How to show red overlay when masking

[Ralph Johann]

2 minutes ago, N.P.M. said:

AffinityPhoto isn't photoshop!

But it's the program I think they want to compete with.

I don't know how intensively you retouch your images, but masking tools are one of the most important basic functions for professionals.

Revising masks is a regular part of the retouching process and for that you need the red overlay.

But maybe APV2 is meant to be a pure amateur software which I don't think so.

[Ralph Johann]

5 minutes ago, carl123 said:

In the right-click menu you also have "Edit mask" or do you mean something else?

The edit mask shows a black and white mask and not a red overlay. Example: I want to revise a mask for a person's eyes. In this case, I need to see what I'm working on, which I can't see in a black and white only display.

If you apply "command-click" to a existing mask then the selection appears. Now click on the mask icon in the menu bar then you have the red masking I'm talking about. I can edit this mask now, but the actual mask of the layer remains untouched.

[Ralph Johann]

28 minutes ago, N.P.M. said:

My workflow is to select roughly with selectionbrush>refine as much as possible>create new layer with mask.
Put a rectangle with color between the original and the masked pixellayer>edit the mask of the top pixellayer>when done>merge down or save as afphoto file because you can alter afterwards aka nondestructively.

Or use the pentool to make a vectorcurve and use that as a mask and readjust the nodes with the nodetool li

 

Does it work with layer masks as well ?

I'm usually painting on my layer masks with soft brushing tools. My masks contain every opacity from 0 - 100%, which means they are not just black&white. See attachement.

If I add another mask on top of the first one, it affects the whole image and I often have to adjust the masks underneath again which means quick masking tools are very important for me. I'm a professinal photographer and worked with lots of retouchers, they all work this way and I learned from them.

 

 

 

[jimh12345]

11 hours ago, carl123 said:

It works here

What do you see when you right-click a mask in the Layers panel? (screenshot)

[Ralph Johann]

1 hour ago, N.P.M. said:

The video is for vectormasking and it handles vectorcurve(s) objects.
If you a using normal masks this will not work but you'll need that other option I mentioned>duplicating the selected part you want masked>give that a mask and apply your edits to that mask.

I'm sorry I don't get it ?!?

Is there a video for that as well ?

But honestly, revising masks in black & white is maybe 5% of my work with masks. If the right-click "edit mask" would give back a transparent red layer to work on, everything would be fine.

 

[Ralph Johann]

23 minutes ago, jimh12345 said:

It works here

What do you see when you right-click a mask in the Layers panel? (screenshot)

Looks the same on my Computer, but how does that help me ?

[carl123]

This is what I get if I right-click a mask layer

 

[Ralph Johann]

1 minute ago, carl123 said:

This is what I get if I right-click a mask layer

 

That's correct when you right-click on the mask symbol. If u right-click the layer right from the mask symbol (the blue area) then you get the other drop down menu.

[loukash]

53 minutes ago, Ralph Johann said:

That's correct when you right-click on the mask symbol. If u right-click the layer right from the mask symbol (the blue area) then you get the other drop down menu.

Ah, voilà.
It's not exactly the most intuitive workflow, frankly.

[jimh12345]

1 hour ago, loukash said:

Ah, voilà.
It's not exactly the most intuitive workflow, frankly.

To say the least.  But ok - assuming I remember I have to right-click on the icon, not the layer label, and I get Refine - I can see the mask and edit it.  But I have to click Apply or the edits are lost - and isn't Refine then doing other stuff to the mask that I don't want?  

[loukash]

4 minutes ago, jimh12345 said:

isn't Refine then doing other stuff to the mask that I don't want?

Yeah, by default it enables "Matte Edges". Disable that and there's your original mask.

[Ralph Johann]

19 minutes ago, jimh12345 said:

To say the least.  But ok - assuming I remember I have to right-click on the icon, not the layer label, and I get Refine - I can see the mask and edit it.  But I have to click Apply or the edits are lost - and isn't Refine then doing other stuff to the mask that I don't want?  

If you click on the checkbox, you will see your original mask that you can revise, but it is quite limiting because you cannot select a brush, you can only change the brush size. I rarely work with hard brush edges when masking, so the feature is relatively useless for me.

[jimh12345]

2 hours ago, Ralph Johann said:

If you click on the checkbox, you will see your original mask that you can revise, but it is quite limiting because you cannot select a brush, you can only change the brush size. I rarely work with hard brush edges when masking, so the feature is relatively useless for me.

Yeah I saw that immediately. So this is useless.

The only thing that works - and that I'll be able to remember - is to put the masked adjustment in a Group, add a Recolor adjustment tied to the Group, and toggle it on and off as needed.  

[Terry W]

Five years later and we are still missing this basic photo editing tool. It's nearly impossible to get a perfect mask along edges where the effect of the mask is subtle. The red mask overlay is critical to refining the edges. I change my brush softness depending on the focal plane of the area I'm masking, and the red mask makes that possible. It's just a guessing game with Affinity, toggling option-mask to show the mask itself as the only way to check. I really want to cut the cord with Photoshop, but until Affinity includes professional nuances like this, it's not happening.

[jimh12345]

Yes this drives me nuts too.   Really, really wish they'd add this.

 

[_Th]

Somewhat embarrassed to admit I didn't realize this was "missing". Used Q or / in Photoshop for decades, just somehow this one slipped my notice. So ... count me in for requesting this as well.

(Obviously, I haven't missed it that much!)

[danlei]

Six years. I have lost all hope.

[Mark Koolen]

To be honest, the overlay was my only thing I missed, but sinds generative AI made my work WAY easier in PS the red overlay doesn’t matter anymore. 

[danlei]

Yeah, I'm just trying to avoid PS I guess, but it's been years and there isn't even one real answer in this thread – only allusions to some mythical management or development teams that might bestow the feature upon us some day or not. No timeline, no prospect, no reasoning – nothing. I've been waiting more or less patiently for years, but maybe I'll just bite the bullet and get a PS subscription after all, especially since I'm already paying for LR. I just really liked the idea of using and supporting an alternative. (That and I like working on the iPad where PS seemed rather limited.)

Edited September 27, 2023 by danlei

[jimh12345]

It's an odd situation.  AP is great software and I see it mentioned often - it's getting good buzz.   It's just inconceivable to me that it wouldn't be getting active development and be moving ahead.  But this missing "feature" - a core capability that everyone expects - has been ignored for years while other things that I'll never use have been added.  Every time I use AP I miss being able to see masks, and it's frustrating.      I really don't get it.

[danlei]

Yeah, it's absolutely baffling to me, too.

[Olidoesaffinity]

I will also add my voice to this. A red mask editing overlay would be very very well used by me. I am surprised it's not an option already.

[Hansha]

I must say this is probably the only reason I don't use Affinity Photo. I keep checking demos for this to come but nothing. 

This is a really basic essential tool for contemporary photography work. Masking without this is invalid. A fully editable rubylith layer is a must and if you don't understand this priority over cloud generation, perlin noise, voronoi and astrography then well ... many of us are forced to stay away from this app. 

[jimh12345]

3 hours ago, Hansha said:

I must say this is probably the only reason I don't use Affinity Photo. I keep checking demos for this to come but nothing. 

This is a really basic essential tool for contemporary photography work. Masking without this is invalid. A fully editable rubylith layer is a must and if you don't understand this priority over cloud generation, perlin noise, voronoi and astrography then well ... many of us are forced to stay away from this app. 

I don't think we'll ever get it.  Especially after the acquisition by Canva, I expect future releases to be all about bolted-on "powered by AI" hoo-ha while actual photography is de-emphasized.    Canva has no interest in photography and will be wanting its investment in Affinity to pay off as quickly as possible.