Copy, Clone and Save As

[Marpel]

I do a lot of Cloning through the various processes of building an image.

One of the things I have run into is cloning forwards down the branch as opposed to backwards up the branch (as an example, saturating an image, then cloning only a small part of that saturated image back into the previous image). And I certainly understand why that is so.

My workaround for this example is to copy the image, saturate that copy, then clone from the saturated copy into the initial image. And this operation may be a ways down the process branch, after many other transforms.

The issue with this method is, I can't then close/delete the copy and saturated version of that copy, without receiving the warning that everything downstream will also be closed/deleted. Even if I save the other image that I just cloned into, that image will be closed (not deleted if saved of course) as well. This then forces me to find that image and re-open it to continue working on it.

During other image processing routines, I regularly save an image and wish to close everything upstream, but leave the last (saved) image open on screen, as I often find the branch getting way too long and unnecessary.

My question is: Is there a way, and if not, could it be done, so any saved image farther downstream of an about-to-be-closed image, be left open, or at least an option be presented that allows one to choose to keep that image open. Or is this too onerous??

Marv

[jsachs]

I think I follow what you are doing. Here are some comments that may or may not be useful.

The reason you can't close the saturated image is that it would be necessary to have it around if you need to rebuild the images that depend on it. If, for example, you change some image above the version you copied, to propagate the changes you would need to re-saturated the modified image.

In some cases, you can avoid making a copy by using the new Levels and Color tool which lets you paint a saturation change onto an image. If has the added advantage that you can adjust the amount of saturation change (or brightness change) after painting.

Also, rather than making a copy, you can create a side branch instead, add a saturation change to the side branch, and then clone from the saturated image to an image further downstream.

You can always save an image, close the workspace, and then re-open the image if you want to discard the workflow that created it.

There is also a File/Collapse command that lets you save an image, replacing the original version and discarding all the transformations in between.

[Marpel]

Jonathan,

All the comments are quite helpful and introduce things I never realized even existed.

I'm going to have to explore the new Levels and Colour tool to see where/how it may apply to some of the things I regularly do.

Your first comment (about propagating changes) brings a question to mind - If an image farther downstream is "saved as", but remains open, then I decide to make a change upstream, what happens to the saved image? Is it automatically overwritten and re-saved?

And, I've never created a side branch, so have no knowledge. If I do that for e.g. saturation/cloning, can I then close the side branch without loss of the image that received the cloning? Or does this present the same issue as the copy did?

The File/Collapse command sounds very interesting. Does that mean the saved image, which replaces the original, is left open in the workspace? If so, I would likely use this quite a bit.

I would test out all these questions myself, but I am not handy to my image-editing computer and won't be for a while.

Thanks,

Marv

[jsachs]

>> If an image farther downstream is "saved as", but remains open, then I decide to make a change upstream, what happens to the saved image? Is it automatically overwritten and re-saved?

No, but it is marked as modified (the small S in the upper right corner of its thumbnail changes to an M)

>> can I then close the side branch without loss of the image that received the cloning

No, it has the same problem

>> Does that mean the saved image, which replaces the original, is left open in the workspace?

Yes, but you do lose the list of changes you made.