P: Denoise fails in 15.0 (and all versions since 14.1.1)

[Ballonseide]

I updated Lightroom from 14.1.1 to 15.0 and AI Denoise has completely stopped working.

I have previously had Denoise failures with all other Lightroom versions higher than 14.1.1 that I have tried, which is why I've been using that version. Reverting to 14.1.1 always restores normal AI Denoise operation. I suspect there was a change to the Denoise implementation in 14.2 that causes it to consistently fail on my machine.

The exact problem as I'm experiencing it with 15.0 is as follows:

• Clicking on "Denoise" for the first time for a raw file causes the "Applying Denoise" progress popup to appear, but it disappears when progress is only about half-way through, and afterwards Denoise remains disabled (as does Raw Details).
• This repeats if I then click on "Denoise" again, but with the popup being visible for just a fraction of a second, if at all, and Denoise continues to be disabled afterwards.
• If I then click on "Raw Details", Raw Details are immediately applied without any issues.

(It seems to me the only thing actually being computed in these steps is Raw Details, not Denoise.)

• With Raw Details enabled, if I click on "Denoise" again, the Denoise progress popup will again very briefly appear and Denoise will then be enabled... but the image is not denoised, rather it shows as completely un-denoised, with massive chroma noise in high-ISO images that even classic noise reduction deals with easily. (It's exactly what I see in the 14.1.1 Denoise implementation, in the little preview window, as the "Without Enhance" comparison.)
• In this state, the Denoise slider starts out at its default 50 and is responsive, but doesn't cause any change in the image.

I've already tried creating a new catalog (same behavior, so not likely to be catalog corruption) and deleting Lightroom's "Camera Raw GPU Config.txt" file (no change). My GPU is properly recognized and utilized in all other GPU-related operations.

This issue occurs with all my raw files, e.g. with 14-bit losslessly compressed NEF files from a Nikon Z6. It's 100 % reproducible. I can provide a screen recording if it helps.

System Info

[Ballonseide]

The title should have been "... all versions after 14.1.1", not "since". 14.1.1 is the last version in which Denoise is working normally for me.

[Srishti Bali]

Hi @Ballonseide 

Really sorry to hear about the trouble you’re facing with the Denoise feature and thanks for sharing the details. Let’s get this sorted out together. Could you please share the ACR log files from the following locations:

• ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/Logs

• ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/lrc_console.log

Once we have these, we’ll be able to check what’s causing this and suggest the next steps.

Regards,

Srishti

[Ballonseide]

Thanks for pointing me to the logs, I've attached them.

The issue is obviously a missing model, and lrc_console.log rightly complained about lack of write permissions for ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Lightroom/Modules – it was set to owner root and group wheel and it was empty.

However, I've since corrected the ownership issue, and the complaint in lrc_console.log has disappeared, but my issue still persists and the ACR logs report the exact same errors as before (including "missing model directory"). So, how do I get the folder recognized and those models installed, now that the folder is writable?

[Srishti Bali]

Thanks for sharing the logs! According to them, it seems the Denoise model isn’t available, which is unusual since the Denoise models come bundled with the app. Could you please share the contents of the following folders so we can check if any files are missing? Make sure to expand all subfolders if you are sharing a screenshot.

1. /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic/Adobe Lightroom https://adobe.ly/47cHw8o
2. ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ModelZoo/CloudDownload
3. /Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ModelZoo

[Ballonseide]

Contents for 2 and 3 are attached.

1 only contains the app and the uninstaller alias. If you need the complete contents of the app bundle, let me know.

[Chinoy Gupta]

@Ballonseide Please share the content list of /Applications/Adobe Lightroom Classic/Adobe Lightroom Classic.app/Contents/Resources/ModelZoo as well.

[Ballonseide]

Attached.

[Simon S Chen]

According to the camera raw log files, there seems to be a mismatch of ML models. LrC v15.0 could not find the matching denoise models that it is looking for.  My recommendation to address the issue:

1. Upgrade to LrC v15.0 (this should uninstall the previous version)
2. Upgrade to ACR plug-in to v18.0 (this should uninstall the previous version)
3. Delete  ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ModelZoo/ and everything underneath it.
4. Try ACR plug-in v18.0 by launchign Ps and check if denoise works.
5. Try  launching LrC v15.0 and check if denoise works.

[Ballonseide]

I already have LrC 15.0 installed and I don't have Ps installed (never have). So the recommendation boils down to deleting ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ModelZoo and checking if Denoise works afterwards, correct?

[Ballonseide]

@Simon S Chen: I deleted ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ModelZoo, launched LrC and retried Denoise. LrC did recreate the deleted folder, apparently without any Denoise model, but the Denoise behavior/failure is exactly the same as before.

Attached are the contents of ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ModelZoo as it is now and the ACR logs from the latest try. At least in the v0 log the errors appear to be the same as before.

[Simon S Chen]

Please follow the steps that I described earlier, not just the deletion step #3. Also, if you can share one of the image files that does not work. We will try to reproduce from our side.

[Ballonseide]

I believe you missed my immediate reply to your message with the proposed steps, where I asked you to clarify what you want me to do. I do not have Photoshop installed, so I'm not sure how I could possibly follow steps 2 and 4. LrC is the only Adobe product installed on my machine, and always has been.

Regarding step 1, what do you mean by "upgrade to LrC v15.0" if it already is at v15.0? Do you want me to uninstall it first and then reinstall?

As for sharing "one of the image files that does not work", I already indicated in my first post that it is not some image files that do not work, rather Denoise fails for all raw files, of all formats that I have on my machine, in exactly the same way and without exception. For example, I just downloaded this raw file from DPReview and Denoise failed with it, just like it does with all of my own raw files.

[Simon S Chen · Accepted solution]

Thanks. If you are not using the Photoshop and the ACR plug-in, then delete "/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ModelZoo" and everything underneath it. Note this this the system shared location, not the user specific one. Namely, delete everything under

1. Upgrade to LrC v15.0 (this should uninstall the previous version)
2. Delete  /Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ModelZoo/ and everything underneath it.
3. Delete  ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CameraRaw/ModelZoo/ and everything underneath it.
4. Try  launching LrC v15.0 and check if denoise works.

[Ballonseide · Accepted solution]

Thank you, deleting the ModelZoo folder in both the user and system library finally restored normal Denoise function. Appreciate the help!

For anyone else with the same problem who already has LrC v15.0 installed: it is not necessary to upgrade/install/uninstall anything, just delete the folders while Lightroom is not running, then launch it again.

[Cam_Harper6218]

How do i update it, i am having the same problem, lightroom will not let me click my denoise button or camera raw and all of the other editing tools look normal though

[MOR10s Images]

On my Windows PC it works in version 15, but what used to take 25 seconds now take 5 minutes, on the same hardware.

[Simon S Chen]

The slowdown could be due to a GPU driver update recently?

[Srishti Bali]

@Ballonseide Thanks for sharing the details, and @MOR10s Images — we understand how frustrating this might be. In this scenario, I’d suggest completely uninstalling Lightroom Classic from your machine and then reinstalling it via the Creative Cloud desktop app. This can often help resolve installation-related issues that occur during updates.

[Ballonseide]

Is that advice meant for me? If so, what did you see (or not see) in the file listings I provided? And would the Cleaner Tool delete app settings as well? Plugin settings? Presets etc. pp.?

[alee88]

Experiencing the same behavior, very frustrating!!

[Sameer K]

Hey, @alee88. Thanks for the comment. If Denoise does not work, at all - Check the pinned comment from @Simon S Chen. 

If it is slow, or does not produce expected results, please feel free to start a new conversation with pertinent information such as the System info from Lightroom Classic and details about what you see. 

Thanks!
Sameer K
(Type '@' and type my name to mention me when you reply)