Composite with 1 point shift

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Marpel
Posts: 692
Joined: September 13th, 2009, 3:19 pm
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Nikon D810
Location: Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Composite with 1 point shift

Post by Marpel »

- If I am compositing two images, with 1 point shift, and I do not highlight the Browser thumbnail of the base image, the left side image is the overlay, with point 1 starting in the lower left corner (signifying the lower left corner of the base image), all good. But there is no bounding rectangle to show the size/position of the base image. And I can zoom each side independently (see next point).

- However, if the thumbnail is highlighted (the images in the main window change, of course), a bounding rectangle is visible on the left side, showing size/position of the overlay image, and I cannot zoom each side independently. Both sides can be resized with their own zoom controls, but the other side follows suit. I would find it useful to be able to zoom out on the left side, particularly when the overlay image is way bigger than the base, and also be able to zoom into the right side for precise positioning. This is especially relevant when using a (small) mask on the base image.

So, why the difference in bounding rectangles and zoom capabilities?

Marv
jsachs
Posts: 4203
Joined: January 22nd, 2009, 11:03 pm

Re: Composite with 1 point shift

Post by jsachs »

Currently, the outline of the overlay image is displayed oven the input image but not the other way around. The way I normally use it, I first set a point in the overlay image and then switch to displaying the base image and drag the corresponding control point to the desired location in the base image. The outline of the overlay image is displayed mainly as a convenience. It would be possible to display the outline of the base image over the overlay image as well, but I have never seen much of a need for this.

For the next release, I believe I have cleanup up various inconsistencies regarding when the synchronized scrolling button is displayed. It should be displayed only if the following three conditions are met:

1) the display is in split screen mode
2) the overlay is not a solid color
3) the overlay and base images have the same dimensions
Jonathan Sachs
Digital Light & Color
Marpel
Posts: 692
Joined: September 13th, 2009, 3:19 pm
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Nikon D810
Location: Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Re: Composite with 1 point shift

Post by Marpel »

Thanks Jonathan for the reply,

It appears the order in which things are done greatly impact whether one is able to locate a point, as you describe, in the overlay image. And much depends on when the mask is introduced, something which I never realized before I started experimenting.

My usual order (used to be) was to identify the overlay image, identify a mask, then choose alignment. Your suggestion (one which I will now follow) requires the overlay image identified, then alignment method chosen, then the point positioned on the overlay image, then a mask is chosen for the input image. If the mask is chosen sometime earlier, the overlay image point cannot be chosen.

Marv
jsachs
Posts: 4203
Joined: January 22nd, 2009, 11:03 pm

Re: Composite with 1 point shift

Post by jsachs »

>> My usual order (used to be) was to identify the overlay image, identify a mask, then choose alignment. Your suggestion (one which I will now follow) requires the overlay image identified, then alignment method chosen, then the point positioned on the overlay image, then a mask is chosen for the input image. If the mask is chosen sometime earlier, the overlay image point cannot be chosen.

Composite should work regardless of what order you do the operations in. If you click on the Mask dialog box however, it will gain control and you will not see the Composite overlay or be able to select alignment points until you click on the Composite dialog box to re-establish its control.
Jonathan Sachs
Digital Light & Color
Marpel
Posts: 692
Joined: September 13th, 2009, 3:19 pm
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Nikon D810
Location: Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Re: Composite with 1 point shift

Post by Marpel »

Jonathan,

Not sure if I am just not understanding your last post.

My post just prior to your last one was more specifically referring to your method of placing a point within the overlay image (which I have adopted).

If I do Composite, choose the overlay image, then go immediately to the Alignment > 1 point, the overlay image is shown on the left side of the split screen. I can then move the control point from bottom left to anywhere in the image. I can then relinquish control back to the Composite dialogue and see the base image on the left, with a bounding box of the overlay image. Wherever I initially placed the control point on the overlay image, I can now see it inside the bounding box and when I move that point, the bounding box follows.

However, if I identify the overlay, then draft a mask for the base image, when I then go to Alignment > 1 point, the overlay image shows as a bounding box (over the base image), with the control point in the bottom left corner. It doesn't matter what I do from that point (click on the Composite dialogue, click on the thumbnail etc), I can't move the control point anywhere inside the overlay bounding box, as it is stuck to the bottom left corner.

So, in this scenario at least, it does seem to matter the order in which the operation is done.

Marv
jsachs
Posts: 4203
Joined: January 22nd, 2009, 11:03 pm

Re: Composite with 1 point shift

Post by jsachs »

>>However, if I identify the overlay, then draft a mask for the base image, when I then go to Alignment > 1 point, the overlay image shows as a bounding box (over the base image), with the control point in the bottom left corner. It doesn't matter what I do from that point (click on the Composite dialogue, click on the thumbnail etc), I can't move the control point anywhere inside the overlay bounding box, as it is stuck to the bottom left corner.

The way to change the location of the alignment point within the bounding box is to move the alignment point in the overlay image. To switch back and forth between setting the alignment point in the base image and the overlay image, you can use the two buttons at the top of the dialog box labeled In and Ov. Or, you can click on the transformation thumbnail or the half-size input image thumbnail in the image browser which does the same thing. The In/Ov buttons determine which image is displayed on the left of the side-by-side split screen. The method of clicking on the thumbnails works the same for all other transformations that have auxiliary inputs such as Layout, Stack Images, etc., while only some transformations such as Composite, Blend and FIlter have dedicated buttons for setting which image is displayed.
Jonathan Sachs
Digital Light & Color
Marpel
Posts: 692
Joined: September 13th, 2009, 3:19 pm
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Nikon D810
Location: Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Re: Composite with 1 point shift

Post by Marpel »

Thanks Jonathan for your patience.

If I use the Ov button to locate the control point, then use the In button to go back to the Input image, how do I get the green mask overlay back on to this image? It is visible when setting up the mask, and prior to switching to the overlay image, but it disappears after the left view is switched to, and back from, the Overlay image.

Marv
jsachs
Posts: 4203
Joined: January 22nd, 2009, 11:03 pm

Re: Composite with 1 point shift

Post by jsachs »

You click on the small square at the right side of the Amount control and select Re-open Mask Dialog Box from the drop-down menu.
Jonathan Sachs
Digital Light & Color
Marpel
Posts: 692
Joined: September 13th, 2009, 3:19 pm
What is the make/model of your primary camera?: Nikon D810
Location: Port Coquitlam, British Columbia

Re: Composite with 1 point shift

Post by Marpel »

Thanks.
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