Tonemapping curves not working in brush tool layer

[Mac Hanrahan]

Hello.  I wonder if someone could help.  I'm following Simon Foster's Raw Image Development course and in HDR & Tonemapping he adds a brush layer then uses curves on it to adjust it.  My curves is dead.  Checked, copied checked again, but can't find any difference from what he does and his screen to my effort and screen.  Any ideas.

Peter

[R C-R]

6 hours ago, Mac Hanrahan said:

My curves is dead.

What specifically do you mean by that?

[Mac Hanrahan]

when the instructor clicks on curves, his box/graph opens and he can adjust the 45°line (curve).  When I do the same thing, I can't open the curves box, it stay greyed out.  He can't open the detail refinement above (neither can I) and says that's normal but curves should work. Mine don't.  Hope that clarifies it.  Thank you for your interest and reply.

[R C-R]

5 hours ago, Mac Hanrahan said:

when the instructor clicks on curves, his box/graph opens and he can adjust the 45°line (curve). 

Do you mean the small Coverage Map box in the Blend Options window or something else? If you mean that box, what kind of layer do you have selected?

[Mac Hanrahan]

I'm sorry but I don't understand what you mean. 

I open an image; go to tonemapping persona on top left of screen; (there are 2 boxes on right of screen -tone map and overlay);  click on overlay; then brush layer (a layer opens below master layer): I then go back to tone map box: paint an area of the photo (it turns pink until I move a slider): move down the choices highlighted (exposure, enhance, white balance, shadows and highlights).  Below these  ones are Detail refinement and Curves (both greyed out).

in the instructor's version his detail refinement is greyed but not his curves.  so he is able to adjust his photo via curves and appears to achieve more effects than I, not being able to access the curves control.

[R C-R]

16 minutes ago, Mac Hanrahan said:

Below these  ones are Detail refinement and Curves (both greyed out).

I am not sure why Curves is greyed out for you. For me it is not.

[Mac Hanrahan]

  I don't know either.  That was my question.  Thanks anyway for your time and trouble.  I've seen other differences with my copy from the instructor's, (eg he has "extreme" check boxes on some of his sliders-can't remember which- that I don't have), so perhaps it's related to how it installed itself when I bought it.  

Thank you again.  Sorry you didn't have the satisfaction of a good result.  I know how frustrating that can be.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Mac Hanrahan

[walt.farrell]

4 hours ago, Mac Hanrahan said:

(eg he has "extreme" check boxes on some of his sliders-can't remember which- that I don't have), so perhaps it's related to how it installed itself when I bought it.  

That one is a functional change in later releases of the Affinity products, if I remember correctly. They reworked the algorithms and removed those checkboxes.

[Mac Hanrahan]

Thank you, Sir, for the reply.  At least now I know it's not a problem with my programme and I'll sleep better for the understanding (I hate not knowing!)  Thanks again