Dfine 2 User Guide - venTAJA Marketing
Contents
1. Chapter 1 Introduction Introduction to Dfine 2 0 and the User s Manual Chapter 1 Introduction Introduction Welcome to Dfine 2 0 the most powerful tool for reducing noise in your digital photographic images All digital cameras inherently create unwanted imperfections known as noise The amount of noise in an image typically depends on the quality and type of imaging sensor with which it was created High ISO speeds and low light can also add noise New Dfine 2 0 gives you unprecedented control over exactly how much and where to apply noise reduction This makes it ultra easy to eliminate noise in your images while maintaining detail and sharpness thus improving the quality of every digital photo you take Dfine 2 0 is designed to prevent the loss of detail other noise reduction tools often introduce Dfine 2 0 introduces a brand new re sizable user interface that includes Nik Software s award winning U Point technology for the ultimate in selective control Busy photographers will appreciate the workflow improvements offered by the new interface as well as improvements such as automatic camera profiles and batch processing Dfine 2 0 User Guide The result Dfine 2 0 is a powerful yet easy to use tool that anyone can use to perform high quality noise reduction without needing to understand the complex underlying theory Because Dfine 2 0 is a plug in for Adobe Photoshop and other compati2. Selective Tool Using the Selective Tool to Apply No Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Selective Tool Selective Tool The Selective Tool automates the creation of layers and layer masks within Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements allowing you to apply Dfine 2 0 or any of seven detail specific Noise Brushes The Selective Tool can be used with pressure sensitive tablets such as a Wacom Pen Tablet to selectively apply noise reduction with pressure sensitivity Note 7he Selective Tool and the Additional Noise Brushes are only available within Photoshop and Photoshop Elements serving as Dfine 2 0 s host Note 7he Selective Tool cannot be used when creating a Photoshop Action In order to create a Photoshop Action please select Dfine 2 0 from the Filters menu Interaction with Dfine 2 0 You can click on Dfine 2 0 in the Selective Tool window s upper left hand corner to launch Dfine 2 0 If you click Dfine 2 0 s Brush button regardless of whether you launched Dfine 2 0 from the Selective Tool or from Photoshop or Photoshop Elements Filters menu the Selective Tool appears the filter will be applied to a copy of the image on a separate layer the new layer will be named Dfine 2 0 and you will be able to selectively apply the Dfine 2 0 noise reduction effect using the Paint Erase Fill and Clear buttons described later in this chapter Dfine 2 0 User Guide Noise Brushes Dfine 2 0 offers seven Noise Brushes each
3. Windows Command Macintosh to temporarily switch to this tool Zoom Tool The Zoom Tool lets you zoom in and out of your image After selecting this tool click on the area of the image within the interface that you want to zoom in to If you would like to zoom out press and hold the Alt Windows or Option Macintosh and click on the image Dfine 2 0 offers three zoom states e Zoom to Fit e 100 e 300 16 Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Zoom to Fit ensures that the entire image fits within the Preview and automatically adjusts the zoom factor as you change the size of the interface The 100 view shows the actual pixel details and is the recommended viewing method when reviewing noise and image detail The 300 view allows you to zoom even further into your image and view fine pixel detail ZOOM SHORTCUTS Press the Z key to switch to this tool Ctrl Windows Command Macintosh Command to temporarily switch to this tool Ctrl Windows Command Macintosh to zoom in one level Ctrl Windows Command Macintosh to zoom out one level Ctrl Windows Command Macintosh 0 to zoom to Zoom to Fit Ctrl Windows Command Macintosh Alt Windows Option Macintosh 0 to zoom to 100 Pan Tool The Pan Tool lets you reposition your image while zoomed into the 100 or 300 views When interacting with the Loupe tool the cursor always becomes a Pan Tool to let you reposition the con
4. www niksoftware com Dfine 2 0 User Guide 2007 Nik Software Inc Protected by one or more US Pats 6 728 421 6 865 300 7 031 547 and other patents pending U Point is a trademark of Nik Software Inc Dfine is a registered trademark of Nik Software Inc and Macintosh and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation Pentium and Celeron are trademarks of Intel Corporation Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc All other trade names mentioned in this manual are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders 41
5. Destination Folder Dfine 2 0 C Program Files dobe dobe Photoshop CS3YPlug Ins Browse Setup Space required 24 6MB Space available 14 9GB If the installer is unable to locate Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Elements or if you are using a different image editing application you must specify the appropriate installation path For Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Elements this location is the Plug Ins folder located under the application s main folder For example Adobe Photoshop Windows C Program Files Adobe Adobe Photoshop CS3 Plug Ins Macintosh Macintosh HD Applications Adobe Photoshop CS3 Plug Ins Chapter 3 Installation Adobe Photoshop Elements Windows C Program Files Adobe Adobe Photoshop Elements 5 0 Plug Ins Macintosh Macintosh HD Application Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 0 Plug Ins Click Browse to open the Browse for Folder window then navigate to the appropriate folder Note For guidance on the location of Plug Ins in applications other than Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Elements please refer to your application s user manual After selecting the appropriate folder location click Install When the installation is complete the installer s final page appears If you want the Selective Tool to open each time Photoshop or Photoshop Elements launches leave the Open Dfine 2 0 Selective automatically box checked The Selective Tool enabl
6. a completely new noise reduction engine This gives photographers an incredibly powerful and precise tool for reducing unwanted artifacts while maintaining high levels of detail and at the same time simplifying processes and keeping the learning curve minimal whale mage Dfine 2 0 Noise Reduction a Contrast Moise Engine Color Moise To ensure a simple and straightforward workflow an automatic profiling system was also developed This system makes noise reduction as easy as possible while working on the broadest possible range of images The system is designed to provide optimal profiling results with no input required for most images The system lets you profile an image with one click and then apply the highest quality noise reduction with only a few more simple steps Chapter 2 What s New in 2 0 Dfine 2 0 User Guide Noise Reduction Process DFINE 2 0 Dfine 2 0 uses three distinct noise reduction methods The first Dfine 2 0 Skin Whole Image lets you apply noise reduction globally to an entire a i ma ge Fine Structures Strong Nome Tools The second method Color Ranges improves upon Dfine 1 0 s Note Camera Profiles The Color Ranges tool enables you to select the number of color ranges against which to control noise reduction A minimum of two color ranges must be selected for each image Dfine 2 0 The third method Control Points is based on Nik Software s Selective T
7. current Dfine 2 0 session and return to Photoshop Dfine 2 0 also provides you with an option to apply the filter to a separate layer or to apply to the current layer providing you with the ability to quickly apply the filter s effect to a separate layer Please see Chapter 9 Filter Interface Settings SHORTCUT Enter Windows Return Macintosh key Dfine 2 0 User Guide 19 i Ps SK i a R y if ri T 4 Step 1 Measuring Noise Starting the Noise Reduction Process Noise Reduction Chapter 6 Noise Reduction Step 1 Measuring Noise Measuring Noise The first step in reducing noise with Dfine 2 0 is to measure the noise present in the active image Dfine 2 0 determines the characteristics of noise based on the details in the current image or from a saved profile Dfine 2 0 measures noise in one of three ways Automatic measurement Manual measurement or by loading a profile Automatic recommended The Automatic method identifies only those areas that contain unwanted noise details not photographic detail The Automatic method works on a wide variety of images providing optimal noise profiling with little to no interaction needed Automatic Method Click Measure Noise to have Dfine 2 0 automatically measure the active image and create a profile for it If you want to save the profile click Save When the measurement is complete Dfine 2
8. current layer Settin gs Reset Default Zoom Default Zoom lets you specify the zoom setting to be applied when the interface is launched 100 Opens images at 100 zoom Dfine 2 0 User Guide Zoom to Fit Ensures that the entire image is visible within the filter interface Use Last Setting Opens images in the zoom state used in the previous Dfine 2 0 session Default Preview Default Preview lets you specify how images are displayed after opening Dfine 2 0 Single Image View Sets the default Preview mode to the Single Image View Split Vertically Splits the image vertically with the before image on the left and the after image on the right Split Horizontally Splits the image horizontally with the before image above and the after image below Use Last Setting Opens the image with the last Preview state used in the previous Dfine 2 0 session 35 Chapter 9 Filter Interface Settings Dfine 2 0 User Guide Default Appearance Load Based on EXIF Data Default Appearance sets the brightness of the area surrounding the This option searches the Default Profiles Path for saved profiles with image in the Preview the same camera and ISO combination as the active image If Dfine 2 0 cannot find a matching profile or if the current image does not e Light Gray contain EXIF information it will apply an Auto Profile e Medium Gray Dark Gray Default Profiles Path Click on the Browse button to speci
9. installer provided for Dfine 2 0 searches for an installation of Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Elements Installing Dfine 2 0 and the Selective Tool Before you install Dfine 2 0 please close all applications including Adobe Photoshop or other image editing application that will serve as Dfine 2 0 s host Please do not open any other applications during the installation process To begin installation Double click on the installation file provided either on your Dfine 2 0 CD or from the download process from the Nik Software web page A window appears displaying the Dfine 2 0 Setup Wizard Fr the Installer Dfine 2 0 Installer Dfine 2 0 Uninstaller The installer will walk you through the various steps necessary in order to install Dfine 2 0 into your image editing application of choice After you read the Read Me and accept the End User License Agreement the Dfine 2 0 installer will prompt you for the plug in location for your image editing application of choice Dfine 2 0 User Guide The installer attempts to locate the most recent installation of Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Elements and if successful displays the recommended folder P3 Dfine 2 0 Setup Choose Install Location Choose the Folder in which to install Dfine 2 0 Setup will install DFine 2 0 in the Following Folder To install in a different Folder click Browse and select another Folder Click Next to continue
10. recorded light values from one pixel to the next The more enhancements you apply to an image before reducing noise the greater the variation As this variation increases noise reduction applications become less able to reduce unwanted artifacts without degrading image detail The following guidelines will help you achieve optimal noise reduction Workflow Diagram Image Convert from RAW Capture if necessary Edit lt _ _____________YY __ fine 2 0 Sharpen Print Apply noise reduction as early as possible in the image editing process The more contrast sharpening brightening saturation enhancements or image resizing you perform before using Dfine 2 0 the less noise you will be able to remove without degrading the image s detail Dfine 2 0 User Guide Turn off noise reduction and sharpening on your camera or RAW conversion application Turning off these functions ensures that image details are preserved and enables Dfine 2 0 to provide precise and powerful noise reduction Additionally turning off sharpening functions in your camera or RAW conversion application prevents amplification of noise structures in images If you choose to apply RAW or capture sharpening to your image do so after using Dfine 2 0 ideally with Nik Sharpener Pro 2 0 Apply noise reduction only when necessary Because noise reduction alters detail structures
11. the Dfine 2 0 User Guide active image s detail structures become too soft move the slider to the left If you cannot arrive at a satisfactory balance repeat the measurement step to modify the profile Color Noise This kind of noise is usually visible as specks of red green and blue Move the Color Noise slider to balance noise reduction and color detail retention The higher the value of the Color Noise slider the more color noise reduction is applied If brightly saturated objects begin to lose their color move the slider to the left Add Color Range This is the button marked with a Plus Sign below the Color Range controls Click on it to add another color range Delete Color Range Each set of Color Range controls has a Delete Color Range button to the right of the Eyedropper button Click on this button to delete the corresponding Color Range The Delete Color Range buttons disappear when two Color Ranges remain When you click on the Add Color Range button the Delete Color Range buttons appear again for all Color Ranges Edge Preservation Use this feature to preserve fine detail in the active image Click More to display the Edge Preservation Slider To enable check the checkbox next to the slider Click and drag on the slider observing the effect in the Preview until the desired result is attained 28 Chapter 7 Noise Reduction Step 2 Reducing Noise Note High settings can reduce noise reduction to s
12. the left Edge Preservation Use this feature to preserve fine detail in the active image Click More to display the Edge Preservation Slider To enable check the checkbox next to the slider Click and drag on the slider observing the effect in the Preview until the desired result is attained Note High settings can reduce noise reduction to sub optimal levels JPEG Artifact Reduction Found under the More sub section JPEG Artifact Reduction reduces JPEG artifacts in the active image To enable check the checkbox and observe the effect in the Preview Note Use JPEG Artifact Reduction only on JPEG files Dfine 2 0 User Guide Reset Click Reset button restore the default noise reduction settings Color Ranges Dfine 2 0 s second method reduces noise within individual color ranges It uses the Contrast Noise and Color Noise controls much as they are described above under Whole Image but applied more narrowly that is to a selected color range This method is the recommended method for selectively reducing noise in batch processes To display the Color Ranges controls select Color Ranges from the Method dropdown menu in the Noise Reduction panel While there is no maximum to the number of color ranges at least two are active in the Color Ranges method m a Contrast Noise Color ri Range Color Moise PF B a Contrast Noise FN Color Moise PF 27 Chapter 7 Noise Reduction Step 2 Redu
13. 0 places Measurement Dfine 2 0 User Guide Rectangles on the areas it believes will benefit most from noise reduction At this point you can move on to the Noise Reduction step or you can modify the profile To modify the profile either click and adjust one or more of the automatically generated Measurement Rectangles or select the Manual mode and add additional Measurement Rectangles After modifying one of the automatically generated Measurement Rectangles click Measure Noise again to generate a new profile Click Save to save the profile Click Reset at any time to remove all Measurement Rectangles and start the measurement process over Manual The Manual method lets you manually specify areas within which to measure noise characteristics As with the Automatic method you can save manually generated measurements in a profile Manual Method 21 Chapter 6 Noise Reduction Step 1 Measuring Noise Select Manual from the dropdown menu in the Noise Reduction Panel then click on the Add Measurement Rectangle button and then in the Preview click and drag to apply a Measurement Rectangle to the area of the image to be measured Apply Measurement Rectangles only to smooth detail free areas of the image for example e Uniformly clear or overcast sky e Featureless walls e Other smooth detail free surfaces Do not place a Measurement Rectangle over areas with hard edges walls with structure grass or foliage o
14. as a separate layer or merges layers when you click Apply Dfine 2 0 User Guide Merge the Filtered Effect to the Current Layer This option merges the filtered image with your original image into one layer Enabling this option helps keep file sizes to a minimum Apply the Filtered Effect to a Separate Layer The Keep as Layer option ensures that the filtered effect is limited to a separate layer By enabling this setting and saving the active image in a layered file you will preserve original image information and will be able to remove noise reduction effects at any time Please keep in mind however that enabling this option may increase file sizes 39 Chapter 11 Contact and Support Getting Additional Support Chapter 11 Contact and Support United States In the U S A contact Nik Software at 1 888 284 4085 or 1 619 725 3150 if calling outside of the U S A Monday Friday from 8 30 AM 5 00 PM PST or via email at serviceus niksoftware com Nik Software Inc 7588 Metropolitan Drive San Diego CA 92108 USA Phone 619 725 3150 Fax 619 725 3151 infous niksoftware com www niksoftware com Germany In Europe contact Nik Software GmbH at 49 40 47 11 35 0 Monday Friday from 9 00 AM 5 00 PM CET or via email at serviceeu niksoftware com Nik Software GmbH Hammerbrookstraf e 93 D 20097 Hamburg Germany Phone 49 40 47 11 35 0 Fax 49 40 47 11 35 35 infoeu niksoftware com
15. ble applications you must have Photoshop or a compatible application installed on your computer New Feature Highlights e New interface e Navigator Loupe e Resizable e New more professional look and feel e Greatly improved noise reduction engine e Higher quality noise reduction e Better retention of fine details e Profile creation e Profiles can be created automatically or manually e Profiles can be shared e Improved batch processing Interface can be set to auto profile or auto load profiles based on image EXIF data needs a profile to be created first for each camera ISO combination e Improved Selective Tool interaction Selective Tool can be called from within the Interface users do not have to access the filter from the Selective Tool in order to selectively apply the filter Chapter 1 Introduction e Improved Color Ranges tool formerly the Camera Profile Controller Can add or remove color ranges minimum is 2 ranges e U Point based noise reduction Add Control Points to selectively reduce noise Whats in the Manual In addition to providing installation instructions the manual shows you how to measure noise in your images introduces new methods for selectively applying noise reduction and suggests workflow methods that can dramatically improve your productivity The manual also points out differences between Dfine 2 0 and Dfine 1 0 The typographical conventions used in this manual are e Dfine 2 0 pr
16. cing Noise After configuring some color ranges and applying different amounts of noise reduction to each you can look at the Color Noise or Contrast Noise Mask Preview Modes to see how noise reduction is affecting the image Please see Contrast and Color Noise Masks section of Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Color Patch The Color Patch to the upper left of each set of range controls displays the color specified for noise reduction for the corresponding Color Range Roll the mouse over the patch to display the RGB color values for the selected color Click on the Color Patch to call up the Color Picker from your image editing application to specify the range s color Eyedropper The Eyedropper as an alternative to the Color Picker described above lets you select a color from the active image Click the Eyedropper button then click the eyedropper mouse pointer on the desired color in the active image Verify that the corresponding Color Patch now reflects the selected color Now you can manipulate the Contrast Noise and Color Noise sliders and observe their effects on the selected color in the active image Contrast Noise This kind of noise type appears as artifacts of light and dark specks in what would ideally be a uniform image detail Move the Contrast Noise Slider to balance noise reduction and detail retention The higher the value of the Contrast Noise slider the more contrast noise reduction is applied to the image If
17. click Macintosh to toggle the lock in place function To pan within the Loupe display click and drag the image You can also click and drag the red line to adjust the relative size of the before and after sections in the Loupe Navigator Mode When you leave the Zoom to Fit mode for 100 or 300 the Navigator Loupe switches to the Navigator mode While in the Navigator mode a red rectangle in the Navigator indicates the area of the image currently displayed in the Preview Click on the area of the image in the Navigator that you would like to display in the Preview Navigator Mode 18 Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Filter Controls Use the Filter Controls to apply or discard Dfine 2 0 s noise reduction effect The Brush and OK buttons process and apply the specified noise reduction effect to the active image The Cancel button discards any settings specified in the current session closes Dfine 2 0 and returns you to Photoshop without changing the image Brush Click Brush to apply noise reduction to a separate layer and then selectively paint the noise reduction in using the Selective Tool to automatically create and modify a layer mask Please see Chapter 8 Selective Tool Cancel Click Cancel to prevent noise reduction from being applied to your image close the current Dfine 2 0 session and return to Photoshop SHORTCUT Esc key OK Click OK to apply noise reduction to your image close the
18. decide how much noise reduction to apply and where Please see Chapter 6 Noise Reduction Step 1 Measuring Noise or Chapter 7 Noise Reduction Step 2 Reducing Noise Navigator Loupe The Navigator Loupe is one of Dfine 2 0 s new interface features This tool ensures that the appropriate information is displayed depending on the state of the Image Preview In the Zoom to Fit view the Loupe mode displays details under the mouse cursor at 100 and image detail information before and after noise reduction is applied When zoomed to 100 or 300 the Navigator mode is displayed giving you a bird s eye view of where you are currently in the image The view switches automatically between Navigator and Loupe for efficient workflow Loupe Mode With the Image Preview in the Zoom to Fit view the Navigator switches to Loupe mode A vertical red line bisects the image the right hand section displaying the image pre noise reduction and the left hand side the image post noise reduction Dfine 2 0 User Guide This ensures that you can always see the image detail at 100 while reviewing the noise reduction effect where you position your mouse in the Preview To lock in place the area displayed in the Loupe click on the pushpin icon at the Loupe s lower left corner then click on the area of the image you want to stay within the Loupe To unlock the area click on the pushpin icon again Alternately right click Windows or Control
19. designed for a specific detail structure These Brushes do not have an interface as they were designed to be applied selectively and provide the optimal amount of noise reduction for each of those different detail types Noise Brushes are useful for images that require noise reduction only in a small area They can be quickly loaded and then selectively applied to your image without the need to load and modify the settings within the Dfine 2 0 interface DFIHE 2 0 A Additional Dine 2 0 Skin Noise Brushes Background Sky Hot Pixels Shadows Fine Structures Strong Noise The Noise Brushes are e Background Reduces noise in the active image s background e Hot Pixels Use to minimize unwanted pixels visible as bright dots typically most troublesome in night shots and images with dark backgrounds e Fine Structures Reduces dominant color noise while reducing contrast noise effectively balancing detail and noise in image components such as hair and fine image structures that can be adversely affected by noise reduction 32 Chapter 8 Selective Tool e Skin Reduces both contrast and color noise while preserving fine detail structures e Sky Reduces color noise and smoothes artifacts that often appear very strongly in the sky of an image e Shadows Reduces chrominance noise in shadows and low light areas while preserving the potential for detail and structures e S
20. ds dropdown menu in the Noise Reduction panel Then click the Add Control Point button Add Control Point The mouse pointer changes indicating that you can now place a Control Point on your image Click on the object or area of the image you want to affect with the Control Point The Control Point appears at the selected location displaying three sliders The top slider Size controls the size or reach of the Control Point Click and drag this control to the right to enlarge the Control Point s 29 Chapter 7 Noise Reduction Step 2 Reducing Noise reach or to the left to reduce its reach as indicated by an expanding or contracting circle The middle slider Contrast Noise controls the amount of contrast noise reduction applied to the object affected by the Control Point The bottom slider Color Noise controls the amount of color noise reduction applied to the object affected by the Control Point To remove a Control Point click the Select tool then click on the Control Point to be removed then finally click on the Remove Control Point button or press the Delete key on your keyboard Remove Control Point To adjust or delete multiple Control Points or adjust their controls in parallel first select the desired Control Points by one of the following methods e Click the Select Tool then left click hold and draw a bounding box containing the desired Control Points or e Hold the Shift key down and cl
21. e Cannot be Profiled section later in this chapter Clicking on the Load button will display a dropdown menu containing the last six profiles you either saved or loaded Click on the Browse button at the bottom of the Load dropdown menu to navigate and select a profile that you ve saved on your computer Load Load Button You can configure Dfine 2 0 to automatically load a profile based on an image s EXIF data Please see Chapter 9 Filter Interface Settings 23 Chapter 6 Noise Reduction Step 1 Measuring Noise Save After you have created a profile using either the Manual or Automatic methods you can save your profile for later use or to share with other Dfine 2 0 users Click on Save to display the Save Profile dialog Dfine 2 0 suggests a name for the profile based on the active image s camera and ISO settings and the current date though you can edit the name When you are satisfied with the profile name click OK By default profiles are saved in the Profiles folder under the Dfine 2 0 folder thus you can access them to for example back them up to a storage device or share them with other Dfine 2 0 users who can load them once they are saved to their computer If Your Image Cannot be Profiled Occasionally you may have an image that cannot be profiled Typically this occurs if the image has such a high level of detail that there is no detail free area on which to place a Measurement Rectangle In s
22. e Noise Reduction Process Chapter 7 Noise Reduction Step 2 Reducing Noise Reducing Noise Once you have measured the noise inherent in your image you can start reducing it Dfine 2 0 lets you reduce different types of unwanted artifacts from your images including contrast noise color noise and JPEG artifacts Contrast noise also called luminance noise Co Noise is represented by darker and lighter specks appearing in the same color of an object This type of noise is most often visible in large smooth objects such as the sky where the variance of tonality is most obvious This type of noise often imparts a grainy look to images Color noise sometimes called chrominance noise manifests itself as random spots of red green and blue Color noise is most visible against neutral objects such as clouds This type of noise is often aggravated by saving files in JPEG format because the JPEG compression scheme causes color artifacts The higher the compression the more conspicuous the JPEG artifacts JPEG artifacts are often visible as blocking structures with higher levels of color noise around each block Dfine 2 0 offers three methods to reduce noise either globally or selectively based on colors or objects e Whole Image e Color Ranges e Control Points Dfine 2 0 User Guide Note Each noise reduction method is independent of the others You can apply only one method at a time and switching methods in t
23. es you to selectively apply Dfine 2 0 by automating Photoshop or Photoshop Element s layers systems Please see Chapter 8 Selective Tool Uncheck this box to prevent the Selective Tool from opening each time Photoshop or Photoshop Elements launches You can change this option within the Selective Tool settings interface Please see Chapter 10 Selective Tool Settings Note The Selective Tool is available only with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements as Dfine 2 0 s host Click Finish to complete the installation process Dfine 2 0 User Guide Accessing Dfine 2 0 and the Selective Tool After completing the installation launch your image editing application In Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements Dfine 2 0 is accessed via the Filter menu To begin using Dfine 2 0 1 Open an image that requires noise reduction 2 Click the Filter menu 3 Roll over the Dfine 2 0 item A popup menu appears 4 Select Dfine 2 0 from the Dfine 2 0 popup menu Filter Extract Filter Gallery Liquify Pattern Maker Vanishing Point Artistic Blur Brush Strokes Distort Noise Pixelate Render Sharpen Sketch Stylize Texture Video Other Dfine 2 0 s Dfine 2 0 p M 4 The Dfine 2 0 interface appears displaying the image specified in step 1 above Please see Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface or Chapter 6 Noise Reduction Step 1 Measuring Noise 10 Cha
24. fy the folder in which Dfine 2 0 Auto Profile Load Behavior saves profiles This is also the folder that Dfine 2 0 searches when Load Based on EXIF Data is enabled The Auto Profile Load Behavior setting lets you specify how Dfine 2 0 applies profiles to images This setting enables you to save time by setting it according to how you interact with Dfine 2 0 After Clicking OK This option lets you specify how Dfine 2 0 filters are applied to Enabling one of the automatic methods lets Dfine 2 0 automatically images apply the appropriate noise reduction profile to each image of a batch process Note This option is valid only within Photoshop or Photoshop Do Nothin Elements serving as Dfine 2 0 s host g When Do Nothing is selected Dfine 2 0 does not measure image noise and requires that you select either the Automatic or Manual Apply the Filtered Effect to the Current Layer method of noise measurement This option applies Dfine 2 0 to the layer that was active when Dfine Auto Profile Image 2 0 was launched The Auto Profile Image option sets Dfine 2 0 to automatically profile every image that is opened thus saving time Apply the Filtered Effect to a Separate Layer Choose this option to always apply Dfine 2 0 to a separate layer Use Use Last Profile of this option and saving the final image in a layered format ensures the preservation of original image details Enabling this option With this option enabled Dfine 2 0 ap
25. he middle of workflow results in loss of changes under the original method For example settings made with Whole Image are lost if you subsequently select one of the other two methods Whole Image The Whole Image noise reduction method is the default mode applied after measuring noise To display the Whole Image controls select Whole Image from the Method dropdown menu in the Noise Reduction panel This method employs the following tools Measure Reduce Whale image Whole Image a Contrast Moise 100 FN Color Noise FS Contrast Noise This noise type is manifested in artifacts of light and dark specks appearing in what would ideally be a uniform image detail Move the Contrast Noise slider to balance noise reduction and 26 Chapter 7 Noise Reduction Step 2 Reducing Noise detail retention The higher the value of the contrast noise slider the more contrast noise reduction is applied to the image If the active image s detail structures become too soft move the slider to the left If you cannot arrive at a satisfactory balance repeat the measurement step to modify the profile Color Noise This kind of noise is typically visible as specks of red green and blue Move the Color Noise slider to balance noise reduction and color detail retention The higher the value of the Color Noise slider the more color noise reduction is applied If brightly saturated objects begin to lose their color move the slider to
26. however subtly apply noise reduction only when necessary All images contain some noise but noise reduction should be applied only when noise detracts from an image s subject Typical situations in which noise reduction is indicated are e When using high ISO settings on your camera e After accidentally underexposing a series of images e When opening up shadow details in an image e Whenever noise is visible in an image Dfine 2 0 s workflow is straightforward measure noise then reduce it The interface walks you through and automates the process of measuring noise and provides the tools you need to reduce it Please see Chapter 6 Step 1 Measuring Noise and Chapter 7 Step 2 Reducing Noise 12 Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Overview of the New Dfine 2 0 Interface Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Dfine 2 0 User Guide Preview Modes Select Zoom and Pan Tools T View Tools Noise Reduction Area Method Area Color Range Controls Image Area Navigator Loupe Resize Corner 14 Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Views Dfine 2 0 offers three views to let you preview the noise reduction effect on your image within the interface Single Image View In this view the image is displayed with the noise reduction effect applied across the Image Preview area To see the effect before and after toggle Preview on and off with the Preview checkbox Split View Vertically In this view the image i
27. ick on the Control Points to be selected With multiple Control Points selected you can delete all or modify the contrast noise or color noise sliders of all Control Points at the same time by adjusting those of only one Dfine 2 0 User Guide After configuring some Color Ranges and applying different amounts of noise reduction to each range you can look at the Color Noise or Contrast Noise Mask Preview Modes to see how noise reduction is affecting the image Please see Contrast and Color Noise Masks section of Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Edge Preservation Use this feature to preserve fine detail in the active image Click More to display the Edge Preservation slider To enable check the checkbox next to the slider Click and drag on the slider observing the effect in the Preview until the desired result is attained Note High settings can reduce noise reduction to sub optimal levels Edge Preservation used in conjunction with the Color Ranges method affects all Color Ranges equally This control has no effect on areas with 0 Contrast Noise reduction applied to them JPEG Artifact Reduction Found under the More sub section JPEG Artifact Reduction reduces JPEG artifacts in the active image To enable check the checkbox and observe the effect in the Preview Note Use JPEG Artifact Reduction only on JPEG files Reset Click on the Reset button to delete all Control Points on the image 30 lon ise Reduct
28. mage Ensure that the mode of your Paint Brush is set to Normal and that opacity is set greater than 10096 You can control the amount of the effect that is added to your image by varying the opacity of the brush Fill Click the Fill button to apply the noise reduction effect to the entire image This tool is especially useful if you want to apply the noise reduction to all but a small area Click Fill then use Erase to remove the effect from the area to remain unaffected Clear Click the Clear button to remove the noise reduction effect from the entire image This is helpful if you made some mistakes with the Paint tool and would like to start over Apply Discard Click on Apply to apply the current noise reduction effect to the image Click on Discard to prevent the effect from being applied 33 Chapter 9 Filter Interface Settings Controlling the Default Behavior of the Filter Interface Chapter 9 Filter Interface Settings Filter Interface Settings Click on Settings in the Dfine 2 0 Filter Interface to configure default look and functionality and to determine how Dfine 2 0 interacts with your images FILTER SETTINGS Default Zoom Use Last Setting Default Preview Mode Use Last Setting Default Appearance Use Last Setting Auto Profile Load Behavior Do Nothing Default Profiles Path Photoshop CS2 Plug Ins Dfine 2 0 Profiles Browse Filter After clicking OK apply the filtered effect to the
29. nt of noise reduction to apply RGB RGB is the default view It displays the image in color Red Green and Blue channels Choose from Red Green or Blue to display a black and white representation of the image s detail from the selected color channel Luminance and Chrominance Select Luminance or Chrominance modes to display black and white representations of respectively the image s brightness components or color components and to observe the effects of noise reduction on them Contrast and Color Noise Masks Contrast Noise Mask and Color Noise Mask display the masks created automatically by either the Color Ranges noise reduction method or the Control Points noise reduction method Separate masks are created for both contrast and color noise reduction letting you observe the effects on different areas and objects throughout your image You can interact with and adjust the controls within either the Color Ranges or Control Points methods while in either mask mode Dfine 2 0 User Guide White areas receive the maximum amount of the selected type of noise reduction while black areas receive none Gray areas receive an intermediate amount Select Tool The Select Tool lets you select and interact with either Measurement Rectangles that you add to your image during the measuring process or Control Points that are added during the noise reduction process SHORTCUTS Press the A key to switch to this tool Press Ctrl
30. ocesses and user interface components appear in Initial Caps with first instances in Bold Caps In context appropriate cases later instances also appear in Bold Caps e Specific control inputs appear in Bold Italic Control inputs can be menu items buttons or sliders Where first instances coincide with specific control inputs the term appears in Bold Italic Dfine 2 0 User Guide Chapter 2 What s New in 2 0 New Features and Functionality in Dfine 2 0 Chapter 2 What s New in 2 0 What s New in 2 0 Dfine 2 0 offers many enhancements and improvements on Dfine 1 0 in four general categories e Interface e Noise Reduction Engine e Noise Reduction Process e Selective Tool Interaction Interface Dfine 1 0 users will notice version 2 0 s extensively reworked interface the result of extensive research into professional photographers expectations regarding the look and feel of image editing software Feedback from Nik Software users has been taken into account as well Dfine 2 0 User Interface Dfine 2 0 User Guide The new interface is a professional photographic tool It is fully resizable color neutral with a medium gray background and a strong focus on efficient workflow Dfine 2 0 groups major controls close together for greater efficiency allowing you to achieve excellent results in less time Please see Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Noise Reduction Engine Dfine 2 0 features
31. ool patented U Point technology U Point powered Control Points provide photographers with the ability to selectively enhance their images without the use of complex selections or masks With Dfine 2 0 s U Point technology you can quickly easily and selectively reduce noise in images by simply placing Control Points on different objects within your image identifying and controlling noise on those objects Please see Chapter 7 Noise Reduction Step 2 Reducing Noise To increase flexibility Dfine 2 0 gives you the choice of selectively applying the filter in the Filter Interface letting you launch the Dfine 2 0 interface either from within the Selective Tool or from the Filters menu Please see Filter Controls Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Selective Tool Interaction Originally the Selective Tool was used to determine when to apply Dfine s noise reduction selectively to an image As Dfine s popularity increased photographers discovered that the Selective Tool offered a convenient way to access the filter without using the Filters menu Dfine 1 0 doesn t allow the Selective Tool to be launched while Dfine is running Thus if you discover you need the Selective Tool during a Dfine 1 0 session you must close the session start the Selective Tool and then restart Dfine Tony Corbell Chapter 3 Installation Installation Dfine 2 0 is a plug in for Adobe Photoshop and other compatible applications The
32. plies the same noise Mid mM increases file size and may increase image processing times reduction effect that was applied to the last image processed 36 Chapter 9 Filter Interface Settings Dfine 2 0 User Guide Note When using Dfine 2 0 in a batch process or Actions the filter effect will not be applied to a separate layer To apply Dfine 2 0 to a separate layer while recording the action duplicate the layer prior to applying Dfine 2 0 This will ensure that the batch process will include a new filtered layer for each image Reset Click Reset to restore Dfine 2 0 filter settings to their default values 37 5 oO o gt S Selective Tool Settings Controlling the Default Behavior of the Selective Tool Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Selective Tool Settings Selective Tool Settings Click on the Settings button at the bottom of the Selective Tool interface to specify how the Selective Tool interacts with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and active images When Photoshop launches Alter clicking Apply Selective Tool Settings When Photoshop Launches This option lets you specify whether the Selective Tool opens when launching Photoshop or Photoshop Elements Choose between e Automatically open the Selective Tool e Do not open the Selective Tool After Clicking Apply This option lets you specify whether the Selective Tool maintains Dfine 2 0 filter or Noise Brush effects
33. pter 3 Installation Dfine 2 0 User Guide The Selective Tool can be accessed by navigating to one of the locations listed below Adobe Photoshop Elements Adobe Photoshop Mew x File gt Automate Create d File E Open Ctrl g Eel 5 Open As Alt CEr O iia diii Open Recently Edited File k Open Ctri o Browse Alt Ctrl O Open As Alr 5hiFE CErIH O Open Recent d Edit in ImageReady ShiFt Ctrl M Close Phrl Close All Alt CErI iy Close and Go To Bridge SRIFE Ctrl Save Ctrl s Save As Shifk Ctrl 5 Process Multiple Files Save for Web Alt Shift CErl 5 Import d E automation Tods 65904 lace a Import d Export d Automate f Batch Scripts PDF Presentation Create Droplet EE Cete J File Info AE Shift CET Conditional Mode Change Page Setup ShiFt Ctrl P Contact Sheet ID Print with Preview Alt Ctrl P Crop and Straighten Photos Print ia Ctrl P Fit Image Print One Copy alt ShiFE CErI H P Picture Package Print Online Web Photo Gallery Photomerge Exit Ctr HQ Plug in on new layer Merge to HDR Nik Selective Tool x File Automation Tools 11 Chapter 4 Workflow Workflow and Tips for Optimal Noise Reduction Chapter 4 Workflow Workflow Noise reduction s effectiveness varies depending on where it is applied within the image editing workflow Noise is a subtle variation of
34. r areas that are very light nearly white or very dark nearly black After placing a Measurement Rectangle on the image click on the Measure button to create a profile You can add multiple Rectangles to refine the noise reduction process Add additional Rectangles only to areas of different color or tone For example if you apply two rectangles to objects with similar brightness and color values the result will not be refined In most cases the Automatic measuring method yields optimal results so it is recommended that you start with it Click on Reset at any time to remove all Measurement Rectangles and start over Dfine 2 0 User Guide Load Alternatively to creating a profile with the Manual or Automatic modes you can load an existing one This lets you skip the step of measuring the active image or you can apply proven noise reduction results to images that do not lend themselves to being profiled Those images that typically cannot be profiled contain photographic detail throughout the entire image with no smooth or detail less areas upon which to place a Measurement Rectangle to create a profile Profiles are specific to camera and ISO combinations in other words you should apply a profile only to images created with the same camera ISO as the image that was used to create the profile If you are working on an image that cannot be profiled and have no profile for its camera ISO combination please see the f Your Imag
35. s divided by a vertical red line The portion to the left of the line represents the image prior to noise reduction while the right hand portion represents the image after noise reduction You can move the image with the Pan Tool or click and drag the red line to observe the impact on the image s detail This view is most effective when zoomed in at 100 or greater within the Preview Split View Vertically Dfine 2 0 User Guide Split View Horizontally In this view the image is divided by a horizontal red line The portion above the red line represents the image prior to noise reduction while the portion below the line represents the image after noise reduction You can move the image with the Pan Tool or click and drag the red line to observe the impact on the image s detail This view is most effective when zoomed in at 100 or greater within the preview Split View Horizontally Preview The Preview Function enables you to toggle on and off a preview of noise reduction effects applied to the active image Check the Preview checkbox to display the effects Uncheck the box to hide them 15 Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface Preview Modes The Preview Modes enable you observe the effects of noise reduction on individual elements of the image You can display individual color channels or examine the masks created by different noise reduction methods The Preview Modes are useful in judging the correct amou
36. tent of the Loupe tool PAN SHORTCUTS Press the H key to switch to this tool Press the Spacebar key to temporarily switch to this tool Dfine 2 0 User Guide Background Color Selector The Background Color Selector tool lets you change the color of the background surrounding the image The three choices are Light Gray Medium Gray and Dark Gray Image Area The Image Area displays the active image and related information beneath the image Image Preview The Image Preview displays the image you are currently working on with the Preview as set within the interface as well as the selected Mode This area has three zoom States Zoom to Fit 100 and 300 controlled with the Zoom Tool or with keyboard shortcuts Please refer to the Zoom Tool section earlier in this chapter for additional information Image Info The Image Info Area typically only visible in the Zoom to Fit view displays the name of the image and if EXIF data is available the resolution ISO and the camera make and model used to capture the image This information is used in creating profiles and when loading profiles based on EXIF data Noise Reduction Tools Dfine 2 0 uses a two step noise reduction process Measure and Reduce The measuring step lets Dfine identify the characteristics 17 Chapter 5 Dfine 2 0 Interface of noise present in either the current image or related to a specific camera and ISO combination The reduction step lets you
37. trong Noise Reduces strong noise while preserving as much image structure as possible This brush is appropriate for images with high levels of contrast noise and for high ISO images where noise dominates The Strong Noise brush offers an alternative to selective blurring where traditional blurring methods often lead to unnatural structures and color shifts Using Noise Brushes In the Selective Tool interface click on the Brush name e g Background Hot Pixels etc that best describes the area to which you want to apply noise reduction The Selective Tool processes the image and then lets you apply the specified effect using the Paint Erase Fill and Clear buttons described below You can control the amount of each of the Noise Brushes effects by altering the brush s opacity or the opacity of the layer created by that Noise Brush Selection Tools The Selective Tool provides four tools with which you can apply noise reduction specified either with Dfine 2 0 or with one of the Noise Brushes Dfine 2 0 User Guide Paint Click the Paint button to selectively paint the current noise reduction effect into your image Ensure that your Paint Brush mode is set to Normal and that opacity is set greater than 10096 You can control the amount of the effect that is added to your image by varying the opacity of the brush Erase Click the Erase button to selectively remove the current noise reduction effect from your i
38. ub optimal levels Edge Preservation used in conjunction with the Color Ranges method affects all Color Ranges equally This control has no effect on areas with 0 Contrast Noise reduction applied to them JPEG Artifact Reduction Found under the More sub section JPEG Artifact Reduction reduces JPEG artifacts in the active image To enable check the checkbox and observe the effect in the Preview Note Use JPEG Artifact Reduction only on JPEG files Reset Click Reset to restore the default noise reduction settings Control Points Dfine 2 0 s third noise reduction method Control Points is based on U Point technology Control Points let photographers identify and isolate objects within a photograph by placing a Control Point on the object or area to be affected By analyzing the color tonality detail and location the Control Point automatically determines where to apply certain affects based on the photographer s needs For more information on U Point technology please visit http www upoint com Dfine 2 0 User Guide Measure Reduce Control Control Points Points Each Control Point controls Contrast and Color noise reduction applied to the object to which it is attached All Control Points within the active image communicate with each other providing continuity of control over multiple objects throughout the image To add a Control Point to the active image select Control Points from the Metho
39. uch situations you can create a profile based on another image and then load that profile into Dfine 2 0 Do this by taking a picture of a blank piece of paper with the camera at the ISO setting of the image in question When photographing the blank sheet underexpose it slightly to ensure that the paper comes out close to middle gray The absolute tonal value of the paper is not important as long as it is not too close to pure white or pure black Provide as even lighting as Dfine 2 0 User Guide P Photography of blank paper for custom profiling 1 possible in an area large enough to add a Measurement Rectangle After you have shot the image of the blank paper open that image in your host application without making any adjustments contrast sharpening noise reduction etc to the image Launch Dfine 2 0 and then use the Automatic measuring method to create a profile Click Save to create a profile then click Cancel to close the Dfine 2 0 interface Next open the original image the one that couldn t be profiled launch Dfine 2 0 then click Load and select the profile you just created Because the noise structures are based on the characteristics of the correct camera and ISO combination you can now apply optimal noise reduction to the image 24 ia wn J a lp eS j 1 1 i 1 gi i amp v j Chapter 7 Noise Reduction Step 2 Reducing Noise Completing th
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