PainShop Pro Scripting - dynamic range script

Author

dynamic range script

Claude Morin

2006-08-20, 10:39 pm

Hi,

Does anyone know of a script aimed at blending images at different exposures
to enhance the dynamic range ?

Thanks,

--
Claude Morin
Geneviève Lemieux
5932 Mclynn
Montréal, Canada
H3X 2R2
lemieux.morin@sympatico.ca

Spandex Rutabaga

2006-08-21, 3:39 am

Claude Morin wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> Does anyone know of a script aimed at blending images at different exposures
> to enhance the dynamic range ?

You don't enhance the dynamic range, you compress it so that the
brightest and darkest parts of all your images fit within the
maximum brightness range of a single image.

I don't know of a script but I would record something like these
steps, assuming you have three bracketed exposures: one average
one, one exposing for shadows (and so overexposing highlights)
and one exposing for highlights (leaving the shadows too dark).

1. Make the average exposure image active.
2. Paste the image exposed for highlights as a new layer over the
average exposure image.
3. Do Layers > New Mask Layer > From Image > Source Luminance.
This makes visible the brightest parts of the pasted highlight
layer while hiding the darkest parts.
4. Paste the image exposed for shadows as a new layer over the
highlight exposure layer.
5. Do Layers > New Mask Layer > From Image > Source Luminance
with Invert Mask Data checked. This makes visible the darkest
parts of the pasted layer while hiding the lightest parts.

Now you run the script on some trio of images (arranged in the
same order as when you recorded the prototype script). Once you
have your layer stack, adjust the group transparency for the
highlight and shadow layer groups to taste.

If you only have two exposures paste one over the other and mask
the top one in the same way as for three layers. You would end up
with one masked layer not two.

> Thanks,
>
> --
> Claude Morin
> Geneviève Lemieux
> 5932 Mclynn
> Montréal, Canada
> H3X 2R2
> lemieux.morin@sympatico.ca

RonV

2006-08-21, 6:58 pm

On Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:35:05 -0400, "Claude Morin"
<lemieux.morin@sympatico.ca> wrote:

>Hi,
>
>Does anyone know of a script aimed at blending images at different exposures
>to enhance the dynamic range ?
>
>Thanks,

It sounds as if such a script would be a 'One Instruction' script with
a pause in it to allow the user to make the adjustments. ie the
Histogram Adjustment, tweaking the expand/compress settings.

In cases like this, it's not an advantage over just using the tool by
itself, and forget the bother of running a script.

It's been my experience that scripts don't generally become an
advantage until they combine at least three steps.

RonV