For example, if I change Curves then Exposure then Saturation, and then open up Curves again, it won’t show my last changes, but a linear curve as if it was the first time I opened it up.
I don’t want to undo history up to the first Curves because then I would have to redo Exposure and Saturation, which I don’t want to touch no longer.
Is there a way to solve this?
I guess you could create a new layer on which to apply curves. Then you name it to reflect your settings. Welcome to the forum BTW.
Thanks.
According to your suggestion, I would be “saving” different settings per layer for the same tool. I would end up by having many layers, just for the curves tool, as per my example.
Ideally, every time I’d call a tool it would show the last applied settings for that tool, so that I could keep adjusting from where I left. I wouldn’t even need to isolate each tool on a different layer.
Is this possible?
Btw, I’m using the latest Gimp development version.
It’s not possible on GIMP yet. Non-destructive editing will enable you to do this.
What do you mean by non-destructive editing?
Nondestructive editing is a form of image-manipulation where you can make changes to images without destroying the original content. Open-source RAW image-manipulation software and Krita offers this at the moment. Does Photoflow fall under both here? With non-destructive editing, you can easily apply changes, and go back to that configuration, and then make changes again with built-in transparency mask to them. You can even alter filtering order, and changes will follow with non-destructive editing. It’s not coming in GIMP until 3.2.
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While chatting with you guys I googled it and saw this
So, even if I’m able to save tools settings, it would still be destructive, right? That is, if I apply some settings to curves, save them, use other tools then go back to curves and load those settings, they would be applied over already applied curves settings, not over the original image, just by loading them, correct?
It would be destructive, but still closer to how non-destructive editing works, but it goes along the line what you want. There’s also Photoflow plugin for GIMP.
I believe so. That is partly why I use it.
@gadolf This is what users coming from the PS, which has adjustment and smart layers, would complain about. Alternatively, you could do curves, exposure and saturation within raw processors like RawTherapee, darktable and PhotoFlow.
So, for photography at least, when would I use Gimp in the workflow, if I don’t want it destructive at some point?
Well, I am not as fluent in any of the apps as many people on the forum. In my workflow, I tend to go back and forth between them to take advantage of each. The key is to know what to export so as to maintain the highest fidelity per transfer. E.g., PhotoFlow → GIMP ⇔ G’MIC → RawTherapee → etc.
I use a combination of RawTherapee, Krita, and GIMP myself. RawTherapee for RAW processing, Krita for LAB, and RGB mixed editing, and GIMP for LCH blending modes. In very rare cases, I would use Krita for CMYK editing for certain color effects, and I have done that for photography restoration by manipulating the K channel.
I try to stay in the raw processor as long as possible. Gimp is for lots of cloning/healing, skin retouching, other wavelet operations not doable in the raw processor, image blending, etc.
The latest versions of Gimp 2.9.9 memorize the last settings of curves, levels …
:o)
Here is a short video illustrating the memorization of settings with Gimp 2.9.9
:o)
https://filebin.net/x6qgsmiv93uiqf90/gimp-2.9.9_memo_courbes.mp4
@samj @Morgan_Hardwood Thanks for the videos.
Settings memorization is no longer an issue to me, but its destructive nature, which, by the way, is apparent in those videos.
If I’m not wrong, that’s not different from PS, whose filters are also destructive as far as I know,
Except that you can use smart objects, where (again, if I’m not wrong) you save filter settings without applying them permanently.
Anyway, I consider this question answered.
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Your conclusion about viewing the Gimp 2.9.9 video is wrong.
You mix the settings of the filters, the application of the filters, the storage means.
Your question was: Is there a way to reuse previous tool settings?
The answer is yes.
:o)
@gadolf No, PS’s adjustment layers are non-destructive. Smart objects are embedded PSDs.
@Morgan_Hardwood @samj Nice videos. Very easy to follow. 
What apps and video formats do you use?
@samj I believe that @gadolf posed two questions in his original post. The second being
@afre
I am on Windows.
To record videos I use VirtualDub or Camstudio depending on the case.
I compress in mp4 with FFMPEG used on the command line.
:o)
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