Gradient map, add color stop transparency

[mvanzyl]

When using Affinity Photo and the gradient fill, you can select each color stop and adjust its color and also its opacity.

When using the gradient map filter, you can add and adjust the color of stops, but there is NO option to adjust the opacity of each stop.

For example if I want to add a gradient map filter and have the shadows be black and the highlights be unaffected (transparent on the gradient map), this is currently impossible. I am forced to choose a color for the highlights.

This appears to be a feature requested previously (see below), but its absence in V2 has me asking again if this is currently being worked on.

 

 

[carl123]

1 hour ago, mvanzyl said:

For example if I want to add a gradient map filter and have the shadows be black and the highlights be unaffected

That rings a bell

Do you have a sample image you can upload where you would want this done?

 

 

[mvanzyl]

Sure thing.

Below I have screenshots of the gradient map color selector on iPad.

When you select a color stop (fig 1), and then select the color of that stop (fig 2), you have a color selector appear.

If this color selector also had an opacity slider (fig 3), that would be a welcome improvement to the gradient maps.

 

[NotMyFault]

At least in V2 you now have live Hue masks, so you can use this as workaround.

Or use live luminosity mask on the source layer, before applying the gradient map adjustment.

and even before in V1 it was possible to use blend ranges to achieve the same effect.

It is hard to see a relevant benefit as we have multiple alternative ways to get the same effect.

[carl123]

On 12/21/2022 at 7:06 AM, mvanzyl said:

Sure thing.

Below I have screenshots of the gradient map color selector on iPad.

Sorry, not around yesterday

What I was asking for was an actual image (JPG, PNG etc) where you wanted to use the gradient map to... "have the shadows be black and the highlights be unaffected"

 

[mvanzyl]

Literally any image where you want to add color(s) to one luminosity range but ignore others would work.

I attached a beach image. Being able to use a gradient map to add, for example, one color to the highlights, one to the shadows, but be able to place a mid tones color node and set it as transparent so the mid tones are unaffected by the gradient would be awesome. 

You could then move the nodes around on the slider to adjust what ranges are or are not affected. Currently this is not possible using gradient map (ALL luminosity ranges must be affected by the colors of a gradient map).
 

I realize this could probably be done with multiple luminosity or hue masks, but allowing the gradient map to do this all in one adjustment would eliminate layers/steps needed for the same result.

[NotMyFault]

Thank you for the good example.

I still think there are other approaches who are available out of the box and produce the result with ease:

1. split toning adjustment to tackle shadows and highlights at once
2. actually I would use simply two adjustments, one for highlights, one for shadows. Hsl, or curves set to lab mode, there are so many possibilities. I really can’t get why gradient map could be a good (efficient, effective, easy to use) tool for that kind of edits.
3. or simply gradient map with blend range (destination), add a node in 5he middle, drag down.

maybe it’s my lack of imagination.

So your feature request seems quite clear and reasonable now , but I still hesitate to add my vote.

[mvanzyl]

Ahh, yes! A blend range on the gradient map layer would do the exact same thing. Duh!

 

Thank you!