Luminar Ai running choppy/slow on M1 Max MBP

[buyusfear]

Is anyone else finding this?
My specs are M1Max 32GB RAM 24 Core GPU.

I'm new to the software, but after upgrading to a beast of a machine from what I was previously using (2010 MBP with upgraded SSD), I've managed to already crash the app a couple of times when I really got going on my edits.

I'm sure it has something to do with it running through Rosetta, or not quite being fully optimized for these new chips, or whatever. I don't know, I'm a photographer, not a computer tech-spec expert.

All I know is that If I were going to show off my new toy, It would not be by demo'ing workflow in Luminar Ai.

I test ran a similar export on the included "Photos" app and it was lightning quick at edits and exporting. and at the same resized size, the files ended up being almost a 3rd in size (1MB vs 350KB).

My main issue is that it's making my computer feel like my 2010 MBP. Doable, but old. I don't have any other software to test as I am against paying Adobe a monthly; my reason for trying out Luminar.

I zoom in quickly, it takes a second or so to buffer and bring the image into focus. I drag or side scroll while zoomed in, same thing. It feels laggy. Enough that it discourages edits or pixel peeping.
These are approx. 20MB RAW files. So not like I'm working with monster files, all things considered.

I lightly edited and exported 20 or so RAW files to a standard email jpeg friendly size, 1000x1500 pixels or so, and it took about a 30 seconds.
That's unacceptable on a machine that can allegedly destroy the export times of a Mac Pro with afterburner pushing out 8k footage, right?

I'm not sure whether to wait until Luminar Neo comes out (part of my bundled purchase presale) or request a refund and avoid learning a new software workflow thats just not going to be the right software for the M1 Max?

 

[Clix Pix]

I have Luminar AI installed on my 13" M1 2020 MBP but have not really used it all that much except for a quick-and-dirty one time just to test it out. That was a long time ago and I'm pretty sure that at that point it was still using Rosetta. So, yeah, I don't know if Skylum has actually updated Luminar to work with M1 chip machines or not. I would think that by now they would have, though. I have gotten various updates on my 2018 Intel MBP, which for now is my main image editing machine, but haven't run Luminar AI in the M1 in quite a while.

I do know that they are planning to launch a new version of Luminar, called Luminar NEO (?) I think, and that is to be some time this fall or winter. I haven't paid that much attention to the details. It is likely that the new version will be appropriately configured to work with M1 machines, as certainly now that the M1 24" iMacs and the M1 MBPs are available along with the 2020 13" M1 MBA and MBP, they will want to serve people who have and use those machines and who want to continue with the Skylum products.

 

[soulreaver99]

Yup, luminar AI is laggy and runs like crap on the M1. I know it’s super easy to use when it works but I’ve transitioned to using photoshop more when I need to

 

[buyusfear]

Yup, luminar AI is laggy and runs like crap on the M1. I know it’s super easy to use when it works but I’ve transitioned to using photoshop more when I need to

I'm just relieved that it's not my laptop.

I reached out to Skylum late yesterday and to their credit they got back to me right away; so that was impressive.

However, after I had initially stated this was on a new M1 Max Mac, and that I was just testing a few images out in the app, he then proceeded to ask me basics questions I'd ask my parents to double check; how many photos were in my folders, what edits I'd made, how full my hard driver was, etc. etc. Finger pointing.

Software bugs, I can accept that, but finger pointing to deflect, when it's clearly a software issue, I mean, I get it, but 'eff off with that BS.

That BS response alone makes me want to get a refund and just use Apple's "Photos" for editing until a clear front runner emerges for the M1 chips that doesn't rape me monthly.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

I’ve seen posts from others who do not care much for Skylum. Sure, they don’t have a subscription model, but it sounds like their strategy is even more expensive. People claim that even things like bug fixes don’t end up in the current version, but the next for-pay version.

 

[Clix Pix]

I would never depend on Skylum's offerings as my only image processing software. They are heading more and more into AI, which is fine except that there are times when AI just is not what someone wants when working with a given image. I tend to use Luminar after I've already processed an image in DXO PhotoLab 5 and discover later that, oops, I missed cloning-out that blobby bit or spot, or maybe I want to adjust some other component of the overall look of the image. Their "erase" tool has been a favorite for a long time and so I still hang on to being able to use it.

I definitely am absolutely not interested in swapping out skies, adding fake sun rays or doing strange things to (altering) people's faces and/or bodies....that to me goes beyond appropriate.

 

[buyusfear]

I would never depend on Skylum's offerings as my only image processing software. They are heading more and more into AI, which is fine except that there are times when AI just is not what someone wants when working with a given image. I tend to use Luminar after I've already processed an image in DXO PhotoLab 5 and discover later that, oops, I missed cloning-out that blobby bit or spot, or maybe I want to adjust some other component of the overall look of the image. Their "erase" tool has been a favorite for a long time and so I still hang on to being able to use it.

I definitely am absolutely not interested in swapping out skies, adding fake sun rays or doing strange things to (altering) people's faces and/or bodies....that to me goes beyond appropriate.

I've requested a full refund. I'm not even going to bother waiting for Neo (I ordered their promo 2 deal).

Overall, the software performed nicely, aside from the lagginess at times. But other than Sky Ai, which is gimmicky as it gets, it feels like a desktop version of instagram or something.

I really wish I could just purchase an app that stayed out of the way and did what I needed it to do when I needed it.

 

[Clix Pix]

I've been very happy with DXO PhotoLab; I started with v.3 a couple of years ago and now am using v.5. The program seems intuitive (at least to me) and I can get done what I need to do without fuss or muss. I don't want to use the popular Lightroom because I prefer to keep control over my own folders, files and images rather than letting the program handle them (as a DAM).

As for Neo, I am not preordering, I'll just wait until the program actually is launched, read more about the details then and also have a look at reviews and then decide if I want to buy and use it or not.

 

[stillcrazyman]

My experience with the last few versions of Luminar have left me at the point of not using it anymore. It’s always been sluggish. It’s current version is not generally supported when they release a new version that will likely have the same bugs or missing(promised) features.
Skylum is all about making it’s users spend money for a new version. Every. Year.

Just my opinion of course. ?

 

[buyusfear]

This was Skylum Support's response when I asked for a refund:

Thank you for your message. We are sorry that you have such an impression as regards our software. Luminar is fully optimized for the M1 chip.

Please try reinstalling the app in the following way:

• Delete the app with AppCleaner. Download AppCleaner from here: http://www.freemacsoft.net/appcleaner
  Drag Luminarᴬᴵ from your Applications folder into the AppCleaner window. When removing Luminar, mark all the files and folders in the list, except for RTW788AXG3.com.skylum.luminarAI.
• Go to Pictures -> Luminarᴬᴵ Catalog and rename this folder (if you have created the Catalog in another Location, please navigate there and rename the Catalog folder).
• Open Luminarᴬᴵ Catalog folder, locate the file LuminarAI Catalog.luminarai and change its name too.
• Go to Application Support (launch Finder > Go > Go to Folder > paste /Library/Application Support/Skylum Software and delete LuminarAI folder.
• Go to Terminal and paste: defaults delete com.skylum.luminarai , then press Enter
• After that please install Luminarᴬᴵ back from the link below:
  http://skylum.com/download/luminar-ai-download

Am I being a Karen if I think doing the above is asking a little much of your customers?

Especially when we all know that the software is to blame.
If the entire M1 internet were holding hands around how awesomely fast Luminar AI was running on their devices, I may be more incline to roll up my sleeves and do the above; but, not when we all know that it's the software that's really at fault here.

 

[Clix Pix]

Huh! That really does seem like requesting the customer to jump through an awful lot of hoops! Good grief! I would be willing to bet that many users of Luminar AI bought the program in the first place because it is supposedly quick and easy to use, simple enough for those who don't require heavy-duty editing tools, and that these same people have never, ever, touched Terminal on their (either Intel or M1) machines in their lives!

I seem to remember that when AI first launched there was some glitch and the workaround was to rename the catalog plus do something else, but I've forgotten now what that something else was. It wasn't as complicated as this sounds, though.

 

[Darmok N Jalad]

This was Skylum Support's response when I asked for a refund:

Thank you for your message. We are sorry that you have such an impression as regards our software. Luminar is fully optimized for the M1 chip.

Please try reinstalling the app in the following way:

• Delete the app with AppCleaner. Download AppCleaner from here: http://www.freemacsoft.net/appcleaner
  Drag Luminarᴬᴵ from your Applications folder into the AppCleaner window. When removing Luminar, mark all the files and folders in the list, except for RTW788AXG3.com.skylum.luminarAI.
• Go to Pictures -> Luminarᴬᴵ Catalog and rename this folder (if you have created the Catalog in another Location, please navigate there and rename the Catalog folder).
• Open Luminarᴬᴵ Catalog folder, locate the file LuminarAI Catalog.luminarai and change its name too.
• Go to Application Support (launch Finder > Go > Go to Folder > paste /Library/Application Support/Skylum Software and delete LuminarAI folder.
• Go to Terminal and paste: defaults delete com.skylum.luminarai , then press Enter
• After that please install Luminarᴬᴵ back from the link below:
  http://skylum.com/download/luminar-ai-download

Am I being a Karen if I think doing the above is asking a little much of your customers?

Especially when we all know that the software is to blame.
If the entire M1 internet were holding hands around how awesomely fast Luminar AI was running on their devices, I may be more incline to roll up my sleeves and do the above; but, not when we all know that it's the software that's really at fault here.

I would not be satisfied with a solution where step 1 is downloading some third-party freeware to remove their software. That means now I need to also investigate the security and effectiveness of this freeware. They should build in the capability to uninstall their software without resorting to such things. The rest looks a lot like how you fix stuff in Linux. There’s nothing wrong with such methods, but it’s usually reserved for free and open software.

 

[Clix Pix]

Reminds me, too, of years ago wrestling with the Registry in Windows.....

 

[mackmgg]

This was Skylum Support's response when I asked for a refund:

Thank you for your message. We are sorry that you have such an impression as regards our software. Luminar is fully optimized for the M1 chip.

Please try reinstalling the app in the following way:

• Delete the app with AppCleaner. Download AppCleaner from here: http://www.freemacsoft.net/appcleaner
  Drag Luminarᴬᴵ from your Applications folder into the AppCleaner window. When removing Luminar, mark all the files and folders in the list, except for RTW788AXG3.com.skylum.luminarAI.
• Go to Pictures -> Luminarᴬᴵ Catalog and rename this folder (if you have created the Catalog in another Location, please navigate there and rename the Catalog folder).
• Open Luminarᴬᴵ Catalog folder, locate the file LuminarAI Catalog.luminarai and change its name too.
• Go to Application Support (launch Finder > Go > Go to Folder > paste /Library/Application Support/Skylum Software and delete LuminarAI folder.
• Go to Terminal and paste: defaults delete com.skylum.luminarai , then press Enter
• After that please install Luminarᴬᴵ back from the link below:
  http://skylum.com/download/luminar-ai-download

Am I being a Karen if I think doing the above is asking a little much of your customers?

Especially when we all know that the software is to blame.
If the entire M1 internet were holding hands around how awesomely fast Luminar AI was running on their devices, I may be more incline to roll up my sleeves and do the above; but, not when we all know that it's the software that's really at fault here.

The concerning part isn't them asking you to reinstall the app, that's fine. Though at this point you've determined it's not your installation it's their software since others have the same problem.

The worst part though is that their only uninstall mechanism is that involved! You need a third party cleaner tool, then still manually delete a few things, then also manually remove stuff in Terminal. They should just have an uninstaller utility if it's that complicated!

And considering they replace the it with entirely new software every year, are they suggesting that you have to do this to upgrade to the new one? Or do they default to just leaving multiple GB installations adding up year after year? The tech specs say it requires 10GB (!) to install AI. So if you decided to start using Luminar this time last year and also bought every upgrade, you'd have 4, AI, and soon Neo totaling 30GB of bloat...

 

[lcubed]

This was Skylum Support's response when I asked for a refund:

Thank you for your message. We are sorry that you have such an impression as regards our software. Luminar is fully optimized for the M1 chip.

Please try reinstalling the app in the following way:

• Delete the app with AppCleaner. Download AppCleaner from here: http://www.freemacsoft.net/appcleaner
  Drag Luminarᴬᴵ from your Applications folder into the AppCleaner window. When removing Luminar, mark all the files and folders in the list, except for RTW788AXG3.com.skylum.luminarAI.
• Go to Pictures -> Luminarᴬᴵ Catalog and rename this folder (if you have created the Catalog in another Location, please navigate there and rename the Catalog folder).
• Open Luminarᴬᴵ Catalog folder, locate the file LuminarAI Catalog.luminarai and change its name too.
• Go to Application Support (launch Finder > Go > Go to Folder > paste /Library/Application Support/Skylum Software and delete LuminarAI folder.
• Go to Terminal and paste: defaults delete com.skylum.luminarai , then press Enter
• After that please install Luminarᴬᴵ back from the link below:
  http://skylum.com/download/luminar-ai-download

Am I being a Karen if I think doing the above is asking a little much of your customers?

Especially when we all know that the software is to blame.
If the entire M1 internet were holding hands around how awesomely fast Luminar AI was running on their devices, I may be more incline to roll up my sleeves and do the above; but, not when we all know that it's the software that's really at fault here.

if i'm reading this correctly, skyLum is trying to get rid of the all the old pref files and then have you do a fresh install. this looks like they're still in troubleshooting mode versus return money mode.