moving that file to the top of the stack then does a Right, Right going to the next Denoised file. Keep pressing the macro key until done, no thought involved. If AutoHotKey were functional on my computer I could probably write a macro that would do the whole shebang with one key press. This has been a savior for me, I shoot many events at high ISO and many files that have to be denoised.

    That is all for now. I have spent years developing efficient methods and macros so there is lots more.

    Sorry no pictures as my workplace is a total disaster, cobbled together with staples and duct tape. I would be embarrassed if anyone saw it.

    Larry Leuallen

    Larry Leuallen
    Larry Leuallen
    Participant
    Posts: 2
    Re: The Tangent Wave 2 – Does It Speed Up editing?
    Reply #1 on: December 29, 2020 at 6:26 pm

    I am a nut when it comes to using tools that make a good workflow. There a lots of things to consider besides speed, i.e. carpal tunnel syndrome, ergonomics, comfort, ease, and price. I have used the mouse, a tablet, some thingy software that use a synthesizer, AutoHotKey for keystroke macros, and auxiliary keypads.

    What I do not like about the Tangent Wave 2 and similar devices is that you have to hold your arm above the device to use it. If you are processing many photos this gets tiring so a no go for me. With TW2, $$$ makes it a non starter as there are many other methods that work as well for a lot less $$$.

    Same thing with a tablet, at least how I have it placed there is no good support for the arm. The tablet is overrated. Many swear that it the best thing since sliced bread. I have been using one since my CAD days in the early 2000’s so I know how to use them. Have you ever tried to exactly place a point on the image with a pen and shaky hands (I am 80),  it is so much easier and accurate with a mouse. The pen has its uses, I am not anti pen. For retouching, painting etc it cannot be beat. Just don’t try to do things like scrolling through the web.

    The key to using the mouse is comfort. It does not belong on top of a desk where most people place it. The raised arm and tiredness from use often results. I have my mouse pad on a tray at the level of the arm on my chair and extending out so that the mouse fits in the hand with my arm comfortably resting in the chair arm. I don’t get tired using it this way. This is to the right as I am right handed.

    On the left are two key pads. Low and extending out so that my arm rests on the chair arm and I can reach the keys easily. One key pad is a Logitech G13 which unfortunately has been discontinued. This was originally designed for gaming but is so awesome with Lightroom and PS. It was the best $80 or so that I have spent for my office. I have seen used ones for $400 on Ebay. The other keypad is a Genovation  24 key. They are right next to each other. The G13 is used mainly for PS and the Genovation for LR and general use.

    The keypad are sometimes used in conjunction with AutoHotKey. If LR or PS does not have a short cut key for a certain command, I can write one. For example, in LR with a two monitor setup, the secondary monitor on the left. The secondary monitor is often use in Loupe mode and I often switch between Normal and Live. There are no shortcuts for these. I wrote some and I can switch easily with a keystroke. Another useful shortcut is Win-F which takes me to Folder in Library. There are many macro that do useful things, too many to list. Unfortunately something is foul with my computer and these macros no longer work with LR and PS. It is as if they had cut off my right hand.

    An example of a useful things the G13 can do, is culling in LR. I press a key and six images are selected, given a red color, and a Flagged and displayed on the main monitor in Survey mode. The selected image of the bunch is shown in Loupe view on the second monitor where I can see it full size or zoom 100% to check focus. In Zoom 100%, as I move my mouse around on the survey image, the zoom image follows position so I can easily check any part of an image for focus. A button is assigned Reject and when pressed the selected image is removed from the set, filters set to Both Flagged and Unflagged. If the image is good, I can pick the little X lower right and the image is removed from the set but still flagged and will remain active. When all of the selections have been made, the remaining images, if any, not being rejected are considered are considered Rejected and I press a key on the G13 or the G key on the keyboard and go the Grid mode. Then press the Reject button and move the the next set. Why a button on the G13, it is closer than the keyboard and I am lazy. Set to red color so when in Grid mode I can tell which photos have been processed from those not.

    This process is pretty fast. On Sunday I photographed a bunch of young guys with the ATV’s in the woods having a ball, and so did I. I took about 850 photos. Without a good culling method I would be lost.

    Another use I made of the G13 and I will shut up. There are other keypads which can be adapted but probably not as well. When I send a bunch of photos from LR to DxO or Denoise for removing noise, they come back as tifs into the original folder but are not grouped. I group using  Photo->Stacking->Auto stack by Capture Time. That works but with one very big hitch. The original file is on top of the stack and I need the denoised file to be there for processing. There is no batch way to move all of the denoised files to the top of the stack, I have tried plug-ins and anything I could think of to do it. It has to be done single group by single group. With 20o images that takes some time.  So I wrote a simple macro in G13.  I expand all of the groups with the top of the stack (original) highlighted.  I select the first denoised file and press the macro. It does a Shift S, moving that file to the top of the stack then does a Right, Right going to the next Denoised file. Keep pressing the macro key until done, no thought involved. If AutoHotKey were functional on my computer I could probably write a macro that would do the whole shebang with one key press. This has been a savior for me, I shoot many events at high ISO and many files that have to be denoised.

    That is all for now. I have spent years developing efficient methods and macros so there is lots more.

    Sorry no pictures as my workplace is a total disaster, cobbled together with staples and duct tape. I would be embarrassed if anyone saw it.

    Larry Leuallen