has anyone heard of Nik being opensource'd?

Ecaterin · 06-06-2016, 10:40 PM

I'm a bit late on the curve on this one (Nik was converted to freeware in March, the final affirmation that Google will abandon it), but I'm crushed. Silver Efex has been my go-to for mono for years, I've never found anything to match it. The rest of the color tools are also excellent and I'll hate the learning curve when I'm finally forced by OS updates to switch programs...but Silver is my post-processing love, where I developed and refine my personal style; and monochrome is 90% of my work.

So my question is, has anyone heard of a gorilla attempt at an open-source effort? It's not inconceivable and has certainly been done before with complex programs that have a devoted following. I cannot find anything online that might point to such a thing, but it's early days yet.

Thoughts? Rumors? Inklings of hope?

And, secondarily, suggestions for eventual software change-ups from those who have figured out how to maintain their personal Silver Efex editing look in a different suite? Help me PentaxForums, you're my only hope...

Thx guys

Last edited by Ecaterin; 06-06-2016 at 10:49 PM.

**pepperberry farm** · 06-07-2016, 02:55 AM

I use Tonality by Macphun and really, really like it...

narual · 06-07-2016, 10:22 AM

changing it to freeware doesn't mean it's abandoned. Google has several pieces of software that are free and still heavily developed.

Ecaterin · 06-07-2016, 09:17 PM

Originally posted by narual

changing it to freeware doesn't mean it's abandoned. Google has several pieces of software that are free and still heavily developed.

Considering the lack of updates and other factors, the general consensus seems to be that Google probably purchased Nik to stripmine Snapseed, and that Nik will go the way of Picasa. It's just a truth of big-company-buys-nifty-start-up,eats-it-alive

---------- Post added 06-07-16 at 08:18 PM ----------

Originally posted by pepperberry farm

I use Tonality by Macphun and really, really like it...

I'll take a look, thx pepperberry

Had you used Silver Efex previously?

**pepperberry farm** · 06-07-2016, 10:33 PM

Originally posted by Ecaterin

I'll take a look, thx pepperberry

Had you used Silver Efex previously?

I had used it some, but once I started using Tonality, I've used nothing since....

Ecaterin · 06-08-2016, 08:38 AM

Originally posted by pepperberry farm

I had used it some, but once I started using Tonality, I've used nothing since....

I'm looking at the website - I'll definitely dl the free trial and give it a try! It seems to be highly rated as one of the top professional dedicated monochrome software packages out there (just as Efex was a few years back), so definitely worth playing with and seeing how I like it. I'm sure it would expand my habits & style quite a bit to change software and I'm fine with that, it's an advantage! - I just dooo nooot want to lose the option to create the look I already work with.

What is it about mono that makes us black & white shooters so dedicated to it? I mean, I know why *I* love it....but there's probably a huge pool of reasons why. It would be cool to pose that question & see all the different things people said

**pepperberry farm** · 06-08-2016, 08:51 AM

the entire suite of Macphun tools is pretty cool overall....

06-06-2016, 10:40 PM	#1
Ecaterin Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 723	has anyone heard of Nik being opensource'd? I'm a bit late on the curve on this one (Nik was converted to freeware in March, the final affirmation that Google will abandon it), but I'm crushed. Silver Efex has been my go-to for mono for years, I've never found anything to match it. The rest of the color tools are also excellent and I'll hate the learning curve when I'm finally forced by OS updates to switch programs...but Silver is my post-processing love, where I developed and refine my personal style; and monochrome is 90% of my work. So my question is, has anyone heard of a gorilla attempt at an open-source effort? It's not inconceivable and has certainly been done before with complex programs that have a devoted following. I cannot find anything online that might point to such a thing, but it's early days yet. Thoughts? Rumors? Inklings of hope? And, secondarily, suggestions for eventual software change-ups from those who have figured out how to maintain their personal Silver Efex editing look in a different suite? Help me PentaxForums, you're my only hope... Thx guys Last edited by Ecaterin; 06-06-2016 at 10:49 PM.

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06-07-2016, 02:55 AM	#2
pepperberry farm amateur dirt farmer Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 41,766	I use Tonality by Macphun and really, really like it...

06-07-2016, 10:22 AM	#3
narual Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: South Bend (Notre Dame), Indiana Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,988	changing it to freeware doesn't mean it's abandoned. Google has several pieces of software that are free and still heavily developed.

06-07-2016, 09:17 PM	#4
Ecaterin Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 723 Original Poster	Originally posted by narual changing it to freeware doesn't mean it's abandoned. Google has several pieces of software that are free and still heavily developed. Considering the lack of updates and other factors, the general consensus seems to be that Google probably purchased Nik to stripmine Snapseed, and that Nik will go the way of Picasa. It's just a truth of big-company-buys-nifty-start-up,eats-it-alive ---------- Post added 06-07-16 at 08:18 PM ---------- Originally posted by pepperberry farm I use Tonality by Macphun and really, really like it... I'll take a look, thx pepperberry Had you used Silver Efex previously?

06-07-2016, 10:33 PM	#5
pepperberry farm amateur dirt farmer Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 41,766	Originally posted by Ecaterin I'll take a look, thx pepperberry Had you used Silver Efex previously? I had used it some, but once I started using Tonality, I've used nothing since....

06-08-2016, 08:38 AM	#6
Ecaterin Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Seattle Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 723 Original Poster	Originally posted by pepperberry farm I had used it some, but once I started using Tonality, I've used nothing since.... I'm looking at the website - I'll definitely dl the free trial and give it a try! It seems to be highly rated as one of the top professional dedicated monochrome software packages out there (just as Efex was a few years back), so definitely worth playing with and seeing how I like it. I'm sure it would expand my habits & style quite a bit to change software and I'm fine with that, it's an advantage! - I just dooo nooot want to lose the option to create the look I already work with. What is it about mono that makes us black & white shooters so dedicated to it? I mean, I know why I love it....but there's probably a huge pool of reasons why. It would be cool to pose that question & see all the different things people said

06-08-2016, 08:51 AM	#7
pepperberry farm amateur dirt farmer Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: probably out in a field somewhere... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 41,766	the entire suite of Macphun tools is pretty cool overall....