I’m new to Raw Therapee, and to processing RAW files in general. The easiest way for me to learn walk through each and every step to get from a RAW file to a fully-processed photo at the end. I really like videos that show how to do that, like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccUv02QFMxs&t=345s and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V01w3VlZ0J4
I worked on a project recently where we automatically generated documentation from a configuration file, describing every step necessary to get from starting up the program to the final state. It seems to me that this idea could be adapted for Raw Therapee as well.
TUTORIAL CREATOR (PROPOSAL)
To create a tutorial, follow these steps:
- Create a directory (album) and place a single RAW file in it.
- Open the file in Raw Therapee.
- Reset the auto-Exposure (??)
- Save the current image (this is the “original”, the starting point of the tutorial).
- Make a few changes, and save the file. A timestamped jpeg and corresponding pp3 file are created in the tutorial directory (with the raw file).
- Repeat the previous step. Any saved file along the way could be considered final.
- Upload all the files from that directory to the tutorial website.
RT TUTORIAL WEBSITE (AUTHOR)
The website could have various types of users / roles. ADMIN, AUTHOR, STUDENT and VISITOR. ADMIN has access to the underlying database, accounts, etc., and the ability to modify anything on the website. The STUDENT account isn’t really needed initially, it’s mostly to keep track of what tutorials the student has already done, etc. VISITOR is anyone not logged in.
Tutorial authors create an account on the website, then go to a “create tutorial” page where they fill out some basic metadata (details about the original image and what they tried to accomplish using RT). When the upload the directory of the raw file, and the saved JPGs/PP3 files, The server then stores this information in a database / s3 / filesystem.
RT TUTORIAL WEBSITE (STUDENT, VISITOR)
Students can optionally log into the website. The tutorials are listed and searchable. The tutorial page consisted of a link to the raw file, then a list of JPEG photos and the detailed steps to get from one to the other using RT. For example
/“original” image, first jpeg/
- Open the Exposure tab (Alt-e)
- Set the compensation to 1.52
- Set Black to 6242
- Open the “Detail” tab (Alt-d)
- Enable Noise Reduction
- Set Quality to “High”
The photo should now look like this:
/2nd jpeg file/
- Open the Color Tab (Alt-c)
Set the White Balance to “Cloudy”
etc.
/3rd jpeg image/
Obviously, the steps are simply a “diff” between each pp3.
BENEFITS OF THIS APPROACH
For many RT experts, creating a great photo from a raw file is fairly easy. Creating a tutorial is a pain, though. Watching a video tutorial has problems, too – often the video is compressed, so it’s difficult to see the changes. It’s cumbersome for the author to explain where to go for each setting, yet if they don’t, it’s difficult for the beginner to navigate to the right place.
Generated tutorials can be multi-lingual, both in the instructions and the tabs / settings.
Each tab / setting can have a link to the RT documentation describing what that setting does.
CHALLENGES
One big disadvantage to this approach is that there’s no way to indicate how to interact with parts of the photo, like “zoom into the tree branches above the chimney (X,Y), then slide then enable Sharpening and set the sharpening radius to 1.14”. Perhaps “Snapshot” could be enhanced to include this kind of information if/when snapshots are persisted? Or the website could offer the author the ability to add annotations after uploading the tutorial directory. Or add a screenshot. Something like that – alas, it adds a lot of complexity, automation would obviously be preferable. (There are some other posts in this forum about saving a History rather than a set of ending values, this is somewhat related)
I’m sure there are others challenges, but hopefully other benefits, too.
My preferred development environment is Symfony, and I’m itchy to do a Symfony 4 project. Would love to get some feedback on the viability / value of something like this.
Thanks!
Tac