Fluid Mask 3 Image/Photo Cut-Out Tool in PhotoShop

BEFORE	AFTER	PROBLEM	SOLUTION
		I am new to Fluid Mask 3 and wanted to see what kind of results I could achieve in the least amount of time.	Despite this being my first real attempt with Fluid Mask 3, I thought the results were excellent! I can really imagine now what is possible with a little more practice
		The problem with this image is the close proximity of the dark and highlighted hair against a grey background color that shares the same tonal qualities. Trying to mask both shades of hair under these circumstances should be very problematic and only possible with a lot of manual intervention.	Using Fluid Mask 3's new and vastly improved hair blending patches we were able to achieve the seemingly impossible! Within five minutes we created a perfect cut-out of the light and dark hair using the hair blending algorithms available in the Patch Properties (Blending Tab). Who needs a green screen when you've got Fluid Mask 3? �
		The problem with this image was that the background is so complex, especially where the colors are similar to the cat's fur. I had a bad feeling when I took the first glance at the picture.	Well, how did I solve it? After using the almighty FM2, I thought I might be facing too much time consuming post processing on the result. This image took me no more than 3 minutes tweaking the mask of my cat layer and painting in the mask mode of Photoshop from time to time. Then, done! Just let FM2 do it. It will never let you DOWN, but always turn you UP!)
		I want to cut this model out from the background, the issues with this image are the hair which is very spiky and translucent in places. There are also places where foreground and background colors are very similar such as around the chest...	I didn't adjust any of the IIL settings for this one. I started this image by masking the background which was fairly easy. There were some issues around the chest and neck with mask slipping over the edge. So I used the force edge tool...
		I had a picture of a silhouetted tree with a light sunset background and needed to cut the detailed tree out in order to add a new background.	I mostly used the region editor and worked through colors to keep/delete as the tree was mostly made up of very dark tones. I also used high edge sensitivity and a fine texture filter to...
		I had a nice photo of a World War I Sopwith Camel and a German Fokker Triplane that I shot at a local Air Show. Fortunately, the photo was against a neutral cloudy...	When I was satisfied that everything was masked out properly it was a simple matter to cut out the airplanes and then drag the layer with the photo of Death Valley...
		The girl was shot against a very crowded background. The fair hair, is in many places, found on a similarly colored background. What's more, the hair is very fine and in tails and looked like it would require fine tracing work to cut out, what with with individual hairs going in every direction.	The complex mask was put to work here and a lot of fine tuning was also required. I had to very accurately remove as much space between the hairs as possible in order to completely eradicate the background...and it worked!

Faster than ever
Not only is image processing time dramatically reduced but we have concentrated on speeding up workflow. Check out features like saving your workspace settings from one image to the next for runs of studio shots; and our new Patch technology with its intuitive tool-set for working on those difficult problem areas with compression artefact, poor edges and complicated backgrounds.

Easy to pick up and use
Fluid Mask 3 benefits from a simplified interface and masses of on-application help to make picking it up easy and fun. For the professional user there are new features such as selecting areas for local detailed edge finding and blending that make masking challenges simple to overcome.
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New Features in V3

Highlight new key features are:

	Localized edge detection and blending � for faster workflow
	Faster initial image processing � up to 40%
	Better edge blending
	New look application � full screen / no desktop visible
	Localize problem areas for greater workflow enhancement
	Great new tools for fine mask selections
	Best of breed Help � now there�s an innovative in-application Tool Tips box with links to application based xml help files and tutorials

Set out below are the new features in more detail:

Platforms
Works on Windows XP and Vista; Mac 10.2.8 and above

Photoshop version
Now works on CS2 and CS3

Stand alone mode
Fluid Mask will also work in standalone mode (i.e. not as a plug-in) for image formats that accept transitions to transparency but only in �8 bit RGB color � e.g. TIFF and PNG.

Plug-in to other platforms
It is the intention in v3.1 (later) for Fluid Mask to plug-in to other platforms including for Quark and Paintshop Pro.

Speed
A core issue for users of Fluid Mask 3 has always been the initial image processing time at start up. V3 is now 10% faster than in V2 for a single core machine. For dual core the processing time is cut by 33% and for a 4 core machine it is an even faster 40%. Blending speed on hair blending will be slightly slower but that has never been an issue.

Screen views
In V3 now the entire application workspace fills the whole screen (it used to be floating windows only which showed the desktop through the application � users found this to be �unprofessional�). There are three views to choose from: Palettes docked (default) - although the main Tool Palette can be docked / undocked; Tool Palettes floating and Tool Palettes floating and screen maximised. All of these are actioned from the main Tool Palette.

Tool Options layout
Now each Tool has its own separate tool settings on the bar below the menu. The icon for the Tool is conveniently displayed on the left hands side next to the Tool Option settings.

	The number of brushes has been increased; the Eraser is not only an Exact Brush but can be a Local as well as a Global one. �The user can also brush a Patch (see below)
	Looking at brush behaviour, users can now commence masking at start up before the initial image analysis has finished � great for the professional user that understands mask behaviour for his/her images.
	Mask brush size may be adjusted mid-brush stroke � this works very well when hooked up to a pen based tablet like Wacom�s where pen pressure sensitivity determines brush size.

Edge Finding Options
Edge Finding options have been rationalised. We spent a lot of time trying to make edge finding easy to use and understand. Note that the Edge Contrast and Filter Out Texture settings are now hidden in an advance tab and the names of the sliders have been changed to Edge Width Threshold and Number of Edges.�

Edge Blending Options
Edge Blending Options have been rationalised. Now the range settings for automatic edge blending and blending type are in the same place � before they were linked to brushes or performing a Test Render.�

We enhanced our morphologically based edge decontamination blending and renamed it �Smart Blending� as it preserves edge artefact and is a unique feature of Fluid Mask. For purposes of information, the alternative and more commonly used blending is �feathering�, well known to Photoshop users, �which is a simple straight-line transition from foreground to background without regard to local edge information.

Now it is possible to select only Feather Blending (where the feather width is set by the width of the blend mask) in those circumstances where edge information is so poor that �Smart� blending can�t be used effectively.

Or the user may opt to use the slider and move it to a position in between Smart and Feather blending where Fluid Mask decides on the level of edge contrast required for the blending algorthms to switch from Feather to Smart blending. This may be performed either for the whole image (as for V2) of locally (within a Patch).

Blending
Fluid Mask has completely new blending�

Patches
Patches (called Regions in V2) have become more important to user workflow. Principally they should be used to solve problem areas.

New key features are below:

	Now it is possible to Paint Patches, like an Exact Brush
	Right click on a Patch to erase masks, auto-fill masks and perform a mini cut-out in the Patch
	Use Patch Properties (see below) to localise edge finding and edge blending
	Use 2D color maps and histograms in the Color Workspace to make color based selections in Patches
	Use Patches to protect masks

Patch Properties
Patch Properties allows the user to perform local edge finding and local blending within a Patch.

Color Workspace
In V2 was called the Region Editor. This has been completely redesigned from V2 � now the Color Workspace includes a 2D color map for better selections and a �Photoshop � themed� histogram.

Color Sampler
New to V3, the Color Sampler allows the user to sample a color in the image and see where the color lies in the Color Workspace � this selection can then be converted to a mask. This behaviour is the opposite to normal Color Workspace behaviour where colors are sampled in the Color Workspace and their analogue highlighted in the image.

Saving settings
To improve user workflow, the user may save Edge Finding, Edge Blending and Workspace Resolution options from one image to the next checking �Restore from Last Session� in Workspace Settings (viewed from the Edit menu). This is useful for professional users working on a run of similar images (e.g. from a professional studio shoot).

Improving Loading Large Images
On loading large images the user may quit loading and choose to alter the Workspace Resolution manually and use �Restore from Last Session� in the Workspace Settings (see directly above).

Also note that Workspace Resolution now has a 1:16 (Workspace : Image) ratio to improve speeds for very large images.

Test Render
The Test Render tool can now be fired from all Patches. Right click on the Patch and choose Test Render Patch.

On application Help � Tool Tips
Roll over any part of the user interface and see the Tool Tip window inform the user of that part of the imterface. Also included are the Short-Cut keys to aid faster results. The Tool Tips also guide the user to the relevant Tutorial or xml Help file.

Help
There is now an XML based Help file which may be searched by sections or by keywords. Also included are video tutorials.

Wacom compatibility
As before Fluid Mask may be used with a Wacom tablet, now pen pressure is hooked up to Brush Size.

Fluid Mask 2.0 Tutorials Click on the "View Tutorial" links to watch the tutorials right away. Or choose "Download tutorial" to save the Quicktime or Windows Media Files to your computer to watch them later. Fluid Mask 2.0 Overview This tutorial shows you the revolutionary new features of Fluid Mask 2.0 by taking you through the cut-out process step-by-step. �View tutorial Flash video �View tutorial Media Player �Download tutorial (7.5MB) Windows Media File �Download tutorial (10MB) Quicktime Using the Edge Detection Control Panel In this tutorial you'll be introduced to the new Edge Detection Options panel and how the options can improve the result of your cut-out. �View tutorial Quicktime �View tutorial Media Player �Download tutorial (8MB) Windows Media File �Download tutorial (5MB) Quicktime Adjusting Masks for Better Cut-outs The second tutorial for this image. In it we learn how to adjust mask settings to create better edge blending and cut-outs. �View tutorial Quicktime �View tutorial Media Player �Download tutorial (16.5MB) Windows Media File �Download tutorial (15MB) Quicktime An introduction to Masks and Brushes In this tutorial you'll be introduced to the three mask types and the tools we use to apply them. �View tutorial Quicktime �View tutorial Media Player �