Adjustment Layers & Masks

[sovereign]

When I apply and ajdustment layer masked I'm not able to see only the mask in grayscale, as I can do when the same mask is applied on a standard level instead of an ajdustment one.
It is then very difficult to modify the mask: is there any way to show this mask and paint it over ?

[bkh]

There are two ways to temporarily disable the adjustment and to view the underlying greyscale layer.

1. Select the adjustment layer (in the layer dialog). Open the Attributes Dialog and uncheck the checkbox next to "Adjustment Layer" (see screenshot below).

Screen shot 2010-05-02 at 21.22.53 .png

2. (This only works in PL 16). Again, select the adjustment layer, then open the Adjustment Layer dialog. Unckeck the small checkbox in the adjustment title.

Screen shot 2010-05-02 at 21.28.26 .png

In both cases, you can re-enable the adjustment with its previous setting by checking the box again.

Cheers

Burkhard.

[sovereign]

I think the second way is the fastest. Thank you !!
The only thing is: I have to select the adjustment layer, click on the box, expand the layer+mask levels, choose the mask and select again the layer on top after having made the modifications to be able to clici again on the box..
Ok, I know it's not a problem, only as not as intuitive as I expected.

By the way.. you should know you are a wizard.. in your example you used "color temperature" as adjustment layer.. it was excatly what I was using when posting..

[bkh]

I think the second way is the fastest. Thank you !!
The only thing is: I have to select the adjustment layer, click on the box, expand the layer+mask levels, choose the mask and select again the layer on top after having made the modifications to be able to clici again on the box..

I don't quite understand what you mean. Once you uncheck the box, you see the grayscale image in the main window, and you can paint on it right away, then check the box again to see the effects. Btw., you can also paint the grayscale image while the adjustment is switched on.

Saluti

Burkhard.

[sovereign]

As you can see below I have two layer masks.
The one just beside the color adjustment it works as you explained me. The one on the level below was created by the option "create from mask" (I had some colors selected with the tool "select colors").
Maybe what I need to understand is how to create immediatley the second mask (the want that I want to be starting point..) beside the color adjustement.

[Hoogo]

I'd first create the new grayscale layer using "select colors". Then I would turn it into an adjustment layer using "layer > modify working layer".
Is this what you intend?

[sovereign]

No.
What I meant is different.
I actually created the adj. level in advance, and applied a mask after.
The mask I need comes from a color selection from the background.
But if I work in this way what I obtain is a blank sheet on the very left of the adj. level and the mask just below as (I suppose) a sub-level.
Hope is more clear..

[bkh]

Thanks for your screenshot - now I understand your problem. I don't see an easy way for editing the layer mask.

I don't know an easy way to edit this layer mask directly, either. But basically, the grey layer of the adjustment layer and the layer mask have the same effect, so in most cases, it doesn't matter which one you edit.

However, I guess that life would be a lot easier if you combined both into one. To do so, drag the layer mask on top of the adjustment layer, and select blending mode "Multiply". On the screen, you should see a new mask which is black where one of the two greyscale images is black.

Screen shot 2010-05-02 at 23.56.31 .png

Then select the (former) layer mask and adjustment layer and choose "Reduce to one layer".
Now you have the adjustment layer with only one greyscale layer which should have the same effect.

Cheers

Burkhard.

[Martin Huber]

However, I guess that life would be a lot easier if you combined both into one. To do so, (...)

If the layer mask is the active layer, the command "Layer Mask/Apply" should work, too.

Martin

[sovereign]

Then select the (former) layer mask and adjustment layer and choose "Reduce to one layer".
Now you have the adjustment layer with only one greyscale layer which should have the same effect.

Cheers

Burkhard.

Thank you. It works
I supposed there was a way to obtain the same result directly, but at the end it's not much important.
I confused the layer mask with the alpha channel of the effect, considering them two different layer masks !