GFS

Thanks MEB. I don't really understand how I 'subtract' one shape from another. Can you hold my hand on this one and explain it to me in easy to follow steps? :) (I think it would be a good idea, as a feature, to have a toggle button on the mask layer, for switching between stencil and mask. It's fundamental for complex compositing).

How do I make a vector mask by nesting my vector shape into a layer, as opposed to what it normally does, which is to make a stencil? (Wouldn't it be good to use the correct terminology or is this something Adobe have forever condemned us to?) In other words, I want my vector mask, to actually mask the area I have drawn and allow everything outside it (on the canvas) to show. The mask area itself should be transparent to allow lower layers to show through.

In AFPhoto, could we please have a modifier to force node drag handles to move symmetrically? I realise the shift-key snaps to position, but when drawing smooth shapes, it is often much easier when both sides of the Node behave symmetrically.

Firstly ... I think Serif have done a fantastic job with Focus Merge. I have been using Helicon for a number of years, but have dropped it completely now with AFP's Focus Merge. It's massively simpler and thus, much much faster and the results are often considerably better and seldom worse. So well done on a good job. (I would actually buy AFP for this feature alone, despite a couple of bugs in its implementation: Flipped source files (vertical/horizontal) and sometimes all the images not being used in the render). There is one area that could be improved though and that is specular highlights. I often have these in my work and AFP's Focus Merge tends to render them as very soft/blurry highlights. Ironically, sometimes this is quite nice. Request: • My ultimate would be to have a single brush that could be used over the entire image (without having to find and select the corresponding Tiff in the Sources Panel) so that I could selectively *and easily* brush the blurred highlights in/out. • Failing that, it would be useful to have a checkbox in the New Focus Merge dialog (or on the Sources Panel ... which I guess would mean a re-render) to allow specular highlights to be either soft or hard by default.

Simplest way? 1/ Add a nested Gaussian Blur filter to your pole's shadow shape. 2/ Select the Gaussian Blur mask, then with the Gradient tool selected, drag a line in the direction you want your gradation to be. Change either end from black to white according to what you want in terms of strength. NB, you can slide the little symbol in the middle of the gradient's line, to offset the centre. Works for me. :)

Actually, since pictures are worth a thousand words ... this is the part of the image I want to mask:

Can anyone suggest the best way in AFPhoto, to mask the transparent areas of a clear glass object against a white background (very little contrast)? I want to use it on a different background.

I just tried the smudge tool in AFP, in the same scenario as my video ... and it smudges. It's not the same thing. I have a separate tool for smudging in my old app. (I'm also reminded how incredibly fast my old app is). I'll make a feature request, because it's such a nice brush to have.

Okay. So just to be clear, I can use this brush on any layer type ... image or adjustment, not just paint. What it's doing is diffusing the layer's (brush) mask. It just sort of waters it down. It's not just blurring, because it's becoming increasingly transparent at the same time. The heavy jpeging of the video makes it look a bit blocky, but you get the idea.

Yes, but not quite the same simplicity. It's such a lovely tool, I'm missing it quite a bit in AFP. Ho hum.

Hi MBd. No. That's not what I mean. I'm looking at being able to soften the effect of brush strokes 'after the fact' as it were. Sometimes when painting it looks fine as you do it and then you sit back and look at it again and think there's maybe an area that is too strong. My old app lets me switch to a brush that will 'diffuse' or water down the effect of the brush strokes. Very useful.

I'm using the Dodge/Burn brush on a pixel layer. Is there any way in AFPhoto to 'diffuse' a brush when painting? By this I mean, you paint a stroke and can then diffuse, or soften that stroke by using another tool, so that it's effect is softened and becomes less intense with less distinct edges. Sort of like adding water to a water colour painting.

Excellent smadell. Thanks for the reply. I hadn't stumbled across the Rasterize to Mask command.

Is this possible in AFPhoto?

Competing MF cameras. Aside from that though, it's not anywhere near the DAM that Aperture is/was. Nice RAW conversion though.

Once again Aperture has this covered. You can choose to have files either 'managed' in the library, or 'referenced' somewhere else, e.g. a networked drive. The really cool bit is that it is really easy, using Aperture, to *move* files around. For example, using Aperture, you can move them from one drive to another, or if you want, you can change them to 'managed' so that they reside inside Aperture, which is handy if you need some files when you are away from your studio/workstation. Upon return, you can just as easily move them back to where they were. Aperture recognises instantly when a drive with referenced files becomes available and I would expect it to work with Mountain Duck. Apple really got Aperture right ... what they got wrong, was dumping it, but on a positive note, they provided what is hopefully great inspiration for Serif to make as good a DAM.

Well, of course Aperture easily answers these requirements. Apart from plenty of tagging tools, you can setup basic and expanded view parameters for list view, grid view and the viewer window and toggle between them with a key press. Sorting is a simple as clicking the column header and smart albums can use all this stuff. You can even add custom fields to your hearts content as well. Here's what you can choose from

I 'need' it, because Lr isn't what I want and Aperture is slowly being left behind. CaptureOne doesn't have full raw support. (What I really need, is for Serif to re-create Aperture).

It's all true though. I even have a Newton 2000 in a cupboard somewhere to prove it.

You don't necessarily have to get the data in and out. I work with a > 20 year old software which can apply its edits to any file. Any file. So for example, you could work on a tiny jpeg on the iPad and syncing via cloud, have those same edits applied to a full sized file somewhere else. I'm sure that AFP will have something along those lines. They have also talked of feature parity with the desktop version. As to whether or not Apple can be trusted for pros going forward, sadly I have to agree with you. As an Aperture user, I very much doubt that I would *ever* trust Apple for pro application use again. The cavalier way that one of the most wealthy companies in the world 'dumped' us, was unbelievable. The downside of the Surface, is Windows. Nothing they currently say can make that any better.

Essential!!! Can't believe that you asked for this over 2 years ago. I'm asking too.

2014!!! Hmmmph. It's standard Mac UI behaviour, with no doubt every hook they need readily available. It's a feature I use constantly and I've no doubt many of us do, who work with multiple drives/Macs etc. Completely brilliant to be able to move the file from the Titlebar, without even leaving the app.

For a very long time on the Mac it has been possible to click on the document name in the Title bar and see the path to where the document resides. Since Mavericks, it has also been possible to relocate the document via this menu. It would be *very* nice if this simple Mac feature was implemented into the AF apps.

I'd like to add my voice to this feature request. Very surprised to find it not available.

I'd love to see this as well ... especially in the hopefully not toooo distant DAM.