Digital Light & Color

This may be more appropriate for a Photoshop-centric forum, however thought I would try here first - I am interested in using PWP generated masks in Photoshop and, conversely, using masks generated in Photoshop, in PWP. I am not knowledgeable enough in how masks are generated in Photoshop to understand if this is even possible. It appears, to me at least, that generating and saving a mask in PWP is extremely easy, and an 8 bit black and white image is the result. Generating a mask in Photoshop seems quite complex (selections, channels etc) and I'm not even sure if the same result is possible (8 bit b and w image). I have a couple books on Photoshop and masks but could find nothing which answers my question. Can someone advise if each image editing program generates and uses masks which are only specific to that program or can they be interchanged between most/all programs?

Thanks

Marv

Marv

My knowledge of Photoshop is restricted to a very old version , PS6, I use it just for things that are easier done in PS then in PWP (very rarely, that is).
Also my terminology regarding PS might be incorrect, I use the german version and im not totally fimilar with the terms used in english PS.

Generally speaking, masks for using with PWP can be created with every program that allows to save the mask or at least use it with a other image that it is created from.
Open the picture in PS, make your selections then save the selections (Selections - Save Selections - in the opening window: File - New, Channel - New, Mask - Give it a name).
Now you have a new image wihich contains the mask in Alpha-channel, so it can be just saved as psd-file (other formats don't allow alpha channels).
Create a new image, exactly the same size as the mask in pixels, color 100% black (I usually use a huge brush and paint over a copy of the original image)
Now connect the mask with that image (Having that 100% black image open - Selection - Load Selection), the selction is active on the image now.
Use a huge brush and paint over the entire image with 100% white, and you have your perfect copy of the mask.
Save it as 8 bit greayscale TIFF and you have the perfect mask for PWP.
If you need the selction inverted, the mask can be easily inverted by the Negative transformation in PWP.

Thanks Dieter,

I will give that a try.

Marv

Marv,

Dieter pointed out how you can use a PS-generated mask in PWPro.
The other way around: create the mask in PWP and save the mask as a file. Open the image file and the mask file in PS, select the image window. From the menu-bar: select - load selection. The PWP mask will be suggested as source. Load the PWP mask and save the selection as new channel. Now you have your mask in PS.
As you said, creating masks in PWP is a lot more convenient than in PS ;-)

HanSch,

Thanks for the info (and completing the circle). Yes, I have found PWP's mask development/saving methods way easier than other programs, in spite of the volumes of literature on Photoshop.

Marv

Kind of related... Is there a way to save, or retrieve the masks created/used in the 2-Zone and 3-Zone adjustments?

re: Extracting 2/3-Zone Adjustment masks:

..."Previous posts have indicated a desire to utilize the tone range masks of the 2/3-Zone Adjustment transforms. Extraction of these masks and forming them into both symmetrical and asymmetrical tone range mask types is possible but perhaps as manually intensive as deriving them directly with the Mask Tool... but perhaps the 2/3-Zone Adjustment transform approach is easier for some to visualize.

A 'first draft' method is here: http://www.ncplus.net/~birchbay/tutoria ... /index.htm "...