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Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/867
112 MacDirectory
REVIEW
FLUID MASK 3 > MASKING GETS SMART
One of the coolest tricks you can do in the
digital darkroom is take an object from
one image and plop it in the middle of
another. The effect can be found in
artwork ranging from magazine ads and
illustrations to fine art. But if you've tried
to do it, even with Photoshop's powerful
toolbox, you've probably discovered that
(a) it's not easy, and (b) with some images,
it's nearly impossible to get a convincing
result. Fluid Mask 3 is the latest version of
in a line of products by Vertus Software
that can simplify the merely difficult and
bring the virtually impossible into the
realm of reality.
In masking, what makes an image "easy"
are clearly defined edges and a good
contrast with the background elements
that you want to eliminate. The really
tricky part comes in when you have a lot
of detail (like hair or tree branches) or very
similar colors with vague edges (your
proverbial polar bear in a snowstorm).
Fluid Mask 3 has modes that deal with
both potential pitfalls.
The program runs as either a Photoshop
plug-in residing in your Filters menu or as a
stand-alone application and takes a very
unique and interesting approach to
masking. When it opens an image, it
analyzes it and finds all the edges that it
can. You can easily adjust the sensitivity up
or down according to the picture's needs.
What it then presents you with is an
overlay of green lines that represent the
edges it finds. It looks a bit like the leaden
frames that surround the elements of a
stained-glass window. You use one of the
brush tools to fill in either the sections you
want to keep or those you want to mask
out, whichever is easier. The program can
automatically fill in the others before it
renders your masked image.
What constitutes an "edge" can be a bit
vague. A bit of fuzziness in the material or
a softness of focus can bring up blending
issues; a hard clear edge would just not be
appropriate. Fluid Mask 3 handles this
issue with built-in edge blending. It can
sense when the edge is soft and build in a
blending mask to provide just the right
scale of transparency.
Another issue that crops up is that certain
regions of an image may need much
more delicate handling than others. For
example, a fashion model's smooth silk
dress cuts a clear line against the
background but the fluffed-out hair will be
a masking nightmare. The program has a
incredibly useful "patch" mode that lets
you define a selection, either a box,
polygon or with a brush, and fine-tune the
masking options without any effect on the
rest of the image. For those bad hair days
in your digital darkroom, Fluid Mask 3 uses
its intelligent blending algorithms so you
can take (quite literally) a broad-brush
approach to the affected areas. For
lattice-like areas, where a complex
foreground grid must be separated from a
background, Fluid Mask 3 uses a color-
based masking technique from an entire
image or predefined selection.
The program's greatest strength is that it's
smart, but not overbearingly so. It can
make some incredibly brilliant guesses as
to what you want to do, but allows you a
wide range of controls to achieve what
you really need. Combined with the
patching tool, you have the freedom to
apply a variety of masking techniques to
different areas an image.
Fluid Mask 3's default settings will let you
get started with a minimum of training.
However, you'll want to watch the tutorials
on the Vertus Web site to get an
understanding of the basics.
With its versatility, intelligence and
sophistication, Fluid Mask 3 has become a
best-of-class masking application. If you're
a working pro, the time and effort you
save with your first few images will
probably pay for the program after the
first few projects.
WORDS BY RIC GETTER
Product Fluid Mask 3
Made by Vertus