Blend masks - graduation

[jgarnold]

Well I'm back (Gary) from my long o/s trip and eager to get back into my project (refer http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...t-resolution-photo-scenery-achievable.440912/)

When I left it (7 weeks ago) I was attempting to create a BLEND MASK which has a wide area of grey scale graduation between the mask and the rest.
I want to do this to create a gradual change of depth of water between the deep water and the very shallow water and perhaps even a variation in depth of water within the shallow area in my photo realistic scenery - see following satellite image.

I assumed that this could be achieved with a wide area of varying gray scale from black to the lightest shade of grey.

It appears to me that this can be achieved EITHER
by creating a (blend) mask covering the entire water area to the very edge of the land and then using the eraser set to various hardnesses to 'draw' lines/bands from the water edge to the deep water OR
by creating a blend mask over the entire DEEP water area and then using the paint brush tool set to various gray scales between where the edge of the water is and where the edge of the deep water is.
I am assuming that say a 50% gray scale (or 50% eraser hardness) will allow (about) 50% of the original image to 'show through' and that a 25% gray scale will allow more of the original image to 'show through' etc. Is this how it will work?
Is either method workable? Not sure if either is easier than the other.
Am I on the right 'track'?
It would be great if one could 'paint' so that say the left edge of the paint brush tool) was 0% gray scale and the right side 100% (black).

This seems difficult but not nearly as difficult as driving along the 'unclassified' roads in Devon and Cornwall where two cars cannot pass

Thanks

 

[GaryGB]

Hi John, and welcome back.

I'll review what we previously discussed, and then I'll reply further to your questions here.

IIRC, you already had begun working on a rather detailed Blend Mask, so you should have a "worked example" to start with when we set up multi-source INF file.


BTW: I need to update my replies to a few threads to reflect my corrected understanding of what Luis Feliz-Tirado was alluding to with the auto-integration of Blend and Water Masks by SBuilderX.

Apparently that was only when a properly configured Alpha channel was used for each such Mask when included as extra "layers" (aka "channels") inside the ex: Day source image in a TIFF / GeoTIFF texture image file format.

When such Mask source files are instead used as separate BMP or TIFF / GeoTIFF files, they must be manually defined in a more slightly more complex multi-source INF file.


PS: Please state the graphics application that you prefer to use for your aerial imagery source files.


Hopefully I'll get caught up on a few ongoing commitments sometime tomorrow (Monday) to post another reply here.

GaryGB

 

[jgarnold]

Thanks Gary,

Still trying to remember everything I learned before I went away. Unfortunately I leaned some things just days before I left and now 7 weeks later struggling to remember. Hopefully it will all come back as I go through it again.

complex multi-source INF file.

Sounds scarey.

When I (re)watch the K-MAN Tutorial #2 (Youtube) he uses the eraser tool to result in 'shading' the edge of his mask which become his blend mask. I referred to that in my original post) but then started to wonder if painting with a 50% grayscale paint brush tool might result in the same thing.

(

- around 32min 32seconds into the video)

The reason I am asking (can it be achieved using either of the two described methods) is that while it would appear that using the eraser tool (as in the video) obviously works (otherwise the video tutorial is rubbish) I think it would be easier (for me) to paint along the edge of the mask with the paint brush tool set to say 20% or 50% grayscale.
My current blend mask has the mask following the edge of the deep water which allows the satellite imagery of all the shallow water to show through and it results in an almost 'hard' line even though I painted out using the paint brush tool set to 'hardness 050'.

PS: Please state the graphics application that you prefer to use for your aerial imagery source files.

I prefer to use Paint Shop Pro (I now have version X8 which handles very large image files) however I had been using GIMP2 to create my masks before (as PSP X2 wouldn't handle large images). So I have a limited knowledge of GIMP (I note that there a few publications available to purchase and maybe I should although that would defeat the expenditure on PSP X8).
Unless it is highly technical I guess I am happy to use GIMP2. I know very little about Alpha channel although is it similar to using a colour which is 'interpreted' as tranparency? Maybe not. I should Google it.

Regards

 

[GaryGB]

Hi John:


For practical purposes, the intended Blend Mask "color" may be achieved via either:

* Painting Black with a reduced hardness tool cursor (50 % or greater tool 'transparency' within the graphics application settings)

...or via:

* Erasing Black with a reduced hardness tool cursor (50 % or greater tool 'transparency' within the graphics application settings)


Alternatively (IMHO, this would be quicker / easier):

* Magic Wand Tool > Select a water color vector path > 'Feathered' Gradient on either side of selected area as Holger describes:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/creating-blend-masks.9168/#post-61650


GIMP:

https://www.google.com/search?sourc...46k1j0i22i30k1j33i21k1j33i160k1.0.w72mIlA24z4


PaintShop Pro:

https://www.google.com/search?ei=eI......0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..2.0.0....0.lK7feqdF93A


I recommend that for Water and Blend Masks, you first master using separate BMP or TIFF files ...rather than Alpha Channels.


I refer you to this worked example in a recent thread for info on applying the required manual edits to a 'multi-source' INF file:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/night-map-texture-help.441472/#post-785473


Hope this helps expand your horizons further after a thorough review of our prior thread here:

http://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/th...lution-photo-scenery-achievable.440912/page-4


GaryGB

 

[jgarnold]

Thanks Gary especially for drawing my attention to the 'feathered' gradient.
I did try selecting an area (lasso tool) and then applying the blend tool however it applies the blend horizontally (whatever side you start it from becomes black and the other side white regardless of the shape of the selected area therefore some parts of the selected area are completely black instead iof being black to white. Pity as this looked like it was so simple.

Looks like I will need to either 'paint' with a shade of gray or erase with a hardness of 50%. Not so bad.

Also I will look further into using TIFF files - I had started to look at them just before I went overseas.

 

[GaryGB]

Hi John:

I'm not sure I am properly understanding your description above.

Could you post some screenshots of the process used which results in the undesired result you describe above ?


I am wondering if your work-flow involves modifying a "Mask" layer created by the Lasso or Magic Wand tools ?


You may wish to review the following methods used via a Layer Mask in Photoshop:

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/603201

[EDITED]

10 Ways to Modify a Selection in Photoshop

NOTE: 'Selections' can be saved as a 'Mask' Channel / Layer

https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/10-ways-to-modify-a-selection-in-photoshop--psd-25138

[END_EDIT]


Photoshop:

https://www.google.com/search?ei=lo.....0.9.831...0i7i30k1j0i8i7i30k1.0.-8B1itBIY4o


GaryGB

 

[jgarnold]

Hi Gary

I feel that I'm not doing it (blend mask) correctly however I have no other idea what to do.

I have attached thumbnail shots of area selected using lassoo tool, then the selected area with the blend mask (horizontal line drawn mid area), and the result

Regards

 

[pinkjr]

Essentially this is a Photoshop issue, not a blendmask persé.

How "I"would do it. Go ahead and paint the water black all the way to the beach, no smooth edges. Paint the rest white.
No go to Filter/Blurr/Gaussian Blurr and play with the blurr radius (Pixels) until you get the results you need.
Do take into account that resample.exe will stop distinguishing between gray and white at a certain tone of gray,and will start treating everything lighter than that gray tone as white.

Make sure to change picture mode to grayscale 8-bit in photoshop prior to saving as .TIFF

Cheers,
David

 

[pinkjr]

Besides the Gaussian Blurr radii, also play with the location of the edge of the water (solid black). You may have to pull it away from beach some to get the results you want.

 

[jgarnold]

Thanks David

I should have pointed out that I was using GIMP2.9 not Photoshop. Not sure if this makes any difference.