Newbie question for better understanding

Software darktable
1

I am starting with darktable and moving away from Lightroom and DxO I am very impressed what I can achieve.

Here is where I have questions on how to proceed:
When I open an image and the default presets are applied and I want to adjust one of the presets for the image I am working on, do I

  1. go back in the timeline and adjust it and have to redo all module adjustments which where after the one changed in the timeline
  2. just click the module and create a second entry in the timeline at the end and do my adjustments. If I do that, is that a “multiple instance action”?

Is there a difference between one and two?

Maybe these aren’t really questions and I haven’t gotten my head around the concept.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

2

By “timeline” do you mean “history stack”?

Generally, you can just open the module and make the adjustment. If you want to make a second instance of the module, you can, but you don’t have to.

If “timeline” = “history stack” then yes. When you go back in the history stack, you’re undoing everything after that point in the stack. You’ll have to redo all of those modules that come after it.

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3

Thanks @paperdigits. Yes, I used the wrong term, I meant history stack.

Just to confirm that I understand correctly.

Let’s say I have ‘filmic rgb’ as second to last and ‘denoise’ as last module in the history stack. (I write down the settings for 'denoise for later)

There is no difference if I select a new instance of ‘filmic rgb’ and make adjustments. (sequence ‘filmic rgb’, ‘denoise’, ‘filmic rgb’)

compared to

  • Selecting the second to last ‘filmic rgb’, make my adjustments
  • add the ‘denoise’ with the settings written down before. (sequence ‘filmic rgb’, ‘denoise’)

What I try to understand is if the changes from (all) ‘filmic rgb’ module changes will internally be processed in one go and the ‘denoise’ in this example in the middle doesn’t make any difference. Or the internal processing is ‘filmic rgb’, ‘denoise’, ‘filmic rgb’.

4

The history stack is just the order you enabled the modules. You don’t really interact with it as you describe.

Just adjust the module you want in the right side of darkroom, no need to go thru the history stack.

Filmic RGB is a special module and you don’t want two instances generally, so it’s a bad example.

Pretty much any other module you can either just adjust it or make a new instance.

One module instance can show in the history stack multiple times, its just the order you adjusted settings.

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5

Ahh. Thanks for that @paperdigits that clarifies a lot for me.

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6

There is an excellent user manual that you will want to explore. When I start an image I select a style that I have created to set the starting points I want. This style usually includes exposure, and initial sharpening and denoising that I like. You will create your own styles as you get familiar with DT.

https://darktable-org.github.io/dtdocs/en/module-reference/utility-modules/lighttable/styles/

Understanding module order and pixel pipeline might be important to answering your posted question.
https://darktable-org.github.io/dtdocs/en/module-reference/utility-modules/darkroom/module-order/

Good luck with DT. It is a great program.

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7

Welcome!

Please read the manual and watch some introductory videos (the website lists some under resources). It’s important to get the terminology right, because a history entry is not the same as a module instance. In the beginning, do not create new instances, they are not needed for basic edits. Instances are applied after each-other, one instance not replace another. The effects are ‘cumulative’; a simple example would be having two instances of exposure: if one is set to increase exposure by 1 EV, the other by 2, the total effect is a 3 EV increase.

Normally, you only interact with the history stack to make comparisons or to undo changes. The module processing order (pipeline order) is not the same as the editing order (history stack). Usually, when you change the settings of a module, you don’t need to redo changes to the other modules (there are some exceptions, but you will learn about those as you go and understand).

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8

Thanks @Terry and @kofa for your comments.

Yes, I agree from the limited view I have that DT is looking great. I am working with the manual and watching some videos from @s7habo which I find fantastic.

Thanks and all best.

9

The videos from @s7habo (Boris) are great, but often quite advanced. For a beginner, @Bruce_Williams, https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtEQQgn1V_PcrulNvoon21Pf8AuUVf5HL&si=Ljth45I4ErOm71UB or some other channel may be a better point to start.

3 Likes
10

Thanks will check this out.

11

@Coauthor0056 my love of DT comes from the ability to do localized edits using drawn and parametric masks. Also if you struggle to come to grips with filmic I feel the sigmoid module is more beginner friendly and gives good color and a good starting point right out of the box. Filmic is also very good but the colors tend to look dull because it is designed that way and the developer expects you to use the color balance rgb module to add colorfulness to the image. He has provided some presets for that.

12

I don’t think I’ve used it, perhaps once or twice, but there is a “Compress History” button, and I think it takes our numerous changes to one module instances and makes one history-stack entry of them (?). Might make viewing the history stack clearer.

There’s also the “o” tab in the the modules listing, which shows all the active modules in your edit.