Can I use a key to the right mask in Camera Raw

[Eigil Skovgaard]

I don't know if this is the right forum for my question (and now it's too late).

It's about "retouching" in Camera Raw.

If you choose the Editing Brush, you can draw a selection that masks the area you want to edit according to a number of parameters by choice.

When you have made 2 or 3 masks and want to do some touch-up on one of them, the intuitive way is to zoom in with the eye-glass to have the details presented.

Now the overlay markers (small grey buttons) are outside the edge of the screen, so you cannot push the one you want to activate and edit. If you choose 'fit in wiew', you can see the buttons again, but then you are out of Editing Brush mode.

The tedious way (while staying in Editing Brush mode) is to use the percentage zoom window down left to zoom out, position - and then in.

Now my question:
It there a key-shortcut that will toggle through the small grey buttons - after the initial zoom in to the wanted destination?

[John Wheeler]

Re: Can I use a key to the right mask in Camera Ra

Hi Eigil
I don't know of a shortcut to toggle through the pins/buttons yet you can while having the adjustment brush active use keyboard shortcuts to zoom in and zoom out

Hold down Opt (Alt for PC) and click on image to zoom out

Release the Opt key and click on pin/button desired

Hold down Cmd key and click on image as desired to zoom back in

Release the Cmd key and you are still in adjustment brush mode.

Not the best yet fewer steps that I think your were doing.

Just a suggestion and hope this info is useful.

[Eigil Skovgaard]

Re: Can I use a key to the right mask in Camera Ra

Hello John,

A lot faster I think, when learned. Thank you. I use the mouse and magnifier to zoom in and out in one flow. It goes in both PS and CR. So I am "spoiled" I guess.

Another question about Camera Raw. The latest version of the gradient tool allows us to delete parts of the graduated area that covers areas that should not be touched.

I was rather disappointed when I - while accidentally deleting an area outside my planned border - would reverse my deletion and observed that Camera Raw didn't restore the graduated area but replaced it with a linear fill.
Am I right in this - or have I missed something?

[John Wheeler]

Re: Can I use a key to the right mask in Camera Ra

Hello John,

I was rather disappointed when I - while accidentally deleting an area outside my planned border - would reverse my deletion and observed that Camera Raw didn't restore the graduated area but replaced it with a linear fill.
Am I right in this - or have I missed something?

Hi Eigil
I believe you are correct. They way to think of the new functionality is
- First you have the gradient mask
- Then relative to that gradient mask, you can either add additional mask or subtract mask.

So since you are working on the same mask for all three operations, if you overwrite or delete part of it, it is destructive.

However, there is a workaround. Just as in PS you can undo an edit, you can also step by step undo edits in Camera Raw. Just use Cmd+Opt+Z (Ctrl+Alt+Z for PC) to step back one action at a time and you will be able to undo those accidental edits.

Hope this helps.

[Eigil Skovgaard]

Re: Can I use a key to the right mask in Camera Ra

Hello John,
In this case I was subtracting a delicate part and I feared that Ctrl-Z (Alt-Ctrl-Z) would throw away my surgical work so far ;O) - so, a shift to the minus brush seemed be the logical restore action. Wrong.
Thanks again.

[John Wheeler]

Re: Can I use a key to the right mask in Camera Ra

You're welcome Eigil