Can I extract masks from adjustment layers?

[Roland Rick]

Hi all

Is it somehow possible to extract masks from adjustment layers after they have been painted? It is somehow not possible to stack adjustment layers, is that a correct assumption? Please let me explain in video.

I appreciate all replies 😘

 

 

[smadell]

After you create your Recolor adjustment layer and mask it, make sure it's selected in the Layers panel. Over in the Channels panel, right click on the line that says "Recolor Adjustment Alpha" and then choose "Create Spare Channel" from the drop-down menu. Now, create your Layers adjustment and make sure it's the layer selected in the Layers panel. Right click on the Spare Channel you just created (in the Channels panel) and choose "Load to Levels Adjustment Alpha." You've just transferred the mask (the Alpha Channel) from the Recolor adjustment into the new Levels adjustment.

[carl123]

Another way...

1. Right-click Recolour adjustment and select Refine Mask
2. Switch OFF Matte edges
3. Change Output to Selection and click Apply
4. Create Levels adjustment

Edit:

or CTRL+Click Recolour thumbnail to get selection then add Levels Adjustment

Edited May 14, 2020 by carl123
New Information

[Roland Rick]

Thanks to all the hints. Helped.

De facto I do not understand why that's what supposed to be the "Clipping Mask" substitute of Photoshop does not work as expected... 🤔 - It's at 1:45 in my video.

Can I tag his message here, to ensure someone of the developer teams watches it?

[kirkt]

@Roland Rick

Nothing happens when you offer the levels adjustment to the recolor adjustment because it makes no sense to adjust the levels of the recolor adjustment.

All adjustment layers have a built-in mask, as you know; however, you do not need to use that built-in mask to dictate where your adjustment gets applied selectively.  You can add a mask to the adjustment layer that behaves just like a regular old mask on a pixel layer and sits in the adjustment layer as a child of the adjustment layer.  In your case, let's say you want to change the color of the insect's eyes with a Recolor adjustment - apply the Recolor Adjustment layer in the layer stack, tweak the settings and then - INSTEAD of painting on the built-in layer mask, ADD a mask to the Recolor adjustment layer just like you would with a pixel layer mask.  That mask should appear as a child of the Recolor Adjustment.  Cool.  Even easier, OPTION (ALT) - Click on the add mask button to add a mask that is all black so you can hide the adjustment by default and then just paint with white to reveal the Recolor adjustment on the eyes.  

OK, so far so good.  Now, you decide you want to add some extra adjustment to the same exact region - for example, your Levels adjustment, again, just to the eyes.  Add the Levels adjustment to the stack and make the tweaks to the eyes.  Of course, this affects everything in the stack below the Levels adjustment.  Select the Levels Adjustment and the Recolor adjustment and make a new Group out of those two layers.  Because the mask you created for the eyes is a regular mask and not the built-in mask, you can just drag the mask out of the Recolor layer and drop it onto the Group icon.  Now it masks the entire group.  It does not matter if you offer it to the group folder thumbnail (a clipping mask) or to the Group text (a regular mask).  It will act the same.

If you do not want to group the adjustments and use a single mask applied to the group folder, you can just select the mask in the Recolor layer and copy it (CMD-C) and paste it (CMD-V) and then drag that new copy of the mask to the Levels layer, if you want each adjustment to have its own copy of the mask applied.  In PS, you would just hold down OPT and drag a copy of an existing mask on an adjustment layer to a new adjustment layer - AP does not offer this shortcut as far as I know.  Bottom line - add a mask to an adjustment layer, instead of using the built-in mask, and then you don't need to mess with creating spare channels and targeting the alpha channel of each adjustment layer's built-in mask.

Even with the added mask applied to the adjustment layer, you can paint on the built-in mask to add to the selective application of the adjustment.  This is similar in PS to applying an adjustment layer, adding a mask, painting on the mask and then adding just that single layer to its own group so you can add another mask to the group. 

This was a very wordy description for a very easy and quick process, but it gets to the heart of the issue, which is that Affinity Photo's masking and layer structure behaves differently than Photoshop's, and reprogramming muscle memory from PS to AP takes some effort - I'm still trying to undo decades of PS thinking and wrap my head around AP's different process.

Have fun!

Kirk

Here are some tutorials that will help:

 

 

[Roland Rick]

Hi guys

Thanks to all - each reply helped.

Please let my try to explain, what's my problem based on understanding - or better: not understanding (the video is unlisted and meant to be only for this group, resp. thread): 

Cheers,
Roland