dynamic formulas/expressions

[kirkl]

Would be cool if Photoline would have a kind of dynamic formula based layers and masks. Just a computation math like LaterA + LayerB - layerC using existing layers in the stack from different groups and also hidden layers . It would allow to work around some limitations , few things I can do in Photoshop and incapable in Photoline due to lack of transform links.

Besides it would make the stack much more easy to work with.

[bkh]

Why don't you create (virtual) copies and use "Add", "Subtract", … layer modes? (In some cases, one needs to use 32 bit mode to handle overflows/underflows in the expected way). This method also gives you visual feedback while you fine tune the "formula".

Cheers

Burkhard.

[kirkl]

Virtual copies are a nice thing but what I offer is a kind of workaround for Photoline shortage.

In Photoshop I can link the transforms of certain layers within many different groups. So I could move one group around and have a certain virtual copies(smart objects) inside multiple other groups be moved/scaled in sync. To be subtracted from other groups mask stacks for example. Looks like it's totally impossible in Photoline. At least till virtual copies could inherit their origins transforms as an option in whatever other stacks they would happen to reside.

What I offer would make things easier to manage also. Instead of gazillion if virtual copies mess and multiple drop down stacks we would see just a simple mask formula and links to involved source layers probably. Would be a simple and elegant solution imo.

With Photoshop "links" I soon can't figure out where all the involved layers are while with such a formula I wouldn't care at all.

[Hoogo]

You can put the original layer into a group and create the virtual copies from that group. That way transformations of the original are sent to all their copies.
Sometimes I thin that some layer playground based on nodes would be nice, but then again I haven't seen something like that with hundreds of nodes, and I think it takes more cnages to the UI than that to keep track of all layers with nodes.

[kirkl]

It does send transformations into other "virtual copy" groups but still isn't flexible enough to be useful because It still doesn't allow to make arbitrary
transform links I can do in Photoshop, it still can't send any transformation from original layer group parent, and very prone to selecting parents of other groups accidently messing the whole construct completely.

In a word I still can't send transformations from one group top level to other group single mask stack member.

Besides it suffers even more from the same old problem I get in Photoshop too. It's almost impossible to track transform connections between members within different clipping groups and after a while I couldn't figure out a thing in my own files.

I don't think any node interface is actually necessary . Just a special kind of "math" layer with property panel for exact calculation formula. Could all be working with current interface I bet.