NDE Layer Workflow in GIMP 3.0 (Masks)

Software GIMP
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I’ve been joyously devouring GIMP 3.0 the last couple of days and am looking at how best to use the new Layer Effects.

In particular I’m looking for the best way to mask them so I can make several non-destructive, independent & localised adjustments to an image.

It looks like (at present at least) Layer Effects are attached to an existing raster layer, as opposed to being independent layers of their own (like in photoshop for example). This means that any mask applied to a given Layer Effect is also applied to all the others that are on that layer, which we might not want.

What I’m currently doing is to create a duplicate layer for each effect, so that it can have it’s own mask and then set the blending mode of the layer (not the Effects Layer) accordingly. So, if I want only one area of an image to have higher contrast I will duplicate the layer, add contrast, set the mode to HSV Value and then mask outside that area. If I want to change the hue only of a different area I create a new layer, change the hue, set the mode to HSV Hue and then mask.

As you can see (if I’ve made sense!), that’s a few extra steps. I guess it also means that Layer Effects cannot affect all layers below them. For example, if I wanted to remove something with the Clone tool after I had already added other layers with Layer Effects I would have to repeat the clone operation on all the other layers too.

Am I missing anything? Or has anyone found a better workaround?

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If the areas aren’t overlapping, you can use the selection tools to cover only the area you want to apply the filter to. Then they can all be on the same layer. Assuming I’m understanding the issue correctly!

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@cmyk.student

Speaking of selection tools.
How to solve this?
Paint Tools:

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Yes, I think you have understood correctly :slight_smile:
The problem with doing it this way is that I can’t adjust which areas of the image the Effects Layer is applied to afterwards, so it’s not fully non-destructive in the way it would be if a ‘per effect’ mask was available. It commits you to your initial selection.

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Ah, okay. Yes, editable masks is on our TODO list - it was one of the big regrets that we couldn’t implement it before 3.0

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Such a bummer, the 3.0 release had so many great improvements, this would have made it perfect. Looking forward for the next release and hopefully effect layer masks are making good progress :wink:

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Do you mean discrete editable masks for each filter? If so that’s awesome that it’s coming!
If effects can be on their own independent layers too, so that they affect all layers below and not just a raster layer that they are dependent on that would be amazing and really open things up.
These are great times to be a GIMP user :+1: