Dynamic Editing Using multiple controls and actions without committing them to your image

 

The Problems with Typical Image Editors

 

The normal editing process can be grouped into two different areas..

 

1. Discreet and Continual  Image-wide Changes.

 

The idea of image editing that is both simple and advanced is the reason why Sagelight was created.   Here is a typical scenario of how the editing process often occurs:

 

 

Much of editing is a visceral experience based on feedback -- we adjust certain settings and then adjust more after we see the results as we're going along. In most editors, these 8 changes just made 8 sequential changes to your entire image.  This is called destructive editing. That is, in most editors every little movement gets applied to your image, which is destructive to your image and lowers the quality if your image for further editing -- the more you edit, the more wear and tear there is on your image in this type of editor.

 

Howeber, effective image editing is about making these discreet changes.  Sometimes, just changing a little brightness, contrast, color tint, etc., can make the change you're looking for in your image.

 

Also, when you perform a fair number of operations on your image, this can affect your image to the point of starting to have an artificial look because of the way each little movement is applied to your image.

 

Here is another typical scenario:

 

Instead of just performing one curve on your image that represents the difference between the forward amount and the backward amount, most image editors will perform two different physical operations on your file.

 

As you keep adjusting the slider to get just the brightness you want, you may have made up to 10 global, physical changes to your file just to set a brightness.  This is not a good editing process, since it is destructive to your file, and it can also affect other areas in your image that you're not seeing (but will come out in the editing process later down the road).

 

 

2. Limited set of changes.  Other editors have a different approach.  These editors answer the problem with the previous issue, but creates another editing issue and limitation.  Some editors will only allow one set of changes to your image.  For example, in the scenario with

 

Increase Brightness

Decrease Brightness (let's say you decided to back off a little, but not all the way)

 

these types of editors will only keep the one curve created by both slider movements.

 

But, that's all you get.  These type of editors only allow one set of settings for each control.  Therefore, if you have brightness, contrast, sharpen, and other controls, you can only get one setting out of them.

 

In a powerful image editing setting, you want to be able to re-use controls.  For example, you might want to adjust the brightness, the tint, the contrast, and the sharpening.  Then, you might want to adjust the contrast again, but based on the way the image looks with the current settings.  You can't do this in editors that only allow one pass on the controls.

 

 

Dynamic & Non-Destructive Editing in Sagelight

 

Dynamic Quick Edit Mode Controls

Sagelight was written from scratch in order to answer the two problems outlined above.  Sagelight uses multiple invisible and dynamic layers in the Quick Edit Mode and the Pro Quick Edit Mode.  This allows you to control over 20 controls at the same time and also re-use them.    Dynamic editing in Sagelight creates invisible layers and then combines them at the last moment so that only one change is made to the physical data in your image.  This keeps the quality higher and gives you a large amount of control not seen in other editors.   Re-usable controls.   Sagelight is a fusion between a simple editor and a highly advanced editor.   The Dynamic Editing functions in Sagelight keeps it simple, where the Apply Button gives you access to even more advanced editing.  When you press the apply button, all of your changes are commited to your file.   You can then re-use the same controls to make even more changes.   Quick Edit Mode Controls   To the left is a view of the Quick Edit Mode controls.  You can change all of these controls dynamically and see the changes happen instantly in your image -- without affecting your image until you are ready.  This gives you a great amount of control over your image and keeps the image quality much higher, since only one operation is performed on your image when you press the Apply Button.   You can also use the controls with the dynamic masking -- all in realtime, within multiple, seamless layers.   The Pro Quick Edit Mode offers even more controls.

 

Original Image (Image Credit: aginorz) Image Change with Dynamic Controls

 

The above example shows a number of changes to an image that are done simultaneously -- saturation, vignetting, contrast, etc., all of which can be changed in realtime without affecting the other changes.  Only after the "Apply" button is pressed is the actual image changed.