Copying layer adjustments, not the mask
Is there a way to copy JUST the adjustments of a mask layer in one image to another image? IE, leave the masks the same in each image, but change the adjustments?
This is just an example ... Let's say I want to adjust the sky in a group of images that are very similar, so I create a mask layer by painting on the edges of the sky, doing a fill on the mask, and then a refine mask ... and it's great. Now I apply the adjustments I wish on the mask. My first image is masked and the mask is adjusted as I want. Now moving on to image 2 ... and COPY the mask with the adjustments to the next photo (even though I know I'll have to change the mask itself). Usually I find it's easier just to create a new mask for the next image, so I'd just clear the mask (right click on the layer, and choose 'CLEAR MASK" ...which erases the mask, but the adjustments are still there ready to be applied again wherever I paint. So far so good. At this point since I like the way the adjustments looked I simply select the remainder of the images, and paste the layer to ALL the remaining images. No change is observed since I have no actual mask yet.
But NOW I can repeat the creation of the mask itself image by image, and voila, the adjustments are the same. Now say I repeat this process for 20 (or a hundred) images. It takes awhile, but sometimes this is the easiest way to make adjustments to a group of images. (I'm open to more efficient ways, but that discussion is tangential to what I want to know)
Let's say now I'm happy with the result ... come back a few hours later and decide I love the images, but would like to make the masked area I've adjusted just a little darker on each image. Of course I could go to each image and change the adjustment, ie, make the exposure a bit darker, change the levels, or contrast, the tint, whatever. But I'd like to just copy and then paste the new adjustment to all the images at once, but leave the mask the same for each image. if I copy the the layer, the copy includes the MASK AND the ADJUSTMENTS ... not just the adjustments. Ie, I want to preserve the mask, just copy the change in adjustment to layer. (I probably way over explained this, but hopefully it's clear : )
I feel like maybe I'm missing something in the documentation? Because I need this efficiency and can't seem to find it?
This is just an example ... Let's say I want to adjust the sky in a group of images that are very similar, so I create a mask layer by painting on the edges of the sky, doing a fill on the mask, and then a refine mask ... and it's great. Now I apply the adjustments I wish on the mask. My first image is masked and the mask is adjusted as I want. Now moving on to image 2 ... and COPY the mask with the adjustments to the next photo (even though I know I'll have to change the mask itself). Usually I find it's easier just to create a new mask for the next image, so I'd just clear the mask (right click on the layer, and choose 'CLEAR MASK" ...which erases the mask, but the adjustments are still there ready to be applied again wherever I paint. So far so good. At this point since I like the way the adjustments looked I simply select the remainder of the images, and paste the layer to ALL the remaining images. No change is observed since I have no actual mask yet.
But NOW I can repeat the creation of the mask itself image by image, and voila, the adjustments are the same. Now say I repeat this process for 20 (or a hundred) images. It takes awhile, but sometimes this is the easiest way to make adjustments to a group of images. (I'm open to more efficient ways, but that discussion is tangential to what I want to know)
Let's say now I'm happy with the result ... come back a few hours later and decide I love the images, but would like to make the masked area I've adjusted just a little darker on each image. Of course I could go to each image and change the adjustment, ie, make the exposure a bit darker, change the levels, or contrast, the tint, whatever. But I'd like to just copy and then paste the new adjustment to all the images at once, but leave the mask the same for each image. if I copy the the layer, the copy includes the MASK AND the ADJUSTMENTS ... not just the adjustments. Ie, I want to preserve the mask, just copy the change in adjustment to layer. (I probably way over explained this, but hopefully it's clear : )
I feel like maybe I'm missing something in the documentation? Because I need this efficiency and can't seem to find it?
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I think one problem with a mass edit of a EXISTING LAYER would be a way to identify, variant by variant, which layer is to be edited.
The only option I can think of for your specific requirement would be to save the new settings for one of the layers as a User Style and so save the settings.
Then work through the images selecting the required layer and applying the style to it.
Whether that would be quicker (and more effective) than working with each image/layer in turn would depend on what sort of changes you were applying to what sort of images.
If the images allowed you to select by something convenient like, say, Luma Range the theory would be that the layer masks would be self selecting so one could simply apply the adjustments and the mask would work anyway but I suspect that for most situations you would still need to check and possibly tweak things image by image.
Working on the background layer it is possible, with some tools, to select a number of images and edit in an adjustment value change directly for all of them using a fixed value for the change. However I don't think that would work on selected LAYERS within a selection of images.
Might there be a way of creating a workflow that more readily facilitates the potential for changes of the sort you have described? I don't know but I think there are some potential challenges that might mean that the entire selection and application process could become more complex than would be usefully workable for the number of times one might resort to it. Unless one was dealing with a lot of images that needed repetitive group tweaking on a very regular basis at large scale.
In which case it might be a reason to switch to Mac and consider using Applescript? (If it offers suitable facilities ....)
Grant0
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