Batch Workflow and Widget Settings

[SFeinstein]

I am new to batch workflows and had a question about how widgets are applied to images. Specifically, when I work on images, I color balance (usually allowing PWP to auto pick) and then levels going to full range. Since not all images are the same, I don't want to set the actual values, but want PWP to pick the color balance.

I searched archive on this and found someone who asked the same exact question in 2008. The initial response from Kiril was:
In Levels and Color, use Full Range. This will expand each image to its full range.

The Color Balance applied will be exactly the balance you set. However, the balance setting should be the same for a series of images that you took under the same conditions. Thus you should apply the workflow to a batch of similar images and reset it between batches.

In 5.0, Color Balance will also have an adaptive mode.

So overall, from this response it sounds like setting levels to full range will be enough for levels. But that for color balance, this didn't work with v4, but that v5 would have an option to make it work. I looked at v7, but don't see the option.

So I am thinking screens have changed. So I am back to my original question about using a color balance widget that works on all images by having PWP auto select the color to fix.

I hope, this question makes sense :)

Thanks,

Steve

[den]

Please describe your "starting" image file... ...is it a camera Raw file or has it already been converted to a tiff or jpeg?

[SFeinstein]

My images are JPG.

[den]

Here are two possibilities...
(1) Use the Color Balance transform/widget whose default is full range auto white point and auto black point. Any mid-tone color cast will require a manual probe for a specific color or colors [up to 5] to be neutral gray... ...use the widget as a 'breakpoint' in the workflow.

...or...

(2) Use the Levels & Color transform/widget usually in the HSV color space with Full Range set. Again, any mid-tone color cast will require a manual probe for a specific color [only one] to be neutral gray... ...additionally, mid-tone brightness and contrast can be set... ...again, use the widget as a 'breakpoint' in the workflow.

The PWP7 descriptions above most likely are too general... ...suggest initially just using the transforms with the guidance of F1 Help when the transform dialog is 'active' in the work space and read the Color Balance.pdf white paper to get use to the transform settings/effects... ...in a workflow the widget settings will remain unchanged after initially being OKay-ed for the 'training image' for a series of images unless the widget is designated a 'breakpoint', then the settings will remain as last OKay-ed for the current and remaining images to be processed.

...den...

[SFeinstein]

Thanks Den

Sounds like color balance is really something that can not be automated for batch processing unless the images were all shot around the same time in the same lighting. Even though it does not produce the best results, I thought allowing PWP to pick the probe value for each image would be good enough if I have to post process a lot of images. But it doesn't seem like that is possible. Thanks.

[ksinkel]

One way to handle widgets that need custom adjustment is breakpoints. The breakpoint interrupts the workflow at the widget in question and lets you make a manual adjustment. After you make the adjustment the rest of the workflow is run automatically, as usual.

To set a breakpoint, select the widget at which you want to break and click the Breakpoint button. A few widgets do not support breakpoints.

Kiril

[SFeinstein]

Thanks Kiril,

Den also mention breakpoints. I did look at that, but I was hoping to avoid having to do anything manually. My issue is I have a Panasonic ZS5. I have found that outdoor shots tend to have a color cast (I think green, but others have said it is really blue and too cool - to my eyes, its green :)). The problem is the amount of the cast will differ based on the surrounding area.

Using breakpoints for 20 or so photos is OK. But if I have a hundred or so, not so great.

Maybe you can consider this an enhancement request :)

Have an option on some widgets to accept PWP choosing correct values or something like that.

Thanks for offering suggestions.

Steve

[tomczak]

I'm not sure if how helpful it is, but both Colour Balance and Levels & Colour can automatically extend the DR and do WB (Colour Balance). The difference is that the first operates on RGB and the latter on HSV/HSL, as Winfried explained here:

http://www.dl-c.com/board/viewtopic.php ... vels#p3183

What I'm not clear about is whether Colour Blance widget trains its settings on the first image in the workflow or keep expanding the dynamic range adaptively for each image in the workflow in turn. The issue was discussed here:

http://www.dl-c.com/discus/messages/2/9498.html

[den]

Maciej... ...Others

Ran a test this morning using PWP 7.0.10 - 32 with serveral differing outdoor lighting landscape [sunny to cloudy] camera generated jpegs [camera WB setting was 'auto' for a Canon 350D]... ...in a workflow with two consecutive Color Balance widgets.

The first CB widget was set to 'default' for auto White/Black point expansion/color cast removal and no mid-tone neutralizing color pairs...

The second CB widget was set with a previously saved, then loaded *.cb file that adds a 'warming' 5500K color temperature at a mid-tone whose HSV-V is 50% with the default auto White/Black points expansion/color cast removal pairs...

Both widgets were set as breakpoints and File/Preferences/Default Preview set to Auto so the workflow Preview would automatically appear...

For the first CB widget it was noted that the auto White/Black points changed as needed for each image processed.

The second CB widget as expected showed no needed changes in the auto White/Black points but did add a 'warming' 5500K mid-tone color cast.

Just as an aside... ...I often find that color temperature warming/cooling adjusted at a mid-tone with color casts removed for the image's white/black points more of a preference than with color temperature changes made at the white point.

...den...

[SFeinstein]

Den,

You mentioned setting a breakpoint. Did you try this without the breakpoint? When I ran against some test images, the auto settings did not work for anything beyond the first image. The rest were only good if the amount of balance needed was about the same. The ones needing a totally different balance did not work (they got the first image's amount). I did not try with breakpoints because I did not want to process through the dialog for every image.

Steve