| Author | Message | ||
     Christopher Fuller New member Username: Gonzuller Post Number: 2 Registered: 08-2006 |
I have decided to make the leap from Photoshop to another procesing program. My two considerations right now are Lightzone, a new product, and Picture Window Pro. So far Picture Window is at the top the list. Part of the reason is the supportive community on these boards which provides a learning forum like few others and another reason is that everytime I see an advertisement for a new program tha promises some sort of "new" approach, I am discovering that PWP had it all along! I have been going through the tutorials on these boards and spending a great deal of time with the program to learn its features. One of the areas that I have been working on lately is masking. In the tutorials that I see posted by Den (http://www.dl-c.com/discus/messages/2/5934.html#POST11450), I notice that he posts the coordinates for his masks. My questions are: what do the sequences of coorindates mean (i.e., ADD curve = [0,100], [50,100], [60,0], [100,0]), how does one fine these coordinates on the curves palettes, and how does one enter these coordinates? Thanks, Chris | ||
| den Member Username: Den Post Number: 53 Registered: 03-2006 |
Chris... Curve coordinates are defined as [horizontal,vertical] where on the 10x10 grid [0,0] is lower left corner and [100,100] is the upper right corner. To obtain a curve = [0,100], [50,100], [60,0], [100,0]: 1. move the original [0,0] control point to [0,100], ie, mouse click-drag the bottom vertical arrow [head points right] straight up 2. move the original [100,100] control point to [100,0], ie, mouse click-drag the top vertical arrow [head points right] straight down... note arrows will disappear if overlapped on the same horizontal value 3. do a shift-mouse click on the grid at [50,100] 4. do a shift-mouse click on the grid at [60,0] Alternate methods: 1. mouse click-drag the [0,0] control point to [50,100]... drag when the cross appears over the control point 2. mouse click-drag the [100,100] control point to [60,0]... drag when the cross appears over the control point or do Alt steps 1 and 2 by mouse click-drag the grid's horizontal and veritcal arrows.... drag when the double headed arrow appears Note: a control-mouse click over an added control point will delete it from the grid | ||
| den Member Username: Den Post Number: 54 Registered: 03-2006 |
Mask Mode  The mask mode controls how the current mask will be modified by new mask element you create. New mask data can augment, diminish, overlap, or invert the current mask. If you have only the 30-day trial version of PWP4x, suggest you download the *.pdf's program manual from DL-C's 'download' page for basic/updated transform operations... illustrated here are elements from PWP31h's manual and does not show the 2nd "APPLY" for the Mask Tool... | ||
| Christopher Fuller New member Username: Gonzuller Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2006 |
Den Thanks. Last night I worked with your information on "Shadow & Mid-Tone Recovery Using A Complex Tone Range Mask" for one of my images. As a first try I was impressed with the results. However, even before any sharpening, there was a slight halo along the ridge of yellow hills on the right of the picture. My mask was along the tree line down along the ridge of the yellow hills with the darker mountains and sky outside of the mask. WHat do you recommend for lessening the halo? Since I am new to these forums I do not know how to post the pictures the way that you and others do. I have attached the original image. My next post will have the processed image. - Chris  | ||
| Christopher Fuller New member Username: Gonzuller Post Number: 4 Registered: 08-2006 |
Here is the processed image. - Chris  | ||
| den Member Username: Den Post Number: 55 Registered: 03-2006 |
To make the halo less obvious try: 1. increasing the amount of the 'highlight tone range mask' Blur after APPLYing the ADD curve and before the SUBTRACT curve and/or 2. use a '4th Mask' technique described in Ammendment 1 of the 3Tone Range Adjustment Procedures: http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/3tone/3tone.htm I have also resorted to cloning out the halo with a soft-sided Clone Tool brush in 'darken only' mode.... Nice image, mind sharing it?... if so, do you have a means to upload a medium resolution original jpg image version and advise an URL?... image resized to around 800x1200 pixels and jpg compressed at 100% quality... would be happy to take a closer look at suggesting masking and color curve specifics but need a medium resolution image | ||
| Christopher Fuller Member Username: Gonzuller Post Number: 7 Registered: 08-2006 |
Den: Thanks. I am responding to your entry from a public library right now. I will not have access to a computer until after the labor day weekend. I would be happy to send you the image. On Tuesday I will upload it to the photo section of www.costco.com. I will send you an e-mail when it has been uploaded. I would welcome your advice. Thanks, Chris | ||
| den Member Username: Den Post Number: 57 Registered: 03-2006 |
Chris... I will be offline for approx. 2 weeks starting Sunday, Sept 3 but I am sure there will be talented others that can help... Will look forward to working with the image upon my return... | ||
| den Member Username: Den Post Number: 58 Registered: 03-2006 |
Could not resist trying to unlock the hidden potential of the posted low res original image... The workflow for the following image would be meaningless on the hi-res image... So here is a 'den1' version, low res and jpg artifacts notwithstanding:  | ||
| den Member Username: Den Post Number: 66 Registered: 03-2006 |
Chris... and Others An enhanced image version:  (1) The original image's 0 ->38% tone range was expanded to 0 -> 95% using masks to limit the tone range expansion to the original image's 0 ->38% tone range image area [foreground to/including the left and right ridge line/trees]; (2) The original image's 38 -> 80% tone range was expanded to 38 -> 100% using masks to limit the tone range expansion to the original image's 38 ->80% tone range image area [mountains and sky/clouds]; (3) Various post-processing techniques were used with masks to adjust specific image areas for optimal brightness, contrast, and color [hue/saturation]; (4) Distracting image content/spots were removed; and (5) Mid-tone USM edge sharpening performed. Detailed illustrated workflow: http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/tutorials/CFs_fallday/index.htm | ||
| Kevin Elliott Member Username: Kevgermany Post Number: 423 Registered: 09-2004 |
Den, as always I like the finished result a lot more than the original. However I wonder where the line along the sky edge of the left hilland right hill came from. Is it fromt eh masks overlapping the natural edges? | ||
| den Member Username: Den Post Number: 67 Registered: 03-2006 |
Kev... The dark lines as you surmized came about from a best compromise of mask edge feather selections for the overlapping tone range masks... also the edge sharpening enhanced these lines... The right side ridgeline actually has the 'jaggies' as well... I did not take the time to fine tune the ridgelines and the dark lines would not be so accute with the full sized image. They also are more pronouced with the reductions for postings. This would be one of the final preference Misc Tools/Clone Tool image touch ups....  | ||
| Kevin Elliott Member Username: Kevgermany Post Number: 424 Registered: 09-2004 |
Thanks, didn't have time to play myself |
