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Author Topic: Ultimate 124 for everyone.. Another new feature.  (Read 17010 times)
Fred A
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« on: June 05, 2013, 09:49:35 PM »

This one is a doosey!!

OK, there are times when you want to pep up an image with a boost of color, but Saturation does all the colors, or else you have to diddle around with 30% or this color, and 24% of that color, and 35% of another color... and it's tedious.
That's what most editors do... turn up the color knob!!

Qimage Ultimate does it better... albeit as close to perfect as can be.

It's Called: Smart Color Boost.

Basically, Mike has added a new button in the  SEL COLOR tab.
It is Smart Color Boost.

It's smart, very smart!  It checks your image and Smart Color Boost allows color boost to the various colors, but never allowing any color to over boost and CLIP. (blow out)
It also shows you a box with Check Marks,,,,  If you do not want a certain color boosted, just uncheck the colors boxes and Click OK.

By way of example, Many of my shots have blue sky and blue water.... (Can't help it! Sarasota Florida)  Smiley
So in my case, I don't want my sky or water to get lighter. I uncheck the "B" for Blue, and the "C" for Cyan.
Then I click OK.
Notice that the sky is the same in both images.

It is automated to let us finally make use of Sel Color.

Remember, I told everyone that there were only two people in the world who could work SEL COLOR with comfort. Einstein Died, and the other person is Mike. Cheesy
Now we all can enjoy it.
You can still tweak numbers if you wish...

See the attached snaps.
You can see what Smart Color Boost did, with just a click or two. Have fun!!

Remember three factoids.... even though this feature's changes are saved as a filter, each image is scanned individually so it isn't a good idea to use APPLY TO ALL in the queue.
Factoid two... This is a beautiful feature which allows us to pop some life into an image that can use some vitamins, with attention to the image quality.
You don't have to use it on EVERY image. It is a tool! Like Levels, or Curves...
Factoid three!
Use this feature before you might want to use Levels or curves...  
 

Fred
« Last Edit: June 06, 2013, 11:18:46 AM by Fred A » Logged
Fred A
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« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2013, 11:17:50 AM »

..... forgot to mention using a tool that is already in Ultimate.
When you clicked your SCB button (Smart Color Boost) and got some action from the booster, remember to Right Click on the Yellow button on the live preview box, and select the item marked SEL COLOR.
Then, when you HOLD down on that yellow button with the mouse, the Live preview box will pop in and out with before and after your change. You can see your sky, or the leaves, or whatever is part of the picture changing boost!


Have fun!!
Fred
« Last Edit: June 06, 2013, 11:35:08 AM by Fred A » Logged
Terry-M
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« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2013, 07:12:07 AM »

I was hoping a few more people would have tried and commented on this new feature  Shocked
I've spent  some time trying it out on different images and it is certainly a very useful feature.
It's not appropriate for every image, as always it's a matter of personal taste. Sometimes the effect is quite subtle, on others it is more dramatic. It seems to be good where there are dark areas in an image that need a boost.
See 2 examples of before (on right) & after (on left) attached below.
Small adjustments were made to some of the row values in the Select Colour matrix - it would be nice if Mike gave us a quicker way of changing those values - and some contrast increase was made with a curve.
EDIT. I've now added screen shots of the Sel Col tables.
Note the changes to blue and cyan for the country pub scene to darken and add contrast to the sky and a reduction in the yellow row for the statue. Powerful tool this Sel Col!  Shocked

Terry
« Last Edit: June 11, 2013, 10:25:01 AM by Terry-M » Logged
Jeff
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« Reply #3 on: June 12, 2013, 11:18:41 AM »

I was hoping a few more people would have tried and commented on this new feature  Shocked
Powerful tool this Sel Col!  Shocked
Terry

Hello Fred, Hello Terry.

I installed this update as soon as is was available, but only yesterday got an hour and half spare time to properly check it out.

The additional feature will I think be a great assistance, and allow greater use to be made of 'sel color'. (it was pretty much beyond me except to increase the yellow to liven up some greens)

Checking past images it appears to increase all values to a greater or lesser degree, if I think one or two colours have gone over the top I now have a starting point for individual adjustments.

Am I being told that all (most) of my images require a little colour boost?  I must say I generally like the boosts.

Should work flow now be, check raw development - again mostly the program does the best, and then first check the sel color before messing about with curves, levels, and other adjustments?

My thanks to Mike for the continual improvements/refinements/additional features, they keep this old brain stimulated.

Jeff

     
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Terry-M
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« Reply #4 on: June 12, 2013, 11:45:04 AM »

Hi Jeff,
Quote
Should work flow now be, check raw development - again mostly the program does the best, and then first check the sel color before messing about with curves, levels, and other adjustments?
That is correct, Fred did mention that in an earlier post.
Have fun  Wink
Terry
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tonygamble
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« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2013, 09:53:07 PM »

Terry,

"That is correct, Fred did mention that in an earlier post."

Could you give us a workflow then, please?

Tony
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Terry-M
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« Reply #6 on: June 13, 2013, 07:03:33 AM »

Hi Tony,
Quote
Could you give us a workflow then, please?
Following any raw refine operations and if it seems that the image needs further enhancement in the editor, the the first step to would be to check out SCB.
However, remember that not every image will benefit from SCB.
Any existing edits for levels, contrast, brightness, curves and saturation must be removed first.

It's a quick operation to check out SCB on any image but some points to note:
Un-tick blue and cyan when there is a blue or even grey sky so that is not lightened.
If a particular colour is affecting the amount of SCB applied, ie. it's already very bright, then click the SCB button again and un-tick that colour; note that all colours will be reset with a tick.
You can set a colour row back to 1.0 by clicking the colour letter, R, G,... etc. but that is not the same as starting again and un-ticking in the SCB dialogue.
It's worth spending a little time experimenting with a few images.
Following any SCB changes, carry on as normal with other adjustments in the editor.
Terry
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Jeff
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« Reply #7 on: June 13, 2013, 07:37:10 AM »

Hi Jeff,
Quote
That is correct, Fred did mention that in an earlier post.
Have fun  Wink
Terry

Sorry, it was read a few days ago, I am forgetful and did not re read.

Jeff 
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Terry-M
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« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2013, 10:32:32 AM »

Jeff,
Quote
Sorry, it was read a few days ago, I am forgetful
Been there, done that!  Wink
Terry
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Fred A
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« Reply #9 on: June 13, 2013, 07:23:34 PM »

Quote
Could you give us a workflow then, please?

Went out very early today with good light outside, and got a couple of shots worth sharing vis a vis, the new SCB, Smart Color Boost!
The first image, #041, is right out of the camera. Both the exposure matrix in the camera and Qimage spotted the pure whites in the boats, and locked the exposure so it would not obliterate the boats for the sake of the sky.
Of course we can go into REFINE, adjust the exposure and fill light, but let's have a look what Smart color did to this image.
One click of SCB, and look at image #042.
By leaving all the checks in place, the sky and water also brightens up, and now you have cloud definition etc.

The next two snaps show less difference because Smart Color Boost reads the image and applies only what it can handle.
Notice also, the sky and water in the second set remained the same because the sky and water were just right as shot. So unchecking B and C for Blue and Cyan leaves those untouched.

 
My point is to avoid over complicating... just try the button and see what happens.

Fred
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Fred A
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« Reply #10 on: June 13, 2013, 07:24:29 PM »

Here are the other two snaps.
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tonygamble
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« Reply #11 on: June 22, 2013, 04:38:34 PM »

A couple of weeks ago I asked if somone could post a workflow.

I ran Smart Colour Boost over a set of images I shot on Wednesday and all of the colours were moved to 1.15. I ran it over my Thursday shots and they were moved to 2.45. All outdoor shots. All sunshine.

I then re-ran the Thursday shots and QU/SCB set them all to 2.15.

As Terry knows I have been concerned that too many of my shots needed manual Fill in the Raw Refinement mode. Interestingly the sequence with the SCB at 2.15 hardly contained any that needed extra RAW fill. It would be lovely to know why.

Terry said one should use SCB before making any changes to levels, saturation, etc. I had not realised that. I always add some DFS and Contrast 10+ to every shot and I did this before I ran the SCB. Is this why Wednesday I get 1.15 and Thursday I get 2.45 and then 2.15?

As Terry and Fred know I am a batch processing merchant. I have probably shot about a thousand frames this week and don't have the time to tinker with individual shots until my "client" tells me which ones they want to use/publish. I am wrong in running SCB over a batch of RAWs? Is the SCB only evaluating the first file and applying that setting to the rest of the batch?

I have an odd feeling that using SCB over a batch is getting me images that are 'better' for want of a word.

Hence the wish to learn more, please.

Tony


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Terry-M
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« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2013, 05:58:51 PM »

Tony,
I also said "It's not appropriate for every image, as always it's a matter of personal taste. Sometimes the effect is quite subtle, on others it is more dramatic."
Quote
I have an odd feeling that using SCB over a batch is getting me images that are 'better' for want of a word
No you cannot do that because all you are doing is copying the same Select Colour table to every image. SCB is more sophisticated that you think - it examines and processes each image individually so each image must be considered on it's own merits.
It may be possible with very similar shots taken in the same lighting conditions and of the same subject, that is all.
Quote
I am a batch processing merchant. I have probably shot about a thousand frames this week and don't have the time to tinker with individual shots until my "client" tells me which ones they want to use/publish.
I think  revision of work flow is required here, putting on my process optimisation hat  Roll Eyes (ex Pro Engineer and all that), I would say you need to make use of the QU rating feature and reduce the number of image you show to clients. Pick the ones that are good technically and you know the client is likely to want, process those properly and then shown him relatively few samples. I'm sure a client would not want to look at 100's of images or would get confused. Or, merely use camera jpeg's and let the camera do the processing for you.
 Terry
« Last Edit: June 22, 2013, 06:01:09 PM by Terry-M » Logged
Fred A
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« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2013, 06:54:33 PM »

Tony,
I had posted on the very first day what you see below.
Factoid one specifically advises against batch use of SCB due the fact that Qimage scans individual images. The results of which are not going to be the same from image to image.
If you choose to ignore the caveat, then you are not using teh tool properly.

If I was teaching you how to drive an automobile, and advised; Make sure you closed all the doors of the car before driving away, and you choose to ignore that, well not much hope for you, is there?

Fred

Remember three factoids.... even though this feature's changes are saved as a filter, each image is scanned individually so it isn't a good idea to use APPLY TO ALL in the queue.
Factoid two... This is a beautiful feature which allows us to pop some life into an image that can use some vitamins, with attention to the image quality.
You don't have to use it on EVERY image. It is a tool! Like Levels, or Curves...
« Last Edit: June 22, 2013, 07:49:44 PM by Fred A » Logged
tonygamble
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« Reply #14 on: June 22, 2013, 10:35:48 PM »

Let me try again.

"As Terry knows I have been concerned that too many of my shots needed manual Fill in the Raw Refinement mode. Interestingly the sequence with the SCB at 2.15 hardly contained any that needed extra RAW fill. It would be lovely to know why.

Terry said one should use SCB before making any changes to levels, saturation, etc. I had not realised that. I always add some DFS and Contrast 10+ to every shot and I did this before I ran the SCB. Is this why Wednesday I get 1.15 and Thursday I get 2.45 and then 2.15?

I am trying to learn how this SCB works.

Tony
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