Adjustment Brush - Expanding "Auto Mask" Capabilities

Please expand the "Auto Mask" capability on the "Adjustment Brush".
The "Adjustment Brush" is the most powerful localized adjustment tool - even before the wonderful enhancements in LR4.
However, the "Auto Mask" function is limiting.
In its current state, LR samples a narrow range under the cursor which creates a mask having numerous voids.
Adding a “color range" and "fall off" sliders to the Adjustment Brush's "Auto Mask" would expand the sampling range and therefore the create a smoother soft-edge mask with adjustable tolerance. This would greatly expand the function of this powerful tool. (see 2 options inserted below)
This is similar to Photoshop's Hue/Saturation: “Specify the range of colors adjusted in the Hue/Saturation adjustment” - (where the two inner vertical sliders define the "color range" and the two outer triangle sliders define the “fall off” (transition) of the color range”)

There is another thread at http://forums.adobe.com/message/4142055 ("soften auto mask"), where users have also been asking for feathering and an upgrade to the performance and usability of the auto mask.

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Lethargic adjustment brush with auto mask on

Hello everyone ...
I am a new to this forum. I've been hanging out as an observer and have decided to get my feet wet with my first posting.
I'm a wedding photographer and have been a Lightroom user since the first beta release and totally love the program. I am using a mac G5 dual 2.7 with 6 GB of ram. Up until release 1.4 Lightroom has been great.
Release 2.0 has been another story. I have installed all updates including the newly released 2.1. It appears there is still an issue with the adjustment brush. If I use the brush without 'auto mask' the brush flows smoothly. As soon as 'auto mask' is engaged the tool becomes useless. The flow is slow and choppy, plus I have to contend with an almost constant spinning beach ball.
Has anyone else been experiencing this problem? Is there a fix? Or, might this be an issue that Adobe is still working on.
Sorry for the long post, just wanted to introduce myself and any help with this issue would be most appreciated.
Thanks ... Fred

From the Known Issues sections of the release notes:
>We are still working on additional methods to improve the performance of the new Localized Correction features.
As you've already observed, leaving the Auto Mask off is the best way of avoiding poor brush performance.

LR4: Adjustment Brush, Viewable Layer Mask

In LR4, when using the adjustment brush, is there a way to always keep the layer mask viewable (the red layer)? Not just viewable when you hover of the circle.
Thanks,

Press the letter 'O' on your keyboard to switch the mask on and off again. Or use the little checkbox at the bottom left of the window.

Adjustment Brush Settings and Masks performance slow + jittery

Are there any tweaks to solve these issues? Takes about 2 seconds to actuate. I know this doesn't seem slow, but when doing hundreds of images it sure puts a bottleneck in the workflow.
Graduated Filter performance not great but acceptable.
Windows XP Pro SP3
ACR 5
Nvidia GeForce 7600 GS 256 mg memory updated drivers
Thanks,
Dennis

Is this the for the first local adjustment of an image, or only after there are a bunch of existing local adjustments?

Adjustment brush auto mask broken for 32bit TIFF image

Hello,
I am using Lightroom 4.2 (updated today) on Windows 7 64bit. I have an issue using the adjustment brush with the option "Auto Mask" within a 32 bit TIFF file: the Auto Mask magic there does not work.
I've created 32 bit TIFF files using the "merge to HDR Pro in Photoshop" workflow, where the resulting TIFF is automatically added back to Lightroom. There, I edit the TIFF just in the same way as I edit any other picture in Lightroom. Some of my TIFF files have very clear edges with high contrast. Example:
I assume you agree with me that the adjustment brush Auto Mask must be able to detect this particular edge between the blue sky and the almost black wall of a building. However, when I use the adjustment brush on this edge (no feather, 100 density and flow, show selected mask overlay in green), it does not detect the transition:
When I do the same in one of the RAW pictures that contributed to the TIFF above, Auto Mask works as expected:
I tried this with various edges in various TIFF and RAW files. In the RAW files, basically all edges are detected, while the Auto Mask feature entirely fails in my TIFFs. I've first observed this in Lightroom 4.1. Then I updated to 4.2 which did not change the behavior.
Is there something I can do wrong? Note that in this tutorial: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/the-complete-picture-with-julieanne-kost/quick-tip-creating-32bi t-hdr-images-in-lr-41/ Julieanne Kost is doing exactly this: first she merges a set of pictures to a HDR TIFF and then she uses the adjustment brush with Auto Mask in the resulting TIFF. In the video it looks like the edge detection works properly for her.
Any suggestion is welcome. Thanks!

+1 vote.
Auto-mask has great potential, but is not quite there yet...
I'd like to see a little more control - what exactly you are trying to mask, and what not... - ya now: some tolerances/thresholds for color and luminosity and texture... - and maybe the ability to enhance the edges after the fact.
R

Invert ACR Adjustment Brush Mask?

Is it possible to invert a mask created with the ACR adjustment brush?
I want to make an adjustment to everything except what I paint with the adjustment brush (with auto mask turned on). I know how to invert a selection in Photoshop, but don't know if it is possible in ACR. I'm using ACR version 8.2. on W7

Jeff, Thank you for the clarification. Hopefully Adobe will add the functionality some day. Theoretically, I'd prefer to do most of my lighting adjustments in ACR for a number of reasons, but the ACR tools seem generally less polished than Photoshop. The ACR Adjustment Brush in auto mode seems easier to use than the Photoshop selection tools like the Quick Selection Tool, but not being able to invert is a significant handicap.

LR2 Adjustment Brush on a tif?

I open a raw file in LR2, then use the Open in PS CS3 command to apply a plug in filter that is only usable in PS (here, Alien Skin Exposure 2), then save it as a tif, then re-open it in LR2.....can I then use the adjustment brush to further work on it?
I don't seem to be able to.
TIA.

Found the problem.
The Adjustment Brush in Lightroom 2.1 RC does not work on a GS image when the Auto Mask is enabled.
Here is the procedure to verify this behavior:
1. With image selected in Lightroom's Develop Module choose Photo > Edit in > Edit in Photoshop CS3 (default settings 8-bit etc.)
2. In Photoshop convert the image to grayscale. Choose Image > Mode > Grayscale. When asked about discarding color information say yes.
3. Save the file (I saved as an 8-bit TIFF)
4. In LR 2.1 select the Adjustment Brush with Feather and Flow at 50 and Density at 90 and Auto Mask enabled. Use Exposure Effect with the slider set to -4.00.
5. Paint several stokes on the image. The Adjustment Pin appears but no effect is applied and no mask appears even if the 'o' key is used.
6. Click the Auto Mask checkbox to disable Auto Mask and paint in another part of the photo.
7. The Effect and its mask now appear where the second set of strokes are applied but the brushstrokes made with the Auto Mask set are still not there.
It isn't a Silver Efex Pro problem because it also occurs when an ordinary image is converted to GS by PS CS3.
Something in Auto Mask prevents it from working on a GS Image.
This problem should occur with any image but for the record the original file I used was a Nikon raw file (NEF).
Workaround: Until Adobe fixes this problem you cannot use the Adjustment Brush with Auto Mask enabled.

LR 3.2 Auto Mask in Adjustment Brush problem

I have upgraded today to LR3.2 final version and I noticed that
the Auto Mask function in Adjustment Brush is not working as advertis
ed. The moment I use the brush with Auto Mask, it just b
rushes over any color or detail without discrimination. Is it me, or is it LR3?

It worked at least in LR2. I don't remember using it lately
in LR3.1, but today I had a real need to use it and it
did not work.

Adjustment brush not working LR 5

Why isn't my adjustment brush working when it was working before. New LR version 5...had less than one month

Have you made any changes to your computer or updated the OS?
What exactly is happening when you click on the brush tool icon or press the K key to activate it?
If you press the O key to display the overlay can you see if the brush tool is making a mask when you paint on the photo?
Check that you have not set the brush to Erase ; click B for the standard brush or A for a brush with auto-mask edges.
Make sure flow and density is set to 100 unless you wish to gradually build up the effect (flow) or Place a limit on the effect (density)

Adjustment brush causes screen to recycle

When using the adjustment brust with auto mask on, the screen constantly refreshes. This is on a Macpro with 24gb of ram and an ATI Radeon HD 5770 with 1024MB, running 10.7.3

Wonderful and thanks for reporting your success!! Happy Easter processing!!
brittypage wrote:
Reinstalling worked. Thanks for your help!!

LR3.3 adjustment brush auto mask problem

I appreciate any and all help with this issue.
When I use the adjustment brush in LR 3.3 with the auto mask selected I get a speckled result. If I deslect the auto mask it works fine. I was hoping that 3.3 update would fix the issue but no luck.
My OS is Vista 64bit
thanks for your time.
Dave

+1 vote.
Auto-mask has great potential, but is not quite there yet...
I'd like to see a little more control - what exactly you are trying to mask, and what not... - ya now: some tolerances/thresholds for color and luminosity and texture... - and maybe the ability to enhance the edges after the fact.
R

The"Auto Mask" option of Adjustment Brush in Camera Raw

In Camera Raw, I saw the "Auto Mask" option at the bottam of all the slides of Adjustment Brush, what is this option for?
When you halt your mouse in this option, it prompts that it is for adjusting the sensitivity of brush's edge, but I don't understand what does it mean exactly.

chicagonature wrote:
Is there a way to control the halos around the edges?
No.
chicagonature wrote:
Might as well go into Photoshop and spend 30 minutes doing my own mask if the excessive haloing can't be improved.
Many of us were hoping Adobe would invest in improving the auto-masking technology for Lr4, but didn't happen. Fingers crossed for Lr5...
As is, it's only marginally useful...
R

Using Auto Mask with brush

I have watched tutorials on this and consider myself an advanced PC user but I am stuck here. When I read how other people use this tool, it shows them starting at a point on their photo then using the brush and the mask doesnt allow the brush to cover over different color areas than the one first selected. But..when I attempt this, all the photo sections are covered in the mask not just my starting point color...what am i doing wrong..how you can follow this.
thanks

From Lightroom news........
The auto-mask controls
The Auto Mask option cleverly masks the image as you paint with the Adjustment brush. It works by analyzing the color and tone of the area where you click with the Adjustment brush and only applies the effect to those areas that match the same tone and color.
In response to the middle point comment, that would kind of defeat the purpose of the tool. The tool is only suppose to mask the starting color not surrounding areas. Thats why its suppose to be so great.
check this out. http://lightroom-news.com/2008/07/31/auto-masking-in-lightroom-2/
unless im reading this wrong, its suppose to work like i said above.

Can the adjustment brush be set to mask for highlights, mid tones, or shadows individually?

I am a recent convert from Apple Aperture, where one can brush adjustment masks onto an images highlights, mid tones, or shadows individually. Can this be done in Lightroom? It makes adjustments around trees, for instance, so easy to do precisely...
Thanks!
g2

The answer to your question is:
No. (masking based on specified tonal range(s) is not supported).
And, yes - auto-masking brush is tone-sensitive and will mask, to some extent, based on tone (also color, I think, and who knows what else.. - it doesn't work very well in my opinion).
If this does not sufficiently answer your question, then perhaps you need to elaborate and clarify the question.

How do I use the adjustment brush to mask and not turn my item green?

I have shot some products for my web site. I need completely white backgrounds. I have tried to mask the product and lighten the whites, but when I click done, my product has turned very green.
Why? How do you use the brush? Also, where is the invert to make this easier on me?
Kind of urgent, I need to get these items on my site already.
I know the answer is simple... I just don't know what it is.
Thanks

Have you tried without the adjustment brush, by simply adjusting white balance from the basic tab in develop?
Click on the eye dropper tool and then click on a neutral gray color. Use the background if it is neutral rather than white. You may need to keep selecting the eye dropper to click in a few different places for best results.
If you decide to use the adjustment brush you can show or hide the mask. Uncheck the mask when you have finished painting; then use the sliders, starting with tint and temperature.

Adjustment Brush - Expanding "Auto Mask" Capabilities

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