Before trying for screen grabs to demonstrate Presentation mode, I did a screen grab and printed the relevant page. If I had done that last night before going into Presentation mode I would not have had the problem I did.

So for those interested, here are the instructions, and I seriously suggest printing these first before selection of that particular feature. :rolleyes: :D

Don

I think I am getting there (or somewhere) slowly. I have actually printed a few pages of the manual to highlight.

I am trying to identify what is actually new and better in NX2 and not merely rearranged and now concentrating on the selection control point (SCP). In NX 1.3 we were able to use a 'colour control point' (CCP) within an area limited by eg a lasso marquee. I think the base mask can do something similar to limit the effect of the new SCP and stop the effect bleeding off over a wider area of the image than intended. But the hierarchy of 'overlay selection' 'base mask' and 'paint and fill mask' is taking some unravelling:mad:

The 'good thing' (when one masters it) is that you can then use the whole package of enhancements and not just the limited range within the CCPs - which I had abandoned as they tended to show badly in prints even if invisible on screen....

Now for combination of SCP and brushes...:rolleyes:

Chris,

The significant thing on masks as opposed to the Control points only is the range of adjustments available ( see grahic in post 12 ). So in your case you can selectively apply LCH within a mask set up using Selection Control point/points. You can then use the brush with varying opacity to rub out bits of that effect within the mask to suit.

Don

Presentation View
 

If you are short of desktop space or prefer an uncluttered layout this could be a solution.

Presentation View is initially activated from the top menu bar. View - Presentation. To alternate the view with the standard screen hit P on the keyboard. P again will return to presentation view.

Presentation View gives a larger screen view than Full Screen view. Its background colour is black rather than grey though. To move the image around the screen drag the Birds Eye view around inside its box.

Initially in the Presentation View, all tools are hidden. They will appear when the curser hovers over their normal position. Tools can be undocked and moved around the screen to suit and will then remain visible. Undocked tools loose visibility when the mouse curser moves off them.

Attatched is a resized full screen, grab, to illustrate. Notice that the taskbar has also vanished. In this screen grab the curser was resting on the minimised edit list hence its visibility. The birds Eye and Edit tools were undocked and moved, therefore permenantly visible.

Chopper is from yesterdays Steam rally.:)

Don

Ps Chris, I have just re-read your comments in post 3 so this may help you.

Selective Area Noise Reduction Mask
 

Another example of using a selective area mask. In this case targeted at noise reduction in the dark area of an image.
This example also uses control points to be selective within the mask due to the complexity of the area involved.

Don

Linking Adjustments in a Step
 

And here is another find. NX2 just gets better and better. :) :cool:

Once a mask has been created then a series of adjustments can be made to that mask within a single edit step.

Details in the attatched graphic. Its fairly tall so some scrolling needed.

Don

Thank you for tips aimed my way Don. I am not sure that the P & F views are that helpful, the final proof being in a print. Also it may be my computer running short of memory, but I find that boxes once brought up in P view do not disappear and, worse, remain in front of my dock when I bring it in from off of right of screen. However I have found less noisome arrangement of tool boxes, ie save/print off screen & main box half off screen leaving room for settings to its right. Also finding interface less offensive with use.

Am putting in a post on my task next.

screen shot shows part of choir of Tewkesbury Abbey (about 1/4 of total image) with stained glass windows end and right with bright sun full on. Anti-clock (1) top left has been corrected in NX1.3 for overall presentation of interior, but leaving windows at back & right 'blown'.
At this point I duplicated the .nef.

Bottom left (2) is attempt to compensate glass in NX 1.3 using my normal type of brush selection for the windows, ie big brush selecting window area, small brush correcting edges and removing selection from main mullions etc.

Bottom right (3) is 1st attempt in NX2. Using selection control point (SCP) 'neat' ie unmodified by other masks. I don't think the effect on the windows is any better, but, worse it has also bled out onto the surrounding masonry. This is where I took serious note of Don's comments, reread, damn it, even printed a few pages of the manual and embarked on SCP+ 'paint and fill' Mask. That is limiting the effect of the SCP to the glass only using brushes to remove its effect from surrounding masonry.

Once mask is in place, one can monkey around with adjustments ad lib. I started with Colorize, ie applying the light ochre showing towards top right of the panel as a wash. Then a play in my favourite playpen, LCH upping the chroma etc. Finally using 'Colour balance' to correlate to window on left which is out of sun and un-modified. Then a re-run on the right hand (south) window starting with same settings as east, then adjusting them. Dare say there is a more scientific approach, but the ability to tweak intuitively and indefinitely is the strength of NX for me.

That then completely removes the blown bits, reintroduces a reasonable replication of the glass tones and with correct gradation from no sun to full sun left-to-right. It prints without any sign of meddling. The mullion and tracery detail is rather washed out in places, but then I am sure it would have been in real life and pic would have been suspicious if 'perfected'.

Full pic as 2nd frame. (1/2 sec f10 18-135 kit lens at fl40) In the basic editing I have removed the barrel distortion but not attempted unskewing as the view is necessarily slanted upwards over the rood screen and to include the organ and rich ceiling and bracket decoration.
http://www.worldphotographyforum.com...attach/jpg.gif
http://www.worldphotographyforum.com...attach/jpg.gif

Neat job Chris.

I hope you do not mind as this is not applicable to your controlled edit, but I thought it would be interesting to have a quick go to see how much of the window I could get. This is mask/curves then minus brush the window at 20% in a single sweep.

Don

retouch brush NX2
 

this is much better than I thought at first - LH ex camera showing a mass of cables and some departing small birds, RH as edited. I have also printed this one (only A5 for a card) and can't detect any flaws. As instructions say, brush the whole offending thing, don't dab. It seems to understand what is being dealt with. If near something a bit distinctive, a 2nd pass helps, ie it uses edited origin, not original or has 'learnt'

(Tewkesbury Andy if you look in)