Q: Question on Light Table behavior

The problem still exists for me with AP 3.1.3 on OS X 10.6.8.

Not sure that it is hardware specific though, as I tested on two current 27" iMacs in the local Apple store here in Seattle which were both running AP 3.1.2 with the sample library on the machines. The same issue was quite evident when dragging the thumbnails from the filmstrip to the light table where the thumbnails became smaller in on-screen size and were obvioulsy much less sharp than the images in the filmstrip.

Resizing them in the Apple store to basically fill the default light table grid size improved the image quality, but using the loupe tool on the image proved the image quality was better in the loupe. Note - this was not the case in the library browser or viewer when in a normal project where both the loupe shown image and version image were of equal high-quality.

This issue is not present in 3.0.x and was introduced (at least on my machine) with 3.1.0.

FWIW, my machine specs are:

Mac Pro (early 2008) with a single quad-core 2.8 Ghz. Xeon processor

WD Black Caviar drives (System = 1 TB, Library = 500 GB)

NVidia 8800GT graphics card (512 MB VRAM)

8 GB RAM (1 GB per slot)

23" Apple Cinema Display

Note - the current iMac's at the store have ATI graphics chips, so it does not seem to be drivers.

Apart from your comment, no one else has posted that it actually works correctly (even though I have requested they do so). You may be correct that very few use the feature.

It definitely reminds me of InDesign's use of a low quality image to maintain some level of performance where many high-quality images would kill that program's performance. I don't see a good arguement for that use in Aperture though, as it is supposed to be used to layout images (without text or vector objects) in a professional photography app.

I also have no image quality issues with other image programs (e.g., Photoshop CS5, Bridge CS5, DxO Pro 6.6). Still hoping for a solution.

Problem still exists on OS X 10.7.1 and AP 3.1.3 on my machine.

Have tested with both the supported nVidia 8800 GT and then with the unsupported ATI HD 5770 graphics card in my Mac Pro (early 2008) system. Light table image quality was bad in both cases easily identified by looking at the filmstrip thumbnail quality and then comparing the thumbnail in the light table at same size (which is quite bad).

I run all Apple hardware with the exception of a Logitech LX8 (USB) mouse and a Wacom Intous3 tablet.

Tests were run without the Wacom tablet connected and without Wacom drivers installed on a clean install of OS X Lion (installed using a 10.7.1 USB flash drive). Updates to iTunes and Remote Desktop were applied, permissions repaired via Disk Utility booting from the same 10.7.1 USB flash drive.

Aperture 3 was installed and then I immediately installed the AP 3.1.3 update. Repaired permissions again (which had to repair 3 PluginManager Framework files with group issues that were set to '80' and were supposed to be '0').

IMHO - definitely an AP 3.1.x issue.

I will try filing a bug report via the developers avenue to see if it helps. ???

As a Windows power-user at work, these troubleshooting efforts are becoming too familiar on my Mac at home.

Finally!

Color me happy. The light table images are now the same as the thumbnails and previews (clean and clear at all sizes).

This has been fixed in AP 3.3 and I can now use the light table function as a nice layout options workspace.

I'll mark as solved on my post, but Apple did the work (obviously).