If you want to speed up the process a bit, you can create a style with (some of) the modules you describe and them in the proper order (activated or not). Then you can quickly activate that style, and you won’t have to create and move the second color calibration instance. And you can name the different instances…
You could also consider a second instance of color balance rbg for the brilliance adjustments (separation of concerns, each instance does one thing). Once again, be careful with the brilliance adjustments, total correction for any luminance range should be below ~20%.
The amount in which sigmoid (or filmic) “stretches” the image mid-tones will depend on the “contrast” setting. If you don’t want to change that setting, use the tone equaliser or extra instances of exposure to control your dynamic range.
Excellent and timely suggestion!
So I spent the past 30+ minutes trying to do that and consulted the manual extensively. I created a style and gave it a name.
I ran into two issues: #1: I’m not successful in renaming the modules e.g., giving a distinct separate name for the new instances of Color Calibration and Color Balance RGB. How may I do that? or where can I find the relevant details in the manual? #2: Having created a style I go into darkroom to apply that style on an image and get working on the specific modules in that style. How do I do that? In darkroom I find a styles pulldown menu in lower LHS panel (under Export and above the Export button). I pull it down, find my new Style, and choose it. No effect. Plus, its location suggests that said style may be intended to be applied at time of export of a processed image. So…where in darkroom can I find the style I created (and its modules) and apply it to the image at hand and/or set it as a default for all images to be processed?
My apologies for these Qs…your responses help, take me a few strokes or more further, only for me to find I’m out of my depth…and calling for help!
Use the little circles icon to create one from a history stack… and then the larger three circles… will bring up the list you can apply… Just be sure that in Lightable the mode is set as you wish ie to append or replace…
Todd, perfect, yes, I was able to apply your suggestions and get to where I needed to be.
I knew right-click on the double-page icon creates a new instance. Thank you.
Didn’t occur to me the left click would pop up a different menu where I could rename the newly created instance. Similarly, I didn’t know the “three circles” icon would pop up a menu showing the newly created style that I can then apply. [As a side comment: if I’m having these issues, wouldn’t others less technically inclined find the interface even more challenging, even daunting?]
My “Convert to B&W” Style has the following modules bottom to top: denoise->lens correction->exposure → tone eq->color calibration->color bal rgb Pre B&W Prep->color calibration B&W Convert->sigmoid->color bal rgb Post B&W Conversion ->local contrast->tone equalizer post B&W Conversion.
The modules with the extended/amended names are new instances: to prep/fix the original image, convert to B&W, and adjust the converted image.
Time and use/experience would guide me to whether the Tone Eq Post B&W should precede or follow (as now) the Local Contrast at the top of the pixel pipe.
Very excited, I could not have reached where I am but for help from this forum!
How you can rename module insurances, and how you can apply styles are both described in the manual. I suggest that you check it out, it’s really comprehensive and even has a built-in search facility, which means even if you don’t read it (virtual) cover-to-cover, you can quickly learn the bits most important to you.
Yes, I have the manual up and always available as I work with DT and the various modules. And, yes, it is helpful, comprehensive. And it is even more helpful after I get help from this forum, said help prompting me to search for specific keywords/dt jargon that I then find in the manual and understand better what’s otherwise left unsaid.
As an example, in the hope this clarifies what I’m saying, I searched the manual for “applying a style”, “apply style”, “style application” etc. and drew a blank or nothing that led me to the “three circles” icon. Once Todd mentioned “three circles”, I then use it, find it works, read up the manual to learn more.
And even on that the manual is confusing. The manual says, concerning the “three circles” icon: “Quick access menu for styles. Hover over a style name with your mouse to show a preview of the current darkroom image with the selected style applied.” Note that this does not say the equivalent of what I was looking for: e.g., “Lists available Styles. Choosing one applies chosen style to image. (etc.)”
So, I guess between using DT, using the manual, asking Qs and getting help here, going back to the manual…I make progress in not just using DT but also understanding the manual’s limitations. I guess what I’m trying to highlight is that to “quickly learn the bits most important (to me)”
the manual helps but not much; the manual is only good when supplemented or complemented by help on this forum. Hope this helps and clarifies…
yes, it is ass backwards sometimes but it works so I can’t “complain”. And, once I got over the hump, I find out "
It’s not a Google-like intelligent search engine. Next time, simpler searches, and the scroll through the results. For example, if you just search for style, and scroll down, you’ll see:
Istvan, this may be a matter of nuance that a newbie is unlikely to get but makes sense to those familiar with DT.
The manual says, concerning the “three circles” icon: “Quick access menu for styles. Hover over a style name with your mouse to show a preview of the current darkroom image with the selected style applied.” Ditto for the content re darkroom view layout (which you highlighted in your previous post).
Note that this does not say the equivalent of what I was looking for: e.g., “Lists available Styles. Choosing one applies chosen style to image. (etc.)” The nuance being: “Hover over a style name to see preview…” hardly registers for someone untrained in DT as the way to apply a style.
My comment(s) in this regard, including this response, are intended to help improve things so others that will (soon) be in the shoes I was in a few hours ago have a better experience with the manual. Thanks to Todd’s tips I’ve now outgrown those shoes…but, the experience being so recent, can empathize with those soon to be in those shoes.
Thanks for pointing that out. Yes, the manual is not perfect, and feedback is important. If you open an account on Github, you can easily propose changes in a web-based editor. I think it was assumed that users would try clicking a quick-access menu button (“When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.”).
Off-topic: I’ve just found this funny XKCD: xkcd: When You Assume
I know it seems funny at times. It does require a lot of time. Infact finding my way around DT a number of years ago almost made me give up. I then at the time stumbled on to two sets of very different videos. FIrst was Bruce Williams (thank you many times over @Bruce_Williams ). He was doing a run through from start to finish of the UI and the modules. He has a very fantastic knack for knowledge translation and after following a number of the videos I got to where I could get around. So then my next thing was I didn’t know enough about color science and so I would end up with these massive history stacks full of modules that I had assembled pushing and pulling colors… It was a long and not so rewarding process. Then I stumbled on the videos made by @s7habo Boris Hadjukovic and I was floored by what he was able to produce in an edit. I think there was a video he did of an exterior of a plant or industrial area with all this metal pipe and he made it look other worldly…not in an omg HDR way but just so full of life detail and color. It became art. So I watch him. In the early days he didn’t do voice over so it was some basic text and a run through in stages so I took notes and I did a lot of pausing and copied the settings into presets… I still can’t edit anywhere near what Boris can do but I did get much better and just seeing that it was possible was the carrot to keep me trying and learning. Boris thanks for your time and your feedback. You are so very giving of your time and skills. Finally, a collective shout out to the people here that continue to help me learn and put up with my dumb queries… The support and fellowship esp though the first part of the pandemic from the users here was a really nice escape and very enjoyable place to spend time…so stick with it @meaningfullyhappy and if you do…quirky as it may be the power and features packed into that UI are pretty amazing and continue to be improved and refined… once you master where things are you can begin to focus on the image editing …
Next time, simpler searches, and the scroll through the results. For example, if you just search for style, and scroll down, you’ll see: