Formula/composition driven masks and layers

kirkl
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Formula/composition driven masks and layers

Beitrag von kirkl »

Would be extremely helpful to have a regular layer based software doing some node based tricks.

I would love to see masks and layers that would be formed by a certain composition /blending of layers nested within different groups.
From layers currently set invisible for the current document state but at the same time forming a number of specific compositions to calculate "live" masks to use in different levels of the stack.

For example a mask for layer X would be formed by multiplying layer A from one group by layer B from another group and divided be layer C from third group + some levels adjustment having all those layers currently invisible in the main stack and still transformed according their parent groups.

The purpose is to have multi channel files like exr and multi-channels images like ones common in modern CG industry being composed easily with more or less real time visual feedback .

Same idea would work probably just with Photoshop styled transform links in between layers within different groups + already existing virtual copies. But imo formula driven layers would make the stack even more simple and easy to read.

I am impressed by Photoline elegancy and only I really need is either those Photoshop styled layer transform links or formula driven approach. Would switch to Photoline instantly.
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Hoogo
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Re: Formula/composition driven masks and layers

Beitrag von Hoogo »

Not sure, maybe you mean something like in the attached file?
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kirkl
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Re: Formula/composition driven masks and layers

Beitrag von kirkl »

Yeas, something like this with one very important addition: Photoshop styled links that could lock /link transforms: move /scale/rotate in between layers and their virtual copies even if those copies nested into different parent groups .

So if I move a parent /group the virtual copies within the other groups or masking stacks would stay at same XY position as their originals.

Right now there is no transform links in between original and virtual copies and all of them could be moved separately. I need an option to link them together whatever group they would may be in. A kind of choice: should a layer inherit transforms from its original or from its parent/group.
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Herbert123
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Re: Formula/composition driven masks and layers

Beitrag von Herbert123 »

Yes, an option for inheriting transformations between layers would be awesome. I too work a lot with 3d comps, and it would be extremely helpful - also for texture creation.
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Hoogo
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Re: Formula/composition driven masks and layers

Beitrag von Hoogo »

Well, I still don't get the idea behind it, that makes that feature so important.
But if you group a layer and create the virtual copy from that group, then all changes to the inner layer change the group and so also the copies of it.
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kirkl
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Re: Formula/composition driven masks and layers

Beitrag von kirkl »

Hoogo hat geschrieben:Well, I still don't get the idea behind it, that makes that feature so important.
The idea behind it is to make multi-channels image editing possible. There is a huge lacuna in modern image editing soft, All the soft is RGB+Alpha. While modern CG industry needs RGB + alpha + depth + normal RGB + surface rougness + surface curvature at least.

All those channels should be influencing each other and blending into each other in some specific manner . For example to get proper depth composition I need to combine depth of two objects by "lighter" blending mode for second object, then put a clone of bottom/first object over the composition top and set it to "difference" + threshold to get a mask for blending colorRGB and normalRGB channels. To have such calculations live and auto updating I need to link transforms of bottom depth and its virtual "difference" copy on the top.

I can do so in Photoshop but not in Photoline considering the fact such virtual copy would be nested most probably into other group and would inherit transforms from other parent.

In fact I would prefer just formulas without gazillion of extra blending layers. Or even a soft where all those channels are combining automatically by design so I could import multi-channel EXRs and would get just properly combined channels in "channels" panel working only with RGB on the top.

But currently the transform links is just a minimal condition to works in such manner. A thing to start from. Looks like open source Krita understands the needs of CG better . Their "virtual copies" are always inheriting original layer transforms whatever group you would insert them or parent to.