I am not able to Save in PSD

[iflynething]

I didn't know TPF had this section so I first posted this in Beyond the Basics. Sorry about the double post though....

I'm working on a HUGE panorama (around 45 total pictures) of downtown Charlotte, NC. Well, I did 3 sets of pictures I"m combining for a panorama.

I started at one point, went to the right over lapping slightly to another point on the right, moved up and then went right to the point where I started (except higher) went up more and went left in a zig zag pattern until I covered everything. I'm having these blown up to a 3' x 6' for a club downtown. Anyways, the first one only consisted of 9-10 images for the bottom, middle and top section. 9 on the bottom, 9 middle, etc. Once they are merged, I then merge the bottom, middle and top, to make one huge file for the most amount of detail. On the second one, which I'm working on right now, there are 15 images per 3 parts (the bottom, middle and half). When they merge together, I cannot save as a PSD. Only TIFF, Large Photo Format (PSB) and a Photoshot Raw file but not PSD (Photoshop Document).

Are there too many file i"m working with and it just CAN'T save as a PSD or what? Will I be using anything? I don't flatten the image until I have merged the bottom, middle and top sections together so I like to keep it all separated and Photomerge the PSD files.

Anyone know what's the limitations here?

~Michael~

 

[LukeC79]

PSDs have a limit on the size of them, I think it might be 10,000 x 10,000 pixels. Anyways it sounds like your panarama would definately exceed the size, whatever it is. They have added the "Large Photo Format" for this purpose I think. I am pretty sure that TIFF files are quite flexible as well.
I would suggest doing a small test file and save it in the different formats, to make sure that you can still use layers with them.
However, depending on your computer, this could slow it down alot.

A technique that I have not tried but have heard about
1)To save a scaled down copy of each picture that you want to use.
2) Use the Photomerge to merge them.
3) Then in the Photomerge Before you hit OK, save the merge session, and exit the merge session(it shouldnt matter if you actually produce the merge at this point)
4) Now then save over the small photos with the original large ones
5) Now with the merge you should be able to open the merge session that you just saved but it will use the large files instead of the smaller ones. It will take a while, but you wont have to sit around for every little shift.

I am not at a computer with PS so I am a little unsure about this, but as soon as I check this out I will respond.

My second suggestion would be to work on the picture in sections. Split it up as it wil be printed if thats the case. Or just work on 1 file with the pics for the left 1 for the middle and 1 for the right (or top, middle, bottom). Once you have thise 3 files made up then merge all their layers and then put them all into 1 last file. But don't do any colour work unless absolutely needed until the very end.

Another thing to consider is how close people will be when they look at this. If I were doing a 3 foot x 6 foot picture, the DPI would probably be at most 80 and more likely 60. 100 dpi seems to be when you can start to see the image degrade with the naked eye if you examine it from 1-2 feet away. In the long run working on a gigantic file only wastes your time and harddrive space.

 

[twozero]

Normally, both TIF and Large Document Format have editable layers. I would assume that they would still be that way regardless.

But, like Luke said, just save both. Better safe than sorry.

 

[iflynething]

Landscape photos of 10mp: 3872 x 15 = roughly 60,000 pixels WIDE (if they were edge to edge) so roughly 30,000 or so pixels wide accounting for the overlap and about 15,555 vertical with 6 layers (sections) high.

I have been saving in the Large Format and have been breaking it down. It's a SUPER TIME consuming process but I need it to be good looking.

I am doing the process of what Luke said as far as breaking them into sections, then merging. It takes forever for PhotoMerge to work and blend everything, even with 50% overlaps (or more) on all photos.

When I get it all together, I will post a scaled down version. The cool thing is (at least to me) I have so much detail in the picture, my laptop monitor can't display it properly and it looks blurry until I zoom in to about 50%.

Anyways, thanks for the advice and I will get back to editing them all. It's going to take a while.

Thanks for the information. I guess all programs have their limitations

~Michael~