Zerene: original image as base for retouching

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Sarah Lynkos
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Zerene: original image as base for retouching

Post by Sarah Lynkos »

This is my first post here, so first of all hi to everyone :) . Although I've been doing focus stacking for some time using Photoshop, I've just started also using Zerene which I'm really liking, particularly for its retouching ability. One of the things I'd LOVE to be able to do is use one of the original images as the base image for retouching, but as far as I've been able to ascertain, this isn't envisaged. As a work-round, I've been using one of the output images, then copying across the entire original image I want to use as a base. It works fine, but is a bit of a hassle. Does anyone have any other suggestions? Many thanks in advance.

rjlittlefield
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Re: Zerene: original image as base for retouching

Post by rjlittlefield »

Sarah, welcome aboard.

I'm the fellow who designed and wrote Zerene Stacker.

You're correct, using an original image as the base for retouching was never a use-case that I envisioned or intended to support. However, as you note, essentially the same functionality can be accomplished by starting with any output image and immediately overwriting the entire image with the source image that you really wanted to start with. That overwriting can be made more convenient by enlarging the brush size to more than cover the entire image, centering it so that the entire image is inside the brush, then clicking once, then restoring the brush to a normal size.

Of course this casually assumes that you do already have an output image, otherwise you won't be able to start retouching at all. But you don't need to have any other output images, because after you've done the initial overwriting, the unmodified output image is still available and can be selected as source for retouching.

Does this help?

--Rik

Sarah Lynkos
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 11:22 pm
Location: Italy
Contact:

Re: Zerene: original image as base for retouching

Post by Sarah Lynkos »

It certainly does help... especially as it's exactly what I've been doing :) . Great to have this opportunity for complimenting you on Zerene. I downloaded the trial just a few days ago and bought it almost straight away. I've a whole lot to learn, but I'm loving the experience. Thanks for your great work.

rjlittlefield
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Posts: 23561
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
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Re: Zerene: original image as base for retouching

Post by rjlittlefield »

Thank you for the kind words. I always like to hear that Zerene Stacker is helping people accomplish whatever they're trying to do.
It certainly does help... especially as it's exactly what I've been doing :)
I recognize that feeling. Sometimes it helps a lot just to know that some process is the best available, even though it's far from the best imaginable.

--Rik

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