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Composite Masking

Prasad Palaniyandi

Layer mechanism in CO is powerful but when it comes to masking it has a limitation that it can't accommodate binary (gradient) and rasterized masks together in a single layer.  So the solution can be "Composite Masking" which can have the ability to add, subtract or intersect between gradients and rasterized masks without rasterizing gradient masks.

In line with CO Design Language, I borrowed reference from the "Advanced Color Editor" split panel arrangement and came up with a Design for Composite Masking.

Layers Tool to be divided into 2 major sections

  1. Layers Panel
  2. Masks Panel

The layer panel will function exactly the same as how it works now except, Mask panel will take over all mask operations. 

  • When a new Layer is selected, Masks can be created or deleted in the Mask panel for the selected Layer. If masks are already created for the layer, all masks will be loaded which can be edited.
  • Computations to derive the resultant mask happens in Mask Panel for the selected Layer and the resultant non-editable composite mask overlay is loaded into the Viewer when the layer is active (orange color).
  • When Mask is selected in the Mask panel, the active Layer in the Layer Panel becomes "Grey" (selected not active), and Mask becomes "Orange" (active). Now new Masks can be created and edited in the Viewer the way how it works now. The gradient masks should remain adjustable and participate in calculation with other masks depending on the mode (add/subtract/intersect) selected. No need to rasterize the gradient masks.
  • View composite Mask overlay will load the resultant composite mask like a background/preview for the Active Mask. The composite mask is dynamically updated whenever the user edits the active mask. 
  •  Add/Subtract/Intersect can work only on Adjustment layers.
  • Heal and Clone will function exactly the same as how it works now with an entry in the Mask panel. NO  Add/Subtract/Intersect will be enabled for Heal and Clone layers.
  • Luma Range Mask can be on Layer level same as now to refine the resultant Composite mask.
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Comments

1 comment

Date Votes
  • Class A
    • Edited

    I don't think Capture One will ever add a dedicated panel for masks. Almost everything they've done recently points to targeting casual, rather than power users.

    I could imagine that the layer panel gets hierarchical entries, i.e., that if a layer has more than one mask, it's masks are shown as indented subitems of the layer. The user will probably have a way to collapse such mask subitems so that the layer panel items look less complex and are easier to navigate.

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