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Dave's Saturation Masks (Procedural Texture only)

Disciplines > Photography > Affinity Photo > Resources > Dave's Saturation Masks (Procedural Texture only)

Saturation Mask (Basic) PT | Saturation Mask (Smart'n'Simple) PT | Saturation Mask (Smart) PT  | Saturation Mask (Full) PT | Saturation Mask (Monochrome) PT

Download

Click here to download the latest 'Dave's Saturation Masks (PT)' macro set.

To insert this into your library, simply click on the 3-line 'hamburger' on the top right of the library panel, click on 'Import Macros...' and point it at the downloaded file. Then click on the layer for which you want a model and click once on the appropriate macro in the 'Dave's Saturation Masks (PT)' library group category.

Discussion

The macros in this category all provide means of creating a mask, based on saturation and implemented via a single Procedural Texture filter, for which several different algorithms may be available.

The Procedural Texture code for these are fairly complex and hence is not discussed here. These macros use the same algorithms as those in Dave's Saturation Selection, with the addition of the Basic control, which is explained in the video Procedural Texture Saturation Mask (Part 6): Creating a Macro (and for more detail, in parts 1 to 5 in this series).

In addition to the controls from the Saturation Selection series, each mask includes a 'Preview' switch to let you see the mask in black and white. In typical use, you start with the Preview set to on (1) to aid adjustment (tip: you can reduce the opacity to allow you to see the layers below). Then, when ready, set the Preview switch to (0) to see and use the effect of the mask. Typically with this, you will add an adjustment (or filter) and drag the PT mask to constrain the adjustment to the masked area.

Remember that masks can be stacked, so you can use other masks after this (for example masking for hue or luminosity) to narrow the selection further.

Saturation Mask (Basic) PT

Description

This is a Saturation mask based on a modified principle of saturation being max(R,G,B)-min(R,G,B). It is developed in a series of videos starting with Procedural Texture Saturation Mask (Part 1): Basic Formula.

Controls

Saturation is calculated as a value between 0 and 1, and the controls offer ways to set which pixels are selected, including those which are fully selected and those which are partially selected. Partial selection give a way to feather the edges of the selection such that the selected area is less visible to the human eye.

• Stretch/Squeeze: This stretches or squeezes the histogram (visible with Preview set) and gives a way to control the area selected.

• Stretch Boost: This is a number that, when increased (try one at a time), further increases the selection effect.

• Shift: This moves the histogram up and down, changing the selection. It appears on the histogram as becoming lighter or darker as it selects more or less. Tip: Turning it down in particular will let you select more finely with Stretching as above.

• Invert (0=Sat, 1=Desat): 1 inverts the histogram, so that which is selected becomes deselected and vice versa. Use this to select desaturated (more monochrome) areas.

• 0=Preview, 1=Mask: 0 shows 'mask' style effect, with white as selected and black not selected.

Saturation Mask (Smart'n'Simple) PT

Description

This is based on the Saturation Mask (Smart) algorithm but offers fewer controls as is intended for less demanding use or where the further controls are not used. Being simpler, it also uses less code and so may run faster, especially on slower computers.

Controls

Saturation is calculated as a value between 0 and 1, and the controls offer ways to set which pixels are selected, including those which are fully selected and those which are partially selected. Partial selection give a way to feather the edges of the selection such that the selected area is less visible to the human eye.

• Middle: The central value of the selected area.

• Width: The width of area which is fully selected (opaque).

• Feathering: The width of the area outside the fully selected ('Width') area, in which pixels are increasingly transparent.

• 0=Preview, 1=Mask: 0 shows 'mask' style effect, with white as selected and black not selected.

Discussion

This is still a 'smart' macro in the intuitive nature of the controls it offers. It may well be sufficient for many usages.

A simple way to use it is to turn Width and Feathering down low, then scan the Middle up and down to see what this shows. Then position the Middle control in the middle of the saturation zone you want to select. Then expand the Width to select the full desired area and Feathering to soften it overall.

Saturation Mask (Smart) PT

Description

This is based on the Full Saturation Selection macro, but instead of manual control of the a, b, c and d points, these values are calculated from a more intuitive set of controls as below.

Controls

• Middle: The central value of the selected area.

• Width: The width of area which is fully selected (opaque).

• Feathering: The width of the area outside the fully selected ('Width') area, in which pixels are increasingly transparent.

• Saturation calculation: Cal: 0=All; 1=Gy; 2=Wt; 3=Bk

  • 0=All: Selects most pixels based on simple 'max-min' algorithm.

  • 1=Gy (default): Selects more greys, based on HSL saturation algorithm, avoiding selection of whites/tints and blacks/shades.

  • 1=Wt: Selects greys and whites/tints, based on '(max-min)/max' algorithm.

  • 2=Bk: Selects greys and blacks/shades, based on '(max-min)/(1-min)' algorithm.

• Feathering calculation: Feather: 0=Lin; 1=Exp; 2=Cos

  • 0=Lin: Linear feathering, steadily fading from edge

  • 1=Exp: Exponential sigmoid feathering, s-shaped fade

  • 2=Cos: Cosine sigmoid feathering, different s-shaped fade

• Selection Invert: 0=No; 1=Yes

  • 0: Normal

  • 1: Invert (select everything that is not selected in Normal condition)

• 0=Preview, 1=Mask: 0 shows 'mask' style effect, with white as selected and black not selected.

Discussion

In addition to notes from the Smart'n'Simple Saturation Selection...

The simplest way of using the controls is to try them out. Make a basic selection then try varying the switches to different values.

Note that switch values are clamped to their range, so for example a value of -1 will be taken as 0 and a value of 3 will be taken as 2 (if this is the maximum).

Saturation Mask (Full) PT

Description

Similar to Smart Saturation Selection, but with Middle, Width and Feather replaced with four points, sometimes simply described as a, b, c and d.

Controls

• Mono Zero (a): Below this saturation value, nothing is selected. Note that 'Mono' indicates this is the less saturated side of the selection.

• Mono Full (b): Between Mono Zero and Mono Full, selection fades from none to full selection.

• Colour Full (c): Pixels are fully selected for saturation values between Mono Full and Colour Full.

• Colour Zero (d): Pixels are increasingly more transparent between Colour Full and Colour Zero. Above Colour Zero, no pixels are selected.

• Saturation calculation: Cal: 0=All; 1=Gy; 2=Wt; 3=Bk

  • 0=All: Selects most pixels based on simple 'max-min' algorithm.

  • 1=Gy (default): Selects more greys, based on HSL saturation algorithm, avoiding selection of whites/tints and blacks/shades.

  • 1=Wt: Selects greys and whites/tints, based on '(max-min)/max' algorithm.

  • 2=Bk: Selects greys and blacks/shades, based on '(max-min)/(1-min)' algorithm.

• Feathering calculation: Feather: 0=Lin; 1=Exp; 2=Cos

  • 0=Lin: Linear feathering, steadily fading from edge

  • 1=Exp: Exponential sigmoid feathering, s-shaped fade

  • 2=Cos: Cosine sigmoid feathering, different s-shaped fade

• Selection Invert: 0=No; 1=Yes

  • 0: Normal

  • 1: Invert (select everything that is not selected in Normal condition)

• 0=Preview, 1=Mask: 0 shows 'mask' style effect, with white as selected and black not selected.

Discussion

This control lets you set different fade gradients for the lower and upper parts of the selection. The price of this is that it is more work to set up (which is why the Smart Saturation Selection macro was written).

In making a selection, keep the a, b, c and d points in sequential order. In other words, keep a lower than b, which is lower than c and this lower than d.

The switch controls are the same as those in Smart Saturation Selection.

Monochrome Selection

Description

This provides a means of selecting just the monochrome, less saturated pixels in the image, starting from no colour and stretching simply upwards from this.

Controls

• Coarse Monochrome Selection: Selects pixels which are less saturated. As the control increases, selection reaches into more colourful pixels. The 'Coarse' name indicates that 90% of saturation is selected this way.

• Fine Monochrome Selection: Selects the last 10% of saturation.

• Feathering: The width of the area outside the fully selected ('Width') area, in which pixels are increasingly transparent.

• Saturation calculation: Cal: 0=All; 1=Gy; 2=Wt; 3=Bk

  • 0=All: Selects most pixels based on simple 'max-min' algorithm.

  • 1=Gy (default): Selects more greys, based on HSL saturation algorithm, avoiding selection of whites/tints and blacks/shades.

  • 1=Wt: Selects greys and whites/tints, based on '(max-min)/max' algorithm.

  • 2=Bk: Selects greys and blacks/shades, based on '(max-min)/(1-min)' algorithm.

• Feathering calculation: Feather: 0=Lin; 1=Exp; 2=Cos

  • 0=Lin: Linear feathering, steadily fading from edge

  • 1=Exp: Exponential sigmoid feathering, s-shaped fade

  • 2=Cos: Cosine sigmoid feathering, different s-shaped fade

• Selection Invert: 0=No; 1=Yes

  • 0: Normal selection

  • 1: Invert (select everything that is not selected in Normal condition)

• 0=Preview, 1=Mask: 0 shows 'mask' style effect, with white as selected and black not selected.

Discussion

This allows you to separate colour from non-colour, in a different way to the other macros in this group.

A way to use it is to make your selection, then apply controls to the lower layers, hence applying colour control while protecting monochrome elements. Another alternative is to apply HSL to both layers, but changing values differently.

Note that if the difference between the two layers becomes visible, you may need to reduce the effect or adjust feathering.

Inverting, by the way, give a simple way of selecting colour, as opposed to monochrome.

See also

If you are having problems downloading the macros, click here to download as zip file.

Dave's Saturation Selection

Dave's Saturation Map