smadell

About a month ago, I posted a number of macros for creating Luminosity Selections. These macros acted only on Pixel and Image layers, and could be used to create masks, adjustment layers, filters, etc. Today’s macros are a follow-up set, and are created to act on Adjustment Layers and Live Filter Layers.

These macros apply Blend Options to the adjustment and filter layers to produce the same results you would get with traditional luminosity selections and masks. However, these changes can be viewed in real time.

Instructions (see attached pictures):

1) Create an adjustment layer or a live filter layer like you normally would.

2) Apply the effect that the layer provides.

3) Now, click one of the Luminosity Blend Options macros to restrict the adjustment or filter effect to a luminosity range.


Notes:

1) Each macro restricts an Adjustment Layer or a Live Filter Layer based on the luminosity of the underlying composition - that is, the visible pixels in layers below the one being restricted.

2) NO additional channels are created, so files don’t become bloated.

3) Once you apply a macro to an adjustment or filter, you can change the luminosity restriction by choosing a different one, AND you can see the updates in real time. (For instance, if you want to darken an overexposed sky by applying a Levels layer, create the Levels adjustment layer and apply the “Lights 1 for Adjustments & Filters” macro. If you have affected too many of the midtones and darks, select “Lights 2 (or 3, or 4) for Adjustments & Filters” to restrict the adjustment toward lighter and lighter pixels.)

4) There is an additional macro called “Reset Blend Options to Normal” that will undo any changes the other macros have created, and return the Adjustment or Filter layer to its normal function.

Caveats:

5) Do not apply these macros to your baseline photo. They will not have the desired effect. These macros should be applied to Adjustment and Live Filter layers that are situated above the photo they are modifying.

6) As with my previous set of macros, I am one person with one computer. Obviously, I have not tested these macros in every possible situation. Use them if you like them. No guarantees are made.

7) If you like them, they are yours. Consider this to be “pay it forward” software. Enjoy it.
 
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Edit (Dec 7, 2016) - The afmacros zip file below has been replaced with a new file, named differently. This is in response to the post which follows this one. The edited attachment should work better (or, should I say, it should simply work).
 



Luminosity Blend Options for Adjustments.afmacros.zip

In response to a post I made last May, MJSfoto1956 suggested the use of Blend Options as an alternative to more traditional luminosity masks. It turns out that the use of the Blend Options panel, combined with a little math, makes luminosity based selections quite effective. The trouble is that the method is cumbersome if you do them from scratch each time.

What I have created is a series of Macros that automates the process. The attached afmacros file contains macros for creating Luminosity Selections in their usual and anticipated forms: Lights 1 through Lights 4, Darks 1 through Darks 4, and Midtones 1 through Midtones 4.

Notes:

1) Each action will select a luminosity-based portion of the selected layer.
2) NO additional channels are created, so files don’t become bloated.
3) Once the selection is made, it can be used for an adjustment layer, a mask, a live filter, etc. It can be deselected (like any selection). It can be replaced by using a different selection (e.g., click on Lights 2 to replace the selection made by Lights 1).

Caveats:

4) You must have a Pixel layer or an Image layer selected for the macros to work properly. If you have any other type of layer selected, or if you have NO layer selected, the results you get will be wrong.
5) The macros will undo any Blend Options you may have set on the selected layer.
6) I am one person with one computer. Obviously, I have not tested these macros in every possible situation. Use them if you like them. No guarantees are made.
7) However, if you like them, they are yours. They are my way of saying “thank you” to the Forum for helping me learn a wonderful piece of software!
Luminosity Selections.afmacros.zip

A friend introduced me to Luminosity Masks about a week ago. Since then, I have been fascinated by them and by the power they provide. I started looking for ways to create gradations of Light, Dark, and Midtone selections/masks. Why should the Photoshop folks have all the fun? I found this thread, and started playing around with Affinity Photo. I have finally found a way to create light, dark, and midtone selection channels in 3 different grades each.
 
For those of us who have been confused by all this, I wrote down step-by-step instructions to create 9 different Spare Channels. (Honestly, I'm not sure I could re-create all this without a cheat sheet either!). Here goes...
 
Duplicate background 2 times.
Name the 1st duplicate “Light Temp”
Name the 2nd duplicate “Dark Temp”
With “Dark temp” layer selected, choose Layer > Invert

Select layer “Light Temp”

In Layers panel, Command-Shift-Click on layer icon to create luminosity selection
In Channels panel, right click on Pixel Selection and choose Create Spare Channel.
Rename this channel Lights 1
Deselect the selection.

In Channels panel, right click on Lights 1 and choose Load to Light Temp alpha
In Layers panel, Command-Shift-Click on layer icon to create luminosity selection
In Channels panel, right click on Pixel Selection and choose Create Spare Channel.
Rename this channel Lights 2
Deselect the selection.

In Channels panel, right click on Lights 2 and choose Load to Light Temp alpha
In Layers panel, Command-Shift-Click on layer icon to create luminosity selection
In Channels panel, right click on Pixel Selection and choose Create Spare Channel.
Rename this channel Lights 3
Deselect the selection.

Delete layer “Light Temp”

Select layer “Dark Temp” [remember - this is the inverted version of the background layer]

In Layers panel, Command-Shift-Click on layer icon to create luminosity selection
In Channels panel, right click on Pixel Selection and choose Create Spare Channel.
Rename this channel Darks 1
Deselect the selection.

In Channels panel, right click on Darks 1 and choose Load to Dark Temp alpha
In Layers panel, Command-Shift-Click on layer icon to create luminosity selection
In Channels panel, right click on Pixel Selection and choose Create Spare Channel.
Rename this channel Darks 2
Deselect the selection.

In Channels panel, right click on Darks 2 and choose Load to Dark Temp alpha
In Layers panel, Command-Shift-Click on layer icon to create luminosity selection
In Channels panel, right click on Pixel Selection and choose Create Spare Channel.
Rename this channel Darks 3
Deselect the selection.

Delete layer “Dark Temp”

In Channels panel, right click on Lights 1 and choose Load to Pixel Selection
In Channels panel, right click on Darks 1 and choose Intersect with Pixel Selection
In Channels panel, right click on Pixel Selection and choose Create Spare Channel
Rename this channel Midtones 1
Deselect the selection.

In Channels panel, right click on Lights 2 and choose Load to Pixel Selection
In Channels panel, right click on Darks 2 and choose Intersect with Pixel Selection
In Channels panel, right click on Pixel Selection and choose Create Spare Channel
Rename this channel Midtones 2
Deselect the selection.

In Channels panel, right click on Lights 3 and choose Load to Pixel Selection
In Channels panel, right click on Darks 3 and choose Intersect with Pixel Selection
In Channels panel, right click on Pixel Selection and choose Create Spare Channel
Rename this channel Midtones 3
Deselect the selection.
 
Obviously, the introduction of the Macros Persona will make this process much more tolerable.
 
Also, I have not been able to figure out how to create the selections without actually saving the spare channels. The existence of these extra channels bloats the size of the file considerably. [For instance, I opened a JPG and immediately saved it as an .afphoto file. The original JPG was 11.7 MB and the new Affinity Photo file was 12 MB. After I created the 9 luminosity channels, I saved again, and the new file was now 124 MB.]
 
Also, I can create the 3 Lights channels without creating the others. I can also create the 3 Darks channels without creating the others. But, at least with the method I've come up with, I have to create both the Lights and the Darks in order to come up with the Midtones.
 
I am really looking forward to the Beta of version 1.5 - still said to be "a few weeks" away. I know the developers want to get Symbols into this one - I'm more eager for an implementation of Macros and Batch processing. That will make my daily work SO much easier.

Sorry, but no one seems to have mentioned the (to me, at least) most obvious answer. Apply a blur using a Live Filter layer, invert the live filter layer (which makes its embedded mask completely black), then paint the blur effect back in where it's wanted. This is completely non-destructive, can be made as strong or as weak as one likes, can be turned on and off at will, can be modified with opacity and/or blend modes, and (best of all) it's so damned easy!

Blurring a Face.mp4

You can't use a "Fill Layer" here because Affinity Photo treats that as a vector object. You can't paint on a Fill Layer. Instead, add a new Pixel Layer (or just choose "New Layer" from the Layer menu) and then fill it with 50% grey. Set the blend mode to Overlay. If you paint with white, you will Dodge. If you paint with Black, you will Burn.
Suggestion: use a brush with 0% (or very, very low) hardness, and with 2-5% Flow. I usually keep the Opacity at 100%. The low Flow rate lets the strokes build up slowly, especially helpful if you're using a tablet.
I've attached a macro that you can import into your Library panel. This will create the layer for you.
Dodge & Burn (50% Grey Layer).afmacros

I am attaching a set of macros that allow the creation and editing of layer masks using a red overlay to assist in the process.
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Creating masks in Affinity Photo is fairly easy. Either create a new Mask layer and paint on it, or use the Selection tools to select the appropriate area and then create the mask to incorporate the selection.
The absence of a red overlay when creating an initial mask can be overcome by using the Quick Mask tool, which allows the user to create a selection with the visual aid of a red overlay. Once the Quick Mask view has done its thing, (i) turn the Quick Mask off; and (ii) create the new mask layer.
Editing an existing mask is less straightforward. In order to edit a mask, you can paint in black, white, or grey while the mask layer is selected. Or, you can look at the mask in "isolation mode" to do your painting. In the first case, you don't get any type of red overlay to indicate what's masked and what's not; in the second case, you can't see the image being masked in order to tell where your mask needs editing.
Up until now, there has not been a good workaround. This set me thinking...
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *
I am attaching a set of macros called Create/Edit Masks with Red Overlay. This is a set of 4 macros inside a macro category (and, therefore, import it through the Library panel).
The first two are for creating masks utilizing a red overlay. They are an alternative to using Quick Mask to create a selection and then use that selection to create a mask.
More importantly, however, the last two macros are for editing an existing mask with the benefit of a red overlay, being able to visualize the image being masked underneath.
[Note: these macros will not create, and will not adequately edit, vector based masks. They are exclusively for use on pixel based masks.]
Here are step by step directions for using the macros. I will use a photo of the USS Midway in my examples.

1) Create Mask with Red Overlay - Set Up
Click on the first macro. This will create an empty mask layer (one which starts entirely black) embedded in a group. The various other layers in the group provide the red overlay - leave them alone. Paint with white or black (just as you would with the Quick Mask) in order to reveal or conceal areas of the underlying photo. The image below shows a mask with the body of the ship painted in white, and the rest of the mask black.

2) Create Mask with Red Overlay - Finalize
Once you have created the mask as you might like it, click the second macro. This will place the newly created mask at the top of the layer stack, and it will be named "Mask - Drag to Desired Position." Obviously, you should position the new mask as you would like. The image below shows the result of the second macro, before the mask is repositioned.

3) Edit Mask with Red Overlay - Set Up
Here's where the fun starts. You need to have a mask that you want to edit, and it needs to be selected. The mask should be a child of the pixel or image layer, and should not be further nested. (In other words, it should be a child of the image, but not a grandchild.) Click on the third macro. Your selected macro will be hidden and a copy of it will be placed into a group that sits above the appropriate image. The macro copy is named "TemporaryMaskForEditing." Edit that mask using black or white paint, just as you would any other mask. The difference here is that all this is constructed to allow you to see the photo while you are editing the mask. Just as in the Quick Mask setup, the white portions of the mask will reveal the photo below normally but the black portions of the mask will also show the photo, but covered with a red overlay.
The image below is the immediate result of clicking the third macro.

And, the next image shows an edited mask after using black and white paint on the mask layer.

4) Edit Mask with Red Overlay - Finalize
Click on the fourth macro with the edited mask selected. The edited mask will be placed as a child in the photo, the old mask will still be there but remains invisible, and all the other stuff is deleted. The image below shows the result of the 4th macro.

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No guarantees are made, and there are certainly some scenarios where this might not work. But, if it fulfills a need for you, it's yours.
Create:Edit Masks with Red Overlay.afmacros

78deluxe...
The FastRawViewer Preferences are daunting, to say the least. There are so many options, it's hard to know how to set it up. However, on the last page of the Preferences (the tab noted as "Other" in the list) you can set how often the application looks for updates. I have it set to every 7 days. In my experience, these updates are not terribly frequent; I imagine that's because the application is not one that is continually adding new features (other than new cameras to support). Check out the blog portion of their site ( https://www.fastrawviewer.com/blog ) for specifics about what's new in each of their updates. Also, they say that they do not put the newest updates into the "auto check for updates" results for a while, in case an update is seriously flawed. Currently, they are on version 1.5.6 – my version is 1.5.4 and when I check for updates, it will tell me I'm up to date.

So, turns out I was wrong about that. I saved my shortcuts and then hit the "Clear All Shortcuts" button, and then the "Reset" button. This, I assume, brought me back to the default shortcuts pre-packaged with Affinity Photo. Lo and behold, the "D" shortcut for "Set Fill to Black and White" was there. So somewhere along the line, I must have gotten rid of it and subsequently thought it was never there in the first place. I was incorrect – the "D" shortcut is the default choice.

Based on a recent thread started by user Steps, I have finalized and am attaching a macro called "Graphic Novel Effect." It is similar to the "Paint by Numbers" macro I created a while back, but offers better control of the black outlines that are needed in a cartoon or a graphic novel illustration.
The attached file is a macros category (not a single macro) and can be imported through the Affinity Photo Library panel. Once inside Affinity Photo, the category contains a single macro which can be moved into a different category (by dragging it) if desired. Since it is provided as a category, it can also be imported into the iPad version of AP.
When you use the macro, it creates a number of layers inside a group (which can be turned on and off to show or hide the effect entirely). The user is presented with 5 options in a dialog:
1) Posterize - How Many Colors?
The macro is preset to 5 color levels, but anywhere between 4 and 6 generally gives a decent result.
2) Outlines - Adjust Black [line thickness]
This option is preset to 50%, but changing the value will make the black outlines more or less prominent.
3) Outlines - Adjust White [fill smoothness]
This option is preset to 90%. Changing the value will affect the fill (inside the outlines). Keep the value above the value set in option #2 (line thickness).
4) Finish - Adjust the Brightness
5) Finish - Adjust the Contrast
These are preset to Brightness = -15% and Contrast = +30%. Changes made here will have the obvious results, and should be considered a finishing touch.
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
As always, I am one person with one computer and have not tested this in every possible scenario. Try it and, if you like it, keep it and enjoy it. This forum has provided me with so many good ideas and answers to questions; this macro is another attempt to “pay it forward.”
Graphic Novel Effect.afmacros

Jowday...  Set it here:

Jowday...  Set it here:

In response to a post I made last May, MJSfoto1956 suggested the use of Blend Options as an alternative to more traditional luminosity masks. It turns out that the use of the Blend Options panel, combined with a little math, makes luminosity based selections quite effective. The trouble is that the method is cumbersome if you do them from scratch each time.

What I have created is a series of Macros that automates the process. The attached afmacros file contains macros for creating Luminosity Selections in their usual and anticipated forms: Lights 1 through Lights 4, Darks 1 through Darks 4, and Midtones 1 through Midtones 4.

Notes:

1) Each action will select a luminosity-based portion of the selected layer.
2) NO additional channels are created, so files don’t become bloated.
3) Once the selection is made, it can be used for an adjustment layer, a mask, a live filter, etc. It can be deselected (like any selection). It can be replaced by using a different selection (e.g., click on Lights 2 to replace the selection made by Lights 1).

Caveats:

4) You must have a Pixel layer or an Image layer selected for the macros to work properly. If you have any other type of layer selected, or if you have NO layer selected, the results you get will be wrong.
5) The macros will undo any Blend Options you may have set on the selected layer.
6) I am one person with one computer. Obviously, I have not tested these macros in every possible situation. Use them if you like them. No guarantees are made.
7) However, if you like them, they are yours. They are my way of saying “thank you” to the Forum for helping me learn a wonderful piece of software!
Luminosity Selections.afmacros.zip

John... I always thought I was good at math, but I didn't catch that. Using DR=SR/DR and so forth certainly makes the typing easier. And the results are the same! Good catch.
FDK... If you have more than one layer, but all the layers above the image are adjustments, you could just put the pixel layer above the photo layer and do the Apply Image there. If you've got multiple layers with pixels on them, then doing a Merge Visible at the top of the stack would get you a summary photo to work on; put the filled pixel layer on top, just above the Merge Visible layer. That would work.
Murfee… Your method also seems to work. You must be better at math than all of us!

John... I always thought I was good at math, but I didn't catch that. Using DR=SR/DR and so forth certainly makes the typing easier. And the results are the same! Good catch.
FDK... If you have more than one layer, but all the layers above the image are adjustments, you could just put the pixel layer above the photo layer and do the Apply Image there. If you've got multiple layers with pixels on them, then doing a Merge Visible at the top of the stack would get you a summary photo to work on; put the filled pixel layer on top, just above the Merge Visible layer. That would work.
Murfee… Your method also seems to work. You must be better at math than all of us!

Good Morning, FDK...
I saw the same video and was also dismayed to find out that AP does not have a Divide blend mode. I did a little reading, and it turns out that you can come pretty close to duplicating this by using Apply Image. I even tried to make all this into a macro (to make it less cumbersome) but could not manage it. Anyway, here's the process:
1) Create a new Pixel layer above the image with the Color Cast.
2) Sample an area on the original image that is supposed to be white (I used the part of her dress that was used in the video.)
3) Fill the empty pixel layer with that color.
4) With the solid color pixel layer selected, choose Apply Image...
5) Drag the original image layer into the Apply Image dialog so that it is that layer you're applying.
6) At the bottom of the Apply Image dialog, check the Equations box, and enter the following:
   DR = 1 / (DR/SR)
   DG = 1 / (DG/SG)
   DB = 1 / (DB/SB)
   DA = SA
7) Hit the Apply button.

It's a cumbersome process, but it seems to work.

Based on a recent thread started by user Steps, I have finalized and am attaching a macro called "Graphic Novel Effect." It is similar to the "Paint by Numbers" macro I created a while back, but offers better control of the black outlines that are needed in a cartoon or a graphic novel illustration.
The attached file is a macros category (not a single macro) and can be imported through the Affinity Photo Library panel. Once inside Affinity Photo, the category contains a single macro which can be moved into a different category (by dragging it) if desired. Since it is provided as a category, it can also be imported into the iPad version of AP.
When you use the macro, it creates a number of layers inside a group (which can be turned on and off to show or hide the effect entirely). The user is presented with 5 options in a dialog:
1) Posterize - How Many Colors?
The macro is preset to 5 color levels, but anywhere between 4 and 6 generally gives a decent result.
2) Outlines - Adjust Black [line thickness]
This option is preset to 50%, but changing the value will make the black outlines more or less prominent.
3) Outlines - Adjust White [fill smoothness]
This option is preset to 90%. Changing the value will affect the fill (inside the outlines). Keep the value above the value set in option #2 (line thickness).
4) Finish - Adjust the Brightness
5) Finish - Adjust the Contrast
These are preset to Brightness = -15% and Contrast = +30%. Changes made here will have the obvious results, and should be considered a finishing touch.
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
As always, I am one person with one computer and have not tested this in every possible scenario. Try it and, if you like it, keep it and enjoy it. This forum has provided me with so many good ideas and answers to questions; this macro is another attempt to “pay it forward.”
Graphic Novel Effect.afmacros

You might get some success using this macro, which I've linked below. It is called "Graphic Novel Effect" and creates a treatment similar to the image you posted. As an example, I downloaded a photo (from Unsplash), desaturated it by 85%, and applied the Graphic Novel macro. I tweaked the settings a bit, but here's the result:

 

When your photo has a fairly wide dynamic range (which is common for landscapes) I have found that first "squeezing" the histogram in from the sides is needed. Basically, you want to bring the highlights down and make them darker, and bring the shadows up to make them lighter. You can do this most easily with the Shadows and Highlights sliders. Bring the Highlights all the way down and bring the Shadows up (but more gently, since this can make your photo really awful if you overdo it). This results in a terrible looking photo, since it is flat, drab, and unappealing. However, you can re-introduce contrast with (i) the Tones curve; (ii) the Brightness slider; and (iii) the Contrast slider. I've attached a screenshot of what I've done to your Raw file. (I also warmed up the photo, which I thought was way too blue.) Obviously, more editing can be done after you hit the Develop button.

You might get some success using this macro, which I've linked below. It is called "Graphic Novel Effect" and creates a treatment similar to the image you posted. As an example, I downloaded a photo (from Unsplash), desaturated it by 85%, and applied the Graphic Novel macro. I tweaked the settings a bit, but here's the result:

 

No harm, no foul, Walt!

I was about to suggest the Perspective tool, also. However, I always use it as a Live Filter. Also, I find that setting it in Destination mode lets you get a real-time update of how the output will look. I often turn off the grid mode and align the verticals visually.

NOTE - In the video you linked, the user put vertical guides on the image in order to more precisely align the elements in his photo. You can do this in Affinity Photo, too, by using the Move tool to drag one or more Guides onto the image. The, using the Perspective Filter, you can align the image elements with the vertical guides you just placed.

Glad you got it sorted out. Masks took me years to wrap my head around - just the concept was hard to figure out, let alone the implementation!

click on the mask’s thumbnail so that only the mask layer is selected, then hit the Delete key.
ps - make sire nothing is selected when you hit delete, or AP will try to delete only what’s inside the marching ants, not the entire layer

click on the mask’s thumbnail so that only the mask layer is selected, then hit the Delete key.
ps - make sire nothing is selected when you hit delete, or AP will try to delete only what’s inside the marching ants, not the entire layer

Walt...
I've attached an image with i) a circular image of a flower on top; ii) a series of black lines beneath it; and iii) a mask on the flower layer. This seems to work the way it should. I'll note that I started with a canvas measuring 1024x1024 and tried to resize it to half-size, and the mask got royally screwed up. I haven't quite figured out why. But, I deleted the mask and created a new one on the smaller document, and this works well. Was this a "lock children" kind of issue? a bug? I don't yet know. Anyway, consider the attached a file as a kind of "proof of concept" in that it can be done; implementation was a bit clunky, though.
Photo with Radial Mask.afphoto