The AI Quick Mask Tool - ON1 Photo RAW

[@charlesmargrave6320]

This software just keeps getting better and better. Thanks Scout. As soon as I get it under control I will visit your store and hope to repay you for all your hard work. It is getting closer to my saying goodbye Adobe after all these years. I am not a pro so I can so it with no reservations.

[@ScottDavenport]

Sure does! Thanks for watching Charles.

[@bobbarr6057]

Thanks for this, Scott. I found your explanation of this new tool more comprehensive than ON1's video :-)

[@ScottDavenport]

Thanks Bob. :-)

[@arnoldattard1146]

Fully agree better than the ON1 explanation, Thank you.

[@ProfMary]

Very helpful video on this new tool. Wow! On1 is really making things so much easier for us. Love how you explain things.

[@ScottDavenport]

It's nice to see this feature return in a more polished, better form.

[@johnhaynes9910]

Thanks Scott, just downloaded my upgrade so will be trying this a little bit later.

[@ScottDavenport]

Enjoy!

[@jimbean532]

Thanks, Scott. Your On1 training videos are the best!

[@ScottDavenport]

Truly appreciated. Thank you, Jim.

[@mdturnerinoz]

Great stuff. You saved me an hour or so investigating how to use this new tool! Thanks!

[@ScottDavenport]

You bet, Marty!

[@frankf9233]

Pretty amazing how the tech is coming along! Thanks for the tutorial Scott. I will finally update :)

[@ScottDavenport]

Cool! Use that offer code and save some cash :-)

[@frankf9233]

@@ScottDavenport Thanks!

[@chrisburgess9919]

Great info Scott. I’ve used Lightroom for years, on1 could be a game changer if it does what it says on the tin. Having tried the 30 day trial it seems a bit slow and ‘clunky’ on my Mac. I’m not entirely convinced so far.

[@ScottDavenport]

I always want more performance, too, no matter what the app :-) If you're looking for an LR replacement, I think ON1 ticks the most boxes and is the most complete alternative. Or you could use it like I do, in conjunction with LR and other packages. Personally, my workflow has room for many tools. Glad to hear you're trying it out.

[@unrealdevop]

Question: Is there a way to do this on Photo's in Bulk? I've been looking around for a tool that can let you select the subject in one picture, and it will automatically transfer the mask and possibly the settings to the other photos. (What I mean is that it will automatically detect that same subject in the other pictures, I'm wanting to isolate the subject from everything else) This is for Photogrammetry, I was wanting to experiment to see if this would make it easier to get better cleaner models, but I don't want to have to do it by hand on hundreds of images.

[@ScottDavenport]

Hold tight. The next release of Photo RAW has some powerful masking improvements that strongly suggest this type of feature. If you need something right this instant, Lightroom currently does this with “select subject”.

[@unrealdevop]

@@ScottDavenport Yeah I tried that, but it wasn't any better, in fact for what I want to do Photo RAW seemed to be more perforable. No, I did find out that Zephyr has a feature that's pretty much exactly what I want but the auto subject/background detection is seriously lacking and requires me to go back and do a lot of cleanups...even then it has a hard time finding the edges. I will be watching for that next release review though for sure, thanks for the heads up.

[@unrealdevop]

@@ScottDavenport By the way with Lightroom, I'm a noob but I was having to select subject/invert/drop exposure/drop blacks....on every picture....

[@arnoldattard1146]

Great explanation, but how does the composite fit in with the procedure??

[@ScottDavenport]

AI Quick Mask is a masking tool - use it when you need to mask. A composite is just an example of how layer masking can be used.

[@arnoldattard1146]

Sorry to trouble you again, I am aware of the masking procedure I called up a sky texture from the effects module to fit as a background but was unable to figure out how to implement it into the picture. Buy you a drink next time!

[@ScottDavenport]

Try adding the sky as a layer instead. The shortest route may be to put the sky on the bottom layer, your photo on the top layer, and mask away the areas of your photo you don’t want, revealing the sky.

[@donl]

Scott I noticed that after you applied the second iteration of the tool... there was a small area on the bottom of the big rock which changed. In the old quick mask this was a problem because during each iteration of refinement the previous mask can change and the results were not always better. I also see discussion about using the tool for fine details such as hair or tree limbs. Any suggestion on how to use in these cases?

[@ScottDavenport]

Hi Don... you're correct the Quick Mask is iterative, and it seems the new tool is notably better than the past incarnation. Nothing is ever perfect, though from my usage thus far, the results are good. I typically don't do more than 2 passes with the Quick Mask. Once the bulk of the mask is done, I use the other tools to fine tune it. Tree lines, hair, and other fine things are difficult to mask no matter the program or tool. I use the Quick Mask to get the bulk of things done, then clean up with the Refine Brush and sometimes the Perfect Brush using the Cmd/Ctrl key to lock color samples. Light sweeps with the Blur Mask tool at the mask edges helps, as does a light sweep with a low opacity masking brush, just to smooth and blend the mask edges.

[@hansoberdiek8319]

Scott, when I use the AI to "drop", I get the checkerboard background. All I want to do is make a mask of (say) the foreground of an image so I can enhance that. I notice in this video that you are able to keep what is "dropped" without it disappearing (checkerboard!) altogether. What am I doing wrong? Thanks, as always, for your great videos

[@ScottDavenport]

Hi Hans... I suspect you are applying the mask in the Layers panel and not on the filter. A single image is technically still a layer. When you mask away a part of it, the nothingness beneath it is revealed.

[@hansoberdiek8319]

@@ScottDavenport Thanks! I missed that 'minor' fact somehow!! ;-)

[@ScottDavenport]

Glad that was it! No worries... there are a lot of those little mask icons floating about... easy to pick the wrong one :)

[@vinnyg2619]

Hey Scott, I have an extremely difficult photo (not a very good photo but a photo none the less) that doesn't like masking! I have tried luminosity, color and now AI masking and it just leaves fringing. Trying the refine tools, they eat away at the branches as well as the sky. Looking at older videos where someone is masking out the trees doesn't work the same. I've zoomed to 100 and 200% to see if perspective matters but it doesn't. Basically I am trying to mask out a grey sky to replace it and the background of the photo is a bunch of trees without leaves just branches ... winter in NJ! I've even tried blend modes and that makes my bad photo look even worse. It could be something simple I just don't know what may work, I keep trying and nothing seems to work on this photo. How do you mask out a difficult photo? Thanks in advance!!

[@ScottDavenport]

That's a tough scenario... always has been. If fringing is left, you might try the Perfect Brush with an incredibly low Color Threshold (it's in the gear menu, pull it down to 1), grab a coffee, and take your time. Another option is using lowering the Chisel Tool to its lowest value and double-click it in the Tool Well. That's a shortcut that shaves away pixels at the mask edge for the whole mask in a single shot. In extreme cases (and only when I have an incredibly strong photo that warrants the time), I'll chip away at fringing at an extreme magnification (200 or 300%) with the Clone Stamp tool. Yup... pixel editing.

[@vinnyg2619]

@@ScottDavenport Thanks for the info! I have tried the perfect brush and it doesn't seem to work with this scenario, I have it down to a difference of 1 in color threshold. The photo is a bad photo and I won't waste any more of my time with it and move on. I'll try to remember the coffee and taking forever part if and when I get another difficult photo that actually is good! Thanks again!!

[@robertllawrencejr5503]

Is this coming out in an update? I have On1 2019 and I just checked, it is up to date. I don't have the AI tool.

[@ScottDavenport]

Hi Robert... it may take a few hours for the update to percolate out.

[@robertllawrencejr5503]

Cool, thanks

[@kennethtwist8662]

Thanks, like your presentation

[@ScottDavenport]

Much appreciated Kenneth.

[@harrykitch9239]

Great explanation. Thanks!

[@ScottDavenport]

Sure thing Harry. Thanks for watching.

[@JensChrStrandos]

Nice presentation, just downloaded the upgrade :-)

[@ScottDavenport]

Excellent. Enjoy!