Tutorial: AKVIS SmartMask

Workspace

AKVIS SmartMask is a plug-in to a photo editor.

To call AKVIS SmartMask plugin, select the command Filter –> AKVIS –> SmartMask in Adobe Photoshop; in Corel (Jasc) Paint Shop Pro it will be the menu item Effects –> Plugins -> AKVIS –> SmartMask; in Corel PHOTO-PAINT call the command Effects –> AKVIS –> SmartMask.

Attention! Before you call the plug-in you must copy the image to a separate layer (Duplicate layer).

The workspace of AKVIS SmartMask looks like that:

Workspace Elements:

In the upper part of the window there is a Control Panel with the following buttons:

• The button opens files with the .smask extension. This file type contains information about the saved mask - the drawn strokes, color areas, the settings used.

• The button saves the resulting mask and all its settings in a separate file with the .smask extention.

• The button Undo cancels the last operation. It is possible to cancel several operations in a row. The hotkey for the command is Ctrl+Z (Command+Z on Macintosh).

• The button Redo returns the last cancelled operation. It is possible to return several operations in a row. The hotkey for the command is Ctrl+Y (Command+Y on Macintosh).

   

• View Modes:

  • The view mode shows the image in its original state. In this way you can compare the result with the original image.

    
    Original image

  • The view mode shows the result on a transparent background. It is the way you will see the cutout object in the photo editor.

    
    On transparent background

  • The view mode shows the cut object on a color background. By default the background is orange, but you can change the color at any time. For this purpose, click on the color plate that appears when you hover with the mouse over the button, and select a color from the Color Selection Dialog.

    
    Image on a color background

  • The view mode shows all pixels with Transparency 100% as black points. White points are the pixels with Transparency 0%. The pixels having Transparency between 0% and 100% are shown as shades of gray. The darker the gray shade, the higher is the transparency of this point.

    
    Mask

  • The view mode shows all pixels with Transparency = 100% as black points. White points are the pixels with Transparency = 0%. Gray points are all other pixels (0% < Opacity < 100%). This mode is good for finding areas that seem to be deleted, but they are not.

    
    Find unselected areas

  The image is shown in the Image Window according to the chosen view mode.

• The button turns on/off the drawn strokes.

• The button turns on/off the defined color areas, as well as adjusts their opacity. Use the pop-up control to adjust the Opacity of the color areas.

• The button starts image processing.

• The button applies the result, closes AKVIS SmartMask's window and the selected object appears in the workspace of your photo editor.

• The button calls information about the program.

• The button calls help files to the program.

• The button llows selecting the interface language. To change the interface language click on with the left mouse button, then choose the language from the drop-down menu.

• The button allows closing the plug-in's window without applying the result.

   

  Navigate and scale the image using the Navigator Window. The red frame shows the part of the image that is now visible in the Image Window.

  

  Drag the red frame to view the required part of the image in the Image Window. To move the red frame, put the cursor inside the frame, press the left mouse button, and keeping it pressed, drag the frame.

  Besides, you can scroll the image in the Image Window by pressing the space bar on the keyboard and by dragging the image with the left mouse button.

  Use the buttons and , as well as the slider to scale the image in the Image Window. By clicking on or by moving the slider to the right, you scale up the image; by clicking on or by moving the slider to the left, you scale down the image in the Image Window.

  It is also possible to enter a new scale coefficient into the appropriate field and press the button Enter (Return on Macintosh).

  Besides, to scale the image you can use hot-keys: + and CTRL++ (Command++ on Macintosh) to scale up the image, - and CTRL+- (Command+- on Macintosh) to scale down the image.

   

  Under the Navigator there is a Settings Panel with three tabs: Sharp, Soft and Complex. Every tab contains the settings for the corresponding mode. To select a tool on the Toolbar on the left from the Image Window, click on the corresponding icon with the left mouse button.

  Below the Settings Panel there is a Hint field: first time you launch the program it shows a short description of AKVIS SmartMask; as you work with the program it shows hints to the parameters of the chosen tool or the chosen mode.