Auto-Align in Stacking feature no longer works

[Rextiles]

I'm using PS CC version 20.0.6
I'm basically trying to stack two images of the moon.

I have tried two different methods in trying to get the images to be aligned so that they can be properly stacked, both have failed because the auto-align feature is no longer working. Here are the exact steps I am doing:

Method #1
1. File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack

2. Click Browse, select files, check Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images, click OK

3. Open Layers and select all images

4. Edit > Auto-Blend Layers, select Stack Images, check Seamless Tones and Colors & Content Aware Fill..., click OK

Images are skewed as the Automatic Align feature does not align the images as can be seen below.

Method #2

1. File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack

2. Click Browse, select files, click OK

3. Open Layers and select all images

4. Edit > Auto-Align Layers, select Auto, click OK

Get error message "Layers do not overlap enough to detect alignment". This is incorrect as 90+ percent of the images overlap.

I have done image stacking numerous times and have never had a problem until now, after the last update or two (it's been a couple of months since I have last done any stacking). Has something recently been changed that I can do to correct this? I am aware that I can align the images by hand but stacks more than a couple of images can be very time consuming.

[c.pfaffenbichler · Accepted solution]

I guess the images are problematic as far more than 50% of them is effectively black and has no meaningful detail that could be aligned.

Have you tried cropping the images before Auto-Aligning?

[Rextiles]

Thanks for the advice on cropping out the black areas as that seemed to work. The funny thing is, I had stacked moon pictures in the past but I don't recall if I had cropped them or not previous to running auto-align, perhaps I did without even realizing that I was correcting the images for the lack of detail issue which might explain why I had not encountered this problem before. Either way, cropping the pictures was the fix to my problem, so thank you very much!

[Rafael Aviles]

I downloaded your images and had no problems auto-aligning them and auto-blending them in Photoshop 20.0.6.

[Rextiles]

Rafael: Did you use one of the methods I outlined in my first post or did you do something different other than potentially cropping the pictures as I even downloaded my own pictures from here (as you would have) and tried both of my methods again (without cropping) and still got the same results. If you did not crop and were able to stack both images as I originally uploaded, then why am I having these problems? Now I'm starting to wonder again...

[Rafael Aviles]

Rextiles:

The first time, I used your Method #2, no problems. I just did it again, this time using your Method #1, and it worked fine.

Are you sure you are selecting the Stack mode and not the Panorama mode in the Auto Blend dialogue?

I am on an iMac running Mojave 10.14.6 but I don't think that should matter.

Very puzzling indeed.

Edit: No cropping at all. After the layers are aligned, you can see small areas where the frames did not match.

[Rextiles]

That is so very strange! Yes, I am positive that I have Stack mode selected and not Panorama mode using Auto-Blend Layers. If you are able to stack those two images using both methods and I am not, then I will go back to my original assertion that there is something wrong with the Auto-Align feature even though c.pfaffenbichler's crop suggestion did seem to work for me. But again, if this feature is working on your end without cropping, then what is different, why does it work for you and not me?

You mention you are on a Mac, I am using Windows 10.0.17763.678, Intel x64. If this is the only thing that is different between us, then perhaps there is a difference due to software architecture porting. I guess the only way to tell would be if other Mac and Windows users would test these images out and see what their results would be. If this is a porting issue, then it really should be fixed for Windows users; if I am the only one exhibiting these issues, then I need to find a way to fix it; and if you are the only one that has this working, then why? So many other variables as well to explore, I guess we'll have to see if others will feel inclined to test this out on their systems as well.

Thanks for the input, perhaps this is a bug after all!

[Rafael Aviles]

I agree, very strange! I'm not sure what's going on. I do hope other people (on Macs and PCs) give it a shot and let us know what they see. Otherwise it will be hard to troubleshoot. Good luck!

As an aside, if you only have two images (two layers) you can easily align them manually by changing the blend mode of the upper layer to Difference and then moving the layer until you get a black image (or as close to black as possible). Then change the blend mode to Normal.

Rafael

[fishinfool145]

Today I started having problems with Auto-alingn on some flower photos, it was working last week.   In searching for a solution, I came across your post.     I downloaded your photos and tried to align and received this error message.   You clearly have more than %40 overlap.  I hope we an fixe this quick.

[robert98A1]

Hi I'm having the same problem on a MacBook and it doesn't seem to be just dark photos auto align doesn't work with any image