Composite images : User interface suggestion

[pierrelabreche]

In the image browser, for transformations requiring additional images or when a mask is used, thumbnails of additional input images or masks are displayed to the right of the transformation thumbnail ( transformations including Composite, Layout, stereo etc. )

It would be convenient to offer :
1. a quick method to bring the image browser's focus to the transformation for the additional input or mask. This could be for example a right-click menu item on half-size additional input thumbnail.

2. a method to insert a transformation on an additional input image, and simultaneously replacing the additional input with the inserted transformation.
For example, user has created a layout with a few images. However, one of the images needs tweaking using a brightness curve transformation.
In such layout transformation, a quick interface qould allow replacing a source image with that source image processed with a brightness curve.

[tomczak]

Left-clicking on an auxiliary thumbnail focuses on it and displays its preview. Maybe shift/ctrl/alt clicking on a thumbnail could move focus to the source image instead?

On the second point, as a workaround of sorts, inserting the Bypass Transformation right after the contributing side image and inserting the Bypass output as an e.g. overlay into another transformation (instead of inserting the actual image which is now the input to the Bypass) could allow for adjusting the overlay (by inserting another transformation between the two - the reference to the Bypass Transformation will stay the same). But it may be easier to find it by somehow going from an auxiliary thumbnail to its source image.

[jsachs]

1) For the next release I added Shift-click on input thumbnails goes to the source of the input.

2) The Bypass transformation was created for just this situation.

[pierrelabreche]

2) The Bypass transformation was created for just this situation.

When a bypass is created, it would be convenient to allow replacing any instance of the bypassed transformation used as additional input with the bypass transformation.

In the image browser, a transformation used as additional input in other transformations could be marked with an outgoing connector indicating where it is used.

[tomczak]

This may not help, but I find it relatively easy to determine which images contribute as auxiliary inputs to another image by looking for coloured upstream transformations that are at the end of branches (a common scenario).

When I add a Bypass Transformation but forget to change the reference to it, it will not show as upstream from the transformation that uses side inputs. With the upcoming Shift-click moving focus to the source image, that may become even easier, I imagine.

If a Bypass Transformation is in focus, than the downstream transformations colouring can tell you if it has been used as an auxiliary input or not.

But maybe this could work the way you want: if Shift-click on a side thumbnail moves focus to the source image, perhaps Shift-click on an image could move focus back to the side thumbnail if any and do nothing or just work as a regular left-click otherwise?

[pierrelabreche]

... But maybe this could work the way you want: if Shift-click on a side thumbnail moves focus to the source image, perhaps Shift-click on an image could move focus back to the side thumbnail if any and do nothing or just work as a regular left-click otherwise?

The interface must take into account that a transformation output could be used used as additional input in many instances.