Mask lists

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Robert Schleif
Posts: 340
Joined: May 1st, 2009, 8:28 pm

Mask lists

Post by Robert Schleif »

The first time you click on the mask button to the right of the amount slider, a window then displays all the existing masks of the proper size. If you come back to the transformation and again click on the mask button, the widow that opens does not contain the list of acceptable masks. It seems more logical that it would contain the list.
jsachs
Posts: 4203
Joined: January 22nd, 2009, 11:03 pm

Re: Mask lists

Post by jsachs »

You need to Reset the existing mask first -- then you can get the list back. You can only apply an existing mask when there is no pre-existing mask.
Jonathan Sachs
Digital Light & Color
Robert Schleif
Posts: 340
Joined: May 1st, 2009, 8:28 pm

Re: Mask lists

Post by Robert Schleif »

OK. Thank you. I think one would be less likely to experience my difficulty if "Reset" in the window were replaced with "Remove current mask".
Robert Schleif
Posts: 340
Joined: May 1st, 2009, 8:28 pm

Re: Mask lists

Post by Robert Schleif »

A later thought. It would be simpler and more intuitive if that window always displayed the eligible masks, whether or not one had already been chosen and in use. If one had been previously chosen, one naturally expects that a new choice would replace the old one. While it is necessary to retain "Remove existing mask", it should not be necessary to perform this operation if one wishes a newly chosen mask to replace the previously chosen mask.
jsachs
Posts: 4203
Joined: January 22nd, 2009, 11:03 pm

Re: Mask lists

Post by jsachs »

I think this would be a bad idea. The entire mask would need to be rebuilt since you are effectively undoing the first mask operation. All the changes that were made to the original image would then be applied to the new image, such as painting, flood fill, building a mask from the brightness curve, etc., whether or not they made sense. Forcing a Reset before specifying a new initial mask reinforces the notion that you are beginning from a new starting point.

Maybe what you are missing here is that the mask you select from the list is just the initial mask and it can subsequently be modified by additional mask operations, which is a potentially very powerful feature. This is why the command is Reset and not Remove existing mask.
Jonathan Sachs
Digital Light & Color
Robert Schleif
Posts: 340
Joined: May 1st, 2009, 8:28 pm

Re: Mask lists

Post by Robert Schleif »

Sorry, I am afraid that I am still confused. "Reset" appears in the window even when no mask has been defined anywhere and there is nothing to reset or remove. Also, If I have invoked a preexisting mask and modified it, then come back to the transformation and click on the mask button, selecting "Reset" removes the modified mask. To further modify the mask, instead, I must select "Reopen Mask Dialog Box". From the situations I have explored, "Reset" means "Remove" unless there is nothing to remove.
jsachs
Posts: 4203
Joined: January 22nd, 2009, 11:03 pm

Re: Mask lists

Post by jsachs »

You are right -- Reset was not supposed to be in the menu if there is no mask. Fixed for next release.
Jonathan Sachs
Digital Light & Color
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