Help for utilisation of layers with Acdsee ultimate 9

[Robert77]

Hello
I have some difficulties to use very well layers .
I have believed that when you have many layers on right of your pictures : layer 1 for your original photo , layer 2 ( for instance if you want to change exposure ) layer 3 ( for instance , color ), layer 4 ( for instance white balance ) ...... you can see the final effect change after saving the photo but not after each change .
You can see the final result after layer 4 , but not after layer 3 without saving the photo .
In other words I thought that we could see every stage separately if we placed the mouse on the layer.
I don't understand also the functions " set mask white " and "set mask dark ".
Thank you in advance for help
Regards

[LV_Bill]

Robert77 - Several responses and questions for you:

1. You can see all changes in layers immediately (as you are working). You do not have to save the image. If you cannot see your changes, you're doing something wrong.

2. You did not specify if you were talking about Layers, or Adjustment Layers. These are very different. For your layers 2,3, 4, etc. can you describe exactly how you created them?

3. Masks are ways of creating transparency in an image or layer (in addition to the Eraser tool). There is a good description in the Help information. I can explain more if you like.

[Robert77]

Thank you LV-Bill for your fast response

I think that I have understood about layers . See the capture below
If I clic or unclic each blue button on right side , I am able to see separately each layer and effet and also the combination of 1 or 2 effects not continue ( for instance the first and the last )
I would like that you give more explanations about mask
Regards and best wishes

[OldRadioGuy]

Hello
I have some difficulties to use very well layers .
I have believed that when you have many layers on right of your pictures : layer 1 for your original photo , layer 2 ( for instance if you want to change exposure ) layer 3 ( for instance , color ), layer 4 ( for instance white balance ) ...... you can see the final effect change after saving the photo but not after each change .
You can see the final result after layer 4 , but not after layer 3 without saving the photo .
In other words I thought that we could see every stage separately if we placed the mouse on the layer.
I don't understand also the functions " set mask white " and "set mask dark ".
Thank you in advance for help
Regards

Robert, you'll find many tutorials on YouTube explaining editing with layers and masks, including this one. Most of these are for Photoshop, but the basic concepts apply to ACDSee Ultimate 9.

For masking, "black hides and white reveals." Paint with white to reveal parts of a layer or hide parts by painting with black.

Finally, click on the eyeball in the layer panel to hide or reveal that layer. You can check the effect of various layers this way.

Bob

[LV_Bill]

Robert77 - Looking at your screenshots above, an immediate question that comes to my mind is -- what are layers 2, 3, 4? Do they contain any photo elements that you are adding to your image? I see your Adjustment layers, but I see no purpose for the empty layers 2, 3, and 4. Or, am I missing something?

You can add as many Adjustment layers as you like, and they will all affect the original Layer 1. Additional real layers are normally only used the add actual image elements. Following is an explanation I posted some time ago here in the ACD forum regarding Layers in Ultimate-8. It explains the basics of Layers, focusing on transparency. It does not talk about Adjustment Layers which you have already figured out. Maybe you will be able to get a basic understanding from this. Good luck.



The key to understanding basic Layers and how to use them is transparency. To put one image on top of another, and achieve a 'merged effect' (for example, placing an image of a person on a different background), the top layer must be transparent for everything except for the person. And, the key to creating transparency is using the Erase tool in Ult-8 Edit Mode.

As a simplistic example, let's say you want to use Ult-8 Layers to create a photograph of yourself standing in front of the Taj Mahal in India. (I'm assuming that you have never actually been there). Following are the steps to do that (it looks lengthy, but it's really very straight-forward).

1. First, you need two images: (a.) a picture of the Taj Mahal, and (b.) a picture of yourself.

2. Open Ult8 and launch the picture of yourself in Edit mode.

3. Select the Erase Tool from the icons at the top of the tools panel (line 2 on the far right).

4. Use the Erase tool to get rid of all the background detail around yourself. As you will see, you erase by literally 'painting' transparency. When complete, you should have a picture of yourself that is completely transparent for everything except your image. Regardless of the source file type, you must then save this erased image using Save As to either Png or Tiff (to preserve the transparency).

5. Next, open the picture of the Taj Mahal in Edit Mode. Make sure that you can see the Layers Pane (click View > Layers). Your Taj Mahal should be labeled as Layer 1.

6. On the main menu click: Layer > Import from file. Point the Import dialogue to the erased image of yourself. Ult-8 will load your image as Layer 2. You will immediately see that the transparency you created allows the Taj Mahal to show through your picture except for your own image.

7. You can reposition yourself by using the Move tool (rightmost icon on the first line).

8. You should then save your creation, first as a .ACDC file type. So can come back and adjust your layers later, if needed. And secondly, as a finished image -- Jpeg or whatever. That's it !!

[Robert77]

Thank you LV -Bill

I will give you as soon as possible a response . For Taj Mahal, I was been some years ago
Please se the capture to understand that I did ( I create the layer with the cross ( add a layer )



First , please could you give me the link to reach the informations about your explanations with ACD forum regarding Layers in Ultimate-8.

Regards

[Robert77]

LV-Bill said

4. Use the Erase tool to get rid of all the background detail around yourself. As you will see, you erase by literally 'painting' transparency. When complete, you should have a picture of yourself that is completely transparent for everything except your image. Regardless of the source file type, you must then save this erased image using Save As to either Png or Tiff (to preserve the transparency).
I have done
5. Next, open the picture of the Taj Mahal in Edit Mode. Make sure that you can see the Layers Pane (click View > Layers). Your Taj Mahal should be labeled as Layer 1.
I can't open the second image after the creation of item 4 , the preview layer disapear : I can't have in same time the layer 1 ( person ) and the photo .
6. On the main menu click: Layer > Import from file. Point the Import dialogue to the erased image of yourself. Ult-8 will load your image as Layer 2. You will immediately see that the transparency you created allows the Taj Mahal to show through your picture except for your own image.

[LV_Bill]

Robert77 - I'm not sure what you're doing wrong, but it's something easy I'm sure. In the screenshot below, I downloaded your Taj Mahal image. I opened it in Ult-9 Edit Mode. Then, I used the command: Layer > Import from file to place an image of my granddaughter (already erased) on top of your Taj Mahal. If you look at my entire screenshot in Edit Mode, maybe you can see how my sample layers are different than what you are doing. Post back after you have reviewed my sample.

(Don't be confused by my screen layout. I'm right-handed, and I always drag the tool panes over to the right side. I place the layers pane on the left).


UPDATE: I added a second screenshot. In this new version, I have added two Adjustment Layers to the Taj Mahal example. The first is Light EQ to brighten up the Taj Mahal. The second is for Clarity, to make the detail clearer. Note that they are both above the Taj Mahal, but below my granddaughter. That way, only the building is affected by the Adjustment Layers. Again, look carefully at my layers and compare them to what you are doing. Hope this helps.

[Robert77]

Thank you Bill .
Your granddaugter in front of Taj Mahal is beautiful ..
I will try again sooly and give you the result .
I tought I did an error because I start first to edit the person and erase around the person and after ,it was impossible to select the image of Taj Mahal , even use the command Layer-> import file

[Robert77]

Hi Bill
It is done .
Please find the result and the capture of ACdsee 9 for process .
Thank you .
I will continue to learn about layers .
Regards

[LV_Bill]

Robert77 - Well done.....you've got it !!

[Robert77]

Hi Bill

To make some progress I would appreciate if you explain me with some captures , the utilisation of masks white and dark what I am able to do with masks
Regards
Robert

[LV_Bill]

First off, Masks are just another way to achieve transparency -- in addition to the Eraser Tool. For erased images that you want to save and reuse (like my granddaughter), I always use the Eraser Tool and save the erased image as a .Tiff file. But, sometimes, the need for transparency is just a one-time thing that you don't necessarily want to save. That's when Masks may be an easier solution. I have a good real-life example that I'm working on right now. I'll see if I can get some screenshots and post them a little later.

In the mean time, there is a quite good write-up on masks and how to use them in the Help files. I suggest you do some reading while you are waiting for me to post my screenshots. Launch Help. In the Contents Tab, click: Edit Mode > Using Layers > Using Layers with Masks. I'll post back with my masks example later.

[Robert77]

OK thanks of lot

[LV_Bill]

Hi Robert - Okay, here's my promised example about using Masks. It solves a very common problem. Namely, whenever you take a group photograph, you always take two or more shots. Why? Because all photographers know that people blink, they stop smiling, they look away, etc. etc. etc. To compensate, we all shoot multiple shots to get at least one good one. But, what do you do when all the shots have something wrong? Layers and Masks can come to the rescue.

Here's a real-life example from my recent family vacation in Krakow, Poland. Photo-1 and Photo-2 below, were taken seconds apart. On the left is our Tour Guide, and the other two people are members of my family. For simplicity purposes, I'll refer to them as "Left-Lady", "Center-Lady", and "Right-Lady".

If you compare Photo-1 to Photo-2, you will immediately see the problem. Left-Lady is okay in Photo-1, but she decided to adjust her hair just as I was taking Photo-2. Center-Lady blinked as I was shooting Photo-1, but she's fine in Photo-2. Right-lady has a better smile in Photo-1, but she's okay in Photo-2. Obviously, the challenge here to take the best parts of both photos, and produce a hybrid image.

After thinking about my options, I decided to use Photo-1 (Center-Lady blinking) as Layer 1. Next, I used Photo-2 as Layer 2, and masked out everything except Center-Lady's face. That way, the Center-Lady version with the smile would overlay her blinking version. Here are the steps I used to do this using Layers and Masks:

Step #1 – Launched Photo-1 in Edit Mode to act as Layer 1 (see screenshot Photo-3).

Step #2 – Executed Layers > Import from File to load Photo-2 as Layer 2 on top of Layer 1. (see screenshot Photo-4). At this point, Layer 2 completely covers up Layer 1, but that will abruptly change in the next step.

Step #3 – Right-clicked on Layer 2 (in the Layers pane), and executed: Add Black Mask. This completely hides Layer 2 by making it entirely transparent. Next, I selected the Brush Tool from the tool icons (second line, far left), then set the color to White. On the image itself, I brushed the color white to expose only the portions of Layer 2 that I wanted to use (see screenshot Photo-5). This screenshot is the most important part, so study it carefully. Note that I turned off Layer 1, so you could clearly see what was being done to Layer 2. In the Layers pane, you'll see that Layer 2 has a black box in it (meaning Black Mask). Also, notice that there is a white hole in the middle. That's where my white brushing allowed the Center-Lady's face to show through the black mask, but only her face. Everything else is transparent.

Step #4 – I turned Layer 1 back on to see the final merged result. (see screenshot Photo-6 [in next Post]). You must always save your Layers creations as a .ACDC file to preserve the layers, and so you can make adjustments later if they are needed.


Note: I could have also used a white mask which reveals everything until you use the Brush tool to paint black on the image to hide portions that you don't want to see. In summary, brushing white color on a Black Mask "reveals" what's hidden underneath by, in effect, creating holes in the Black Mask. Conversely, brushing black color on a white mask behaves similar to Erasing. The black brush tells the mask to "hide" the areas brushed black.

Important Final Note – What you do to a mask does not really affect the image or the layer underneath the mask. Using the Erase Tool makes permanent changes once you save the file. There is no way to recover data the has been erased. Masks, on the other hand, are not permanent and can always be changed, merely by brushing with the opposite color. By switching the brush color between white and black, you change previous brush work, or add more, to either a Black Mask or a White Mask.