For Consideration... ...adding a mask to transform Save settings

[den]

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Currently for transforms, the Save settings command even if a mask is used, the mask is not saved. Would others find it useful to have the mask when used, saved with the settings?

...den...

[davidh]

Well, I think it would be helpfull to save and load a mask together with settings. You would not have to save it separately as an image.

[jsachs]

The mask can depend on other images if, for example, it is initialized from another image or refers to the mask in another image. The image the mask depends on can in turn depend on any number of other images. When you save a workspace script, all these dependencies are tracked down and enough information is save in order to regenerate the all the images. This is the only way to save everything about an image.

[den]

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May be something like a Default Mask specific to the Default Settings... ...that way the mask would be specific to a set of settings rather than other images in the tree...

Certainly mask files can be Loaded to a transform's New mask... ...I was hoping to save some steps.

I was thinking along the lines where, for example, if Sharpening were to be performed and limited to mid-tone major edges for Unsharp Mask... ...that the needed mask could load with the USM settings without a separate Load of a *.mask file.

...den...

Edit Addendum...
Still would like to be able to auto-load a mask tied to specific transform settings... ...but I think I see a way to simplify what I am currently doing using the Masks transform to pre-load up to four setting specific *.mask files into a browser tree using a script... ...then start the transform sequence to grow the tree.

[jsachs]

I just checked and it turns out that if you use the Save Setting As... command from the Mask settings menu, the initial mask image, if any, is not saved. I am not sure how you would save it anyway without using a script file or something similar that can deal with the entire dependency tree.

This suggests that it would be possible, with the restriction of not working with initial mask images, to save masks in transformation settings files. I will see if I can figure out a way to do this without rewriting too much of the program.

[den]

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Would it be simpler to add: "New mask & Load Settings..." to a transform's Amount mask selections where 'New mask' would load the mask script and 'Load Settings...' would open the "Load Mask Settings" dialog for *.mask file selection?

New mask and Load settings.jpg (199.01 KiB) Viewed 2673 times

...den...

Edit Addendum...
In a way I prefer this approach. It provides a means to quickly select/load a variety of special purpose masks [*.mask] for those transforms that can have multiple uses rather than locking in a single Default Settings and Mask for a transform. The Masks [*.Masks] transform did not work out so well because the 4 masks would only be based upon one image version which may not be the same as a transform's Input image version. Additionally, a script is needed to keep any of the mask settings used.

[davidh]

"....The mask can depend on other images if, for example, it is initialized from another image or refers to the mask in another image. The image the mask depends on can in turn depend on any number of other images..."

Sorry if I have not got it right. But I understood den's question about saving the mask with settings differently. My idea was to save the mask definition: just the mask overlay whatever way it was achieved and from whatever image it was derived. Just a kind of a mask snapshot at the moment of saving it to settings. No history, no dependency.
If this mask definition (overlay) was then loaded to a wrong image, it would naturally not fit or was rejected.

The main purpose of this feature would be to fiddle later with the transformation settings after the mask was loaded to the right image or series of matching images.