Req: Extract Object option -- to Mask

[photoken]

After modifying a lasso with the Border Matting tool, most of the time I want to use the result as a mask to separate the object from the original image, such as when separating windblown hair from the background.

It would be a great help if the Extract Object options included "Mask" in addition to the other destination options.

As it is now, I have to use multiple steps of extracting to a layer, creating a mask from the alpha of that layer, moving that mask to be a child layer of the original image, and deleting the separation layer. That's very tedious.

This new "Mask" option should be available for the "Extract Object" button of all the lasso tools (especially the Vector Lasso tool), as well as the Tool...Lasso...Extract Object menu item.

[bkh]

It would be a great help if the Extract Object options included "Mask" in addition to the other destination options.

"Extract Object" also changes the colour of the semi-transparent pixels at the border of the mask, trying to remove the background colour. So just using the alpha channel of the result as a layer mask for the original image gives a different result from what you get when you create a new layer. Does it really make sense to have just the mask and not the pixels?

Otoh, I'm not sure if "Extract Object" also changes the mask values, but if it doesn't, then you could simply convert that mask to a layer mask. In any case, imo "Border Matting" should have the same "Convert to Clipping Layer"/"Convert To Layer Mask" buttons as the other mask/lasso tools.

Cheers

Burkhard.

[photoken]

It would be a great help if the Extract Object options included "Mask" in addition to the other destination options.

"Extract Object" also changes the colour of the semi-transparent pixels at the border of the mask, trying to remove the background colour.

Yes. The Extract Object dialog has those very nice options of "Radius", "Threshold", and "Remove Color Border". When the colour border is "removed", the remaining pixels essentially are left with varying degrees of semi-transparency. That's why I would like the destination option of "Mask".

So just using the alpha channel of the result as a layer mask for the original image gives a different result from what you get when you create a new layer.

Yes, that's why I'm asking for this feature. If, after using Border Masking to make a lasso, I simply create a mask from that lasso, I get a different result than creating a mask from the Extract Object layer's alpha.

Does it really make sense to have just the mask and not the pixels?

Yes. I always prefer using a mask to separate an object from its background because it gives at least two advantages:

• In the case of windblown hair, painting on the mask with either white or black allows me great control to refine the mask, showing more of the hair and less of the background, etc.
• Once I have a mask that separates the object from the original background, it's very easy to use virtual copies of that mask to target adjustment layers to affect either the object or the original background.
• The organization of the layers panel makes more sense to me when I only have a clipping layer to denote object separation, instead of littering the layers list with individual object layers....

(OK, so that was three reasons. )

In any case, imo "Border Matting" should have the same "Convert to Clipping Layer"/"Convert To Layer Mask" buttons as the other mask/lasso tools.

I wouldn't mind having those options, too, but I think it's important (for the sake of convenience) to have the specifically-defined results of the Extract Object dialog directly used to create a mask.