Low CPU usage when applying „unsharp mask“ effect.

[chrisjohannesbauer]

Hi everyone. 

As soon as I apply the unsharp mask effect to a clip or a adjustment layer and try to export the sequence, my export time multiplies drastically. 

For example:

sequence unsharp mask effect turned off: 2 minutes export time. 
same sequence but with unsharp mask effect turned on: 50 minutes or more. 

I did realize, that CPU usage is extremely low when the effect ist turned on (hovers around 30%). Without the effect CPU usage is pretty much always over 90%.

Is this a common problem? Is there a easy fix for this? 

Thanks in advance,

Chris 

[R Neil Haugen]

What's your RAM on that system, and how heavily is that being used?

Neil

[chrisjohannesbauer]

I have 32 GB of 3200mhz DDR4 RAM. 

During rendering it hovers around 40% usage. 

But it's the low CPU usage when using the Unsharp mask effect that irritates me. 

It feels like my CPU is using only one core to render when activating the effect instead of all eight...could this be the case? 

[R Neil Haugen]

And the CPU?

I'm trying to puzzle a bit here ... applying Unsharp on my laptop (not even my desktop) ... doesn't even add any notable time to a render & replace to say Cineform.

Neil

[florenth5065547]

Hi. 

Me too same problem. And it's very annoying cause it's MUCH longer with the Unsharp mask (which is pretty much vital to use, for social medias...)

Also I have 32 Gb, 3200Mhz of Ram, and it goes arund 50% while exporting. My AMD Ryzen 7 CPU goes to 100%. 

Plus, in the monitor I can clearly see that the Unsharpen makes a colour shift towards the green tint. This remains when the video is exported. I don't know which is more annoying...

Please help from the technicians.

thank you in advance.

[basil1891]

@florenth5065547 Unsharp mask is a non-accelerated, i.e. "CPU-only" effect. To make render/export faster, follow these rules regarding order of effects:

- Ideally don't use CPU-effects at all (keep a timeline "yellow"). This is maximum speed mode. 

If you can't avoid using CPU-effects:

- Don't mix CPU- and GPU- effects in the same adjustment layer. Doing so will cause rendering in "software only" mode (very slow). Instead separate GPU and CPU effects in two different layers. Put "GPU-layer" on top of a "CPU-layer". This way GPU-acceleration will actually work.

- In case of applying effects directly to a clip without adjustment layers: organize effects in a way that all GPU-effects are applied after CPU-effects.

Here 

"GPU-effect" means any GPU-accelerated effect; when added it makes/keeps the timeline "yellow".

"CPU-effect" - any that makes the timeline "red"

[R Neil Haugen]

To add to Basil's most excellent comments:

Have you considered using the sharpening in the Lumetri panel? That is a GPU accelerated effect. I export for socials, and know many that do, and I don't know anyone using Unsharp Mask. In fact, for many of my socials, I don't even need the sharpening within Lumetri.

And this is a user-to-user forum, with some oversight by product support. There is no 'set' monitoring of this forum by the techs from the development team. Though at times, some will jump into a discussion here.

Neil

[florenth5065547]

Thank you very much to both. 

I mean it seems that sharpening is a must especially if the video is put on social media, say instagram,  sharpening  then conterbalance the loss of quality due to the heavy compression...

Good idea to sharpen in Lumetri instead. Is it however the same as the sharpening effect from the effects panel ?

I have always been indicated that the Unsharp mask is better overall than the usual Sharpening effect, is it not the case ?

And what about this color shift, the green tint, I'm experiencing with Unsharp Mask, anyone noticed it?

Thank you...

[R Neil Haugen]

Can't comment on the Unsharp mask tint, haven't used that in ages.

The Lumetri sharpen seems to do fine, but I only use it in small amounts for when say I need a bit more detail in hair on a close-in shot. Everybody's mileage always varies, so you'd have to test yourself. Doesn't take but a few minutes. Do a three clip sequence ... first clip your standard unsharp mask, second Lumetri small but close to the same sharpening, second a bit more.

Upload, and see what you get.

Neil

[R Neil Haugen]

Just tested the ol' Unsharp Mask. Didn't get any tint effects at all, and I was checking over plus masked sections of a clip in different colors of that clip. With both transmit out to my ref monitor and the scopes up ... no shift in Vectorscope or RGB Parade with U-S Mask on or off.

It did pop up a red bar on my sequence if on, though.

Neil

[florenth5065547]

Thank you very much 🙂