How to make a live curve in photoshop...

[Eedmonam]

Hi everyone, I just posted a video on youtube showing how to make a live curve.
You can check it out here https://youtu.be/O3zltId7ZwM

I'm very curious about your opinions

[shift studio]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

At first I was thinking why in the world would you do this?
BUT, I did find it interesting to see how some adjustment layers are represented by curves, especially brightness/contrast, exposure etc.
So, thanks.

--Shift Studio.

[Flashtones]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

Very cool! Great teaching aid. Would love to see you do an expanded version with sound.

[andrewrodney]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

Yes it needs sound as I'm not totally clear on what's going on. Also useful would be an explanation of the practical use.

[Aladdin]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

It is very hard to underhand what you are trying to do. Hard to understand how is it useful.

If no sound, at least, have some text to explain what is going on.

[skoobey]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

It shows that any adjustment can be presented as a curve, so that you can see what it's doing. Not very useful, more like geek porn .

[Flashtones]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

It shows the "shape" of various PS adjustments represented as curves, whether they break sharply at certain tones and whether they clip endpoints, etc.

[Doug Nelson]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

Did anyone ever figure this out? I'd like an action to build this. I have some ideas where this might be useful.

[Flashtones]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

Doug, what's to figure out that the video doesn't show you, at least with regard to building an action?

Make the layer stack, then create the adj layers in the proper location in the stack.

Or maybe I'm misunderstanding the question?

[John Wheeler]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

I created a very similar layer stack in 2007. I use it for forensics puposes which is geeky. It can be used as a teaching aid, learning tool (for those inclined this way), I used it in uncovering some PS software bugs, it makes it very visually clear when your Adjustment Layers, Blend modes or conbinations are clipping on a channel by channel basis. I have also used it to see how reducing opacity changes the curve shapes. I have also used what I have found to build custom adjustment curves and blends.

I found it very interesting to me yet wonder how many would have interest. I do use it all the time, as an example, on another Forum, there was a question about an approach name BenColour for increasing saturation. Using this type of examination tool shows immediately what it does and its strengths and weaknesses (e.g. it does not saturate cyans and yellows very well).

So to each his own.

Here is a cut and paste of the Layer stack with enough details in the label filed where it can be recreated. Note that in the black to white gradient, I created that by had in a 256 by 256 square to avoid anomalies that are created when using the gradient tool The stack I use is a bit simpler to implement. Not sure anyone would be interested int he math behind it yet through it wa worth sharing now that it has been publicly posted.

Following the Layer stack below, I have 3 examples from an email I shared with my brother. The first two show a photo filter with the same color filer yet one with preserve luminoisty turned on. It was interesting to me that with luminosity preserved some of the color channels get clipped where you can lose information.

I would be more than happy to answer questions as well about this technique.

[Doug Nelson]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

I didn't notice he'd linked to his PSD file. I had some vague notion of using it to translate some misc. stack of adjustments into a curve, for visualization and educational purposes.

It didn't work.

[cameronrad]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

A few years ago I found this badass PSD called "Adjustment Layer Inspector" that does just that and much more! It shows a live curve, plus live channels, hsl, etc.

http://www.gregapodaca.com/photoshopmechanics/files/007.html

http://www.gregapodaca.com/photoshopmechanics/inspectors/

Hope this helps!

- Cameron

[John Wheeler]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

Thanks Cameron
I have bookmarked the link and also downloaded the file. I will use that to supplement what I have already put together.

While I find such tools useful, I also find it interesting that even though this person has versions of their tool(s) that go back to 2002, I have not seen it referenced in forums, books, or online tutorials/videos.

Maybe I have been blind to it posted elsewhere or the tool just has not been mainstream or caught on. I can see now it would be a narrow segment of folks that want to see how a Photoshop tools works while the broader segment may not care and just wants to the tool to do its job and get on with their work. I think I am one of those in the narrow segment. May be too difficult for the average person to see how it would be useful to them.

Thanks again for posting the links.

[cameronrad]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

Thanks Cameron
I have bookmarked the link and also downloaded the file. I will use that to supplement what I have already put together.

While I find such tools useful, I also find it interesting that even though this person has versions of their tool(s) that go back to 2002, I have not seen it referenced in forums, books, or online tutorials/videos.

Maybe I have been blind to it posted elsewhere or the tool just has not been mainstream or caught on. I can see now it would be a narrow segment of folks that want to see how a Photoshop tools works while the broader segment may not care and just wants to the tool to do its job and get on with their work. I think I am one of those in the narrow segment. May be too difficult for the average person to see how it would be useful to them.

Thanks again for posting the links.

He's got some cool tricks on there, like how to combine multiple adjustment layers into a single curves adjustment layer.

http://www.gregapodaca.com/photoshopmechanics/files/008.html

[John Wheeler]

Re: How to make a live curve in photoshop...

He's got some cool tricks on there, like how to combine multiple adjustment layers into a single curves adjustment layer.

http://www.gregapodaca.com/photoshop...files/008.html

I am familiar with the technique and it is cool (geeky cool). Yet just cause it is cool, does not mean it should be done or will be done. I suspect that it is the rare exception that anyone would take the time to implement those steps in a real workflow. I have tried that technique in the past (just for grins) and it works yet is it practical or have a real benefit?

For me (having a leaning towards geekiness), exploring PS features with my own similar tools has provided some good insights yet that may be far from the best way for other folks to learn.

Are there ways you use these tools in your regular workflow? Are there things you have learned with these tools that would be useful to other forum members in using PS or LR? Those insights would be worth sharing.