Can anyone pls. suggest the best approach to changing a cloth material on furniture in a photo without 3D model as base?

[Franzi von Fragenfeld]

Hi,
 

as the title suggests, could anyone please suggest the best approach to changing a cloth material on furniture in a photo without 3D model as base?

See attached images.
The first one shows a boat interior.
The second 2are small samples of a replacement material for the cushions with the red cloth. Unfortunately there are no larger samples available.

The aim would be to replace the red cloth as photo realistic as possible with the brown cloth, while maintaining shadows and lighting.
For efficiency purposes say 90% realism is fine.

What is the most time efficient approach to do this sort of photo editing?
Detailed steps would be appreciated.

Thanks for your input & a happy 2023 to everyone!

[h_d]

You could use the Selection Brush to select all the dark red cushions, then apply an HSL Adjustment. Optionally deselect, then adjust Hue and Saturation to modify the colour:

 

 

Very rough attempt above based on the downsampled/compressed .jpg generated from the forum.

 

 

[RM f/g]

Just what I was ready to suggest.

Texture of the cloth isn't visible anyway at this scale.

[Franzi von Fragenfeld]

Thanks, and yes that is the approach I took too. It works, but as soon as one would want to use a more textured cloth this would not work anymore.
So I'd appreciate also a method for more textured or even slightly patterned cloths.

Btw.
We have chosen a grey based on this instead of the brown samples. Good to try before ordering the cloth;-)
Matches better with some grey paint we have in the interior already, and we will add some red throw cushions (as the wall storage covers) to contrast.

[iconoclast]

You could trace the couch with the Pen Tool instead of a selection, then place the texture on a separate layer above the Curve Layer and then drag the Texture Layer on the right area of the Curve Layer (Layer Panel). But be aware that you also have to do a perspective transformation to the texture. You can use the Grid Transform Tool (hope it is the right name for it in English) for it.

[R C-R]

1 hour ago, iconoclast said:

But be aware that you also have to do a perspective transformation to the texture.

Wouldn't you also have to take into account the reflectivity of the cloth, which would vary according to the angle & height of its texture, to get a semi-realistic rendering of the light reflecting off of it?

For something like this, I think the only really viable solution is to use a 3D app & 3D models of the objects.

[Old Bruce]

There would also be problems with the weave of the second (round image) cloth. Lots of fiddling to get the folds and the foreshortening/perspective just right.

[R C-R]

9 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

There would also be problems with the weave of the second (round image) cloth. Lots of fiddling to get the folds and the foreshortening/perspective just right.

Basically, that is another problem that only 3D modeling could do very well.

[Franzi von Fragenfeld]

I'm wondering if one could blend a new color or texture on it somehow?

[iconoclast]

26 minutes ago, R C-R said:

Wouldn't you also have to take into account the reflectivity of the cloth, which would vary according to the angle & height of its texture, to get a semi-realistic rendering of the light reflecting off of it?

For something like this, I think the only really viable solution is to use a 3D app & 3D models of the objects.

Yes, you are right. Sorry, didn't think of it. The reflectivity and also the lighting angle are important too. But if you have a range of textures that fit to the lighting situation, you can place them all as described above and simply toggle between them as you need it.

To make a usable texture outoff the round sample above, you could create a seamless tile and then use the function "New Pattern Layer from Selection". Should be good enough, I think. Don't really think that you need a 3D App for it.

To create a seamless tile, first cut the sample to a rectangle sample. Then place guidelines to the vertical and horizontal center of it. Then cut the sample to four pieces of the same size, using the guidelines, and interchange the tiles from left to right and top to bottom, so that the cutting edges are on the outside of the document. Then use the Clone Tool (Stamp) to retouche the Seams in the middle of the document. And finally make one layer outoff those four layers and make a endless pattern from this layer.

[RM f/g]

2 hours ago, Franzi von Fragenfeld said:

I'm wondering if one could blend a new color or texture on it somehow?

You could try to copy the current upholstering to a new layer. Soften it, desaturate it to grey and use that layer to blend with the new pattern to give it it's shadows/highlights.

Still you would have to ‘bend’ this pattern over the curves of the cushions.

All in all it might be less cumbersome just to buy another boat...

[h_d]

4 hours ago, RM f/g said:

it might be less cumbersome just to buy another boat...

Or replace the carpet...

[thomaso]

8 hours ago, Franzi von Fragenfeld said:

I'm wondering if one could blend a new color or texture on it somehow?

A really obvious texture might fail if it is only blended and requires perspective along the length of the sofa. Consider that the front of the sofa at the bottom of the picture is about twice as wide as its end in the top half of the picture.

Affinity does offer stretching, but with a continuous effect across the entire selection, whereas for this image you would need a perspective deformation that becomes more intense from bottom (front) to top (background).

[henryanthony]

Franzi, in my humble opinion, what you have done with the gray color change is enough. And, you did a good job. Part of this job is presentation.  Just tell the client, “This is how it will look. Here is an actual sample of the fabric so you can see the texture.”  This would be a good time to show a range of a few different textures. This will get their mind off the retouched photo. Maybe the client has money to burn and would entertain an estimate to model, texture and render the interior just to see a bump map of what can be seen as a real life swatch. Ten years ago I was getting estimates for small jobs like this for an auto company for $200 an hour.